Page 8 of Rurik
“For the record,” she began, blushing, “I do not go home with guys…likeever.” She bit her lip when he smiled ather.
“Then I’m honored to be the first, my little rose.” He towered over her and stole a quick, hard kiss. There was only one door in the hallway on the floor, and Rurik led her to it. He turned the knob without using a key orkeycard.
“You don’t lockit?”
Rurik gave a shrug of one shoulder. “Unnecessary. I own thefloor.”
As they stepped inside, Charlotte gaped. The rooms had high ceilings and modern furnishings. It was a lot like a five-star hotel. There were glass chandeliers and dark leather couches. It was a mixture of various forms of masculine luxury, right down to the blue diamond fireplace against the interior wall of the living room. The windows were floor to ceiling, giving the impression that she could take a leap out of the building and fly. Which was not a good thing, given that they were ten floors up. About nine floors too many for her liking. They got closer to the windows as he took her to the kitchen, and Charlotte’s breathing kickedup.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, reading herpanic.
“I have a thing about heights.” She nodded at the oversizedwindows.
His dark chuckle distracted her from her fear momentarily. “Afraid of heights? Whatever will I do with you?” He winked and then picked up a slim black remote from the granite countertop of the kitchen, aiming it at the nearest windows. Black screens came down, turning the windows into walls, at least as far as the eyes were concerned. Charlotte’s muscles, which had tensed to steel cords, began torelax.
“Better?” Rurikasked.
“Much.”
“Have a seat. I’ll order some food.” He nodded to the table. She sat down, kicking off her heels. She rubbed her sore feet and watched him pull his cell phone out of his back pocket. He dialed a number and spoke rapidly, then hung up and turned toher.
“Food will be here soon. Would you like anotherdrink?”
Why not? She was still feeling a bit buzzed from the club, and she didn’t want that relaxed feeling to go away justyet.
“Sure.” She pointed and flexed her toes and blushed when she realized he was watching her. “I’m not used to wearing heels.” In the lab, she’d always wornsneakers.
“I never understand how you females squeeze into those dresses or stand in those shoes, but I certainly won’t complain because the end result is…” He waved a hand at her body, his eyes heating with openappreciation.
She raised a brow, wondering if he’d finish that sentence. He didn’t, but the heat in his eyes assured her that he was more than pleased with her appearance. Rather than be embarrassed, she felt emboldened and sexy. Was this how a woman was supposed to feel around a man she liked? He made her feel beautiful and attractive, and she lovedit.
“So if you do not go home with men like this, then why me?” Rurik poured a glass of wine for her and a glass of bourbon for himself. He watched her take a sip before he raised his own glass to his lips. Charlotte swallowed, unsure what to say. The truth was more complicated than she cared toadmit.
Because you’re sexy as hell and I can’t think rationally around you? Because I want to know if you make love as dirty and sinfully as you kiss? Because I’m here to capture you and bring you to my brothers because you might be the key to stopping an all-out dragonwar?
She had to play it safe—at least enough to keep him from discovering her true purpose, but convincing enough that he didn’t try to mesmerize her into revealing thetruth.
“I guess there’s something about the way you kiss,” she finallyadmitted.
He laughed, the sound dark and forbidden in the best possible way. He took off his leather jacket and tossed it on the counter. He walked over to the table but didn’t sit. Instead, he cocked his hip and took another slow drink as he watched her. Charlotte fixated on his throat as he drank and how he licked his lips when he set the glass down. She missed those lips already, wanted them against her own, her skin, her…everything.
“What are you doing here in Russia? It’s a very long way from home, is itnot?”
“It is.” She had practiced her story, knowing it was best to stay vague but at the same time keep as much truth as possible. “I’m a biochemist from Michigan. I came here for a vacation.” She smiled a little. In a way it was a vacation. A vacation from her controllingbrothers.
“A biochemist?” He finished his bourbon and took a seat next to her at the table. “You don’t look like abiochemist.”
“And what does a biochemist look like?” shecountered.
“Not likeyou.”
“Everybody expects me to be wearing a lab coat and glasses all the time or something. Stuck at the lab with no social life whatsoever.” And that’s exactly what she had been until Meg had consulted her about the shifter-repressing drug. She tried to turn the focus back on him. “So you own anightclub?”
“I do.” He reached across the table and stroked a fingertip along her arm as he spoke. “My older brother is a respectable businessman. My other brother, well, he’s a…” Rurik snorted as though whatever he was thinking wasamusing.
“He’s a what?” sheasked.
His green eyes burned into hers with mischief. “An international jewelthief.”
