I reach for it and send him to voicemail again. "Don't know. But I have to get ready for work. Will you be okay today?"
She nods, scoots closer so her nipples rub my chest. She whimpers while kissing me, grinding against my body.
I groan, retreating. "I'm never getting to work if we start this."
She grins. "Okay. I'll play fair. I need to go to work too. But can I come back tonight?"
"You'd better," I warn.
She beams, kisses me one more time, then settles back into the pillows and states, "I'm going to sleep for another hour."
"Good idea. I'll call you and wake you up," I offer.
"Thanks."
I kiss her on the forehead, tuck her into the bedding, and get ready. She's asleep when I step out of the closet fully dressed, the sheets twisted around her bare leg.
I step closer, staring at my fingermarks on her hips, letting the proof of last night, her trust in me, and something that might become a problem if I'm not careful, all sink deeper.
Mikhail calls again, irritating me again. I send him to voicemail and quietly leave the condo.
Outside, the air is cool and sharp, carrying the faint smells of morning dew, asphalt, and city garbage. I walk several feet when, "Red," stops me in my tracks.
Fuck.
My gut tightens. I spin to the curb. "Mikhail."
The blacked-out SUV window is halfway down. He sits in the back seat, questioning, "Why aren't you taking my calls?"
His driver, a burly man wearing an expensive suit and an expression that screams he's not to be messed with, opens the passenger door.
Mikhail orders, "Get in."
"I've got to go to work," I argue.
"I'll drive you. Get in," he orders again and scoots over.
My pulse creeps up. I glance down the street but don't see a way out.
"Now," Mikhail demands in a threatening tone.
His driver scowls.
I obey, and the door shuts as soon as I slide inside the cab. I offer, "You're up early."
"Why didn't you take my calls?"
"I was busy."
His gaze flicks briefly toward the building.
The SUV veers into traffic.
"What's going on?" I question.
"It's time for a conversation."
My heart beats harder. "With who?"
