His eyes flared wide, and amusement filtered into those dark chocolate orbs. “Sweetheart, you haven’t heard my rep.”
“Of course I have. I know you’re one of the best snipers in the country. I know that, if you hadn’t been discharged, you’d probably still be in the army. As you said, Father knows a lot about you. And I do too.”
“Learning all my weaknesses?”
“And your strengths,” I answered truthfully. “I already told you he wants me to spy on you.”
“And you also told me that you weren’t going to say anything to him.”
“I won’t. I have no desire to ever see him again,” I told him genuinely.
He released a sigh that made the wisps of hair around my head dance. “I can’t blame you.” One hand smoothed over my shoulder, and I wished I could feel him. Wished the sleeves and the bodice weren’t there, getting in the way of direct contact. He moved up and traced his fingers over my throat. “There will be times we have to see him—”
“I know. I was just saying.”
He dipped his chin. “I’ll never leave you alone with him again.”
I frowned at that. “You can’t make a promise like that.”
“Just watch me. I’m a stubborn man, Inessa. You think you know me, but you don’t. You’ll learn though. I like things done a certain way…” He hesitated, and I knew where he was coming from.
“In all things,” I surmised slowly, not making it a question when I already knew the answer.
There’d been nothing about the women in his life in the files Father had me read. I’d seen nothing about his proclivities or his preferences. The files had been an attempt at making me a perfect mate for a man who could tie his organization to Father’s, and I was the means and the sacrifice. I had to make sure that the ‘merger’ was successful.
That meant I knew more than he even imagined.
Just not that.
I cleared my throat when he nodded. “You know I’m a virgin.”
“I know it.”
“Whatever—” I cleared my throat again. “Kinks you have, maybe we should work up to them?”
His shoulders started shaking, and for the first time today, I saw my husband laugh.
For a second, I wasn’t sure what the hell was happening. Wasn’t even sure if he was having a stroke or something.
Not once had he done more than grin at me, and even that had been in unusual moments. While his other brothers had laughed and chuckled at jokes, he’d stood there, listening in, watching the crowded room like he was measuring it up for marks.
Which, at the time, had fit, considering he was in a room loaded with Russian enemies.
Still, to see him laugh now, on the topic we were discussing?
I wasn’t sure whether to be offended or not.
I thought I’d been pretty tolerant tonight. Coming here to some whore with her legs open as a welcome to my new home wasn’t exactly ideal!
Had I shouted at him?
Had I even bitched at him over it?
No!
“I can feel your anger,” he stated softly, still chuckling, even as his eyes danced—not with amusement this time, with heat.
The sight of which made my heart stutter.