Page 25 of Bratva Bastard

Thank God no one could hear my thoughts, because I probably sounded like a lunatic. A lovesick lunatic—which was crazy! I barely knew him. How could I be so attracted not just to his gorgeous body, but his sense of being? In the short time we’d known each other it was like I got a peek into his soul. But my gut told me that revealing something so real and fragile, so raw, was a rarity.

Perhaps, I was even the first person he’d disclosed such feelings to. I’d like to think so, anyway.

My shift ended earlier than I expected. Hardly any customers had stopped by, so I was told I could leave early. Fortunately, I had my swimsuit in my car, so I headed back to get it, and changed in the lobby bathroom.

After such an exhausting day, I wanted nothing more than to dip my body into the water and relax. But the kid in me couldn’t suppress the urge to jump in. So, like a child at the pool, I did a cannonball into the water. But I was alone, so no one was there to witness the carefree act. Not like I would give a shit if they did.

I must’ve been swimming for an hour, because Maxim’s voice rang out into the silent night air.

“That looks fun,” he called out, taking a seat on one of the lawn chairs by the pool.

I swam to the edge, propping myself up on my arms. “It is. You should join me.” In a daring motion, I pushed off the edge, swimming on my back so my front poked out of the water.

His eyes grew wide for a moment, until his charming smile returned. “Or, I could take you to dinner,” he said, coming to the pool’s edge and crouching down.

“Or, I could splash you,” I teased, swimming to the ladder. I climbed out of the pool and grabbed a towel to dry off. Maxim’s eyes were glued to my body as I patted myself down—quickly at first, so we could get going. But when I saw his reaction, my movements became slower and drawn out.

I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, giggling to myself at the power of my spell over him.

“I’m going to change real quick, and I’ll be back in a moment.” I practically jogged to the bathroom, too excited to walk any slower.

I suggested we go to a small restaurant near the beach. It was inconspicuous, and most people didn’t even realize it was a restaurant, so we’d have enough privacy to keep Maxim safe. He agreed, and we headed out, walking there because it was less than a mile away.

The meal was delicious—the best I’d had in a while. Our conversation never hit an awkward moment, and in a weird way, it felt like an actual date.

No. He was just repaying me for last night.

But I knew that wasn’t true. He’d been asking me to dinner since the flight. Only, now I was willing to give in.

As we walked back after our meal, Maxim told me about the two men and the woman who drugged him. She was still running free, but the men were dead. If I were drinking, I would’ve spit it out from pure shock. I should’ve expected as much, but it was still hard to swallow.

Those guys messed with the wrong man and now they’re dead. No beating heart or breathing lungs. They were just gone from existence.

That may be normal for him, but for me, it was a lot to digest.

He must’ve sensed my withdrawal from him, because he grabbed my hand to stop me. Facing me on the dark beach, the moonlight illuminated his face with a glow that was too radiant for a killer.

“Thank you, Crissy. Seriously. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead. You saved me and protected me, even putting your own job and wellbeing on the line to do so.” He squeezed my hands gently, saying, “Thank you,” again.

I looked away, unable to hold his gaze in the intensity of the moment. With the glow from the moonlight, the calm breeze from the ocean, and the sincerity of his words, I would’ve kissed him if I didn’t turn away.

“Well, clearly I sold my soul to the devil by lying to my manager to save the life of a money launderer.”

I forced a laugh, averting his gaze to cover my heated cheeks.Did I really just say that?

“Just admit it,” he said, his tone teasing, but his eyes serious. “You like me.”

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him, and shrugged. “I do.”

His eyes pulled me in once more as he studied me, questioning if I’d meant the statement as he interpreted it.And I did. I liked him. I wanted him. And if he kissed me right then, I would let him.

My mouth parted at the thought, his eyes darting to the motion. His hand reached up, brushing away the hair that the wind kept blowing in my face. Cupping my cheeks, he pulled my lips to his, kissing me in a way that was more tender and softer than I’d expect from him. The gentlest kiss I’d ever had.

And then it wasn’t.

Our gentle kiss morphed into a heated explosion of tongues, hands grabbing at one another in a frenzy of desire. His hand ran along my back, pulling my body to his. I twirled my fingers through his soft hair with one hand, the other grabbing a fistful of his shirt to balance out the need for more.

He pulled away, his hot breath tickling my ear as he whispered, “Come back to my room with me.”

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