Shiver (Unbreakable Bonds 1)

Repeating in his head that it was nothing, Andrei stepped around to the far side of the island. “We need to set up some ground rules for the house.”

“Such as?”

“You don’t answer the door.” Andrei’s voice hardened as he slipped into the comfort of a known situation. “You don’t leave the penthouse without me, not even to step into the hall. You don’t shut doors. All doors inside the penthouse must be open a little so I can hear noises and quickly enter. I make rounds every hour, checking every room. When we leave, I go with you everywhere. I drive the car. When I say run, you run. When I say hide, you hide.”

“Can I just fire you now and save us both the trouble?” Lucas asked, irritation lacing his deep voice.

Andrei smiled broadly, noting how Lucas’s jaw had clenched. “No. You’re not my employer on this case. Rowe made that very clear. If I must, I am to regard you as my hostage and treat you as such.”

Lucas took a step toward Andrei, his eyes narrowed and focused, his expression disturbingly predatory. “I truly doubt you have the fun things in mind I do when you say that,” Lucas commented in a voice so low it was nearly a whisper.

Andrei stood his ground, struggling not to react to the other man’s taunting. He’d had a few clients flirt with him, but he’d never met someone like Lucas. If the man touched him, Andrei was pretty sure he’d agree to anything Lucas asked just so he could find some relief from the unrelenting ache that had been building in his groin since Lucas had walked into the kitchen shirtless and grumbling.

“Fine,” Lucas bit out. “My lawyer, Sarah Carlton, will be here in one hour. Detective Banner will be here in ninety minutes. Do not allow the detective up unless my lawyer is already here. And don’t shoot any of them.” Stuffing both his phone and the business card in his pocket, Lucas paused to make himself a cup of black coffee before stalking off to his office. Andrei almost felt bad that he couldn’t have the cathartic pleasure of slamming the door behind him.

Andrei sighed and put his forearms on the island. Yeah, that was probably closer to who Lucas Vallois truly was.

A year ago while on a job, Andrei had read a glossy write-up on Lucas in Fortune magazine. A self-made millionaire, the man had lifted himself up from the worst neighborhood to be this globe-trotting property mogul who still personally managed most of his business interests rather than handing it off to a series of executives. The write-up had also tied him to a series of models and socialites from old money. Each one of them a gorgeous woman.

Lucas was leading a double life and Andrei couldn’t deny that he wanted to know more.###

Cursing, Lucas struggled to button his shirt with his damned broken knuckles, but there was no way in hell he was going to ask for Andrei’s help. Hell, he’d gotten hard just when the man had helped him into the shirt. What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn’t use the excuse of the drugs. He was on half a dose now and the pain was still biting at him.

And then last night … Did he remember? He remembered every smile and laugh and comment. Lucas had flirted with the man like some half-wit twentysomething in a nightclub. Fuck. He’d flirted with him again this morning. He couldn’t control himself. His first instinct every time he opened his mouth was to say something provocative to see the flush rise in Andrei’s cheeks. When Andrei had leaned against the counter, his hands in his back pockets, Lucas’s wanted to drop to his knees and suck the man off until he came apart, shouting Lucas’s name.

Flopping into the cushioned leather chair behind his desk, Lucas dropped his head into his hands. What was wrong with him? He had rules about this shit. No emotions. No sleeping over. No repeats. And at the top of the list in big bold letters: No fucking straight men. They just weren’t worth the trouble. Lucas was happy to leave that kind of emotional wreckage and chaos to Snow when the doctor was feeling particularly twisted.

Everything about Andrei screamed straight.

Except…there had been a moment last night when Andrei had helped him with his clothes. It could have been the drugs, but Lucas had seen a glimpse of interest. Or maybe he was just desperately grasping at straws.

With a shake of his head, Lucas turned his attention to the two days of neglected emails and piles of reports that needed his attention. He spent a minute on the phone with his lawyer and another two minutes with Detective Banner, setting up a meeting. Lucas lost himself in his work, forgetting for a time about Andrei and the attack. His world settled back into known figures and expectations, feeling safe and predictable again.