Page 64 of Merciless Union
“No, actually. Surprisingly, everything is quiet at the moment.”
I smile. “You make that sound like it’s a bad thing.”
He shrugs. “Well, usually, quiet means plans are being put into place; actions are being taken. I’m just waiting for Stepan to strike again, so I have an excuse to go after the motherfucker.”
“Why not go after him now?” I still have nightmares about him pointing a gun at me.
“Because I need the men who do follow me to trust me. And if I go after Stepan without cause, I might lose some of my followers. I need Stepan to fuck up again, so I can make good on my promise.”Put a bullet through his brain. I don’t think I can forget those words.
I set my brush down. “It’s just … scary. Knowing he’s out there. Knowing he could show up at any moment and kill me.”
Maxim’s face hardens. “I’ve doubled the guard duty outside, so there’s no way he’s sneaking in here again. I promise.”
“He wanted me, Maxim,” I say shakily. “He wants to take everything from you, and that includes me.”
“Well, then, he’ll be disappointed. You’re mine. He’s not getting his hands on you.”
Maxim’s possessiveness makes a flutter go through my stomach.
“Am I truly yours?” I ask, standing up.
His eyes grow darker. “Always. You’ve never stopped being mine. We might not be fucking right now, but you’re still mine.”
I look away. “Are you ok with that?” I wave a hand between us. “That we’re not having sex at the moment?”
“At the moment?”
I blush. “You know what I mean.”
He doesn’t look away—his deep eyes staring right into me. “Am I upset that we’re not having sex? I’m not exactly pleased about it.” His eyes soften a little bit. “But I know I was rough with you last time. I never meant to be that rough.”
“I just need time. Time to … trust you again.”
“You’re telling me you trusted me at one point?”
I let out a small huff. “I wouldn’t gothatfar. But I am starting to really trust you for the first time now. And I don’t want to ruin it by making things physical too fast. You understand?”
He sighs deeply. “I understand.”
“Thank you.” I sit back down and pick my brush up. When he doesn’t move, I say, “You’re still not going to see it until it’s done.”
His lips quirk as he grumbles and walks out of the room.
* * *
Later that week,an idea occurs to me. If there’s ever going to be trust between Maxim and me, we need to have some fun.
I approach him in the kitchen as he’s getting a cup of coffee. “We should go out today. On a date.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “A date?”
“You know, flowers, chocolates, that kind of thing.”
He just stares at me.
“Come on! You’re telling me you’ve never taken a woman out on a date before?”
He shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’ve never needed to. I got what I needed from them without needing to go the extra mile and courting them.”
