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His eyes drop to my lips. “And am I?”
I swallow hard. “No.” Not even close.
The truth of my words hits me directly in the solar plexus. Whatever Daniil is, and I haven’t made my mind up about him yet, he’s not what I expected. And I mean that in the best possible way.
* * *
We’reboth quiet in the car on the way back to the penthouse. But as we approach his building, I feel his eyes on me, studying me with interest.
“What?” I say finally.
“I have to tell you something,” he says, pulling up to the curb. “I’m working with Días, laundering money through the casino. It was part of the deal made with your uncle when he insisted we marry.”
“Oh,” I say, keeping my voice steady. A weight pushes down on my chest as I meet his heavy gaze.
My arms break out in goose bumps. I’ve refused to think about Jorge being here in Brooklyn. It was easy to put it out of my mind while locked up in the penthouse all day, but Daniil’s words are a reminder that I haven’t escaped Jorge’s grasp. Not yet.
Should I warn Daniil to keep his guard up around Jorge? If I do, will he be more protective about sharing information with me? Diedre’s advice comes back to me; there are growing pains in any new partnership, a higher chance of them screwing up and revealing something. And that’s what I want. The sooner they mess up, the sooner this will all be over.
I take a deep breath, ignoring all the thoughts churning in my head like a twister. “It’s business,” I say with a shrug. “Jorge is my uncle’s most trusted lieutenant.”
“I don’t like how he looks at you.” His gruff voice catches my attention. I meet his gaze, and good god, he is sexy when he’s angry.Smolderingmight be the word for it. “He doesn’t get to touch what’s mine. And you are mine, never forget that.” His hand shoots out to wrap around the nape of my neck, holding me in place.
The air between us is charged, as combustible as a flick of a lighter in a dry forest, and our inferno would rage bigger and hotter than a hundred-acre wildfire. I try to suppress the shudder that moves through me, but it’s no use. He doesn't miss a thing.
“Say it, printsessa. Who do you belong to?” His breath fans across my lips like a warm breeze as he awaits my response.
“I belong to no one.” I won’t say the words even as I wear Daniil’s ring on my finger.
“Wrong answer.”
And then his lips are slanted over mine. His kiss is hard and demanding, like he’s testing me. But I kiss him back, digging my fingers into his back. I feel half out of my mind. Drugged by him. Seduction may have been part of my plan, but right now, my only thought is getting the sweet relief my body craves.
My heart rate ratchets up at the way his lips brush over mine, his tongue invading my mouth. Shit, he can kiss. I may not have much experience, but whatever he’s doing feels really good. As I release a moan, he captures my bottom lip between his own, sucking hard, nearly to the point of pain. Just when I can’t take it anymore, he groans and licks my lips. The sound of his enjoyment is enough to make me claw at his chest, trying to bring him closer, wanting more of him in a way I barely understand. All I know for sure is that my panties are soaked, and I need him. Need more of him.
But an aggressive horn blast brings me back to earth. We’ve been making out like two horny teenagers in the front seat of his car on a busy Brooklyn street. What was I thinking?
Daniil pulls back with a satisfied smile. “It’s okay,” he assures me, “the windows are tinted. Now, let’s try that again. Who do you belong to? And, printsessa, if I don’t like your answer, I’ll be taking you over my knee.”
Alrighty then.The logical thing to do would be to agree, I mean, I’m trying to seduce the man for Christ’s sake. But my stubborn pride won’t allow it.
“Can I think about it?” I smooth my dress down my legs and attempt to fix my hair. For whom, I don’t know. I’m simply trying to put myself back together after… well, whatever that was.
He shifts in his seat, running a hand over the back of his neck. His voice is rough and husky when he says, “Don’t think too hard. There is only one right answer.” He glances towards the windshield before his gaze locks back onto me. “I have to go to the casino now, something came up.”
Disappointment hangs heavy on my shoulders. He has to gonow? After what we just started? I’m not sure what possesses me, but I find myself turning in my seat, notching up my chin. “Can I come with you?” He shakes his head, but I press on. “Please. Don’t make me go back up there. I won’t be a bother. I’ll stay in your office, or wherever you tell me to stay, I just don’t want to be alone.”
He blows out a heavy breath and lifts his eyes to the ceiling. “It’s not a good idea.”
“Please,” I say with all the sweetness I can muster. My voice might be pure sugar, but my hand lands in his lap, grasping his still hard cock through his pants.
“Fuuuuck,” he hisses. I feel him twitch and my confidence grows with his heated response, so I grab him more forcefully. Whatever I’m doing now, he seems to like. He groans, as if in pain, and then stills my hand with his own, he says, “If you keep doing that, printsessa, I’m going to shoot in my pants.”
Fire lights my skin at his words. At the thought of how we’d taste together, smell together, just the thought of our juices mixing. I clench my thighs and hope it’s enough to calm my raging hormones. Daniil’s finger trails down my neck to land at my pulse point. He smiles a big genuine smile when he feels my blood pounding through my veins.
“I’m gonna regret this, but fuck it,” he whispers before reaching over to buckle me in. Then, throwing the car into drive, he tears away from the curb. City lights illuminate Daniil’s Adam’s apple and defined cheekbones. My pulse stutters as I realize that for a brief moment, he wanted me as much as I wanted him. And it was real.
Tonight, I’m happy not to be alone, trapped in a glass cage in the sky. It hadn’t occurred to me until now that this is a way to get closer to him, a way to unravel his secrets. That is, if I can stay awake long enough to find anything out. Between the carbs, wine, and excitement of that kiss, I’m feeling drowsy and relaxed. Maybe for once I’ll let myself just be and appreciate the night for what it is, a chance to let down my guard and enjoy the company of the man I’m married to.
