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The moment Jack stalks away, I can sense the spell is broken. Aly pivots towards me, hands on her hips. “Seriously, Leo, was that really necessary?"
“It was. It was very fucking necessary,” I respond.
She blinks up at me, as her pulse pounds in her throat. “No PDA, that was part of the rules.”
I reach out and run a thumb over her bottom lip. The red stain is still holding on, as stubborn as she is. “I don’t give a fuck about the rules.” As her gaze locks with mine, my skin sizzles as if I’m standing too close to a roaring fire. I bend so my mouth is directly beside her ear. “I needed to touch you.”
Her eyes flicker shut for a moment, lips parting slightly as if to let out a breath she’s been holding for far too long. "Leo," she begins, her voice shaking as she opens her eyes. She swallows hard, and I can see her struggle, caught between what she should say and what she wants to say.
My hand moves from her lip to cup her cheek, thumb tracing circles on her flushed skin. I don’t know what I want from her, I just know I can’t be in such close proximity to her and not touch her perfect skin.
Finally, she shakes her head, loose strands of hair framing her face. “I can’t do this,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her words slice through me, leaving a cold emptiness that’s far worse than the heat of rejection. And with that, she retreats, leaving me standing alone in the darkness.
CHAPTERTEN
ALYONA
There wasa time in my life when I thought Leonid Kozlov could do no wrong. That the sun rose and fell at his bidding. That time is past.Like way past.
He was out of line last night. But the worst part—so was I. Because the minute his hands dared roam over my skin—and they sure did roam, touching, exploring, making me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time—I was a goner. I melted into him. And that kiss he dropped along my neck while I was pressed against his firm body rippling with— Nope, not going to go there.
I’ve spent so much time trying to forget him—the way he could make me burst out laughing with one perfectly timed eyebrow arch, the way he’d happily leaf through fashion magazines with me while I pointed out the latest styles. He made me feel safe, like I was the only one in his world.
Last night proved to me this isn’t going to work unless I set some firm boundaries. If we’re going to do this fake engagement thing, he doesn’t get to kiss me or touch me just because he wants to. Because Leo’s touch sets me on fire. It makes me want things I shouldn’t, and that messes with my head.
Slipping on the most demure dress I find in the closet—a white linen summer sheath paired with cork-wedge heels—I step out of my suite and head upstairs towards Leo’s office turned makeshift bedroom. I assume this is where he’s been holed up every night, because I sure as hell haven’t invited him to sleep in the stateroom with me.
I am a big enough woman to admit I’m part of the problem. I teased Leo about Jack, and it got him all fired up. Yeah, Jack’s flirty, but it’s harmless, and I’m definitely not interested, even if I let Leo think otherwise. What can I say, the ego boost felt good, and I enjoyed getting a rise out of Leo. But now it’s time to stop playing.
Just as I’m about to knock, a voice on the other side of the door stops me in my tracks. It’s a voice I recognize buzzing through the speakerphone, and she is furious.
“On a yacht?! You basically abducted her in the middle of the night, and now you’re forcing her to stay with you? Leo… what exactly is wrong with you?”
God bless Kira. The youngest of the Kozlov siblings and one of my closest friends and fiercest defenders, as evidenced by the shit she’s now raining down now on her brother. I know I shouldn’t, but who in their right mind would be able to resist eavesdropping on this conversation? Certainly not me.
“I did what I had to do to keep her safe. I don’t need you busting my balls. Trust me, Alyona’s done enough of that already,” Leo shoots back defensively.
“Well, can you blame her?”
Leo mutters a curse I don’t quite catch. “I owe it to Yulian and the brotherhood to treat this threat as serious, to make sure—”
Kira’s laugh slices through his words like a knife. “Who are you trying to convince? ‘Cause I don’t buy it for one minute. Chartering a private yacht, blowing off your other duties to be her personal protector. What are you really after?”
A tight knot forms in my stomach as the tension on the other side of the door buzzes like a live wire. I don’t know what Kira’s getting at, but it feels like she’s dancing around that one topic I’ve begged her not to touch with a ten-foot pole.
My history with Leo.
Kira’s the one person that knows the full truth. Maybe it was easier to talk to her because she didn’t see us grow up together, or maybe it was the two bottles of rosé we polished off on the patio of Café de la Paix when she came to Paris last year. But I told her everything. Likeeverything. The whole sordid tale of love, rejection, and heartbreak. And she pinky promised never to breathe a word to another soul.
Leo lets out a sound that’s part sigh, part growl. “Kira, I love you, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. The history between Aly and me is complicated. I… I care for her.” He hits the brakes mid-sentence, going silent. It feels like an eternity passes before he finds his voice again. “But right now I need to act in the best interest of the brotherhood.”
“Is that what you did all those years ago when you chose the bratva over her?”
My hand flattens against the door and my blood pounds in my ears. Holy shit, what is Kira thinking, spilling secrets I entrusted to her?! Knowing her, she’s probably been itching to give Leo hell ever since I told her how we ended. I get that she’s concerned, but I really wish she’d let it go.
“Did she tell you that?” Leo’s voice is strained.
