Page 18 of Deceptive Desires

I wash them in the sink but use the body wash in the shower. It smells so similar to the perfume and so much like her. Then I spray it twice with the perfume, just to help her scent last. If I want to keep them smelling like her, I’ll have to be more careful not to get my release on them.

I fix my clothes and exit the bathroom. I walk back into her living room and note that all her furniture seems worn out. There’s no way these two girls could make such dents in the couch in only a few years. They simply don’t weigh enough. The furniture must be secondhand.

My nose wrinkles at the thought. She deserves so much better than someone’s trash. The amount of germs that are probably on the couch and chairs makes my stomach turn.

I deal with blood and gore on a daily basis, but I don’t roll around in other’s filth.

I open her fridge and note that it’s practically empty except some fruits and vegetables. I frown at the realization that she may not be feeding herself enough. Then I almost choke at the realization that there isn’t any meat in the fridge.

What if she’s a vegetarian?

I don’t know if I can be with a woman who doesn’t eat meat. Most of my diet is red meat.

Even if it’s Cecilia?

Fuck, for her I might make an exception.

What if she can’t be around someone who eats meat?

I’ll just have to hide it from her when I do. That’s how this will work. What she doesn’t know won’t kill her.

I see a stack of open mail on her counter. Bills. I pull them out and note the amounts. No fucking way is she paying over three grand for this shithole. That is unacceptable.

A call from Dom interrupts my thoughts.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” I ask, eyeing her pantry.

There’s not much in here either. I need to get her fed. She’s thin and willowy, but not in a way that suggests she starves herself. But I’m going to keep an eye on it just in case. She needs to take care of herself.

I spot a few tea mixes that look homemade and wince. I don’t drink the leaf brew. Coffee is my drug of choice.

“Roman! Are you even listening?” Dom grumbles.

“Sorry. I got distracted. What’s up?” I give in.

“What are you doing?” he asks skeptically.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m listening.” No way in hell am I telling him I broke into a woman’s apartment and am snooping around. And not just any woman. A woman who I quit a tailing and am currently ditching my duties for.

“Just wanted to give you a heads up that Viktor wants you to lay off his men.” Viktor, the Pakhan of the Bratva, wants me to lay off his men. Fat fucking chance.

“No,” I grunt.

“Roman, we’re at peace with them. After the Margot situation, we’re already on rocky grounds. We need to keep the alliance,” he commands.

“I only go after the ones in our territory,” I complain.

“Be more lenient. And don’t kill any more. That’s an order.” With that, he hangs up.

I finish snooping and check my watch. I have a few hours before I need to get back to Cecilia-watching.

I want to learn everything I can about her.

And she’ll be none the wiser.

Chapter 12

Cecilia