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“God! Oh, God!” She’s panting the words out.
Our climax crashes over us like a tidal wave, washing away all thought and reason in its powerful wake. I hear my own voice build to a harsh shout and then fade away. It’s a sound that resonates through the air between us, mingling with her own sweet cries. The salty taste of her skin, her lips nectar sweet, a mixture of honey and the ocean.
“Look at me,” I tell her. I want to see that defiance now, see if it’s still there when she faces the pleasure we can give each other. Our eyes lock together in a blaze of pure ecstasy. She’s still defiant, but there’s something else in her gaze now. Acceptance of this thing between us, perhaps.
Whatever the fuck this thing is.
For now, all I can do is feel. I shudder as I wring out the last ripples of bitter-sweet pleasure. She shudders too, her body going limp, her arms twined around my neck. Sweat slickens my skin as I finally collapse onto her, both of us breathing hard…breathless, and spent.
The room is silent except for our harsh gasping breaths. We lie there for what feels like an eternity until she finally shifts beneath me, breaking the trance we’d fallen under. Slowly rolling off her body, I pull her hard against me, and for once, she doesn’t fight me. But as the afterglow fades, reality sinks in – we’re still enemies, tangled in a game neither of us knows how to win.
Not that there is anything I want to win here. I have Nikolai to worry about. Scarlett Jones is simply a distraction.
And a dangerous one at that.
Chapter 8
Scarlett
As our bodies lie entwined, the lingering remnants of lust fade, and my thoughts turn back to the pressing matters at hand.
What in the fuck are you doing, Scarlett?
I can’t afford to let a moment of weakness derail me from my mission.
The tension between Anton and me is like a living thing, despite the intimacy we’ve just shared. My anger bubbles to the surface as I remember how he coerced me into working for him. How he dragged me into this whole shitshow in the first place.
“You got me into this mess,” I say, my voice low and intense. “If it wasn’t for you, I could have been sipping margaritas in Cancun by now.
Anton shifts his body towards me, eyes narrowing. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“All this,” I sweep an arm, gesturing to the room, “I didn’t ask for any of it. All I wanted to do was make enough money to get over the border until the heat died down.”
So much for that idea.
The heavy muscles of Anton’s chest ripple against me as he shrugs, his wounds still fresh from the attack. “Not my problem. I did not know about your plan to run off to Mexico. Or whatever fucked up idea you thought you would try to get out of the shit you brought upon yourself.”
“Of course, you didn’t,” I retort. “If you hadn’t forced me to work for you, I could have hidden there instead of dealing with all the shit you brought upon me.”
“Shityoudrew toward us,” he corrects. “If you had not gone running around town – as I told you not to – Volkov would never have tracked us down. You may as well have sent up a flare.”
My heart suddenly aches as I consider the danger I’ve brought into Anton’s life, and by extension, Nikolai’s. “I’m sorry about what Nikolai has gone through,” I admit, struggling with my pride. “I never intended for any of this to happen.”
He snorts dismissively, bitterness etched in his chiseled features. “Your apologies do not change the fact that my son’s life is on the line because of you. ‘Sorry’ means nothing.”
I’m silent for a moment because he’s right. But only partially because this isn’t entirely on me.
“Let’s not forget your own secrets,” I shoot back, challenging him. “Danger follows you too, Anton.”
Danger?
Fuck, there’s an understatement.
“I was under the radar. Safe. Nikolai was safe—”
“You’re kidding, right?” I scoff. “How long do you think that was going to last? Until Niko finished college?”
“I had plans. To put an end to the nightmare. Plans that you fucked up.” His voice has gone icy, even though his body is still hot against me.
