Beauty and the Assassin

I turn, and his attention is one hundred percent focused on the door. His breath is suddenly even, his body still, coiled in a prelude to violence.

Apprehension cuts like an icy blade. Is it the home invasion he’s been paranoid about?

Or is it Roy? He said he’d find me when I was at my happiest and kill me. And right now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

I yank the sheet to my chest. Just as Tolyan pulls a gun out from somewhere and aims it at the door, it opens and a man starts to walk in.

“Ack, dude!” The intruder instantly covers his eyes. “I totally did not need to see that! What the hell?”

Tolyan lets out an annoyed growl. “What are you doing here, Lyosha?”

Lyosha? Isn’t that Tolyan’s son? Oh my God. This is not how I wanted to meet him! I pull the sheet all the way to my nose. I want to cover myself completely, but curiosity gets the better of me. I’m dying to see what Tolyan’s son is like.

Lyosha’s tall and wide-framed. His facial features take after his father’s, although the lines are a little softer. He has Tolyan’s coloring, too. He’s in a gray Berkeley T-shirt and jeans. One of the Dobermans steals a look into the bedroom from behind him.

“Can you, uh, cover yourself?” he asks.

I realize Tolyan is out from under the sheets and fully exposed. No wonder Lyosha reacted like he’d been visually violated. I throw the other end of the sheet over Tolyan’s midsection. He grunts.

“We are now,” I say, doing my best to sound normal and carefree. The son of the guy I just slept with barging in on us is something that happens to me all the time, hahaha!

Lyosha slowly lowers his hands. “Could you, you know, put the gun down, Dad?”

“Why? So you can steal one of my cars?”

He’s here to steal a car? Tolyan’s tone’s flat and cold, tinged with irritation, so I don’t think he’s kidding. But something about the situation doesn’t add up. Tolyan keeps that room upstairs for Lyosha. I presume that means he’s also providing for his son in other ways, including a car.

“How did you know?” Lyosha sighs, his shoulders slumping. “Never mind.”

Tolyan finally lowers the gun. “Out. We need to shower.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll just wait over there.” He gestures in the general direction of the kitchen.

“Shut the door behind you and put the dogs out,” Tolyan orders.

“Yes, sir,” the kid says, surprisingly obedient. Based on what Tolyan said about cats and teenagers, I thought he’d be more rebellious.

The door closes. I jump out of bed, sheet still clutched to my chest. “Omigod, so embarrassing. But I’ll go shower.” Before the kid barges back into this room for whatever reason. I’d rather jump off the balcony—without the parachute—than face him again in this condition.

“You can use my bathroom,” Tolyan says calmly, like the situation’s totally normal. He didn’t have to use the gun, so I guess it’s perfectly normal to him.

“I can use mine…” Then I stop. His son’s outside, and I don’t want to go out like this. “Okay. Let me use it first.”

I dash into his en-suite bathroom and close the door. The place smells faintly of his shampoo and body wash. I pee, then step inside the glass stall. He has shampoo but no conditioner. Of course. Well, I’ll just have to deal.

The shower sprays hot water. I wash quickly, checking the bathroom out a little. The double vanity is made of pale marble, with bottled water on the counter. The laundry basket is half-full, and I realize the sunken tub has Jacuzzi jets.

As I cut the water off, I also realize that I don’t have a fresh towel. The door opens, and Tolyan walks in, still completely naked. His gaze sweeps over my nude body, which is covered with beaded water. Fire burns in his gray-blue eyes, and his cock starts to swell.

Heat flushes my cheeks. The wetness between my legs isn’t just from water anymore. But this is no time to indulge, not when his son’s waiting.

“Um. Can you hand me a towel?” I ask.

Tolyan grabs one of the towels from the metal rack on the wall. “Need some help?” he asks, his eyes narrowing with singular intent.

“No, I, ah, think I can do this myself.” If I say yes, we aren’t leaving the bathroom for a while. And his college-age son will definitely know the reason.

Our meeting’s already been embarrassing enough. I don’t need to make it worse.