“Oh yes, the rooms are beautiful. Thank you,” I answer for Abbie and me.
Plates are set down in front of us, the salads looking like works of art.
“Are you looking forward to your stay here?” Director Koslov asks before taking a sip of his drink.
“Very much,” Abbie replies, then she gives Nikolai a wink.
I’m going to die of second-hand embarrassment tonight.
“Good,” Nikolai says. “I have a strict regimen worked out for the two of you.”
Ugh. He’s going to torture me by default just to get back at Abbie for flirting with him.
“Nothing like a little sweat and pain to get the heart racing. I can’t wait,” Abbie throws back at him.
Taking a deep breath, I glance around the dining hall. My gaze locks on Misha, who’s staring at me with narrowed eyes.
Director Koslov notices the stare-off between us and says, “They’re not sanctioned to assassinate you while you’re on St. Monarch’s grounds.”
“Oh wow,” I gasp, caught off guard by his directness. Before I can stop myself, I mutter, “So freaking nice to hear there isn’t a hit out on us while we’re here. Lucky us.”
Director Koslov is not at all affected by my sarcasm and continues, “While you’re here, you’ll attend combat and weapon handling training. You’ll also have a class where you’ll be shown what to do during a kidnapping.”
“Will Nikolai be our instructor in all the classes?” Abbie asks.
Oh, God. Please don’t say what I think you’re about to say.
“Because I’d love to see hisweapon.”
Jesus, save me.
Chapter 8
Misha
Don’t you fucking dare look at her again.
Don’t!
Blyad'!
I let out a sigh as my eyes latch onto Aurora D’Angelo. She might be the enemy, but fuck, she looks like a walking wet dream.
Her black hair is much longer than when I last saw her, but it still looks silky as fuck, and it’s probably as soft as I remember.
Her features have lost the last of her teenage years and have been shaped into a womanly beauty that can only be described as exquisite.
“You’re staring,” Alek mutters.
My eyes snap to him, then to the tumbler of vodka. I pick up the glass and drink half of the contents, needing the burn of alcohol to get my head straight.
We were warned the women would attend St. Monarch’s for the next four years. My friends and I still have two years to go before we’re done with our training, so the next twenty-four months are going to be hard.
Even with the warning, and the time I had to prepare myself, I was still stunned out of my fucking mind when I laid eyes on Aurora this afternoon.
It’s one thing telling yourself to hate the enemy, but it’s a whole different ball game when the attraction comes into play.
And fuck is the attraction there. More powerful than I remember.