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I folded my arms, chin high. “I heard nothing.”

He stepped closer, shoving his pants down. “Yuriy.”

My pulse betrayed me. What was happening to me? I used to be an excellent liar, but I couldn’t tell Stas a little white lie.

“You have a bounty on my head?”

“Had.”

I tilted my head, studying him through the veil of water. “For how long?”

“Four months.”

I didn’t know if I wished he’d lied.

“You knew you had a bounty on my head and yet you let me fuck you?”

“Come on, Yuriy. You were unexpected. So very unexpected, and it took a while to be okay with the idea of you—the idea of us. For all I know, you were sleeping with me for a scheme as well.”

I shook my head once, too stunned to mask it. “We had a deal, Stas. We weren’t supposed to go after each other anymore. Did that mean nothing to you?”

“We’re in the mob, Yuriy. We’re not honest men.”

“Speak for yourself. I stopped hunting you immediately after our agreement.”

“Ah, yes, but you made sure that every one of my men who you caught—or dragged onto your turf—paid the price for you being unable to go after me anymore.”

He wasn’t lying. I’d found ways to do despicable things to him through his men.

I stared at him and swallowed.

“Do you hate me?” he asked the question softly, hesitant as if not prepared to face a certain answer.

I shook my head. “Impressed, more like it. I always thought you were the Goody Two-Shoes who kept his word, did everything by textbook Mafia standards.”

“There’s a textbook on Mafia standards?” He stepped into the steam. Into my space. “And pray tell what’s inside this textbook?”

I reached for him, placing my hands on his hips and urging him closer to me.

“Weeeeeell…” I dragged the word out like it tasted good. “There is absolutely a textbook. Leather-bound. Embossed. Handed down from one emotionally constipated pakhan to another.”

His mouth twitched.

I hooked my thumbs into his hips and pulled him another inch closer into the spray. Water slid down his ribs in thin silver lines, and my hands followed them shamelessly.

“Rule number one,” I said solemnly. “Never fall in love with your enemy. Because if you do, someone ends up dead or married.”

A quiet breath left him. “Interesting. And number two?”

“Rule number two: If you put a bounty on someone, you’re no longer allowed to fuck them until further notice.”

That did it.

A sound broke out of him before he could stop it—low, surprised. Not quite a laugh but close enough. My grin widened.

He shook his head faintly. “You’re ridiculous.”

I slid my hands over his shoulders, smoothing soap over his skin like it was sacred work.