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I wasn’t used to feeling like this and I tried to steel myself against it.
His hand reached up, fingers gently but firmly lifting my chin, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. The contact was electric, sparking a cascade of conflicting sensations within me and I sucked in a shaky breath as I tried to identify each one.
Anger.
Defiance.
Desire…
“Listen to me,” he said, his voice deep and utterly compelling. “I’m going to protect you, whether you like it or not, because that’s what needs to be done. You saw things today that you weren’t meant to see and that means that you need to come with me. I will not allow you to risk your life.”
“Fuck your protection,” I snarled as courageously as I could, but he looked as if he could see right through my false bravado.
His thumb brushed lightly against my jaw, a touch that was surprisingly tender given the firmness of his grip. “I’m not your enemy, Riley.”
The intensity of his gaze, the firm set of his mouth, and the unwavering determination in his eyes made it clear this wasn’t just a proposal for me to agree or disagree with; it was a vow that he intended to keep at all costs.
Too bad I wasn’t going to make the same vow.
I’d make a different one.
I’d go with him, for now, but I wouldn’t stay with him, at least not for long. At the earliest opportunity, I’d escape. Once I was free, I’d head south. Now that I was in America, the world was my oyster. I could go wherever the fuck I wanted, and once I got away, Maxim Morozov would be nothing more than a bad memory in my rearview mirror.
Completely trapped by his formidable presence, there wasn’t much for me to do, at least for now. I knew when to play my cards and when to fold them and this was most certainly a situation that called for the latter.
I took a deep steadying breath.
“Fine,” I spat, rolling my upper lip a bit with my frustration.
His thumb traced up and down the line of my jaw, sending fiery tendrils of something I didn’t care to identify through me. For a moment, he looked at me with a flicker of interest, just enough for me to get my hopes up at the sight of it, but then it was gone in a flash.
Almost so quickly that I thought maybe I had imagined it.
“Where are you going to take me?” I whispered.
“You’re coming home with me. Tonight, you’ll be a guest in my home,” he replied, and I searched his eyes for any measure of implication, but I saw nothing.
If I was going to get to him, I was going to have to step up my game.
Almost reluctantly, he released my chin. Gently, but still just as firmly, he took a hold of my arm. It wasn’t harsh, but it was enough to know that he meant business. He pulled me away from the wall and guided me toward the door.
I tugged subtly at his hold and his fingers tightened just enough to send a message. I wasn’t going anywhere. Reluctantly, I ceased my struggle, allowing him to guide me outside into the brisk night air.
The street was fairly dark, the few lampposts casting long shadows on the pavement. Parked at the curb was a sleek black Range Rover, its windows tinted so dark that I couldn’t see inside. Maxim paused by the passenger door, releasing my arm to open it.
“Please.” He gestured toward the open door with a polite nod, his demeanor shifting subtly from the dominant force I was now familiar with to something slightly more accommodating.
I didn’t know what to make of it.
His big frame boxed me in. My gaze flicked from side to side, looking for a way out, but finding no avenue of escape.
With a soft sigh, I gave in and slipped into the car seat, the leather cool and smooth beneath me.
Maxim closed the door with a soft thud before walking around to the driver’s side and sliding in beside me. He turned the key in the ignition and the gentle rumble of the engine filled the tense silence between us.
“Put on your seatbelt,” he directed, his voice stern.
I didn’t argue. I just did as I was told.
