Page 55 of Break Me

Maybe with any other woman, I would blow off the statement and not think about it again.

Not with her.

The instant pang in my chest was telling. I liked the girl. Perhaps a little too much. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Are you?” She jutted her chin toward me, her eyes filling with fire. “I’m certain I’m just a number.”

How in the hell was I going to counteract that? With the truth, whether she believed me or not. “No, you are not.” I rubbed my fingers across my chin, realizing I had blood on my face. She cringed the moment I pulled my hand away. “You’re going to be asked some questions by the police.”

Her laugh filtered into the night sky. “And you want me to lie.”

“I don’t want you to say anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

My answer brought a wave of confusion. She chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds. “Thank you for that. I’m not the kind of person to cover up a crime. Ever.”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to. I’m not that kind of a man.”

“Then who are you, Alexsey Dmitriyev? I know you’re a ruthless businessman and I must admit you’re very passionate. You’re also an arrogant asshole who just happens to attract people who want to burn your house down and put a bullet in your head. That doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies.”

“You forgot to mention a certain woman who had no trouble trashing my prized car.” I was trying to lighten the mood. I could tell by her harsh glare that I wasn’t winning any points. Sighing, as the first sign of flashing right lights broke through the line of trees, I realized no one had ever pieced together my life and my personality in a nutshell.

All done by one enchanting woman.

“Let’s just say I’m like anyone else. Hoping to find joy in life.”

She studied me intently for a few seconds, finally nodding. “I can respect that.” With her hand trembling, she rubbed the tips of her fingers across my cheek. When she pulled it away, she glanced down at the blood staining her skin. “You’re also very dangerous.” The statement was made definitively as if she’d made up her mind about me.

The fire engine swung into the parking lot, firefighters immediately jumping off the engine and into action. “Your company?”

After flitting her gaze toward the engine, she shook her head. “Thankfully, no.”

Thankfully, no. That meant she didn’t want to be seen with me.

Another telling statement and one I longed to change.

The lovely woman certainly had a way of turning my world upside down without even trying.

A few seconds later, two police cars rushed onto the scene. “Why don’t you go inside. You’re shaking. Get something to drink. I’ll let the police officers know where to find you.”

Her hesitation and the way she pursed her lips was as if she wanted to say something to me. I could tell the moment she decided otherwise. While there was nothing frail about her, at that moment she seemed entirely too vulnerable. For my life. For what just being seen with me would continue putting her through. For my sadistic needs.

And I was a dominating man. She’d pegged me correctly. I took what I wanted without questioning motives or obtaining permission. The realization nagged at me for the first time in perhaps my entire life. With the scene all around us turning chaotic, I cupped her face, refusing to let her go just yet.

While she didn’t pull away, she did press her palm against my chest, creating a space between us. It was obvious she didn’t want to get but so close. I took a step closer until there were only inches between us. “In spite of the ending, I very much enjoyed our night.”

There were still so many questions weighing heavily on her mind, but she chose not to ask a single one of them, instead curling her bloodied fingers around my shirt. “I did too.”

The inflection in her voice, the way the last word was stated meant there wouldn’t be a repeat. Lowering my head, I brushed my lips across hers, moving slowly to the softness of her long neck just below her ear before whispering, “We’re not finished yet, Captain. Not by a long shot.”

“Mr. Dmitriyev.” The booming male voice interrupted the moment and irritated the hell out of me.

Pulling back, I smiled before tipping my head. “Yes?”

“I’m Officer Riley. I understand you were attacked.”

I was forced to turn and look at him, nodding a couple of times. “Yes, I was.”

“Then I’ll need you to answer a few questions.”