Page 84 of Devious Truth

“You love being over my knee, don’t try to deny us of the pleasure it brings us. Now, be my good girl and behave today.”

Another growl, but this time it’s filled with arousal and need. She presses her knees together.

There’s a knock on my window, interrupting us. Damn the real world for constantly invading on our time.

“Alexander is waiting for you,” Yosef says from the front of the car.

His voice reminds her we’re not alone, and she jolts back away from me. I wink, letting her feel the discomfort. She’s fucking gorgeous this way.

I may spend all night finding ways to pull these little sounds from her. Maybe a night of poker in one of the private gaming rooms is in order. She can be our waitress. Or I can take her into one of the pleasure suites.

Another knock on the window. My brother has the patience of a newborn.

“Yosef will wait for you outside your building. There are two other men already there. When you get back, come find me.” I brush my mouth across hers. “Be a good girl today, Vee.”

As I start to climb out of the car, she grabs my hand. Leaning back into the opening, I search her face. Her lips are parted, her eyes narrow, like she’s uncertain.

“You’ve never said you love me,” she says softly. “You’ve said you want me, you’ve said you need me, but you’ve never said you love me. How can I marry someone who can’t say that?”

“Ivan.” Alexander says at the same time as she asks the question.

I wave him off.

She drops my hand and reaches for the door.

“Vee—” The words burn in the back of my throat, but they won’t come out. Not like this.

She deserves more than a rushed confession spat out before I head into meeting to decide if another man lives or dies. She deserves the world dropped at her feet.

And she’ll have it all, but not like this. Not in a fucking parking lot.

“You have a meeting, and I need to get home.” She pulls the door shut before I can say anything else.

Before my brain can come up with something to say that will ease her.

Yosef pulls away. Through the tinted glass, I catch a glimpse of her figure, chin tucked down, fingers worrying the strap of her seat belt. She’s not crying; she thinks she’s too strong for that. She’s not even raging mad. Just…folded in on herself.

My gut twists.

It’s not marrying me that terrifies her. It’s not even that she’s afraid I don’t love her. It’s trusting that she won’t be wrecked when this ends, because in her mind there’s only way this things goes. She’s lost too much in her short life for her to believe otherwise.

“What’s wrong?” Alexander asks, stepping in front of me. “Did something happen?”

I clear my throat. “No. Just sending Vee home.”

He looks off down the driveway, to the taillights of my car as they reach the gate. “Oh.”

Clenching my jaw, I turn to him. “What the fuck does that mean?”

An arrogant laugh bursts from his chest. “Nothing. But when Kaz finds out you’re in love with the waitress, he’s going to give you hell.”

“I’m marrying her.”

He nods. “I would hope so.”

“Kaz is going to give me a lot of shit.”

“He really is.” Alexander slaps my shoulder as we head up the steps to the main entrance. “But in the meantime, we need to deal with Vasily Leonov.”

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