Page 57 of His Smile
Lying in bed, the light fromthe morning sun was slowly starting to filter in through the bedroom's windows.They had both woken up some time ago, both using the bathroom and brushingtheir teeth before lazily flopping back down into the bed. Today neither one ofthem had anything to do until late in the afternoon, and they mutually decidedthat morning should be spent in bed.
"What made you fightAlexei yesterday?" Pushing herself up, Rahina leaned over him and placed agentle kiss on his temple just next to the dark bruise on his eye.
Her body hummed and hernipples tightened at the pleased purring sound Roman made beneath her. Feelinghis hands bracket her waist, he held her steady above him as he returned thefavor, placing gentle petal soft kisses on each of her stiffened nippleshanging above his face like forbidden fruits. Lowering her, he hugged herclose, tucking her perfectly against his body and the soft mattress.
"I insulted theman," he didn't bother going into to detail as to how but Rahina knewRoman and could imagine the various ways the smiling gangster could happilytease Alexei to the point of insult. "Alexei is a valuable asset to mineand Mikhail's operation, it is much more beneficial for me to keep the manhappy than angry. Men with hurt pride do foolish things."
"It's hard to believeAlexei with his pretty face fighting anyone," she wondered aloud. "Heis so oddly pretty I can't imagine him being good at anything other thancrunching numbers and maybe really good selfies.”
Roman laughed. "We allhave secrets."
"And just what areyours?" Looking up from his warm chest, she squeezed her arms around him.
Instead of answering herquestion, he made an oblique statement. "They would not be secrets if Itold you."
"Oh, come on, I won'ttell anyone you know that," she sat up, excited now by the prospect offinding out something more about him. Keeping the sheet wrapped around herbreasts, she crossed her legs and looked at him eagerly.
Smirking, Roman crossed hisarms back behind his head and gave her a challenging look in return. "Youtell me something first."
She frowned, knowing he wasjust trying to get out of it. "I really don't have much…” she hedged; shecould only really think of one thing, but it was a bit embarrassing. Lookingback to him, she exhaled heavily when she saw that he wasn’t going to budgeuntil she offered up something juicy. “When I first went to the Boston BalletCompany,” she started slowly. “I had to live with three other girls in atwo-bedroom apartment, and me and one other girl had a little drunkenover-the-sweater action one night."
The smirk he wore fadedimmediately, and she watched as he sat up straight against the headboard andgave her a serious expression. "I want you to describe the story slowlyand leave nothing out. I want to know details from what you two were wearing,how was the kiss, even describe the color of her nipples. Everything."
Laughing, she grabbed anearby pillow and hit him in the face. "You shouldn’t be concerned withthe color of anyone else's nipples but mine!"
Smiling, he grabbed thepillow from her and tossed it aside before yanking at the sheet around herchest. Ripping the material from her grasp, he left her bare before him.
"Plum," he growled,reaching both hands for her as his eyes settled and locked onto to her nakedbreasts.
"What?" she saidunderneath her breath as she let him pull her to his lap and cradle herchildlike in his arms.
"Your nipples are thecolor of ripe plums," he murmured, lifting her easily from his lap untilhe could pop one nipple in his mouth.
"Roman," shemoaned. Her body was becoming hot and damp.
It was terrible how muchthis man had her trained perfectly to respond to him. With little to no effort,she was ready to part her legs for him, ready to hold onto him as he droveinside of her. Breathing harder now, she reached for him, pulling his head fromher breasts and guiding his mouth to hers. His response was just as hungry ashers, and the heat between their bodies grew hot.
"I thought you wantedto know my secrets," he teased against her lips, catching her bottom lipbetween his teeth and nipping lightly.
Darn it, she did. Forcingherself to pull away, she grabbed the sheet and pulled it best she could aroundher chest as Roman laughed.
"Your turn," shesaid.
Settling her comfortablyagainst him, Roman leaned his head back against the headboard and stared up atthe ceiling. She could feel one of his hands toy with the strands of her hairidly as he thought.
"I own a brothel,"he began. "A very exclusive brothel that provides clients any sort offantasy they desire."
Rahina stiffened. Whatevershe was expecting to hear this was not it. There were countless reports anddocumentaries about women who worked in the sex industry, and Rahina knew a lotof them were not working there by choice, especially women from foreigncountries.
His gray eyes narrowed ather sudden change of mood, but he said nothing, he simply looked at herdirectly and waited.
She wanted to get up fromhis lap before she asked her next question, but she knew there was no chance hewould let her move.
"If I asked you if thewomen in your—establishment—had a choice working there would you give me anhonest answer?" Her stomach felt knotted as she asked the question.
Realization dawned in hiseyes before brightening to amusement. "You want to know if I am forcingthem to pay off some sort of debt or holding their Visas hostage, likesomething you see on the news?"
She couldn’t tell if he wasserious or offended. She nodded her head stiffly.
