Page 79 of The Bratva Betrayal

The way his eyes drop briefly to my mouth.

The fact that I am genuinely, measurably attracted to someone I have every reason in the world to be smarter than this about.

He leans in, not aggressively, just a steady advance that gives me every opportunity to stop him. He’s banking on the fact that I won't.

His hand comes to rest on the counter beside mine.

Close enough that I can feel the warmth of it.

"Artem," I warn.

“Yes?”

His eyes drop to my mouth again, and this time they stay there.

“What’s it gonna take?”

I remain very still. "Excuse me?"

"You picked Misha to get close to us. It should've been me."

“You’ve said that.”

“At least I know what I’m getting myself into. Misha doesn't know what you're doing. Doesn't know what you're looking for. Doesn't know to watch the way your eyes move when someone drops a name you're interested in." The lower it gets, the more careful I need to be. "I know all of it. I've known since the first night.”

"Then you know I'm not interested in this.”

"Your mouth says a lot of things. And a lot of lies.”

“Your mouth spews a lot of bullshit.”

“My mouth was almost between your legs in your office the other day. So, you'll forgive me if I'm not taking yours at its word."

The heat that moves through me is unreasonable, and I refuse to acknowledge it.

"That was a mistake," I deadpan.

"Which part?”

"All of it."

"You didn't think so at the time."

"I corrected the error."

“Was that what the kick in the balls was for? I thought about you for the rest of the day."

"I thought about you, too," I reply as sweetly as I can. "Mostly about whether you'd heal correctly."

“So, you’ve thought about my dick?”

He takes the last step, and there's no more distance left between us.

There's just Artem, close enough that I have to tip my chin up to hold his gaze, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating off him, close enough that if either of us moved, we'd be doing something that I can't take back and he'd never let me forget.

"You're supposed to be getting engaged to my brother," he says as if he needs to keep reminding himself. "You came to my apartment to tell my brother you won't marry him. In my space. Interesting choice."

“I’ve never said that.”