ISABELLA
It’s been a week since I got home, and I’m starting to feel more settled. Things don’t feel as foreign anymore.
The pain is also more manageable with all my wounds healing.
But I’m bored.
Ariana tries to include me in many things, but they don’t scratch the itch that’s formed. It feels as if it’s creeping beneath my skin, needing to burst into action.
I’m sitting outside, ready to bang my forehead against the table when Alexei comes out of the house. “Come with me.”
Getting up, I ask, “Where?”
“You’ll see.”
When Alexei holds his hand out to me, I place mine in his and walk back into the house with him. We head down the stairs, and then I’m led into one hell of an impressive room.
I’ve explored most of the house, but I haven’t been down here yet.
Glancing around the armory, I pull my hand free from Alexei’s and move closer to the cabinets lining the walls. “You’re well-stocked.”
“I like to be prepared,” he chuckles.
“For a war?” I tease him.
“Amongst other things.” Alexei comes to open a cabinet and removes two Heckler & Kochs. He checks the clips then hands me one. Nodding to the other end of the room, he says, “Want to shoot some targets with me?”
“God, I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
Alexei takes a step closer to me. “Hmm… wait until you see how I handle my gun.”
My voice comes out low and sensual. “You better be good at it.”
Just as my heart begins to speed up, Alexei moves away from me and walks toward the shooting range. “Best shot wins.”
“Wins what?”
“What are you willing to bet?” he asks, giving me a mischievous look.
I think for a moment, and as we reach the shooting range, I say, “If you win, I’ll move back into the bedroom.”
Alexei raises an eyebrow at me. “There’s no fucking way I’m losing now.”
“But…” I go stand in one of the cubicles, “if I win, I can start training without you telling me it’s too soon.”
“Fair enough.”
I watch as Alexei raises the gun, and then he begins to fire at the target. For a moment, I can only stare because it’s freaking hot watching him handle a weapon. Then I glance at the target, and my eyebrow lifts.
Shit.
He’s good.
Obviously, he’s good. He’s a trained assassin.
Every bullet hits the head of the target.
Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention to my own target, and raising my arm, I take aim. When I pull the trigger, there’s a rush of exhilaration in my veins, and then I just keep firing shots until my clip runs out.
God, that felt amazing.
Letting out a satisfied breath, I glance at Alexei. He’s smiling at me. “Was that as good for you as it was for me?” I ask, my words brimming with double meaning.
“I think you got a little more pleasure out of it than me,” he smirks.
Then we check the targets, and it has Alexei giving me a wolfish grin. “I guess you’re moving back, babe.”
“Best out of three,” I begin to negotiate, not because I’m against sharing a room with him, but because I’m really enjoying this.
Alexei pretends to think about it, then he says, “We can do best out of three, but I want payment for changing the rules.”
“What kind of payment are we talking about?” I ask as I set the gun down on the counter.
“Nothing big.” Alexei also places his gun on the counter then closes in on me. Lifting a hand to my jaw, his thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “Just a kiss.”
Locking eyes with him, I murmur, “Deal.”
Alexei’s hand moves behind my neck, and I only have a second to suck in a breath before his mouth comes down on mine.
It’s quickly clear he didn’t mean a peck when his tongue drives into my mouth and his other hand grabs hold of my hair, tugging my head back to give him better access to me.
A rush of adrenaline hits me, and then I kiss him back, our tongues starting to war for control. It quickly turns hungry and downright erotic as Alexei’s mouth devours mine, his teeth tugging until it’s bordering on forceful.
So good.
God.
So good.
It feels as if I’m being drugged until all my focus is on Alexei. His power calls to the strength in me, the strength I haven’t felt since I woke up in the hospital. And for a blissful moment, it reminds me of who I am. How Alexei sees me.
My body melts against his, and I move my right hand up to his jaw, my fingers drinking in the feel of the dark stubble dusting his skin.
Alexei breaks away from my mouth and presses hungry kisses over my jaw and down my neck, whispering, “Fuck.” His teeth nip at my skin. “Fuck.” And then he yanks away from me, hissing, “Fuck.”
Our eyes lock as my breaths rush from me, my body still tingling from the shot of adrenaline that’s Alexei.
He stands still, the predatory expression on his face telling me the last thing he wants to do right now is stop.
For a moment, I actually contemplate taking it further, but then I catch myself, and I clear my throat. “Price paid. Time to shoot.”
“I’m going to fucking lose this round,” he mutters as he walks to the other side of the room to get more clips for us.
Somehow I doubt that.