The Only Woman to Defy Him(23)

                He saw the flare of disappointment in her eyes as he retracted the hotel offer.

                Her body was warm and he stared at her all flushed and aroused and he was tempted to put scruples on ice as, bold now, she made her move.

                ‘We could go back to the hotel.’ Oh, my God, Alina couldn’t believe she’d just said it, but she had, she had and she meant every word.

                ‘Alina,’ Demyan cut in—he could be very blunt when he needed to be. ‘I’m not going to be here for long.’

                ‘I know that.’

                ‘I shall be leaving Australia soon and I have no intention of ever coming back.’

                Okay, a little too direct at times but it was necessary because he could see the wrestle in her eyes as she made peace with that.

                ‘I get that.’

                ‘Alina, I’m not someone that you should be cutting your teeth on.’ He saw her blush when she didn’t need to. He was simply telling her the truth, he was bad, he had no soul and he never looked back. ‘Back to business on Monday.’

                He walked her to the car and although usually he’d walk off, this time he actually climbed in.

                ‘You are not to let me out of this car,’ Demyan said in Russian to Boris. ‘My order is to make sure she gets safely home. Alone.’

                ‘What did you say to him?’

                ‘To avert his eyes.’

                He forgot he loathed kissing and Alina forgot her own address as he kissed her all the way home. Indecent kisses and not just from Demyan, her mouth telling his what she wanted now.

                ‘You,’ Demyan said to her as Boris tapped on the window, ‘are amazing, and way too good for me.’

                He turned it all around, he turned her whole word around.

                ‘You’re having a party?’ He frowned at the music.

                ‘My flatmate’s having a party.’

                It offered them an excuse to go back to the hotel.

                He resisted.

                ‘Bed,’ Demyan said. ‘Alone and safe from this wolf. Consider it forgotten by Monday.’

                She’d never forget.

                Alina stepped in and closed the door. She was a little high from a very nice kiss, a little confused from a very unexpected night, and then, as she headed to the relative quiet of her room and checked her phone to see if her father had made contact...

                ...more than a little devastated.





                                      CHAPTER FIVE

                DEMYAN WASN’T IN the best of moods on Monday because he still could not get hold of Roman.

                Nadia blocked his attempts to meet with his son at every turn.

                ‘Did you meet with the estate agents?’ Demyan asked Alina.

                ‘Just one,’ Alina said.