He blinked at her in surprise. “What?”
Turning on flame beneath the pan she’d taken out, she looked over her shoulder at him. “You think I don’t know how to do searches on the Internet? Hello, I’ve got nothing better to do most of the day than to do research and I’ve seen some pictures of you with your women that made me blush. PDA much?”
“PDA?”
“Public Display of Affection. It means like kissing in public. Or in your case, getting a blow job in an alley from three cute blondes at once. No wonder you were too distracted to notice you were being filmed.”
“I knew I was being filmed. Was part of…job to make sure of it.” To her surprise he actually blushed. “Those women, they do not matter. They were nothing but tools to use to get to my target.”
“Is that supposed to be endearing? Are you proud that you treat sex like some kind of casual function?”
His cheeks heated even redder and he took a deep breath. “It is bad, I know. I never make a promise to keep any woman I am with. They know I am only good for one night.”
She shook her head and flipped the sandwiches, the comforting smell of grilled cheese easing her heart. “Look, it’s none of my business, but you do know the difference between fucking and making love, right? Have you ever made love?”
“No.”
Giving him an arch look she said, “No?”
“No. When I make love to a woman she will be the only woman I ever make love with. When I find her I will not leave her or let her leave me.”
“And you’ll know after one night if she’s the woman?”
“Absolutely.”
“Wow.” She flipped his sandwich on to a plate and slid it down the pale granite counter to him. “That’s…different.”
“Tell me, did you not know after your first night with Dimitri that he was the one you were meant to be with?”
She took a bite of her sandwich, hoping he didn’t notice the way her cheeks heated. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” He snorted.
“Fine, okay. I knew he was something special right away.”
“I have never had that feeling for a woman. Why lie to her and pretend she may be the one if I don’t believe it?”
“You sure you’re giving these women a chance? I mean one night isn’t much.”
“Ah, one night having sex. I will usually date a woman for a bit before I go to bed with her.”
“You are one busy boy, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “When time allows.”
“Am I putting a dent in your social calendar?”
Shaking his head, he gave her one of his barely there smiles. “Yes, but I will survive.”
“So do you think I’m stupid for wanting to leave? I mean, at least I’m safe here.”
“I think it hurts your soul to be trapped. You need to be free, even if it is dangerous. But don’t worry, little rabbit, your wolf has his pack protecting you.”
The smile he gave her was downright predatory and she tried to ignore the tingle of arousal. “Well, okay then. I’m going to go do…stuff.”
With his laughter echoing behind her Rya went up to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her, pissed off at Dimitri for doing orgasm denial with her because right now she was dripping wet and horny. The banter with Maks did nothing to cool her down. She was embarrassed that she was now having naughty thoughts about sucking him off. Damn Dimitri! He knew exactly how to manipulate her. He was like a mad sexual genius, able to push her boundaries with little to no resistance on her part. She wasn’t sure if that thought was more arousing or scary and vowed that next time she got Dimitri in bed it would be time for a little payback.
Rya was in seventh heaven the next day wandering through a massive climate-controlled warehouse on the western edge of Moscow filled with all kinds of antique furniture. They were looking through a private estate collection but she felt as if she was walking through a museum. Everywhere she glanced there were pieces of European furniture from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries mixed with assorted odds and ends. Gia’s two bodyguards were walking ahead with her while Rya trailed behind, listening to the tall, imposing Russian woman in charge of the estate sale rattle off details about the pieces they were looking at in clipped English. Maks and Chen, Rya’s bodyguards for the day, constantly scanned the room in a most disconcerting manner, reminding her of how vulnerable she was. For the entire ride over in their armored motorcade, between Ivan and Dimitri’s paranoia about their safety she was surprised they didn’t take a tank, she’d been worried that any second they’d be attacked by some crazy rival Bratva, but the trip had been boringly normal. Well, as boring as traffic ever got in Moscow.