I grab one of her ass cheeks and squeeze. "Your husband is hot. You are hot."
She laughs and tries to squirm away. "That's the more reason why we shouldn't be doing this intense kissing outside of here."
I lean in again, this time to the side of her neck, and I press my lips there, feeling her pulse against my mouth. And then I bite. Not hard enough to break skin. Just hard enough to leave a mark.
She yelps. "Ouch! Why did you do that, you vampire?"
I pull back and rub the spot with my thumb while my eyes drift to the man in the suit standing near the building entrance. The one who has been to my house twice now for work dinners. The one who watches my wife with a little too much interest every time she walks into a room.
"Just a precaution," I say calmly. "Just to deter pests. I know you don't like me killing your colleagues, so this is a precaution."
She rolls her eyes so hard I'm surprised they don't get stuck. "Go home and behave."
"Yes, angel."
I give her ass another firm smack as she turns to leave.
She yelps and spins around to glare at me. "Ilay!"
I just smirk at her.
She shakes her head but she is fighting a smile, and she turns to walk toward the building. Just before she reaches the entranceshe looks back over her shoulder at me, and I give her a small wave. She giggles and shakes her head again and disappears inside.
The man near the entrance is watching me now.
I hold his gaze and let the smirk stay on my face, and I do not look away until he does.
Then I get back in the car.
"Home, sir?" Viktor asks from the front.
"Not yet." I pull out my phone. "I have a mission to plan."
Six days until Valentine's Day.
And I intend to make it perfect.
CHAPTER 2
ILAY
The car pulls up to a sleek commercial building in the heart of the business district and I can already see the real estate agent standing outside the entrance, shifting his weight from foot to foot like he cannot decide which leg to trust. His face is flushed red and he keeps adjusting his tie and checking his watch even though I am right on time.
"Wait here," I tell Viktor as I step out of the car.
The agent spots me immediately and his entire body stiffens before he forces a smile so wide it looks painful. He rushes toward me with his hand already extended, and when I shake it his palm is damp with sweat.
"Mr. Ivanovich, it is such an honor, truly an honor, I cannot tell you how excited I am to show you this property today." He is talking too fast and his voice is pitched higher than it probably normally is. "When your assistant called I thought it was a joke at first, I mean not a joke, I just meant that I never expected to, well, what I mean to say is that this is a very exciting opportunity for me and I want you to know that I am fully committed to finding you exactly what you're looking for."
I stare at him and wait for him to finish rambling.
He swallows hard and gestures toward the building. "Shall we go inside?"
"Lead the way."
He nearly trips over his own feet turning around and I follow him through the glass doors into a massive lobby with highceilings and marble floors. The space is empty and our footsteps echo as we walk.
"So this building is twelve floors," he begins, pulling out a tablet and scrolling through information he has probably memorized five times over. "It was recently vacated by an insurance company that relocated to another city. The entire structure has been updated with modern electrical and plumbing systems within the last three years. Each floor is approximately eight thousand square feet, which gives you plenty of room for offices, conference rooms, a reception area, whatever you need."
