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At the very end, I pressed a kiss to her forehead, and I didn’t even recognize her smell.
He’s standing just behind me. I’m not sure when he got so close. The peace that had just filled me turns stony, thorny, painful. I stiffen.
“Relax,” he commands. “How many times do I need to say it? I’m not going to hurt you.”
I turn around to face him, and we’re almost chest to chest. I expect him to back up, but he doesn’t. He holds his ground, so I hold mine. “Unless I ask nicely, right?”
His mouth tips into a smirk. “Right.”
That smile.I have to admit, my knees go a little weak. Kirill Zaitsev is lots of things, and devastatingly handsome is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, the list also contains manipulative, condescending, and misogynistic. His chiseled jawline is not enough to balance those scales.
I should not be opening up to this man. He can already get under my skin. There’s no need to give him additional ammunition.
“Did Viktoria ask nicely?” I say, side-stepping him and moving into the living room.
There’s a deep, U-shaped sofa facing a fireplace. It’s double-sided, one side facing the interior living room, the other side facing the stone patio. I can imagine curling up under a blanket on this couch, a book in my hand, the sound of the waves floating through the open windows.
“Viktoria doesn’t do anything nicely, if you haven’t noticed,” he says.
I snort. “Believe me, I’ve noticed. I’ve also noticed you don’t do much to keep her in line. She shouldn’t be allowed to terrorize your staff like that.”
“I wouldn’t let her if you didn’t look so good when you get worked up.” I turn to him, eyes narrowed. He stares back at me with nothing but pure heat. “Your cheeks flush and your chest starts to rise and fall. It’s indecent.”
“This conversation is indecent.” I look towards the door, but it’s closed. We’re alone. “You’re my boss.”
“I’mtheboss.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference is,” he says, moving towards me with all the grace of an exotic cat, “I don’t answer to anyone. And you answer to me.”
“I don’t answer to you,” I argue. “I’m working for you, but you can’t force me to do whatever you want.”
He tips his head to the side, observing me. “And what if I don’t have to force you? What if we want the same things?”
I bark out a laugh even as my stomach flips with nerves. “Impossible. You and I come from very different worlds.”
“But we are the same. All humans are… at their core.” Kirill draws near me and then circles around. He keeps his distance, but I swear I can feel his breath on my neck. “Hormones and pheromones. Chemistry and connection. It drives us all, one way or another. It can serve you if you let it.”
How many times has he given this speech before? Part of me thinks a lot. It sure sounds polished. But then again, how many women have actually been able to resist him? This may be the first time he’s really had to work for it.
I like that idea.
“You mean it can serveyou,” I correct. “I’m sure Viktoria followed her instincts, too. And now, she’s begging for your attention and getting into cat fights with your maids. She’s desperate and pathetic. I don’t want to end up like that.”
“You won’t.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because Viktoria and I… we don’t want the same things,” he says easily, throwing my own words back in my face. “But I think you and I could compromise.”
“What would compromise look like?”
Shut up!I want to scream at myself.You don’t care what he has to say. Do your job and leave.
But the part of me that Kirill has woken up… It’s hungry for more. For the rush of adrenaline I feel when he walks in the room. For the tingle he sends through my limbs.
My sisters think I need to settle down and find myself a “good man.” Read: “rich man.” This could be my chance to try that fantasy on for size.
