Page 50 of The Lies Between Lovers

And she’d had time to venture to the kitchen to see Mira?

His brow lifted at that admission. “Just how long have you been awake?”

“Long enough to look around.”

Her tiny smile, almost challenging him, had Vaslav daring to grin back. At the news of another person wandering among his things and private spaces, he might very well explode. With her, he only wondered ...

“Did you find anything interesting?” Vaslav asked.

Vera laughed. “Only the cardigan, really. Didn’t take you for the olive type.”

He wasn’t, but he’d had the damn thing forever, and it was well worn now. The color complimented her fair skin tone and bright ocean-like blue eyes. Even his shave came to a pause while he enjoyed the view of her and the way his sweater hugged her body.

“I only wear it outside.”

To work around the property.

Vera’s eyes brightened a bit. “I know, I could smell that on it. Are you shaving everything?”

“Da.”

Every bit.

“But it’ll come in quick,” he added.

With that, Vaslav went back to work dragging the clean razor up his throat in straight, short lines until the skin was smooth. Vera remained in the doorway as he worked to the spot under his ear, the only sound being the rush of water from the tap into the oval, marble sink basin and his razor tapping against the rim.

“Shame,” she returned after a few seconds passed them by. “I never even got to really feel it the way I wanted.”

If he was a man with a less steady hand, Vaslav might have left a nick on that swipe of the razor. Grinning from her bold comment, he tapped the razor clean under the stream of water, and went for the next stroke, replying, “Like I said, it comes in quick.”

“Anyway,” Vera murmured the longer Vaslav’s stare lingered on her in the mirror between strokes of his razor, “Mira said another twenty or so minutes and dinner will be ready.”

“Vera.”

She’d just started to turn away from the door, but at his murmur of her name, he caught sight of her pause before she’d fully turned back around. “Yes?”

“I won’t kill your father.”

Finally, he averted his own gaze from the reflection of her behind him in the vanity mirror as the realization started to dawn on his companion’s pretty face. Even her lips, that mouth of hers that looked so kissable and soft, fell open but no words came out.

“I don’t think I follow,” she started to say.

Vas lifted one bare shoulder high, though he could feel the heat of her stare drifting down his mostly naked form where he stood at the sink with a black towel wrapped loosely around his hips. Keeping one hand on the rim of the sink while he took care to shave around the lower part of his scar, he gave her time to think over what he said.

He could paint the picture, but it wouldn’t be as nice as hers.

“You have no reason to kill my father to begin with,” Vera eventually said.

“I do if he steps in my way.”

“How could he—with me,” she said, her tone going flat all at once. “You mean if he steps in the way of me.”

“Igor filled me in on the fact that Demyan Avdonin has a spy keeping an eye on you. In my city, no less ... someone working under my extension of control. Now he has also paid for a flight that I bet wasn’t provided without some explanation. How many times has your father called your phone since this morning?”

Vera’s reflection blinked at the question. “I didn’t really—”

“Don’t lie.”