Yeah, I was looking forward to it.
"Mikhail."
I paused at the door, glancing back.
Olek's expression was unreadable. "I mean it. Don't get complicated."
Too late, I thought. But I just nodded and walked out.
Mikhail
Ifound Shanice in the mansion's library the next morning, curled up in one of the oversized leather chairs with a laptop balanced on her knees. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching the golden undertones in her brown skin and making her look like something out of a painting I had no business staring at.
She didn't look up when I entered. Didn't acknowledge my presence at all, even though I knew she'd heard me. The woman had good instincts. She always knew when someone was in the room. She kept tabs on her surroundings, unable to fully relax as if she’d had to always be on guard. That was fine when she was alone, but hopefully I was about to change all of that for her.
"We need to talk," I said.
"No, we don't." Her eyes stayed on the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard.
My jaw tightened. This was already going exactly how I'd expected. "Yes. We do."
"I'm busy."
"Looking at class schedules?"
That got her attention. Her gaze flicked up, sharp and assessing. "How did you know that?"
"Because you've been talking about going back to school for weeks." I moved closer, stopping a few feet from her chair. Close enough to catch that sweet floral scent that had been driving me insane. "And because I pay attention."
Something flickered in her expression, surprise, maybe, or suspicion. "Why?"
Because I can't stop watching you. Because every time you walk into a room, my brain short-circuits and all I can think about is getting my hands on you. Tasting. Devouring. Sampling. Anything that would let me provide both of us with pleasure.
"Because it's my job," I said instead.
Shanice closed her laptop with a sharp click. "Your job is to be the scary enforcer guy. Not to keep tabs on what I'm doing."
"That's changing."
Her eyebrow arched. "Excuse me?"
I crossed my arms, mostly to keep myself from reaching for her. "You want to go back to school. Fine. But you don't go alone. I'm your guard now. Wherever you go, I go."
For a moment, she just stared at me. Then she laughed—not the warm, unguarded sound I'd heard her make with Katrina, but something harder. Sharper.
"You've got to be kidding me." She cackled, making me squint at her.
What in the hell was funny?
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"
"You look like you're having a power trip." She stood, setting the laptop aside and planting her hands on her hips. The movement made her shirt pull tight across her breasts, and Iforced my eyes to stay on her face. "I don't need a babysitter, Mikhail. I'm perfectly capable of?—"
"Of what? Defending yourself if one ofwhat’s his name’s associates comes looking for you?" I took a step closer, voice dropping. "You were in that warehouse, Shanice. You saw what we did. That makes you a witness. A loose end. And loose ends get tied up."
Her chin lifted, defiant. "I can handle myself."
"Against trained killers and men who make a living off hurting people?" Another step. I was close enough now to see the way her pulse jumped at her throat, close enough to smell how edible she smelled.Feminineand it called to every masculine instinct I had and made my hands ache to touch her. "You're tough. I know that. But tough doesn't stop a bullet."
