Page 110 of Vow Of Fire

My gaze dropped to her lips before I could stop myself. They were soft and painted a delectable wine-red to match her dress. I wanted to kiss the lipstick off and taste the champagne still lingering on her tongue.

“Maybe not, but that’s not going to stop me letting every man in this room know that touching you is a dangerous fucking idea.”

Her eyes flashed. “What are you going to do, Dante? Murder anyone who comes near me?”

“If I have to.”

She shivered, and I knew she was thinking I might just do it too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Orlov approaching, his expression dark.

“Play it cool,” I whispered, before abruptly turning away. Confusion flickered across her face, but the moment she noticed Orlov, her entire demeanor shifted. A warm smile curved her lips.

I had to admit, she was putting on a good show. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was genuinely happy to be talking to him.

I went to talk to a high-stakes poker player I recognized from one of my sister’s underground clubs. Blake Gerard was a former US Marine and the current owner of one of the largest private security firms on the East Coast. He provided close security for New York’s wealthiest and—it was rumored—private armies for organizations conducting business in many of the world’s hotspots. A useful contact to have.

Across the room, Orlov lowered his head and muttered something to Evelyn. She touched his arm in a comforting gesture. I stiffened but kept a lid on it this time. I knew she was just playing a part. Or at least I hoped she fucking was.

Still, when Evelyn had said they were friends, I hadn’t realized just how close they were. I wondered how Malakov would feel if he knew what she was up to. Betrayal wasn’t something men like him forgave. She was playing him, and the Bratva by association.

A dangerous move—unless you were protected by the Marcellis.

Sooner or later, word about her and me would reach Malakov. He wouldn’t like it, but it wouldn’t ruin the plan. Evelyn Cruz had a spotless reputation. She played by the book.

The woman might be dating a monster, but she had no control over who bid on contemporary pieces of art.

Across the room, Alexei joined them. Evelyn laughed at something he said and my jaw tightened again. She seemed comfortable in the Malakov camp. Too comfortable.

That would change.

When I got her home tonight, I was going to show her exactly where her allegiances lay.

The suite was cool and dark when we got back.

Muted Manhattan light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but the moment I hit the switch, the glass became black mirrors, reflecting the penthouse back at us. Far below, traffic hummed through the city, distant and irrelevant compared to the blood pounding through my veins.

We’d barely spoken during the drive home beyond a brief discussion about Orlov and the auction. The trap had been set. Now we waited to see whether Malakov took the bait.

Evelyn had sat as far away from me as possible in the back of the SUV, while I’d thought about all the ways I wanted to make her mine. She’d removed the corsage and thrown it on the seat between us.

It didn’t matter. I’d come to a decision tonight. I’d made it when I saw her laughing at something that little shithead Alexei had said. She’d thrown back her head and laughed in such an unguarded fashion that something had shifted inside me.

I wanted to be the only man to make her laugh like that.

The truth had hit me full in the face. Pushing her away hadn’t killed the wanting. It had just left the door wide open for someone else to walk through. Now I was going to ruin her for any other man who had his eye on her. Everyone else would cease to matter.

I was done fighting this obsession. I could use it. Use it for the benefit of my family and to satisfy my own yearning ache. I knew enough by now to know that once or twice wasn’t going to be enough. With Evelyn, it was never going to be enough.

I wanted to drown in the taste of her instead of bourbon. Wanted her soft sounds in my ear instead of the lonely ache of country songs drifting through an empty penthouse at three in the morning. Wanted her tangled in my sheets so thoroughly she forgot there’d ever been anywhere else to belong.

By the time we pulled into the underground garage, I was painfully hard.

The driver opened the door and I stepped out first, keeping my jacket slung casually over the front of my body before nodding toward Max and Kyle.

Kyle smiled at Evelyn as she climbed from the SUV.

Jesus Christ. She’d managed to charm my goddamn security detail too.