Page 53 of His Smile
Alexei let out his ownthundering bellow of anger as he rushed the madman.
Mosca could only sigh.
~*~
Rahina kept her gaze fixed on the elevator door as she rodeup in silence next to Mosca.
“So, your plan is to continue to ignore me,” Mosca’s drytone broke the silence.
Turning her head purposely further away, she gave a smallhuff under her breath.
“Because I wouldn’t let you out of the car the night Romancaught you on a date with your would-be-fiancé?” Mosca continued.
Baited, she turned and pointed an accusing finger at him,ignoring the satisfaction in his eye. “First of all, it was not a date, and youignored me when I was trying to figure out what was going on. You’re atraitor.”
“Rahina,” he grumbled exasperatedly. “I can’t be a traitorwhen I have always been on Roman’s side. I couldn’t choose your side even if Iwanted to.”
She knew that, but she still wanted to give the lieutenant ahard time. Crossing her arms, she lifted her chin. "Well, it’s good toknow where I stand with you,” she said dramatically.
Mumbling something in Russian, he rolled his eyes just asthe doors opened. The elevator stopped in a small hallway with a white metaldoor at the end. Roman had texted her to meet him at this address afterpractice, he wanted to introduce her to the wives of the other men he workedwith. When he told her that, Rahina couldn’t help but feel excited at theprospect. Did this mean their relationship was moving into deeper waters? Eversince he came back from his mandated trip, they had been inseparable, she only visitedher apartment to pick up clothes and water her plants. She couldn’t get enoughof the man. Roman made her feel things she never even thought was possible. Heopened up a sexual awareness inside of her that she had no clue that existed,making her want things she had no idea she would love. She loved his dominanceover her when they made love, the tinge of fear she felt when he loomed overcommanding her to do shameless unspeakable things. After each time, once theyfinished, there was only ever a brief moment of embarrassment before he tookher into his arms slowly kissing it away as he cleaned her up. What they hadbetween them was nothing she could ever have imagined, her body thrummed in aconstant state of satisfaction while her heart felt painfully full withemotions she didn’t dare evaluate.
Even as she followed Mosca to the door and waited as heknocked, she pushed away the surge of hope this introduction into Roman’s lifemight represent. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, not yet.
“I should warn you,” Mosca turned as if just remembering animportant detail. “Roman’s face is…”
Roman heard her voice coming from the hall and smiled, andimmediately regretted it as pain shot through his face. Cursing under hisbreath, he glanced over to Alexei who sat next to him holding an ice pack hiswife, Christelle, forced him to hold at his side. Alexei didn’t miss his winceand shot him a satisfied smile at his pain.
“Hi Mikhail,” Rahina’s chipper voice bounced down the hall.“Wow, your place is nice.”
"Hello, Rahina," Mikhail’s deep emotionless voicewas barely audible. “This is Alexei's place, and Roman is in the kitchen.”
Still marveling at her surroundings, Roman watched withbraced expectation as her head slowly turned to the kitchen. It took seconds forher eyes to work past the other occupants in the kitchen and meet his batteredface. The look of horror was expected, her unnatural silence was not—nor washer outfit. As she silently took in his assaulted visage, his eyes and everyoneelse’s at the table travelled the length of the dancer’s body. With Mikhail andMosca standing behind her at the kitchen’s entrance, Rahina stood nearly tallerthan both men in her black platform wedges. Her long legs led the eye up andpast her bare thighs to the black pleated skirt and glittering black top thathung off her shoulders. Her hair which was normally in her customary mushroompuff ball at the crown of her head, hung down in a glorious glossy blackcurtain around her shoulders stopping at her waist. She was stunning and not atall how he wanted her to look when he introduced her to the other women. Butmore importantly, not at all how he wanted her to look in front of the othermen, which was ludicrous Roman reminded himself savagely. These men werehappily married, and also, they were not insane. They knew he would gut themwhere they stood if he so much as questioned their interest in Rahina.
She ignored the frown he purposely gave her as well aseveryone else as she marched directly over to where he sat at the end of thetable next to Alexei.
“What happened?” she demanded stopping in front of him.Lifting a hand to his face, she stopped just shy of touching him. Roman wouldbe a liar if he didn’t admit he enjoyed watching her horrified look of worry asshe examined his cut lip and bruised face.
“Alexei and I got into a fight,” he admitted. He couldpractically feel Christelle’s scorching stare of resentment at him, thankfullyshe was a kind and fair woman who didn’t spare her husband the same look.
“Who did you guys fight?” Rahina asked.
The innocent question was met with silence. Roman could seeMikhail, who was still standing near the kitchen entrance, laughing silently.
Shaking his head, Roman turned his attention back to Rahina.“I will explain it better later. Why are you dressed like this?” He demanded.
Frowning because she wasn’t getting the answers she wanted,she looked over to Alexei as she answered absently. “I was doing an interviewwith a local entertainment channel for the upcoming performance. Alexei has anice pack, where is yours?”
Before he could answer, Christelle stepped closer, standingalmost protectively at Alexei's shoulder as she stared wide-eyed up at Rahina.“I tried to give him one,” she began softly. “But he said he didn’t want one.”
As if just noticing the woman, Rahina stood straighter andlooked down at the smaller woman and smiled. “Oh hi, sorry,” she looked aroundbehind her and finally noticed the other woman sitting at the other end of thetable near Mikhail. "I'm Rahina. Sorry, I just barged in; I wasn’texpecting to see Roman beat up.”
“I was not beat up, I won,” he felt the need to clarify.
Alexei mumbled in Russian, but Roman chose to ignore it.
“Rahina Chopra?” Misha, the other woman at the end of thetable, said slowly.
Turning in her direction, Rahina gave the very roundpregnant young woman a dazzling smile as she looked back and forth to bothstunned women. “Yes, that’s me. It’s nice to meet both of you.” She waitedexpectantly for them to introduce themselves.
