Page 10

How the fuck had I ended up in the back of a town car with my boss going to a club? Actually, scratch that, how the fuck had I ended up in the back of a town car with a crime boss going to a club? I was starting to spiral—my heart racing as I imagined all the ways this could go wrong.

I’d made the mistake of checking Alexei’s messages while I was rearranging his calendar before we left, so I knew more than he’d let on. They’d barely been using a code. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that a call to come deal with someone trying to shift ‘product’ in his bar likely meant drugs. At best. What if they were selling weapons and the club turned into a gunfight? What if they were selling people? I’d had a narrow escape from an omega-trafficker when I was a teen, and that shit stayed with you.

“Stop stressing,” Alexei said, refilling my glass.

I rolled my eyes and continued trying, and failing, to control breathing. When in the history of ever had telling someone to stop stressing helped them stress less? My body had fully gone into fight or flight mode, except I really only had one mode—fight—and I wasn’t naïve enough to think I could win against alpha mobsters. This was not good.

“At least tell me what I’ll be walking into.”

Alexei reached out, massaging the back of my neck and rubbing his scent deeper into my skin. I batted his hand away.

“Stop that,” he murmured, unclipping my seatbelt and hauling me onto his lap before I could do more than cry out in protest.

Who the fuck did he think he was? Pushing up with my legs, I tried to get onto my knees so I could get away from the asshole, but his hands closed on my hips, dragging me back down onto him.

“Alexei—”

My words were smothered by warm skin and citrus as he pulled my face into his neck. “Breathe, sweetheart.”

The omega in me was powerless to resist the gentle order, and I inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to mouth at his throat as my head spun with his pheromones.

“That’s better. Again.”

I drew in a deep, shuddering breath as Alexei rubbed small circles on my back.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

I dragged myself away from his intoxicating scent reluctantly. That totally didn’t count as him showing he was capable of caring, right? Because it was his fault in the first place. Just like his apology before had been for something that was his fault.

“You know how you could make sure of that? By leaving me at the fucking office.”

Alexei’s mouth stretched into a smirk. “There’s my spitfire. I don’t want you stuck in the office. I want you by my side.”

“Why?”

The question seemed to stump him, and he reached up to brush a hair away from my face as he pondered how to answer.

“Because everything goes better when you’re there.”

That… was weirdly sweet. Being appreciated for competence was always nice, and I did make everything better for him. That was my whole job.

“And your body is to die for in that suit.”

For fuck’s sake. I rolled my eyes, but Alexei wasn’t having it, reaching up to grip my throat firmly. Dominant fucker.

“This isn’t professional.”

“I don’t care.” His other hand tightened on my hip, holding me down when I tried to get off his lap.

The easy way he controlled my position sent an unwelcome thrill of want through me. That shouldn’t be attractive. It wouldn’t be if I thought he really wouldn’t stop if I told him to. So, why wasn’t I telling him to? Despite the annoyingly steadying influence of Alexei’s scent, my heartbeat was still racing. Thick fingers ran through my hair, tugging my face back to his neck. My hips shifted against him despite myself and I nuzzled in close, nipping at his skin and sparking a groan of appreciation in response.

“That’s right, baby. Take what you need.”

“Fuck off.” My voice was muffled by the way I was still pressed against him, and slick was pooling in my boxers in a way that was setting off silent alarm bells in my head. The rich coffee perfume of my scent bloomed around us, cut through with a hint of cinnamon spice that only hit when my heat was imminent. It didn’t escape me that the scent was an undertone in Alexei’s scent as well. Another point of compatibility between us.

Fuck.

Alexei’s grip on my hair tightened. “Why are your pheromones changing, baby?” There was a sharp warning in his tone, a hint of murderous anger beneath the calm façade.