Page 57 of Debt to the Mafia King

I didn’t even look around when I heard him follow me. Instead, I busied myself with running the hot water and swirling my hand through the bubbles.

He cleared his throat, and it sounded like he said something, but it was so mumbled I couldn’t understand it.

He probably said it in Russian anyway.

“Is there something else?”

“I’m sorry.”

Two words, and my entire body froze.

Had I heard right? Had Viktor just apologized?

Two big hands slid around my waist to rest on my lower stomach. “I’m sorry, Leah.”

It sounded like he was having a hard time getting the words out. He wasn’t the kind of man who apologized, though.

“I lost control.” His chin came down to rub against my bare shoulder. “I saw him touching you, and I completely lost it.”

“You got jealous?” I whispered.

It was his turn to stiffen.

I rolled my eyes. There he went again. Pulling away. Acting like there wasn’t one human feeling or emotion in his body.

I knew there was. He had buried it deep down, but he wasn’t always the ice king. Once, he had been a boy who had baked Christmas cookies with his mom. I knew that boy was still in there.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Yeah, I saw him touching you, and you were smiling at him.” His voice was ragged, like it was hurting him to be honest. “You were laughing. You always seem to laugh and have fun with everyone who isn’t me. So yes, I got jealous. I couldn’t stand it.”

“You don’t give me a chance to laugh and smile with you, Viktor,” I murmured. “You prefer to knock me down.”

“I do not do that.” His hands squeezed my stomach, and for a second, I thought he was going to storm away, and then his body relaxed. “Ok, I do that. I’ll admit I do that, but I want you to be happy here, Leah. I want this to work.”

“For a year,” I muttered.

“Can I stay with you tonight?” His lips brushed against my shoulder.

“What, so you can leave right after sex again?” I couldn’t help thebitterness in my voice.

“If you wanted me to sleep in another room, I will, but I don’t plan to do it. I want to spend the night with you.” Slowly, he pushed the straps of my dress down my arms. “We don’t even have to make love. I’d like to see you smile at me. A genuine smile. Maybe we could talk?”

He turned me into his arms.

Quickly, I searched his face. “You want to talk?”

He nodded. “I think it’s about time I got to know my wife.”

The green sequinned dress fell to my waist. Baring my breasts for his eyes and hands, but his eyes didn’t leave my face.

“And you would like to do that naked?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Well,” his hands reached for his belt. “We both need to bathe, so we might as well talk in the tub, right? Two birds and one stone and all that.” He winked, and I couldn’t help it. I giggled.

“Can I trust you to keep your hands to yourself, Viktor?” Pushing the dress over my hips, I stepped out of it.

Finally, his eyes scanned over my body. “Absolutely not. I’m going to need to touch you all over, but that doesn’t mean we have to make love.”

Make love? That was the second time he had said that instead of fuck or sex. It seemed significant.