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“I protect what’s mine. You’ll come home with me.”

“What’s yours?” I swallow around the arrogance he’s just shoved down my throat. “I’m not yours. I’m not anyone’s.”

“That may have been true yesterday, but last night changed things.”

“Last night?” Oh, the mind-blowing, soul-exploding sex. That’s what he’s talking about. “Rurik, we’re not a couple just because we had sex. It was a one-night thing. I know you’re of a much older, conservative, generation but these days you don’t have to date a woman in order to go to bed with them.”

His knuckles go white as he grips the steering wheel tighter. Maybe it was the dig at his age. He seems to get a little peeved when I remind him he’s older than me.

And it’s not that much, I know, but it gets a rile out of him. And he’s sexy as hell when he’s riled.

“One.” He holds up a finger. “And we’re not dating.”

A car blasts its horn at us as he swerves into the exit lane, cutting off a blue sedan.

“Well. Good then.” I sink back into my seat.

I’m not sure where Alexander actually lives, but we’re just outside the city limits so we should be there soon.

“You’re going to be my wife.”

I nearly choke on air.

“Are you insane? I’m not marrying you! Why would you even think that’s an option?”

“You have Marco DeAngelo looking for you, thinking you turned on him to the cops. You have a detective hell bent on being the one who takes down the DeAngelo’s looking to use you to do it. You need protection.”

“I was protected! Hundreds of miles away! You dragged me back here where all of that is happening.”

He nods. “I know. That’s why I’m going to be the one to protect you.”

“Last I checked, you don’t have to be married to someone just to let them crash at your house for a few days.”

“I told you last night; you’re mine.” He lifts a shoulder as though it explains everything.

“Yeah, during sex. You said some really hot stuff during seriously hot sex. None of that applies during non-sexy time.”

“Non-sexy time?” A small smile tugs on his lips.

“You know what I mean.” We’re off the highway now,heading down a winding road. I glance at the houses we pass and realize we are not in the heart of the city.

We are in the part of town I don’t possess enough money to visit, much less live in. Long, well-manicured lawns stretch from the road, leading up to insanely enormous mansions. Stone castles basically, tucked neatly behind gated fences to keep people like me out.

“I know you and Kaz?—”

“Kaz? This has nothing to do with Kaz. We didn’t even—” I sigh.

I am not replaying that horrible night for him right now. “This has nothing to do with anyone, other than me. I’m not marrying you, Rurik.”

He remains silent as he makes another turn, and one more until we pull up to a closed gate. I lean forward, trying to see the house, but all I see is trees.

“The house is about a quarter mile up the drive,” he says just before the gates open for us.

There wasn’t even a code box or anything. They just opened like they realized who was in the car.

“Rurik. I’m serious. I am not marrying you.” I touch his forearm gently. It’s important he understands this. “I’m not marrying anyone. Ever. Well, at least not for a long time.”

Not until I can stop tumbling head over heels for every sexy smile and dominant tone that crosses my path.