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“What do you think?” Mikhail watches as I take my first bite of the soup course, and it takes me a moment to speak. It’s delicious, rich and velvety, and it’s easy for me to look as astonished as I know I should at how good it is.
“This might be the best meal I’ve ever had so far.” It’s a simple lie to tell–right now, it feels like it is. I had forgotten what it was like to eat food like this, to not be getting by on cheap groceries, something that not all that long ago I would never have imagined I’d need to do.
“I’m glad to hear it.” There’s a satisfied look on Mikhail’s face as he watches me, as if he’s enjoying the sight of me eating.
I glance at him as I set my spoon down, feeling the urge to prod at him a little, to see what I can make him tell me. “Why are you doing this? I’ve never understood it, really. Someone like you–wealthy, decent enough manners when you need them, handsome–why would you need to pay a woman to go on a date with you? It’s never added up for me, really.”
Mikhail grins, taking a sip of his soup. “So you do think I’m handsome.”
It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. “It was a serious question. Really, why?”
He shrugs, but I can see that familiar flicker of heat in his eyes. “Honestly? You’re right. I wouldn’t need to pay a woman to get a date with her. But you–you come with a price. And I didn’t want a date with just any woman, Ekaterina. I wanted an evening withyou.”
I remind myself, yet again, that I can’t fall for his flattery. That this man might be dangerous, and letting my guard down in the slightest bit is a bad idea. This is a business deal, and nothing that happens here is real. I shouldn’t feel anything.
It’s hard to feel nothing, though, when he seems so sincere. I’ve always thought I was decent at reading others, and looking at him, he seems earnest.
Or he’s just very good at coming off that way, so he can get what he wants from you.
“I know what you’re doing.” I wave my spoon at him. “You’re just trying to sweeten me up. You’ve seen where I work; don’t you think I’ve heard it all before?”
“Is it working?” Mikhail raises an eyebrow. “Ekaterina, you said it yourself. I would have no trouble going out and finding a date for the evening. The difference is that I saw you, and I haven’t been able to think of anyone else since.”
He takes the last sip of his soup, pushing the bowl aside for the server. “I’m aware that this is a transaction. But I’d like to enjoy the fantasy. And right now–” his eyes slide over me again, and I feel my pulse quicken. “This is exactly as I hoped.”
As the night goes on, I keep reminding myself of the same thing I told myself before.This is a job. A shift like any other. It means nothing. You should feel nothing.But as we sit there through course after course, I can feel myself relaxing by degrees.Everything we talk about is meaningless–I’m not about to make up lies about my past that I’ll have to keep track of later unless strictly necessary, and I have a feeling that Mikhail isn’t the type to be overly forthcoming–but I don’t mind it. It feels normal, easy, and his light, continued flirtation feels like a familiar dance that I know all too well.
I know I’m being lulled by the charm of good food, better wine, and simple conversation, but it’s hard to shake myself out of it. As we take bites from a dessert plate of tiny artistic confections, I find myself wondering whether Ruby has to remind herself of these things or if it comes more naturally to her.
“It’s a shame the evening has to end,” Mikhail says regretfully as he pays the bill, standing up as I do. “But it’s been a pleasure.”
His hand rests on my back again as we step away from the table. “And of course,” he murmurs quietly as we walk, “I know where you work, if I want to see you again.”
It’s a joke. I know it is, but I feel a shiver go down my spine at the implications of it. Fear flickers through me, mingled with the pleasurable feeling of his hand on my back. It’s a confusing mixture of emotions that makes me feel off balance, as if I’m stumbling on the steps all over again.
Just as we reach the valet, I feel his hand on my back press more firmly, turning me before I can respond away from the stairs and around the other side of the tall white-stone building. We are, for all intents and purposes, in an alleyway, but in this part of the city, it’s clean and well-kept, just the space between the restaurant and some other luxury establishment.
My heart leaps into my throat, fear flooding me in an instant. “What are you doing?” I whisper, keeping my voice low. I’munder no delusions that if I scream out here, that anyone will care. A man like Mikhail can have what he wants, and if that’s me, there’s very little that can be done to stop him. I’ll do my best, though, before I let him hurt me–even if I can only rely on myself.
“I know I said I only wanted a date.” He doesn’t touch me, only the muscled length of his body keeping me in place–doing so without touching. I could try to slip past him, under the arm beside my head, the hand planted against the stone, but I don’t move. I can see it all too clearly–the moment when I try to dart away, his hand closing around my arm and pulling me back, and then all my negotiating power is lost.
“Then why are we standing here?” I know my voice sounds more breathless than it should be, that I hardly sound as if I’m prepared to fight back. “The car is waiting.”
“I changed my mind.” His eyes flick over my face, down to my lips, and I feel my heart start to beat faster. “I said we could wait until after dinner to negotiate. So now–” His gaze lingers on my mouth, heating, and I feel an answering throb of warmth pulse through my veins.
Not now!I don’t want to think of what it would feel like for him to kiss me, of how long it’s been since someone has, of how many times I’ve fantasized about that, and so much more. It’s a boundary that, once crossed, will open the door to so much more. I’ve only fought my own disturbed desires by keeping it firmly closed and locked, and I can feel myself faltering.
But I want it.More even than just the lack of physical pleasure, I’ve felt so lonely. The thought of hands sliding over my body eagerly, of another body’s heat against mine, of soft lips partingmine, and a tongue slipping into my mouth makes me feel an almost visceral craving, a need that feels nearly unbearable.
I could feel less lonely, just for a moment. Just a kiss.
“How much to kiss you, Ekaterina?” He says the false name without missing a beat, and somehow that makes me feel slightly better, weakening my defenses that much more.If he were the stalker, if he were a threat, would he believe you so easily? Wouldn’t he say it the same way he used to say, Athena, as if he were in on the secret?“Just one kiss. Tell me the price, and I’ll pay it.”
He leans closer still, his mouth hovering so close to mine that I can nearly feel it. The ache pulses through me, a need like I’ve never felt before, a longing that’s almost painful.Let him pay,I hear the voice in my head whisper, insisting.Take the money and give yourself something, too. It’s been a good night. Make it better, and end it like this.
“Or–” His mouth is so close, the warmth of his breath caressing my lips like a kiss in and of itself, and I feel a shudder of desire ripple through me that hemustbe able to feel, too. “Or, you could just let me. Would you let me kiss you, Ekaterina? It’s all I’ve thought about, night after night–how your lips would feel under mine. And now–all I want is a taste. We can negotiate later, if you want–”
I’m lost. His words slide over me like the silk of the dress, and I know none of it can possibly be true, that he’s been thinking aboutmuchmore than just kissing me. I know that from things he’s said to me in the champagne room. I know this is all just a way to steal a kiss, but somehow at this moment, it seems so terribly romantic, so arousing, that I can’t find the words to stop him. My mind feels foggy, muddled with desire and that aching,painful longing just to betouched, and I find myself tilting my chin upwards, my eyes meeting his.
