Then I remembered what Alexei said. Do not make eye contact; otherwise, it was an invitation.
I immediately turned my head and focused on Alexei’s hard face. Those cold eyes could freeze back our melting polar ice caps.
“I have a VIP room ready for you,” Igor added, breaking a slightly tense, uncomfortable silence. Alexei Nikolaev was more than okay with the silence. Me, not so much. It drove me fucking nuts. Growing up in a big home, with four brothers, it was never quiet. You could hide in the bathroom and you’d still not get privacy.
“Do svidaniya.” Alexei dismissed Igor with one word. Or was it two in Russian?
With a final flicker of his eyes my way, Igor scurried along. I watched him disappear among the people through the dance floor in the center. On each corner of the dance floor, there was a small elevated platform with a naked dancer shaking her body like her life depended on it.
Several couples sat in lounges along the edge of the dance floor, watching people dance. I followed their gaze and my eyeballs just about popped out of my head. A woman lifted her dress up to her waist, flashing everyone her bare ass.
I turned to Alexei to see if he’d noticed it too, but there was no reaction on his face. His inked face with that unusual blond hair and those pale blue eyes was an unmoving mask. Just like his brother, Vasili Nikolaev, Alexei had this darkness oozing from every pore of his body.
“Is that the guy?” I asked Alexei.
“Da.”
I nodded slightly, keeping our talk to a minimum. Awareness trickled down my spine and the atmosphere thickened. A group of men came to the bar, their tones hushed, and their eyes on me. I felt like prey, available for hunting.
“VIP room. Now.” Okay, maybe Alexei wouldn’t allow an open season on my ass. His voice was cold, dark; a tone that made me wonder what his true story was. All I knew was what his file said, but I knew there was so much more.
Though, it wasn’t something I should concern myself with.
He stood up, offering me his hand. I took it, without remark, and we strolled past all the gawking men and women. It didn’t escape me that there were also men swooning after my date.
No, not my date, I quickly corrected myself.
Alexei led me down the short hallway and then through a doorway. To our VIP suite. The room had glossy, black marble floors, three red velvet walls, and one entire wall with two-way glass.
There was the St. Andrew’s cross mounted to one wall, and I swallowed a breath, my eyes flickering to the stoic man behind me.
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” I warned, my voice trembling.
“Relax.” His one word answers were driving me fucking nuts. I was falling apart here and this guy… nothing. Nada. Zip.
My gaze shifted to the rest of the room, hoping to settle my nerves. There was one black chair with a golden wooden frame, facing the window that overlooked the stage. I watched him unbutton his jacket, taking it off, tossing it carelessly onto the side table.
He sat down in the chair, looking like a king. Nervously, I shifted from one foot to the other. Where was I supposed to be sitting? The dimmed lights gave this whole situation a bow-chick-a-wow-wow vibe.
“Sit.” One word command, his voice indifferent, and yet, it sent shivers down my spine.
“Where?” I choked out.
No answer. He probably thought me stupid. This was a couple’s club, as it was explained to me. Closeness was expected.
I took a step towards him. And another one. I turned around slowly, like in a haze, and sat down on his lap. With my back stiff, my eyes flickered out the window and locked with a dark, piercing gaze. Igor!
“He’s watching,” I muttered under my breath.
“Da.” Fuck, his Russian voice was sexier than his English voice.
Two heartbeats, and his hands came to my waist. He squeezed just tight enough, tempting me to turn around to see his face. Though I knew I wouldn’t find anything there. This man was too good at hiding behind his mask.
His hands slid down my waist and my thighs. Goosebumps broke over my skin, and I clamped my teeth to hold in a moan. Alexei was the coldest man I had ever met, a criminal. Then why did my body burn? I felt like I was on fire, the feel of Alexei’s hard body behind me made the ache pulse between my thighs.
This is just for show, I reminded myself. We had to give the impression of being a real couple. But his touch was real, too real. I focused my eyes outside the window, where two men and a woman gave us a show.
I watched the two men touch the blonde woman like their lives depended on her, my eyes fixated on the three of them. Her skirt was bunched around her waist, her shoulder strap off, exposing her breast. The men’s hands were all over her, hungry and rough. The expression on her face was that of pure bliss. Blood in my veins burned like an inferno; my skin buzzed with an unfamiliar sensation. I couldn’t breathe, the air too thick, my lungs too tight.