Page 46 of Owned By the Russian

“Good morning,” he said, his voice still tinged with that teasing undertone. His eyes dragged over her body in one of the little dresses he got her from the store. “Looks like my dress-picking skills are on point today.”

Valentina rolled her eyes and found it incredibly hard to suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. “I’m not here for your commentary, Ilya,” she muttered, trying to ignore the heat that pooled in her stomach as she stared at his body. She had that body claiming hers just a couple of hours ago.

“Of course, you’re not,” he said, looking away from her to the stack of pancakes on the plates, a tiny smirk still lingering on his face. “Come on. Unlike you, I don’t just think of myself when I make breakfast.”

Valentina shuffled on her feet. “Ilya,” she said, her tone taking a seriousness that made him look back at her. “When do we leave? How much longer are we going to hide out here? We’ve been here for days now, and I don’t want to have to fight with you about going back to my family. It’s starting to get ridiculous.”

Ilya’s smile slowly faded as he set the spatula down, wiping his hands with a cloth. He faced her, the weight of the situation settling between them. “We stay here as long as we have to,” he said quietly, his voice less playful now. “There are too many risks right now. You’re not safe yet. Aleksander’s still out there, and no one has a damned clue of where he is. I can’t let you go back until we know the people after you are gone, and we’ve got a plan.”

He paused for a beat, running a hand through his hair. “Listen,” he continued, his tone steady. “You can’t just walk back into that mess without putting yourself at risk. First, we don’t know if those assholes are still looking for you. They might have eyes on your family, and it’s better to keep you off the radar for a while. Ivonov is a bastard, Valentina. He never plays fair. Second, we have no idea how far his reach goes. If he finds out you’re back, he’ll try to hurt you again?whether you’re at your family house or elsewhere.”

Valentina’s eyes narrowed as she absorbed his words. He wasn’t wrong, but she hated the idea of being stuck there longer.

“Third,” he continued, taking a step closer to her. “There’s a lot of damage control to do, and I’m not letting you go anywhere until we’ve cleared it up. We’re staying here because it’s safer for now. If you want to leave, you’ll be putting us both at risk. And lastly,” he added, his gaze softening slightly, “I’m not letting you go anywhere without making sure you’re fully protected. I’m not leaving you vulnerable.”

Val stood there, stunned by the reason in his words. The practicality in his logic hit her, even though she hated being cooped up here. Deep down, she knew he was right.

She had never bothered to listen to him like this before?not truly. She was always so intent on hating everything he said and too caught up in her own emotions to reason with him.

She sighed, feeling the shift between them?this new unspoken tension that wasn’t just anger anymore. It was… something else. Was it the sex? Because the last thing she wanted was for him to start babying her and treating her like glass just because they slept together.

“Well, that’s a surprise,” Ilya said, breaking the silence and pulling her from her thoughts.

“What is?” Valentina asked, arching an eyebrow.

Ilya tapped her temple lightly with his knuckles. “For once in your life, you’re actually listening to me.”

Val blinked, genuinely surprised. Was that some kind of backhanded compliment? She couldn’t tell.

“What are you talking about?” she shot back, feigning irritation.

A smirk graced his lips. “You hear, but you don’t listen,” he said, shrugging casually. “Which is ironic, considering you listened to me just fine last night.”

Her cheeks burned instantly at the reminder, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, shut up,” she muttered, brushing past him as she moved toward the counter, pretending to focus on the stack of pancakes in front of her.

Ilya smirked and followed right behind her, his presence looming over her like a shadow. His chest was just inches from her back as he leaned in, his breath warm against the sensitive skin of her neck. He placed his hands on the counter, caging her in. “Come on, Princess. You know you liked it.”

Valentina’s body stiffened, but the flush creeping up her neck betrayed her. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, his body pressing closer as the space between them shrank. She tried to ignore the way his scent filled her senses from last night that simmered between them, but his voice, his words?damn it?he knew exactly what to say to make her blood race.

She shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, trying to sound unaffected, though her voice wavered slightly.

He chuckled softly behind her, the sound so damn close that she could feel the vibration in her bones. “Oh, I think you do. The blush on your face says everything.” His lips grazed the shell of her ear, his breath sending a shiver down her spine. “I know you wanted more. I told you you’d beg for it, and you did.”

Val’s pulse spiked as she felt the friction between them, an undeniable heat building the closer they got. Unconsciously, she leaned back, pressing against him, her body betraying her own resistance. He didn’t miss the movement, and his grin only widened.

“Stop,” she said, voice a little more breathless than she intended, but she didn’t move away. She was aware of every inch of him, the way he towered over her, how his hips were just a breath away from hers. He was seducing her, and it was working. “You’re so full of yourself.”

His lips barely brushed her ear as he spoke, his voice a low, teasing growl. “You know you like me when I’m full of myself, Valentina. You like the way I know exactly how to make you feel.”

Her breath caught, and she quickly reached for her plate, trying to distance herself from the heat of his body. But Ilya wasn’t done. He moved with her, easily closing the gap between them. She felt him shift, his body brushing against hers, and for a moment, she couldn’t focus on anything else.

“Ilya,” she said, her tone softening despite herself, “I’m hungry. Can you just let me eat in peace?”

Ilya’s hands slid off the counter as he stepped in front of her with a grin. “Oh, so you’re hungry now?” He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a smug smile. “For pancakes or for me?”

Valentina glared at him, frustration bubbling beneath the surface, but there was also that damn pull in her chest that made her heart race. She was supposed to hate him, but here she was, weak in the knees at the mere sight of him.

“For pancakes,” she said, her tone ridiculously unconvincing.

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