Page 9 of Claimed By Daddy

I take a sip of my water and place the bottle on the coffee table. Sitting up, I rest my forearms across my thighs and tilt my head toward her. “Are you going to be this much fun the whole time they’re gone?”

She stops stomping and glares at me with angered, emerald eyes and pouty pursed lips. “You know what?”

“No, princess. What?”

“You are not nearly as charming as you think you are.”

Yes. I am.

“Are you sure?” I tease. “Because you sure fucking blush when I talk to you. And you definitely keep staring at me.”

“It was anaccident.”

Yeah… an accident. Just like I accidentally thought of her when I had my hand wrapped around my cock in the shower this morning. That was alsototallyan accident.

She crosses her arms and huffs, “I don’t trust you.”

“Good,” I exhale. My comment throws her for a second, and she blinks in confusion. Watching her carefully, I lean back onto the couch. “Because you shouldn’t, even if your brother does.”Even if he shouldn’t.Because, fuck, right now even I don’t trust myself. And her brother is only a few rooms away.Following his one rule is going to be a grave undertakingwhen he’s halfway around the world.And I’ve always been shit at following rules.“Good,” I exhale.

“And Idon’tlike you,” she snarks, ever so slightly biting her lower lip.She’s cute when she lies.

“Funny thing about that…” I rise from the couch and quickly cross the room to where she’s standing. Her eyes roam up my chest and to my face as I tower over her. “Inever said you liked me, princess.”

The sky is still a soft, hazy indigo when I wake, the sunrise resting just below the horizon. It’s so early that even the city that never sleeps is still quiet. Not the apartment, though—my brother, Enzo, and Nikolai are making more than enough noise downstairs to rouse me.

I make my way toward the quieting commotion and pad barefoot into the living room with my arms wrapped around my chest, regretting not putting on more clothes before coming down here. Cillian is in the kitchen, struggling with the telescopic handle on a small carry-on suitcase. His dark red hair is wet, and his tight jaw and furrowed brows make him appear years older than twenty-nine.

“Are you sure you have to go?” I ask, my voice still rough and scratchy with sleep.

He glances up at me as he fidgets with the handle, and his sincere expression softens. “We’ve talked about this, Eav.”

“I know. Just…” My words trail off as I try to find the right ones.I can’t exactly tell himI don’t want to be left here with Enzo.“Just asking again, on the off chance you’re going to change your mind.”

He sighs as he stands, leaving him suddenly towering over me. “I need to go make nice with Sargsyan. Explain that we’re pulling out of the deal our fathers made. We need him to believe we had nothing to do with what happened to his brother and that we want peace. Trying to bring our three families together will be a tough enough feat. We don’t need a fourth trying to tip the scales. And we definitely don’t need him coming after us. Afteryou.”

I gulp at his final words.After me. Our family. The Roseti and Romanov families are the ones I expected that I would need to be kept safe from. I somehow thought that with Sargsyan dead, the Armenians wouldn’t be an issue anymore. The last reason I want Cillian to fly halfway around the world is for me, but the three of them made it very clear last night that this was part of the plan well before I was carried into it kicking and screaming.

Stepping toward him, I hug him tightly. He hugs me back and groans as I squeeze him, shifting his weight. “You okay?” I ask, pulling back from our embrace to look up at his face.

“The couch,” he mutters. “When I get back, we’re figuring out some new sleeping arrangements. I want my bed back.”

“She can sleep in mine.” Enzo’s smooth and flirtatious voice cuts through the room like a knife. When I step away from Cillian, I expect to find Enzo with that smug smirk behind me.And like clockwork, there it is.Leaning casually against the kitchen island, his dark hair is tousled from sleep, and he somehow still looks like he just stepped out of a GQ photo shoot. Barefoot. Gray cotton pants resting low on his hips. A soft black Henley that clings just right—enough that I’m rememberingexactlywhat he looks underneath it.

Near certain he’s baiting me, I stare at him silently for a moment. “You’d give up your room for me?” I ask warily.

“I never said I wouldn’t be in it, princess.” His smirk widens to a full-on grin.

Turning away fast enough that my hair swings behind me, I snip, “In your dreams.”And mine.Because if my dreams are going to continue anything like last night, they are far too detailed—with an unwelcome co-star’s deep brown eyes staring at me as his warm hands roam over my skin with finesse, knowingexactlywhat they’re doing.My sex life in my dreams is a thousand times better than my nonexistent real one.It’s infuriating.

His eyes glancing between the two of us, Cillian lets out a deep sigh, but he doesn’t say a word about Enzo’s offer. He gives me one last look, then nods to Enzo. “Take care of her.”

Enzo returns the movement, and his tone is sincere when he vows, “Always.”I’ll try not to read into that.

“You ready?” Nikolai calls from the front door. “Our car to Teterboro is waiting out front.”

“Yeah,” Cillian mutters, not turning his attention from me. “You’ll be safe here. Please, do as Enzo says.”

The two of them leave, and the front door clicks shut before I’m given a chance to protest. The tension that suddenly fills the apartment is so thick I can barely breathe. I’m alone…with him.

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