Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
My eyes darted to the scene.
They all had vodka shots.
And I was going to college.
It was just another reminder how different our worlds would always be, and how he would always attempt to shield me from the darkness.
Andrei looked my way and lifted his glass in the air and then returned his attention back to the man and woman.
My heart squeezed.
The things we’d shared.
Done.
Together.
My memory flashed, his hands touching my skin, burning from the inside out, so sensual and slow that I almost went mad with it. And touching him, feeling his strength between my fingertips as I brought him to his knees.
It meant something to me.
Sharing that with a guy when before it made me cower.
I stumbled a bit, lost in my thoughts. Ax had me by the arm in seconds. “You okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” My weak voice gave me away, along with the tears that were gathering in my eyes. Would it have killed him to at least checked on me himself?
I sensed Andrei before I turned around.
It was like he’d appeared out of thin air.
His hand touched the door just as I was about to get in the car, I turned to him and suppressed a wince. The heat from his body was almost too much.
I lifted my eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
Fallen angels had nothing on this guy, even his swagger had swagger as he locked eyes with me and gave the smallest of smiles.
Being on the receiving end of his smile was like staring directly at the sun; it almost hurt my eyes, but it was too pretty, too bright to look away.
For someone so dark, he knew how to smile well.
And somehow, his smile made me feel worse.
“You all right?” he whispered, leaning in.
Now he asks?
“Yeah, I got class.” I was already turning.
His hand was on my waist before I could get into the car.
And then he was pressing me against the escalade, his hands on my face as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
My knees went weak.
He tasted like vodka and honey.
My mouth trembled.
He thumbed my lower lip. “Be safe, dorogaya.”
“I’ll try not to run into any murderers during my science lab,” I countered, searching his eyes, wishing he would tell me more, admit that I was surrounded by murderers on a daily basis since being with him.
Surrounded by threats.
Not just from the Italians.
But from him.
From anyone and everyone who knew what my line had done.
I almost hung my head.
But I wasn’t guilty of anything but being born in the wrong family.
“See you later.” I finally found more words and quickly crawled into the car.
In my peripheral vision, I noticed his eyes flicker with something as his expressionless face seemed to darken.
I almost asked Ax to hit the accelerator for fear that Andrei was going to jump into the car and do something crazy.
Ax slowly put the SUV into drive and off we went.
I exhaled in relief only when we were closing in on campus.
“He means well,” Ax finally admitted as he drove through the open gate. “He just doesn’t know how to execute his feelings in a way that doesn’t scare people shitless.”
I smiled at that. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that.”
“Try not to worry about it.” He parked the SUV in a spot close to the science building.
I hopped out, expecting him to stay in the car and wait for me.
Instead, Ax moved around the vehicle and held out his hand. “Let me carry your bag.”
I stared him down. “Is carrying my books really in your job description?”
“No, I’m just a gentleman.” He flashed me an easy smile that showed off yet more Italian genes that should be used to sell sunglasses or clothes, underwear — hell, laundry detergent.
I handed him my bag as we slowly walked into the building. Students stared. Andrei’s previous outburst probably hadn’t helped.
I didn’t really think twice about the stares. I knew what people thought. That I had a psycho boyfriend — or husband, whatever, I had his last name — it did matter.
I. Was. Safe.
I quickly found my seat as Ax waited outside the lab, cell phone in hand like he was going to read or check out CNN for the next two hours.
With a sigh, I looked down.
On my desk was a piece of paper.
In bold black letters it read, Russian Whore.
I quickly grabbed it, crushed it between my hands as I made my way over to the trash can and threw it away.
The professor had yet to show up.
More students filed in.
And as I made my way back to my seat, I noticed several more signs being held by students.
Russian Whore.
Petrov Prostitute.
Spread Eagle at Eagle Elite.
I was shaking by the time I made it back to my desk and the students didn’t seem to care just laughed amongst each other while taking pictures of the signs and posting them who knows where.