Chapter 20

London, England

The heavy wrought-iron gate swept wide after only a brief hesitation. All it had taken was for Jen to pull their dark sedan under the illuminated space. Viktor shouldn’t be expecting them, but now Sophia wondered if she had an open invitation to his home. No one attempted to stop them from heading through the open garage doors to the parking spot Jen had taken the other times they’d been there.

Ivan stalked through the door between the house and the massive garage, and Sophia could feel the heat in the look he shot in Jen’s direction. Her guard actually slowed her steps for a split second. That was not the kind of reaction Sophia was used to from her friend.

She wondered if the late hour was responsible for Ivan’s partial dress. It was after midnight on a night she wasn’t supposed to be there. Did that mean the imposing Ivan got days off? The tattooed guard was barefoot, wearing black slacks and the same white button-down shirt he’d worn earlier. The shirt was barely held together by a few buttons, showing a lot of ink and muscle.

The man’s eyes were not for her. They were definitely for Jen, and that made Sophia’s lips curve. In the two years Jen had been at her side, Sophia had never seen anyone shake her calm.

“He isn’t expecting you,” Ivan said in his thick accent.

“Yet here we are,” Jen pointed out.

An unwanted thought hit her. What if he wasn’t alone?

He’d agreed to exclusivity in their short liaison, but was he keeping his end of the bargain? It was unfortunately a little late to consider that.

Ivan merely grunted at Jen’s words. “Come.”

*****

Viktor’s jabs rocked the heavy bag as he bounced on his toes. The smack of fist against vinyl echoed in the room as he let his mind settle, feeling some of the aggression brought on by the evening start to burn free.

He grunted with each hit, enjoying the reverberation in his shoulders as he danced around the equipment. He barely noted the click of the door opening. A quick glance showed Ivan at the door. “What is it?”

“Your princess is here.” That stilled him, and the bag rocked against the chains securing it for his abuse.

Air sawed from his lungs when he saw her standing at Ivan’s side. It seemed his princess hadn’t waited to be announced. Nor had she waited for her guard to secure the room. The guard eyed him as she did the job anyway.

Gone was Sophia’s angelic dress. In its place were tight, calf-length pants and athletic shoes. Her soft blue shirt was loose yet so thin that he could see the tank top beneath. It was a sexy reminder of her lithe frame climbing that hotel wall weeks ago.

He stalked forward, ignoring Ivan and Sophia’s guard. She was doing her job. There were no windows to secure, but she did check out the bathroom before rounding to leave. A soft clank told him she’d left a jamming device behind, but he didn’t care. He’d wanted to see Sophia but hadn’t expected her this night.

He was vaguely aware of the door clicking shut, closing them in charged silence. His princess had started out with a glare, but she seemed to have gotten distracted, as her features had relaxed.

“Why are you here, Princess?” he murmured as he drew closer. He was far too pleased with her arrival.

“You work out in underwear?” Her voice was husky, and when her little pink tongue darted out to lick her lips, he almost pinned her against the fucking wall. His cock was on board with that idea until she forced her gaze up. She was steeling herself to continue with what she’d barged in there to do. He was tempted to distract them both, but he wanted answers as much as she seemed to.

“It’s my gym,” he responded, forcing his attention north. He didn’t add that he hadn’t been in a state to do anything but get down there after the vodka did nothing to settle him. His dress pants had been tossed in a corner.

It seemed she’d shaken out of her lust-filled stupor long enough to regain her ire. “I won’t be controlled, Viktor. I won’t have someone tell me what I will or won’t do… outside of what we do here.” There was a hard edge to her warning, and that challenging strength only made him want her more.

He stalked closer, and his sweat-coated body drew her eyes again. He liked having her eyes on him, enjoyed every single response she gave him, and he used that to his advantage as he lowered his voice. “Is that what you thought I was doing tonight? Trying to control you?”

Her eyes shot to his, temper firing those sexy chocolate depths. “Wasn’t it? I’m not a fan of lists and orders, Viktor.”

“You think I enjoyed that?” He infused his words with steel of their own.

“Didn’t you? Why demand I stay away from other men? I was honest with you about the position I’m in. I have to date.” Why did she look guilty as if baiting him for something?

The fact that she’d almost choked on that last word told him it was true. She was truly angry about being forced to date.

He tempered his tone, changing his tactic. “The list was a warning. Those men are dangerous.”

“Says a dangerous man,” she taunted with an arch of her brow.

“Not to you.” Never to her. He held her gaze trapped with his. He was a dangerous man. He had no regrets for the things he’d done. He’d make all the same decisions again if he had to.

Another step forced her to gaze up at him. “I don’t hide the man I am. But the men on that list do hide. Take my warning as a gift from a man who holds a lot of secrets. You don’t want those men.” God help them all if she went out on a date with any of them, because he was finding himself less and less rational where she was concerned.

Her eyes flashed. “Tell me exactly what makes them dangerous. ‘Because you say so’ isn’t good enough, Viktor. How do I know you aren’t just jealous?” She didn’t believe her own words. He could see the lie and tilted his head to study her.

He prided himself on reading people. It was a gift. She was indeed baiting him and found he didn’t like her tactics. Why manipulate him instead of asking what she wished to know?

“Why don’t I start with Jean Luc, since he seemed to interest you most tonight.” She’d only spoken to Jean Luc for a moment, but her eyes had tracked the Frenchman when they hadn’t been looking for him. The revulsion that flickered in her gaze pleased him, but there had been a mess of other emotions, all there one moment then gone before he could decipher them. Ivan had reported that her guard had kept an eye on Jean Luc as well.

He didn’t like where his mind had gone on why she hated the man.

Before he knew it, his hands were on her arms, and he had to force his hold to be gentle. His fury made the words rumble low in his throat. “Did he do something to you?”

Shock widened her eyes a fraction before a soft warmth took its place. She set her hands on his chest as if trying to calm a beast. “No. But… I don’t like him.”

She was holding something back.

“He seems to have taken an interest in you, Sophia. I’m not trying to control you by telling you not to talk to him. I want you safe. His interest isn’t something you want.”

The woman was stubborn, so he tried another way to get her to share her secrets. If information was what she wanted, he’d give it to her. “Jean Luc is a collector. He enjoys beautiful things and is obsessive in his pursuits. Anyone who gets in his way either sells him what he wants or ends up missing.” Or worse.

“Why hasn’t he been arrested if he’s making people disappear?” The hollowness in her voice scraped his nerves. The deception grated.

He’d watched her most of the night at the event. He’d familiarized himself with her serene mask. It never faltered unless she was looking at him.

The only reason he didn’t tell her how much her beautiful eyes gave away at that moment was because they only seemed to reveal their secrets to him, and that pleased him as much as her lies infuriated him.

So he could tell she was making a great effort to hide something. She already knew of Jean Luc’s crimes; that was clear enough. But how? The man’s crimes weren’t well known. If Viktor hadn’t dealt in secrets and had the connections he had, he might not hold the information he had on the politician. How had his princess figured it out? The Frenchman was cautious enough never to leave evidence of his crimes.

He kept his hands on her, enjoying the way her thumbs circled his chest. His princess was trying to gentle him, and he would never discourage her touch.

“As far as I know, there’s no proof. No allegations have made it to the authorities. A social media stalker made some correlations and was shut down immediately. Jean Luc is smart and wealthy enough to make any accusation go away. He’s protected. His family spent generations cultivating connections throughout France, Belgium, and Switzerland, so not only does he have the president and prime minister eating out of his hands, he also has a few contacts in those other countries willing to do anything he wants. Through corporate bribes, he generates a lot of revenue for France, and that looks very good in terms of intercountry hiring.”

“They’re all dirty?”

He gave her a pointed look. They were discussing politicians. The men were lining their pockets, but he wasn’t aware of them doing anything worse. They probably hadn’t had to hide any bodies for Jean Luc, so it was worth it in their minds to keep Jean Luc in power. There were far more dangerous people in their world, men like Jean Luc who took from anyone who had what he wanted—illegal artifacts, cars, properties. He’d bet women were also on the list. His obsessive tendencies and lack of conscience in his entitlement made him someone Viktor wanted far away from Sophia—a situation Viktor had already taken steps to deal with because he feared Jean Luc already had his sights on Viktor’s princess.

He speared her with a look. “Tell me why you’re interested in him?”

Her fingers stilled, and he missed the softness.

After a brief hesitation where she seemed to struggle for an answer, she finally said, “He’s on my mother’s list of potential husbands.”

“Take him off.” He gave her a harsh look. He’d guessed the man would have made it to that list. His bloodlines, connections, and title would be valued by Sophia’s family.

“You will not marry him.” He liked to believe his command had to do with his unwillingness to share, or that he was simply protecting her since her family was blatantly failing her. She had no control of her money or her guards, and it seemed as though her brother planned to marry her off based on bloodlines over character.

Sophia had been left vulnerable and unprotected by the very people who should have protected her. Her family’s list of prospective husbands made his point.

Real men didn’t trade in women; they protected them.

*****

Sophia had walked into what she imagined a professional boxing gym looked like. A raised ring took up one side of the windowless room. The rest contained heavy bags, weights, flat mats, and cardio machines. The scent of the rubber mats filled the space, and incandescent light shone down from the high ceilings of the underground room. It was impressive. Even with so much equipment, it didn’t feel crowded. One wall was mirrored; the rest were covered in old boxing images.

Viktor fit in this space, his sweat-slicked skin and bold stance even sexier in nothing but black boxer briefs. The dips and valleys of muscle on display had distracted her from the start, turning the tables on everything Sophia had hoped to accomplish. It was a miracle that she’d managed to get answers when she’d fumbled at every step. Her element of surprise had vanished as soon as she’d caught sight of him.

There’d been nothing tame about the man she’d walked in on, and she wanted that man to do dirty things to her. Unfortunately, this visit wasn’t about what she wanted. Not really.

“What about the other men on that list?” She hadn’t lied about the Frenchman being on the list. At least that was something.

He eyed her closely. “All dangerous.” He wasn’t so forthcoming with his knowledge now. “If you want those details, it will cost you.”

Her mouth went dry. Had he been leading her into this trap the whole time?

“I’ve shared enough for you to trust that they’re not good men, ones you should stay clear of. If you want more secrets, I think it’s time you share some of yours.”

They were in dangerous territory, so she attempted an evasion. “Escaping to see the city is as exciting as my life gets.” The lie soured in her throat, but she hoped it hadn’t been in her eyes.

He leaned down so his face was in hers. “One day, you’re going to realize you can trust me with everything.”

“We barely know each other.”

His head moved to her ear. “Is that how this seems to you, Sophia?”

His piercing eyes bored into hers, and she couldn’t speak. She didn’t know what his words meant. Did he feel like something more was happening between them?

What else did he think he knew? Only that she was hiding things…

“Don’t.” She didn’t want to end this sooner than she had to.

Retreat was the wisest path, so she moved back to what they did best. “I trust you with my body.” More than was probably sane, but that was a problem for whatever therapist lay in her future.

The air between them charged as her words pulled him closer. Their level of chemistry couldn’t be normal. It had to burn out soon enough. Nothing could flare this hot forever. She only hoped she got the opportunity to have it just a little longer.

His body heat washed over her skin, and she slid into the familiar burn of lust he ignited. His eyes changed as he allowed the questioning to end. His warm breath met her ear. “Trusting me with your body is enough. For now.” Then he nipped the soft lobe, and tingles ran through her from the spot he’d started nibbling on her neck. She moaned as the warning or promise he’d made faded in the background of her building need.

The salty, clean scent of his sweat did things she’d never experienced. How could it be sexy? The man seemed to make everything sexy.

“We don’t have much time.” She hated that they only had a few moments, but she couldn’t keep Jen up all night again.

“Stay,” he growled against her throat, and the vibrations made her pant.

“I can’t.”

His head came up, and frustration scrunched his brow, tempting her to smooth it. “You’re safe with me. Protected. Your guard can sleep here.”

The stilted smile she gave him made her regret plain. “No.”

He issued a frustrated noise. “You don’t make this easy, Sophia.”

She was well aware of that. “I never said it would be.” His words about whether she was worth the trouble tickled her memory and made her smile into his neck as he lifted her. He seemed to believe she was worth it.

She kissed him there and loved how his body tensed when she sank her teeth into that spot. He rocked his cock into her, and her legs tightened around his hips.

“Fuck,” he snapped before she found herself swaying on her feet again. Dazed, she watched as he stalked to a discarded heap of material. He fished for something and was back to her before she realized what she was seeing.

She saw the condom and was about to say something when he ripped the packaging with his teeth. He speared her with a look that said he was in no state to be gentle, and that only made her wetter.

Her Russian was about to fuck her against the wall of his gym, and she couldn’t wait.