“No?”
“I am sorry for my happy flirting yesterday. If you will work with criminals, I will not be girlfriend to you. Kisses are for love. No kisses for us.” I think this might persuade him because he seems to like when I’m affectionate as much as he likes when I satisfy his need for sex. I steal a glance at his face to weigh how he’s reacting to my announcement. His expression is grim, and he doesn’t look like a man who’s about to buckle to pressure because he wants a kiss.
“Whether we kiss is not up to you, kitten. I own every inch of you, remember? That includes your lips.” His large hand is warm as it comes to rest on the side of my neck. His fingers stroke my skin, then he pulls me forward and kisses the other side of my neck slowly.
I shiver, feeling it all the way through me. He has such lovely lips.
A knock at the door draws our attention. He raises his head and looks at it unhappily.
“Who is it?” he calls.
“Callahan.”
Alexei draws in a deep breath and scrutinizes the closed door for a moment. “Close your robe,kiska, and go in the bathroom and close the door.”
I don’t argue. I don’t have an interest in causing trouble or in seeing the men fight again. I stroll into the bathroom, closing myself inside to wait. The room remains quiet, which I take as a good sign.
A few moments later, the knob turns and the door opens. Alexei has his wrinkled trousers from last night on, but nothing else.
“What is it?”
Alexei leans against the frame. “He wanted to be sure I was awake in time to have breakfast before the meetings start.”
“He comes as your friend then?”
Alexei nods.
“What did you say to this?”
“I said we’ll be downstairs soon.”
“No more fighting? You are friends again?”
He smiles and gives me a kiss on the mouth. “Sometimes men fight over pretty women even if they’re friends. Especially when they’ve been drinking. We settled it.”
“Hmm.”
“There’s not much time.” His hand slides between the robe’s folds and strokes my thigh. Then he draws my hand to his trousers so I can feel his hardness. “Are you going to be a good kitten?”
I lick my lips. “This floor is too hard. Let us go out there,” I say, pointing toward the bedroom rug.
Alexei lets me pull away and slide past him. I take a cushion from the couch and drop it on the floor. He doesn’t join me. Instead, he leans against the doorframe, watching me, then shakes his head.
“No? You don’t want?”
“Come into the shower instead. I want to touch more than your mouth.”
“I’d rather this.”
He scowls. “Why?”
“As I said, I am no girlfriend to Russian Mafia. I ask you before if you are criminal and you say no, but I am not sure it is truth. If this is what you are, I can only be your pet for one month. Not more.”
“I’ve already said multiple times that I’m not in the Russian Mafia.”
“But you work for criminals? That makes you one, too.”
Alexei narrows his eyes and folds his arms across his chest. “Come over here, kitten.”
