Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 141532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Sevastyan turned away, coughing, as the car came up the drive.
She glared at him. “I have cameras everywhere and there’s bound to be a video of Mitya covering your body with his, and just so you know, Mr. Security Expert, the next time I want to go somewhere and your hotshot boss says I can’t go, I’ll be playing that video unless you play ball with me.”
“For God’s sake, Mitya. Who is this woman?” Sevastyan wiped his face, smearing blood and dirt with his hand. “I think I was wrong about her not being compatible. She’s the devil’s bride.”
Mitya shrugged his wide shoulders. Ania was leaning over him, wiping at the laceration bleeding profusely on his head, where a bullet had parted his hair. She smelled of gunpowder, the night, and that elusive fragrance that was all her. Her breasts were close to his face and all he had to do was turn his head slightly and nuzzle close. She wore a tank and little else. She must have gotten undressed to get in bed when she decided to eavesdrop. He would have to remember that she had excellent hearing and she wasn’t ever going to be that woman relegated to the background.
He would have to find a good balance for them both. He wasn’t going to have her carrying around a sniper’s rifle or, worse, have Sevastyan put her on Mitya’s security. He wouldn’t put it past his cousin. He turned his head just as she shifted forward, cleaning the blood with her wipes. The action pressed her breasts against his cheek. He felt the soft curves and instantly his body reacted.
Hell. He was in pain. He’d been shot. He was lying on the ground stark naked and he was reacting to her. It wasn’t her breasts. Well. Okay. It was and it wasn’t. Her body would always give him an erection. That was just something they both were going to have to live with. He liked her sass. He liked her attitude. It was ridiculous when he needed her to do whatever the hell he told her to do, but still, that attitude gave him the hard-on from hell. His cock ached almost as badly as or worse than his body.
Ania sank back onto her heels and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. “It’s been a long night.”
“I’m sorry about your father, baby,” he said softly. “I swear, Ania, there was no turning back. He was too far gone, and he didn’t try, not even when you called to him. He looked right at me, and I knew he trusted me to end his leopard as quickly and as painlessly as possible.”
He had to tell her, even though he hated bringing it up again. He needed to tell her for both their sakes. Even though he wanted to do anything but talk about something that caused her pain and distress.
She brushed his bloody, matted hair from his forehead with gentle fingers. “I know, Mitya. Thank you. It couldn’t have been easy on you. I don’t know what to do about Jewel. She accepted your leopard, but now she is certain he will kill us both when she emerges. She’s very afraid of him. What did he say or do to cause that?”
He didn’t know, but he was sure as hell going to find out. The men were there, standing over him, ready to transport him to the car.
Sevastyan and Vikenti got their arms under him. “Are you ready?”
Mitya took a deep breath and steeled himself. Pain burst through him, radiating outward through his entire body, wrenching his gut. Sweat broke out. Air burst from his lungs, raw and burning.
Zinoviy had the door to the back seat open and they put him onto the leather seat. Sevastyan took the sniper rifle and put it in the trunk. Ania slipped in next to Mitya and Sevastyan got in close to her while Zinoviy took the front seat with Vikenti.
“I’ll find out, baby.” He had no idea. Dymka hadn’t shared with him any conversations he’d had with the little female, but something had upset her. Whatever it was had nearly cost him Ania. The leopard had helped to drive that emotional storm, feeding Ania’s painful sorrow rather than soothing and consoling her.
“Did you have a plan to leave me?”
He tipped sideways until his head was in her lap. She stroked caresses through his hair, uncaring of the blood she was getting on her or the seat.
“Of course I do. It’s a good one too. I don’t do too many things without a plan. Running wasn’t going to work. You obviously would have come after me. I knew at the memorial quite a few people would come, including Drake Donovan. He specializes in protection. I was going to ask him to help me.”