He tilts his head. “Is that so?”
I nod. “I had nothing to wear. I couldn’t walk around the house naked, and since I was kidnapped, I didn’t get the chance to pack any clothes.”
His lips twitch, his eyes darkening as he inches toward me with slow, controlled strides that make my spine stiffen.
I’m not sure how to act around this man, whether to fear him or not. But whatever’s making my heart race right now isn’t fear. It’s something more embarrassing…and more intense.
When he reaches me, he cups my cheeks, his hands so warm that I find myself leaning into his touch before I can stop myself. “You don’t need to explain yourself, ptichka. What’s mine is yours.”
“I didn’t mean to cross…” I trail off as his words sink in.
Did he mean what he just said, or is he trying to make me lower my guard?
“Wear whatever you want,” he continues. “I’ll have Artem drive you to the store tomorrow. Buy everything you need. Don’t bother looking at the prices.”
My brows knit with shock rather than annoyance. “You’re going to let me out?”
He nods and lowers his hand from my face. “You’re my wife now, not a prisoner. But I’ll warn you, don’t try to run, or I can’t promise your best friend or parents will be safe.”
A shiver runs down my spine, a fresh wave of rage taking over whatever I felt just a couple of seconds ago. For a moment, I almost forgot I was standing in front of one of the most dangerous men in the world—a man who took me captive, then forced me to marry him.
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise, my love,” he drawls, his deep voice as husky as if he’s making a promise of love rather than threatening to murder the people I love the most. “And I always keep my promises.”
My throat tightens, my toes curling as I clutch the hem of the dress shirt I’m wearing. If I had a knife on me, I’d drive itstraight through his chest and see for myself if his heart is truly made of stone.
But since I’m defenseless, I suck in a breath and remind myself to remain calm before it costs me more than just my freedom.
I think back to Tatiana’s advice. Maybe I can’t escape Leonid, but I can at least try to negotiate the terms of my forced marriage.
Leonid’s eyes leave a trail of heat as they work their way down to my chest. I follow his gaze, and my heart begins to pound even more erratically when I see the way my nipples are poking against the cotton fabric of the shirt.
I’m suddenly too self-aware, curling my fingers tighter around the hem of the shirt to stop my arms from flying up around my chest. Inside me, there’s a burning need to be claimed by Leonid.
For him to touch and tease me until I’m gasping on my knees and begging to be used by him. That can’t be right. He just threatened to kill my best friend and my parents, but those dark thoughts still overtake my mind somehow.
I hate that I want this man despite how much I despise him.
Even more, I hate the pang of disappointment I feel when he turns around and walks out of the bedroom.
I follow him without a second thought, and my breath catches when we burst into a room that’s right beside the one I was originally supposed to stay in.
A dark mahogany desk sits at the center of the room. There’s a black leather chair right behind the desk, and a black leather couch across from it. Everything’s in black, like it’s the devil’s own office. Floor-to-ceiling glass surrounds the office, giving a clear view of the city at night. From here, I can see the skyscrapers glinting against the sky.
“Your study matches your lack of personality,” I hear myself say without thinking.
Leonid barely smiles. He rounds the desk and slouches into the chair. It’s hard not to notice the way his shirt strains against his biceps.
I bite my lip and swallow.
“I see you’ve recovered from being caught wearing my clothes,” he says, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“You said what’s yours is mine.”
The small smile on his lips stretches into a wide grin. I don’t know how the man switches so quickly from being cold and terrifying to being a bantering, annoying bastard, but part of me likes it. The other part of me, however, wants to slap the smile right off of his face.
“So you’re using my own words against me?”
