Page 8 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

Maybe in a parallel universe, I do stay. I throw caution to the wind and wrap myself in his gorgeous body, and give in to all my desires.

Maybe I have breakfast with him and make love again, and then order lunch in bed, and this whole thing becomes something more…

Sighing, I shove the thought from my mind.

Not in this universe, though.

In this universe, my brothers will skin me alive if they find out I went home with…

With…

Shit… I’m so embarrassed. I can’t even remember his name.

Wow. Was I that drunk?

Whatever, it doesn’t matter. It was exactly what I needed.

“I’m sorry, I’ve already overslept and I’m late. I really have to go,” I say, smiling, but already wiggling out of his bed and searching the room for my dress.

He points to it, propped on his side with his head on his hand, folded up on his elbow. “Pity. I really enjoyed last night,” he muses, watching me pull the dress up over my body and wiggle into it.

“Me too.” I blush, noticing that his cock has grown harder again, watching me get dressed.Dammit, I want to climb back into bed with him.

“I’ll, um, see you around,” I grin, picking up my purse and pulling my phone out of it to call an Uber.

I need to get out of here now before I make a stupid decision that will really get me into trouble. If it’s not already too late.

I rush from his room, and he follows me, butt naked, to the front door of the penthouse. He leans against the doorframe, forcing me to slip out beneath him.

Before I can slip away, he grabs my jaw and pulls my face toward his. He kisses me like he owns me. And fuck me if it doesn’t almost make me push him right back into the penthouse.

“Go on,” he says, a mischievous grin on his face as he gestures to the elevator. “Unless you want me to walk you down?”

I glance at his very naked perfection, my lips curling into a smile.

“I’m going now. You’re trouble, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll never leave,” I flirt.

He says nothing, but I feel his eyes on me and the heat of his smile as I climb into the elevator.

It carries me down to the ground floor, and realization slaps into me. Why didn’t I ask for his number?

Right.

I know why.

How can I explain that to my brothers?

Ugh. I hate my life. But last night was amazing. I might need to sneak out more often.

I’m grinning a happy as I step out of the hotel and onto the sidewalk, walking toward the marked point on the map where my Uber is waiting.

But before I can reach it, a black SUV skids to a stop in front of me, blocking my path.

I scream, my lungs shooting fear and panic out in a high-pitched siren. But it happens too fast. Too fast for anyone to help me. Too fast for me to even think.

Hands grab me from the back of the SUV, and a bag is shoved over my head.

Tires skid on tar, and the car shoots forward with me trapped inside.