Page 119 of Indecent Lies

She stumbled over her words because even though it was a serious situation, the gruff voice tumbled her belly over.

“Well, he sort of caught me before I slipped on the ice.”

“He fuckingtouched you, Poppy.”

“Just my forearms.”

More growls fell out of him and a cavalcade of shivers assaulted the surface of her skin. Not from fear. Never from fear. “He fucking touched you.”

Rounding her, he set her aside and prowled over to look out of the windows and then he grabbed a set of keys he kept in a bowl on a console table by the entryway, next was his leather jacket he swung into.

“Tait, where…?”

“Wait right here, lock this door behind me, Pop, and don’t open it for anyone but me, got it?”

“Tait, what?”

“Got it?” He growled, eyes flaring.

She bobbed her head nervously, chewing on her lip. “I got it, but where are you going?”

“Lock this behind me.”

He slammed out and seconds later she heard him stomp down the stairs and then a few seconds after that the roar of his bike. The bike he shouldn’t even be riding in this weather, he was likely to break his damn neck.

She rushed over to the windows in time to watch him roar off down the street.

See, if he were a chocolate eater, he probably would have a calmer temper, she thought. She went to unpack and start dinner.

She hadn’t forgotten she had seducing in mind.

* * *

The asshole on the door was no match for Texas when he shoved himself inside and took the stairs.

If the man himself was surprised at Texas slamming open the office door loud enough that it crashed against the wall, he didn’t show it.

Mainly because when Texas burst in, Grigori was banging a chick over his desk.

Texas was far too deeply into his own fury to give a rats ass what the guy was doing, or the fact that Grigori didn’t appear fazed by it because he gave one last thrust and pushed the girl away, he buttoned his pants before speaking to her in Russian.

If Texas had been a little calmer, he would have noticed the lack of enjoyment on the woman’s face and the cold fear in her eyes. As it was, he didn’t watch as she pulled down her thigh hugging skirt and looked back at the Russian. “Go, Marianna,” he issued and the dark haired woman glanced at Texas but speed walked out of the room.

Grigori paid no mind to Texas while he fixed himself a drink, smirking from behind his desk.

“My friend, how good to see you. I would have offered you a complimentary turn with Marianna, but she is shy.”

Charming fucking man. “Not your fucking friend. Not interested in your whore. Why were you outside my house?”

Rather than answer, he glanced at Texas with a smirk on his lips before he sipped his drink and placed the glass on the table. “She is lovely,comrade. I suggested we share a meal. Cement our business,da?”

Acid rushed up into Texas’ throat with just the thought of this evil piece of shit around his sweet Poppy.

Over. His. Dead. Fucking. Body.

They’d looked into Penelope.

Probably had all the info on her family and their influence.