Page 154 of Deceptive Vows

“Don’t mention it.” He dips his head, and I down the rest of the scotch. “As for everything else, I’m watching and waiting to see what happens after tomorrow night.”

I nod my agreement. Waiting and watching is all we can do for the moment. Things have gone quiet, and they’re like that for a reason.

Once we know my father’s next move, I’ll know mine.

“If Ivan gets the position I’ll be in immediate danger. If I get it, at least I’ll have a head start.”

“I pray for the latter.”

Me too.

* * *

I get home an hour later, just before midnight.

I was hoping Natalia was asleep and didn’t wait up for me, but the slice of light streaming from under the bedroom door is a tell she’s awake.

I push the door open slowly. She’s sitting behind the dressing table running her fingers through her damp hair. There’s a towel wrapped around her body.

Nothing but the towel.

Before I left earlier, she was lying down on the bed, and I’d told her to relax in the bath. Looks like she took my advice.

I just wish the sight of her lithe, perfect body weren’t hardening my dick and I didn’t want her so fucking badly it aches.

She twists around on the little stool to face me, causing the towel to slink down her back, exposing more of her silky, opulent flesh.

Her hair falls over her shoulders and runs down her side, and the shimmer of moonlight pouring through the window touches her face.

I walk toward her and crouch down in front of her, taking her hand resting on her thigh.

In silence, we stare at each other for a few moments. The wheels are turning in my mind as I think about what to say, but every word is swallowed up by how I feel about her.

Asking her how she’s feeling is fruitless.

I know she feels like shit. How else is she supposed to feel after losing a man who was like a father to her?

She’s not going to feel any better than she did hours ago.

Talking about José pulls on my soul, too, because I know I’m responsible for her pain.

As I stare at her, I don’t want her to remember she can’t expect anything more than pain and despair from a monster like me.

Just for a moment, I want to forget what and who I am and savor this feeling I feel when it’s just us. When nothing else matters.

Just her and me.

The beauty and the beast.

She reaches out to touch my face. That’s all it takes for me to get lost in her.

I reach up to cup her cheeks and press my lips to hers to kiss her.

When she slips her arms around my neck, the towel slides from her body, and the huge round swells of her breasts heave against me. I run my fingers over them, filling my palms then feeling and kneading the succulent skin.

Her nipples harden at my touch. Harden and beg me to suck them while her body pleads to be fucked.

I decide to take care of her nipples first when I leave her lips and take the diamond-hard peaks into my mouth and suck them. She arches her body into my mouth, so I take more of her breast in and swirl my tongue around and around her nipple.