The fury vibrating off him was new to me. Lyov was always sweet and gentle…with me, at least. But right now, the vicious aura coming off him was something entirely different. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. About him.
I wasn’t foolish or as naïve as they thought. I knew Lyov was a dangerous man. He was there, at the Royalist. He bought me. He was just as bad as those men. Lyov was a wealthy man, and his money was most likely dirty.
His life was a black hole. Dirty. Filthy. Rich. And deadly.
He was everything I shouldn’t want, yet the fiery need for him inside of me surpassed all my morals. He had wrapped me in the cocoon of his sweetened words, his embrace so warm and safe that I had forgotten who he really was.
A touch on my arm brought me back to the present. My thoughts came to a screeching halt, and I looked at Lena.
“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” she asked, her voice both sweet and firm. There was a slight accent in her voice. It was small but definitely there. It told me she was Russian, but years of living in America had taken away her native accent.
Lena stared at me with a raised eyebrow, the corner of her lips turned up in a knowing smile.
When I didn’t reply, she let out a small laugh. “We were walking and then you stopped suddenly. We’ve been standing in this spot for about ten minutes, and all your attention was on that hot piece of man in there.”
At her words, I felt myself straightening up. The way she spoke of Lyov, it seemed like they were both very close and familiar with each other. My chest burned and my stomach twisted in a way I didn’t like.
Lena must have noticed the change because her eyebrows furrowed and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Oh no. I know what you’re thinking, and that answer is a big no. I don’t see Lyov like that. He is my boss and a very close friend of mine. Family almost. I respect him.” She paused and lifted her chin with a small smirk.
“It doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate all that hotness, though. But then again, Isaak is mouth-watering too. But love, I’m not interested in either of them. If you look closely, you will find someone else standing with them. He has my attention. All of it.”
I leaned in closer to the door, still staying hidden for their sight and peered inside. She was right. There was another man standing there, listening attentively to every word Lyov spoke.
He was big, bulky, with a mean face. The man towered a little bit over Isaak and Lyov. His lips were pressed in a firm line, and his eyes were pits of darkness. He also wore a very similar suit. The guns attached to his holsters were the only difference.
He was a guard. But the way Lyov listened to him intently told me he was important.
“That’s my man there. Boris Ivanshov. Lyov’s most trusted bodyguard. He’s the chief of security and handles this estate and every other place owned by Lyov.”
Oh.
“You are married?” I asked incredulously. She didn’t mention anything like that.
Lena laughed and shook her head. Her smile was bright, and I could see the love glowing on her face. “Not yet. He still hasn’t properly asked. A few weeks ago, he said, Buy a dress. We’re getting married. I will speak to Boss and make sure it’s official. My response? I kicked him out of our room and he wasn’t allowed back for three days. We are not getting married until he asks me properly. All that alpha male, macho thing doesn’t always work, you know.”
She huffed in frustration, but there was nothing bitter in her words or the way she said them. Lena was very much swooning and irrevocably in love with that man. It was endearing to see her like this.
She was a small woman, yet her presence was anything but small. The thought of sweet Lena being with a man like the one behind those doors made me respect her even more.
Warmth caressed my skin. The pit of my stomach fluttered, and my body tingled in awareness. Our gazes met, and his grey eyes were intensely focused on mine. So deep that I could easily fall and drown in them. I wanted so badly to reach the depth of those eyes and sink into the marrow of Lyov’s soul.
His eyes pierced mine without any veil to cover his unadulterated lust for me, and I found myself breathless for him.
For the briefest moment, everyone else disappeared and it was just us.
Only me. Only him. Only this beautiful moment. Right here and now. The rest was forgotten as we drowned in each other. I craved this. I craved him with such intense need that it had me wanting to get on my knees for him and beg. Just a simple touch. Just a simple feel of Lyov’s soul making love to mine.