Page 4 of Out of Bounds
“Which means I’ll be tactful,” I say, and he furrows his brows.
My no-relationship rule doesn’t stop me from playing. I haven’t done that in a long time and not for something like this.
We’ve been working on this damn case day and night. Now that we can wrap it up, I can grab a taste of freedom until the captain adds the next fucker to my work list.
Until such time, I’ll kill two birds with one stone by preparing a comfy cell for Liev—he’s going to be here for a while—and teaching Bree Dawson a lesson or two about her choice in men.
“Tactful? What are you going to do, Ethan?”
“Don’t worry,” I say with a wide smile. “Leave it to me.”
Chapter2
Bree
“Printsessa, you are thinking too much again,” Liev says with a charming smile. His deep voice is thick with his Russian accent and my nerves spike as he looks me up and down in the little lingerie set I brought for tonight.
“Am I?” I tease playfully, knowing I fully zoned out again.
I’ve been stuck in my thoughts about us since the other day. Or rather it could have been since we started going out. Now that it looks like we’re getting serious, I’m more anxious than ever when I should be happy.
We’ve been together for six months and that means my longest relationship in many years.
“You know you are.” He laughs heartily tucking a dark lock of his medium length hair behind his ear. “Turn around for me slowly. You know how I like to look at you and take my time enjoying every part of you.”
And that’s why I shouldn’t be having any sort of second thoughts about us.
Tonight, couldn’t be any more perfect than it is.
Liev and I had the perfect day, perfect date, perfect everything.
He’s the one who suggested we celebrate our six-month anniversary, not me.
He’s also the one who suggested an extravagant dinner at La Chez tonight after splashing out only two nights ago.
He calls me Printsessa—princess in Russian and he has the whole hot Russian accent to go along with the package, which has heads turning when wherever we go.
Most would say I have a good catch. I know I do, and maybe it’s just me being paranoid but every time I’m with him I always get this feeling he’s too good to be true.
Too good for my terrible track record of men, and that’s why I’m so skeptical, and willing to shoot myself in the foot.
The stupid thing about it is there’s no reason to sabotage us especially when Mama likes him and says he’s a keeper.
Although, I suspect she might have said so because with my cousin, Lucille’s engagement to a real live prince, Mama’s eager to see me withanyone.
While on the other hand, Aunt Shelby, my man crazy aunt, said he’d be good for sex for the moment, which means she didn’t see us lasting.
Pushing every thought out of my mind, both good and bad, I turn for him displaying my finest assets that have saved me on occasion from trouble.
Working in Burt’s Bar—which is practically a strip club, to pay my rent many years ago is one secret that dies with me.
At that point,I was the good girl gone bad because she had to. I was nineteen, broke, and couldn’t turn to my parents because they were having financial difficulties with their business. I never stripped, but I danced, and it was enough.
Liev shuffles on his sofa and smiles at me.
“Come here to me.” He crooks his finger.
I take one step toward him. My bare feet connect with the soft gray carpet on the floor and suddenly the sound of a hard knock on his front door has me jumping out of my skin.
