Page 51 of Cruel Russian Monster
He grabbed my arms to steady me, and the moment his skin touched mine, heat shot straight through me and smack dab between my thighs.
I bit my lower lip to suppress a moan just in time.
“Hey, Vera,” he said, smiling.
“Hey.” I stepped back quickly. His hands dropped to his sides.
“Where are you heading to?”
“Anywhere that's outside.” I inhaled. “I just need some fresh air for a while.”
He studied me for a few seconds before saying anything. “Since you need some fresh air, how about we take a short trip together?”
Warning signals went off in my head.
“With you?”
I was trying to forget this man, and now he wanted to go on a trip? One where I’d be stuck close to him, day and night?
Jaroslav chuckled, “That's what ‘we’ means.”
Was this his way of saying he wanted a repeat of last night?
“But, what about Lev? You're his underboss; he needs you.”
His expression was blank as he spoke. “After the little discussion I had with my brothers yesterday, Marten convinced Lev that I needed a few days off.” A smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “And I'd like to spend them with you.”
As much as I wanted to go with him, guilt tugged at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d gone too far yesterday. Maybe I should’ve handled Lev with more diplomacy.
“So…Lev’s still mad at you?”
Jaroslav ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Marten’s hoping a little space will cool things down. He’s holding things down for me while I’m gone.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “If I caused a rift between you and your brother…”
“Vera, it wasn’t you. And honestly…I’d rather not talk about it.” He held my neck while his thumb gently stroked my cheek. “What I want to know is, do you want to come with me?”
“Where exactly are we going?” I raised an eyebrow. “And please tell me you’re not using a U-Haul.”
Jaroslav laughed, deep and unrestrained, as he shook his head. He wasn’t much of a laugher, but damn, it was a sound I could listen to every day.
“I promise, no U-Hauls,” he said with a smirk. “But I haven’t decided where we’re going yet. How about you pack, and then we figure it out?”
I smiled. “A woman doesn’t pack then decide. The destination comes first…then she knows what to pack.”
“Alright then, let’s decide.”
“How about Florida?” I offered. “There are some great resorts with private villas instead of hotels. I’ll get that fresh air I need, and there’s enough to do that we won’t even have to leave the property, but we'll still have a good time.”
“Do you have a name? I’ll make the reservations now.”
“You don’t have anywhere you want to go?”
“Nope,” he said, completely unfazed.
I rolled my eyes with a smile, pulling my phone from my back pocket. I tapped on the resort and handed it to him.
“Here you go. I’ll start packing. Thanks, by the way.”
