Turning, I see Alexei’s lying on his back with a couple of pillows behind his head. The blankets and sheets are down around his waist. Though he’s resting, the big muscles of his chest don’t look any less impressive than normal. There’s a little bit of black curly hair on his chest, but not very much, so it’s easy to see all the bruises from his recent fights. They don’t seem to trouble him at the moment as his face is relaxed.
I try to resist my attraction for him, but he’s like a magnet. Without thinking, I walk toward the footboard.
“Why are you out of bed?”
“I want to see what people are doing.”
“Ah, and what are people doing?” he asks, looking amused.
“Mostly asleep I think. One is exercising. Very American.”
The corners of his mouth lift higher.
“In my life, there’s so much work, always. Extra exercise? No. Here in America too, my work of cleaning is enough. Many days my muscles are sore. One day, if I have job that just works my brain perhaps I will do exercise not for work. But now, no.” I stretch my arms and shrug. “I’m hungry. Are you?”
“Yeah. But you look pretty in your robe, so first I want you to come back to bed.”
“Can we make trade?”
“What kind of trade?”
“If I come to bed, you will do something I ask?”
“It depends what it is.”
Hmm. Too clever. “I do not want you to be business partners with these men. I think they are criminals. You are not criminal, right, Alexei?”
He shakes his head.
“Good. Let’s leave this place before the rest are awake.”
He puts an arm behind his head, showing off a bulging muscle. “I can work with people without becoming them.”
I purse my lips. “You say this, but men who are criminals drag people down to bottom of ocean with them, where a person must drown or make deals to survive. You know the way of criminals, yes? Their ways are poisonous, like Egorov. Men like him, we must avoid.”
“So you’ve changed your mind?” His hand rubs his whiskers.
I’d like to do that, too. He’s so very sexy to me.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You don’t think I should see my brother?”
“You can visit your brother without sharing in his work. If he tries to talk to you about work, you say no, you cannot.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes, why not?
He pushes the covers down and rises from the bed.
I look away. Admiring Alexei’s magnificent body will make it hard to negotiate with him. Instead, I should concentrate on my objective.
He walks to me and tugs my robe’s tie. The robe separates, which exposes me from throat to ankles. I catch the edges and try to bring them together, but he prevents it.
“You are beautiful.” He bends forward and says, “Kiss me.”
I turn my face away. “No.”
