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I chew on his words and don’t realize until it’s too late that I’ve bunched my hands in his shirt like I want him close and need his touch. There’s a flash of light through the living room window that catches his attention and the energy around us shifts from sultry to dangerous.
“It’s time to go,” he growls menacingly.
Raw power bleeds into his tone as though I don’t have another option. My eyes dart around for some sort of exit before he slings me over a shoulder again and carts me out.
“It’s my neighbor. You can lower your hackles, mafia man.” I release his shirt. “They come home at this time every night.” I pause until he has time to digest my words.
“Maxim, you need to hear these words,” I say slowly.
His gaze swings to me and I’m nearly floored by their intensity. But I’m not a pushover. I jab a finger into his chest. “No,” I say clearly. “And for the record, I didn’tthinkI could leave. Ididleave. Now it’s your turn to do the same before I call the cops.”
From the stone-cold look on his face, it’s safe to say he is not used to being told no. Too bad. I have no problem teaching him the phonetics of the word.
“You’re coming with me. Put up a fight and that just makes it more fun for me.”
I believe him.
“Do you have selective hearing?”
He flashes a half grin. “Your pussy, your fucking heavenly mouth. God, your haunting eyes. You have blinded me this past week. And I can’t afford the distraction. Only solution is to keep you close. And I hear just fine.”
“That sounds like ayouproblem, buddy.”
He draws near until the tips of our noses touch. “You have a short memory of what the bottom of the ocean feels like.”
Not really. I can barely take a shower without freaking the hell out at the feel of water on my skin. But instead of sharing that I seal my lips and return the hard glare.
“Fuck you, Maxim.”
That half grin turns into a full-on wolfish smile. “Da, malyshka. Soon enough. Business first. My problem is about to be your problem. I’m sure the East Syndicate is watching and just waiting. You come with me and don’t get killed. Or you stay and that forces me to stay because there is no way in hell I am leaving you here to die while pregnant with my child.”
This man and his one-track mind. There’s no way to keep the exasperation from seeping into my tone. “I’m on the pill, Maxim. You’re good. You don’t need to play the hero.” Part of me wants to shove a sock in my mouth. The very idea of the East Syndicate still sniffing around sends my heart thundering and my palms sweating. Having a guy with a gun around isn’t a bad idea. It’s the price tag attached that has me faltering.
Maxim tugs my wrist, turns my palm over, and drops a box into my hands. “Are you sure about that?”
My eyes go wide. “What the hell are you doing with my…” My voice drops off as I open the container and check each of my birth control pills. Still in their foil. Had I forgotten to take them? Obviously. But how? God, I want to smack myself. With dad’s passing and all the weight of packing up his house and two jobs…
I fall to my knees. “How could I be so careless?”
“You mean lucky.”
“Your ego is astounding.” He pulls me off the floor and I’m up against his chest again. He feels warm, protective and so strong it’s hard to resist the plea in his eyes for me to just let him take over and follow his lead.
“Give me one week,” I say. Striking plea deals is my thing. I can do this all night.
“I’ll give you five minutes to grab what you want and then we are leaving. This place is a death trap and I don’t plan on dying in this hot house.”
I narrow my eyes but his expression remains unwavering.
“Give me one week to close out my life here before I become your…whatever I am to you. Bun oven?”
“Chetyre minuty.”
I don’t need my Russian dictionary to understand. “Not fair, damn it. I have a life you know.”
There’s something there in his gaze that turns wild and instinct drives me backward.
Strong fingers wrap around my wrist.
