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I inspect Alina’s wrist and ignore the bite of irritation. When I heard her scream my name, my heart nearly launched out of my chest. “I knew I should have had Ben escort you,” I mutter under my breath. “I should’ve just seen you there myself.”
“Who is that man?” she asks as I lay the compress on her arm.
“Richard Eaton Jones. My biggest business rival and giant pain in my ass.” My thoughts take a bitter turn. “And now he’s hurt you, so he’s a dead man.”
“It’s not so bad.”
“What did he say to you?”
Alina squirms in her seat, her eyes cast down to the floor. “He… might have called me a prostitute.”
I freeze. “Might have?”
“He did.”
My temper flares. “You should have kicked him in the balls.”
“I thought about it.”
Alina slowly reaches up and grazes the tips of her fingers over mine. Our hands are folded neatly together as she watches me work, our breathing calm and steady. The air is still, sizzling with something just shy of overwhelming. I find myself drawing closer and closer into her space, unable to look or move away.
Her gaze flits to my lips. “Pyotr…”
She tilts her chin up, pressing the softest of kisses against my mouth. It’s bashful and sweet. Tentative, like Alina isn’t sure how I’m going to react. She’s like that with a lot of things, no doubt due to her awful upbringing. I can’t imagine what it must have been like growing up with Violetta as a mother. Despite the horrors she’s had to suffer through, I’m amazed by Alina’s burning spirit and determination. She could be a force to be reckoned with if she wanted.
Maybe I can be her guide.
“Sorry,” she whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear her.
“Stop apologizing.” I lean in a little closer, transfixed by the green of her eyes. “Is this what you want, Alina?”
She licks her lips, her breaths measured and tight. “Is that okay?”
“I want you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“Stop asking for permission. People like you and me, we take what we want.”
“People like you and me?”
“The ones they underestimate. So show me, Alina. Show me what you want.”
She pauses just long enough for my words to register.
And then she pounces, every ounce ferocious and hungry and demanding.
Alina throws her arms around my neck, crashing our lips together with such force I have to take a step back. I regain my balance, meeting her with just as much need. I easily pull her into my arms, circling her waist as I lift her a few inches off the floor. She’s so unbelievably soft. I can hardly believe it. Just the sight of her skin doesn’t do her justice. Her body fits perfectly against mine, molding to my shape.
I’m suddenly ravenous. I need so much more than a kiss, than an embrace. I want to know the feel of her hair slipping between my fingers and the sound of her languid moans. I want to see if her blush extends further than just her cheeks. I need to know how bright the fire in her eyes can burn.
My body moves on its own, easily carrying her toward her bedroom. Alina’s unlocked something within me so powerfully protective and eager it’s almost a little scary. Since the day I first laid eyes on her, I knew she was special. And while our meeting was less than ideal, I think we were destined to end up in each other’s arms.
I shut the door hastily, kicking it closed with my foot as I carry Alina to her bed. Her nimble hands are insatiable, combing through my hair and clawing at my tux, practically yanking off my bowtie like she’s ripping off the ribbon of a birthday present. Our lips never part, our tongues dancing over one another with matched urgency.
We move in perfect synchronicity. She undoes the buttons of my shirt, exposing my chest and abs. I reach around to undo the zipper of her dress, quickly sliding her delicate straps over the smooth curves of her shoulders.
She stands before me in a matching pair of black lace panties and a bra, her skin more breathtaking than a still landscape of snow. Alina sucks in a sharp breath as I allow my hands to roam freely, savoring every inch of her body beneath my palms.
