Page 26 of Ruined By Sin

I point my fork at her. "That's a dangerous thing to say to the man who buys your pelmeni."

She grins and it reaches her eyes. "Sonya's coffee is better. I'm sorry. Someone had to tell you."

"Any other complaints?" I ask, grinning at her. This overwhelming sensation to remove anything that hinders that smile and laughter consumes me. I have to hear it again.

"Dryden snores."

"He's been sleeping on the job?"

"Oh, you know. It's sweet..." She winks again and says, "He falls asleep in that hallway chair around two in the afternoon every single day, and I have to listen to the snoring." She leans forward. "It's not even a subtle snore. It's like a diesel engine trying to start in the cold weather."

That one gets me. I shake my head and almost choke on my bite of food, and I have to wash it down before I can respond. "I'm going to tell him you said that."

"Go ahead. He knows. I told him to his face and he denied it, which is exactly what a snorer would do."

In all of this I realize I'm not performing anymore. This is so easy and natural, even relaxing, that I find myself lost in her presence and truly happy to be with her. Kira has become my obsession, yes, but now she's becoming more. My heart is being woven to hers in ways I can't articulate, and I don't want it to stop.

She pours herself a second glass of wine and leans back in her chair. "Timur?"

"Yeah?"

"When can I go home?"

I set my fork down with a sigh and wipe my mouth on the paper napkins the restaurant sent. She deserves a better answer than "when this is finished", but I'm not sure how to give her one. I know it's just my own goddamn fear of how bad this will play out that has kept her here, but it's not that at the same time. I want her here and I haven't known how to explain that to her.

She has no logical reason to want to stay with me, and it isn't like I've given her one, other than how good I am in bed. Which stands to be decided yet. She hasn't said a word about that.

"My enforcer got hurt. The man I had cleaning up the situation that put you here in the first place. He's recovering, but it's slowed everything down." I turn my glass on the table. "I'm not stalling. The logistics are just... taking longer than I planned."

"But it's been more than two weeks."

"I know."

"My father's going to think I'm dead." Kira's voice is tiny now, almost withdrawn. I hate hearing the pain in her tone, so I stand and take her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"I give you my word, as a man who has found every reason to want to keep you here, that I will send you home as soon as the timing lines up." Cradling her cheek, I brush some hair from her face and rub my knuckles down the line of her neck until it rests on her shoulder.

"What do you mean, 'every reason to keep me here'?" Her eyes search mine hesitantly, but the half-grin I hope for is absent. She looks serious, or maybe scared.

"I like you, Kira. A lot... probably more than I should." I sigh and cup her cheek again. "And I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to stay..." I hate separating her from her family for so long. Part of me wants to send her home. I just can't do that until I know she will be quiet about how she got here and why.

"You want me to stay?" Her bottom lip quivers as she says the words and for a minute, I think she may cry. I don't know if she's scared of that or if she feels wanted because of it. But her eyes drop to my lips and I know what I want. I want her, on my bed, in my arms, and I want her to want it too.

"Yes," I whisper. "I do... for as long as you want to stay."

"What else do you want?" she asks me softly.

"I think..." My throat constricts. God, I feel foolish sometimes. "I think I want to kiss you."

When she mouths "do it", it makes my cock jump. I curl my fingers around the back of her neck and pull her in closer to me, barely containing the beast inside me that wants to come out. We did some crazy things when she was wasted and I don't know if she remembers them, but after having her like that, I don't want to go back to sweet, vanilla Kira.

I crush my mouth to hers hungrily, and she gasps against my lips, then melts, opening for me instantly. My tongue slides in, tasting her, claiming her. She kisses me back just as fiercely as her hands fist in the front of my suit jacket, tugging me closer. The soft little moan she makes vibrates straight to my cock.

I walk her backward until her ass hits the edge of the kitchen counter, never breaking the kiss. My hands roam—down her sides, over the thin cotton of her t-shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin underneath. Her tits press against my chest, and I squeeze her waist, then slide one hand up to cup her breast, thumb brushing over the stiff peak. She arches into my touch with a breathy whimper.

“Fuck, Kira,” I growl against her mouth. “You have no idea what you even do to me. Do you?"

"I might have some indication." She nips my bottom lip, then soothes it with her tongue. Her fingers work at my belt clumsily and I let her as I busy my own hands unbuttoning her jeans.