“Sit down, please, I’m getting a cramp in my neck looking up at you.”
With a bemused smile he sat down then pulled her back onto his lap. “I do not understand you, Rya DeLuca. You are not like any woman I have met.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Why do you not fear me?”
“I’m a very good judge of character and I have a fantastic bullshit detector.” He laughed and shook his head. “Fine, lie to me.”
“What?”
“Go ahead. Try to lie to me. Tell me three true things and one false. I’ll tell you which one is a lie.”
“Is this some sort of trick?”
“No. I’m just really, really good at spotting a lie.” She winked. “That’s why you should never play poker against me. How do you think I won Katya’s service from Tusya?”
He looked closely at her, studying her face, the nodded. “I have been trained on how to lie, so do not feel poorly if you do not know.”
She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “Just get on with it.”
“I have an army of over three thousand men that answer to me.”
Holy shit. Truth.
“My father is one of the most evil men on earth.”
Truth again.
“I am content being alone.”
Her chest ached for him. Lie.
“If I love a woman, she will die.”
Truth. Heartbreaking truth.
She swallowed hard, wondering why he chose to tell her those things. “I’m so sorry you’re so lonely.”
He jerked back as if she had slapped him. “How did you do that? You should have believed the part about three thousand men serving me as a lie.”
“I’ve just always had a gift for knowing when someone is trying to lie to me.”
Suddenly his face hardened and his grip on her tightened. “Who are you really? Who do you work for?”
“What?” She tried to get off his lap, but his arms held her in place. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I have been trained by the best, Rya. It is impossible for you to read me. Tell me. Who are you really?”
“Jesus Christ! Can you be a little more paranoid? I am exactly who I say I am. A chick from Buffalo New York, who by some weird twist of fate, ended up on your lap tonight. I’m a fucking nurse, not a spy.” She smacked at his hands, but he wouldn’t loosen his grip. “You need to get a grip right the fuck now because you’re scaring me. Again.”
His head dropped and he blew out a hard breath. “Swear it.”
“What?”
Looking up, he gently held her chin and stared into her eyes. “Swear that you mean me no harm.”
The distrust in his expression hurt her, but even more, she felt pity that the world he lived in made him doubt everything and everyone. She rubbed her face against his hand, but didn’t look away from his eyes. “Dimitri, I mean you no harm, I swear it. Until this morning I had no idea you even existed.”
“How can you trust yourself alone with me? Do you have any idea of what Bratva means? Of the terrible things that I have done?”
“Good point.” She smoothed her fingers over his forehead, down his cheeks, and over his lips. “Have you ever raped anyone?”
“No.”
“Would you rape me?”
“Never.”
“Would you abuse me?”
“Never.”
“Would you kill me?”
“Nyet.”
He said the last word with such vehemence that she smiled up at him. “See, I’m safe with you.”
“You believe that? But you do not know.”
She shrugged. “I know what I need to know. You won’t hurt me.”
He looked at her in wonder. “You are either incredibly naïve or very brave.”
Trying to lighten the mood, she winked at him. “Or a fool.”
“No. Not fool. I think you are brave.”
Night had almost completely fallen around them and she looked up at him through her lashes. “So does this mean you’re my Master now?”
His hand convulsed on her hip and he said in a low, raspy voice. “Yes, little Rya, I am your Master. For the next two days you belong to me and only me. You are mine.”
Chapter Six
Dimitri tried to keep his elation contained as he looked down at his Rya. She stared back up at him with complete trust, something so unusual he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Maybe she was foolish for believing him; maybe he was foolish for believing her, but the instincts that had kept him alive this long believed her. He knew about going with his gut and he admired Rya’s self-confidence. It was so refreshing to be with a strong woman, one who truly did not fear him. His gaze dropped down to her pretty lips and he took in a deep breath, his attraction for this small woman burning him. Her lipstick had gradually worn away, revealing her naturally pink lips. They looked so soft, so tender. He wanted to defile her mouth with his own.