“I liked it, but I liked all the other ways too.” My confession would have embarrassed me if this was anyone but Kirill. “I like all the things we do together. What about you?”
He combed his fingers through my loose hair, letting the golden strands catch the light falling on us from the window. “I like you any way I can have you.”
His phone rang as I opened my mouth to tell him that was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me.
He extricated himself after a reluctant pause and stood bare-ass naked and perfect. In the light, I finally got to see the full package of Kirill in all his glory. Marble statues had nothing on him. I snapped my mouth shut as he turned and looked at me after snagging his phone from his pants.
“Slusha.Da, I’m coming,” he said, hanging up and gathering his clothes off the floor.
I sat up, the sheet pooling at my waist.
Kirill paused, narrowing his eyes at me. “Molly, you know you’re making me want to stay home all day.”
“Good, because it’s boring as hell here without you,” I said, grinning at him. “Can we stop keeping secrets from each other, like the club and the engagement? I don’t think I can take it.”
His full mouth quirked in a quick grin, but it faded almost as soon as it appeared. “I wasn’t with anyone else, nor will I ever be, which includes a so-called fiancée.”
“You could have told me that the other night.” My prim tone and obvious avoidance of the fact that I hadn’t told him I was upset made him laugh.
“You could have asked me, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun as getting spanked in front of my men and fucked hard, would it.” He raised an eyebrow at me, making me blush. “I like your jealousy, Molly. I hunger for it.”
“That’s fucked up,” I muttered, annoyed but too soft toward him after last night to put any venom into my words.
“I don’t think I’ve ever claimed not to be fucked up since we were reacquainted, have I?”
“No, and you haven’t lied to me about anything important. What happened last night?”
His smile stuttered, and he moved to the edge of the bed. “Let’s talk about it later. I have to go.”
His nakedness didn’t cause him a second of awkwardness, but if I looked that good, I wouldn’t feel awkward either. He leaned down and captured my mouth in a hot, rough kiss, holding my head to his with a heavy hand at my nape.
“I’ll see you later, Princess. Wait here for me. We’ll talk when I get back. Just wait for me,” he murmured against my lips before nipping the lower one between his teeth.
Those words were ripped right from my most painful memory. The night when I hadn’t been able to wait for Kirill, and I’d lost him for seven long years. Maybe old wounds could heal. Maybe broken people could be remade. Maybe there wasn’t anything lost that couldn’t be found.
I rubbed my fingers over my swollen lips and watched him go, infatuation beating in my heart. Fuck, I was a goner. I was absolutely finished if Kirill decided to employ this version of himself. The dom kingpin was a real turn-on, but this version was deadly.
I flopped back in bed, waving a hand over my face to cool my heated skin.
* * *
I showeredand dressed in jeans and a cozy jumper from my boutique haul the week before. I headed for the kitchen, my mind replaying last night on an endless loop. Kirill was bending. It was everything I’d hoped for and given up on.
Max was in the kitchen, messing around with the coffee machine. “Damn, this thing is broken again.”
“Olga knows how to use it.”
Max sighed. “She’s off today. I’ll run out and get something. Oh, while I remember, Kirill wanted you to have the code to the panic room. It is 0809. Use it if you need to. Be back in five with the vanilla latte you like.”
0809? My birthday.
No one wrecks anyone like you wreck me. Well, right back at you, buddy.
I went back to my room to grab a warmer sweater, eyeing the panic room door, visible now that I knew it was there. Kirill was still worried enough about something to give me the safe room code. I wished he would share everything going on in his head, but he needed more time.
I tidied the wardrobe, feeling guilty about all the clothes I’d destroyed. At least I had new things to wear from our shopping trip after visiting the nursing home. With the weather turning colder, I needed them.
Next, I hit the bathroom. Of all the toiletries Kirill stocked, there wasn’t a shred of makeup, perfume, or sanitary product. Now I thought about it, the sanitary products were pretty urgent.