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“It means, I won’t be embarrassed by a betrayal, Karine.” His grip on my arm, which had been light, now increased. “You’re mine.”
I jerked out of his grasp, supremely offended. His words struck me to my very core. “There’s nothing more important to me than loyalty,” I said, fighting tears. “To imply I’m not loyal has to be the worst insult you could give me. Something you’d be aware of if you knew me at all.”
“You’re right, I don’t know you very well,” he said, reaching for me, but not menacingly now. “Why don’t we get to know each other better, then.”
At the same time, his handsome face softened, I was reminded of the way he’d looked that redhead up and down at the club. He’d turned away from me as if he was going to dance with her. As if he forgot all about me. The audacity was too much. There was no way I would just forgive his grave insult when he was such a blatant hypocrite. No amount of his kisses or caresses could have calmed my boiling rage.
“Not likely,” I spat over my shoulder as I stormed up the stairs.
I half expected to feel his hand clamp around my wrist the entire way up, but when I got to the top and glanced back, he was still standing at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed moodily over his broad chest. I slammed myself into the guest room and once again locked the door.
Once again he didn’t come after me. And once again I was infuriatingly disappointed to have to spend another married night alone.
Chapter 9 - Roman
I was way too pumped up by Feliks’s admiration to bother going after Karine. It was clear she was furious by what I said and I was in no mood to grovel. This wasn’t a sprint, it was a marathon, and I had plenty of time to make her fall in love with me. As much as I might have wanted this night to end differently, I could be patient.
Especially after the way she crawled all over me in the car, and the disappointment in her eyes when she saw that Feliks was here to keep us from racing upstairs. Once she got over her anger, she’d start thinking about the way my hands felt on her, remembering how eager she was. She’d be up there stewing all alone. Good. When the time came, it would be that much sweeter. I couldn’t wait to make her beg.
To get my own mind off the way she’d felt and to keep my own memories of her soft, fervent kisses from making me stew, I headed up to the master bedroom where I kept my secret phone tucked away in the back of the bedside table drawer.
I couldn’t believe how that one little setup punch to my cousin’s face had gotten me so much further already. I imagined it would have been months more schmoozing Feliks before he opened up as much as he did over sips of vodka tonight.
Digging out my phone, I turned it on and sent the info I’d gleaned to Oleg.
There’s supposed to be a shipment of weapons in a month, along with more men from Russia. Don’t know the exact dates or city yet.
I was so excited I didn’t even work out the time difference, but regardless, Oleg’s answer came right away.
I’ll look into it. Now lay low for a while so it doesn’t seem like you’re pumping Feliks for info. Great work.
I read the message three times. Short and to the point, but I was glowing with as much pride as when I was awarded a scholarship to college. If I wasn’t still burning with lust for Karine, I would have fallen asleep easily. Instead I tossed and turned, hoping she was suffering a similar night of unrest.
Karine was in the kitchen the next morning before me, looking as fresh as a dewy rose. Before she noticed me in the doorway, I checked her out in her green sundress that showed off her shoulders and rustled around her hips as she reached for a mixing bowl. When it was clear she knew I was in the room, her relaxed face grew stormy and she turned away to pull some things from the refrigerator.
She was back to being as chilly as the deep freeze. My first instinct was to snap at her, but I pushed it down. I had to start thinking of her feelings. I’d called her out on possibly being disloyal, something I didn’t really believe. And I refused to think that Demian was a real threat.
I sidled up behind her and reached to take the mixing spoon from her hand. “Tell me what you want to do today. Anything you want. I took time off, after all.”
She twisted around to scowl at me, but there was a glimmer in her eyes. Hope that I would be the kind of husband she wanted. I could see how badly she wanted to throw away her anger and forgive, but she had pride, too.
“I’m sorry about what I said last night,” I gritted out, and she softened even more. It was actually sweet. “I’m sorry it seemed like I didn’t trust you, but I don’t like other men looking at what’s mine.”
At my teasing tone, she rolled her eyes but turned so she was facing me, tipping up her chin. There was a hint of a smile forming on her lips. A mischievous one that I liked.
“I can choose anything I want to do today?”
“Anything you want,” I assured her, imagining traipsing around the expensive shops in Bal Harbour.
She closed her eyes, thinking. Then, “Skydiving,” she said. I burst out laughing, but she was deadly serious. “You said anything. And I’ve always wanted to do it.
I didn’t love heights, but certainly couldn’t admit that to her. Easing away, I pulled out my phone and started looking for places. With any luck all of them would be booked for weeks. She continued working at the counter and as I made calls to the different companies in the area, I soon had a plate of pancakes with fresh strawberries sliced on top of them in front of me. She plopped down a pitcher of syrup next to my coffee cup, which she topped up, then sat down next to me to eat her own breakfast, all with an expectant look.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a bite of the fluffy pancakes. “Damn, these are good, Karine.”
She shrugged with a pleased little smile. “Any luck finding a place where we can jump today?”
Hearing the word jump made my stomach knot up, but I figured when it came right down to it, she’d back down. There was no way she wasn’t fucking with me and truly wanted to jump out of a plane.
