He sat up, glaring at her. It disgusted him how much she was trying to create discourse between him and Lazar. Insults were the only thing brewing in his head. Instead, he hit back with– “You didn’t eat.”
Kira chewed her lip, staring in the window across from them, and she could feel his eyes on her from below. She shook her head, hating how much panic such a sentence could cause. No one ever paid much attention to her, so why was he?
“Now you know I’m watching. You can’t lie about it–”
“I’m not. I told you, I had a big lunch with Luerna.”
Maxim clenched his teeth. He wanted to expose her, but he also didn’t want to give up Luerna. If she went and visited, he wanted only the truth from her sister, not someone who would try to protect her from his ‘paranoia.’
“Lydia will tell me.
“What does it matter?” she whispered. “I don’t matter to you.”
“You do, Morozov.”
“You hate me.”
The car stopped, and Kira pushed her way out of the limo, darting up the stairs. She couldn’t move as fast as she wanted in high heels, but she didn’t stop till she was almost in her room. Maxim’s hand softly gripped her arm, keeping her from moving. She hung her head, wiping wetness from her cheek, constantly tugging. “Let me go.”
Maxim’s other hand cupped her cheek, pausing her fight, and he lifted her head to find her gaze. He was close enough to see the glint in her eyes. “I can do whatever I want to you, do you know why, Morozov?” His thumb rubbed at her skin, pulling at a lip, imagining what it would be like to have those lips wrapped around him. “Because you’re mine.” The quick intake of her breath was everything he wanted to hear. It was real, it was desire, it wasn’t something she could fake. Maxim leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. She was still watching him withwide eyes. She didn’t know if this was a form of manipulation, but it didn’t matter. She was convinced. His heart still beat despite how much he tried to appear dead inside.
Finally,she thought as she leaned in, desperate for more.
Then he yanked away and stomped down the hall.
Chapter fifteen
Attention
Maxim paced his room for only a minute before he found himself flinging down the hallway, further and further away from Kira. He didn’t stop till he burst through the doors and was out on the balcony, breathing in fresh air. He gripped the bannister, fighting the wave of nausea and dizziness, cursing himself for existing. He blamed the liquor for kissing her. He blamed that stupid teenage boy for driving him into a possessive asshole, and he blamed his brother for making him go to that ridiculous ego-stroking party.
But these were all choices he made. Everything could be laid at his feet.
Maxim was losing the game. He was falling for that damn lying woman, and he didn’t understand why. He didn’t want toaccept that Kira was funny, or attractive, or freaking brilliant. He didn’t want to admit that he loved everything she was doing to the house. She was transforming their crappy compound into a breathtaking garden.
It was more than that. Maxim wanted to be around Kira. He enjoyed the way she smelled and the way she looked at him when she thought he couldn’t see her. He enjoyed her ridiculous giggle and even the way she fucking walked. It was stupid!
It was beginning not to matter that she was more intelligent or richer. That she was better in so many ways.
Maxim never thought he could earn a woman like her, and yet, he wanted to. He wanted to deserve her. It’s what made him possessive and suddenly very concerned about her health. He needed to cure her. He wanted to be the person in Kira’s life who cared for her more than anyone else.
It derailed him. He was beginning to believe her. She was consistent. Her lies never contradicted each other. Except for her secret about eating. Could she be real? Could she be telling the truth?
Two things kept him from falling 100 percent. Kira claimed Lazar hit on her and that he could never believe it. She could be trying to come between them. Isolation was one of the best tactics for control.
And her lie about being a virgin. Though there was no proof on that account, it was a difficult thing to believe she invited a bunch of escorts to her hotel room and did not fuck them. In their world, women weren’t faithful. So why would she be?
Maxim leaned against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. He could see her window from here. The lights were off, but he wondered if she was still awake, thinking about him. He imagined going to her room and crawling into her bed.
If only his pride would let him.
He’d never do it. Not in a million years.
No, if she wanted anything, she’d have to come to him.
Kira laid in bed, nearly panting, staring at the ceiling, waiting and hoping Maxim returned. Her stomach ached with need. Her body pulsed with desire. But every minute that passed was another minute of disappointment, and after twenty minutes, she smacked her hands down and refused to give him another thought.
Why was he so stubborn!
