Page 10 of Gilded in Blood

I pause, forcing myself to focus. “They were going to send Konstantin, but they changed their minds. He’s too close to your family. If he left the country right now, it would attract attention and point your enemies in your direction. People are watching everyone in your circle, especially your allies. So, he contracted the job to me instead.”

“Hmm. That makes sense.”

Was that relief or disappointment I heard in her voice? Had she been hoping for Konstantin instead? Either way, she’s stuck with me.

I finish cleaning the graze, apply a clean bandage, and tape it down. My hands linger a second longer than they should on her warm skin before I pull away.

“Pack,” I tell her, standing up and stepping back to put much-needed distance between us. “Only essentials. We need to leave soon.”

She nods, turning toward her closet, and I have to force my eyes away from the sway of her hips.

This woman is going to be a problem. A fucking, tempting problem.

I lean against the wall, arms crossed, watching her move around the room. She pulls a bright pink suitcase from the closet and starts throwing clothes into it with quick, efficient movements. My eyes track every item as it lands in the bag.

Then she reaches for her lingerie drawer.

Lacy thongs. Delicate bras. Tiny, barely-there sets in black, red, and other different colors. Those would look sinful against her skin. Vivid images flood my mind, her wearing nothing but one of those scraps of lace, bent over, looking back at me with those hazel-gray eyes.

Focus, damn it.

She moves to the bedside table next and opens the top drawer. My eyebrows shoot up.

What the fuck?

Out come the toys. A couple of vibrators, plugs, and other things I don’t have time to catalog. She tries to bury them quickly under a pile of clothes, cheeks already flushing, but I’ve seen enough.

This is not the sheltered, timid girl her brothers described. Not even close.

Before I can stop myself, I step forward, reach into the suitcase, and pull out a small pink rose-shaped toy. I turn it over in my hand, finding the button and pressing it. It immediately starts buzzing to life.

Milana spins around, eyes wide. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. “Put that down!”

I hold it higher as she lunges for it, easily keeping it out of reach. I’m a foot taller than her, she doesn’t stand a chance.

“Hmm,” I murmur, tilting my head. “I wonder how this works.” I run my thumb over the vibrating petals. “Do you wear one of those pretty little thongs while you use this?”

“Drop it!” she hisses, face now bright red. She jumps again, trying to snatch it, which only makes her bralette shift and gives me a better view of her cleavage. “You have no right to go through my stuff!”

I smirk, even as a voice in the back of my head asks what the hell I’m doing. She’s a job. I shouldn’t be playing with her like this. But the way she’s blushing and flustered is far too fucking amusing.

“How do you use it, princess?” I ask, voice dropping lower. “Are you a naughty girl when you’re alone in this bed? Do you spread those pretty thighs and⁠—”

“Stop!” She’s practically squirming now, mortified and furious.

I finally switch it off and toss the rose back into the suitcase. But I’m not done. I reach in again and pull out a realistic-looking dildo, turning it in my hand.

“Huh. This doesn’t compare to the real thing at all,” I say, chuckling darkly. “Quite small.”

Her mouth falls open in shock. “That’s six inches!”

I meet her eyes, letting my gaze drag over her body slowly. “Still small compared to the real thing.”

She closes her mouth, then opens it again, speechless for a moment. The red on her cheeks deepens. “Drop my stuff. Now.”

I hold her stare for another beat, then toss the toy back with the rest. A low chuckle escapes me. “If you ever want the real thing, you can always ask me nicely.”

She glares at me, fire in her eyes despite the embarrassment. “You wish.”