Page 15 of Innocently Imprisoned By the Bratva

The week passes and the morning after, right on time as was promised, the door swings open. I sit up in bed, clutching the blankets tight around me. I’m wearing just a camisole and short shorts. No bra.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Lev greets me, as though I haven’t just lived the week from hell. His mischievous smile is so infuriating, I want to wipe it off his face. But even as I clench my fists, I can't deny the way my heart races at the sight of him after all these days.

I can’t help but wonder, was it difficult for him to stay away from me? Did he think of me, as I did of him? Suddenly, my anger flares. He is the one in power, and he exploited that by taking away all of mine. I say nothing, just glare at him from my spot on the bed.

He lets the silence sit for a little longer, and I look away, turning my gaze towards the window.

"So, I've been thinking," he says. I turn back to see him leaning against the doorframe, blue-gray eyes locked onto mine. "The staff told me you’ve been on your best behavior. You didn’t cause any trouble, and some of the maids feel that this week of being locked in has taken a toll on you.”

He looks around the room, at the clutter, the uncleaned floors, the messy plates. “I think I agree. You’ve learned your lesson and I have full faith you won’t go breaking my rules anymore. So, I've decided to let you roam around the house a bit. How gracious of me, right?"

I literally bite down on my tongue to hold back the torrential anger threatening to spill out. What I want to say is that after kidnapping and forcing me to go almost crazy in solitary confinement, I feel like slapping that smile off his face.

Instead, I simply roll my eyes.

He notices my annoyance and walks closer with that arrogant stride of his. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to get too bored in here. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd cause then?"

“Exactly how much trouble can I get into in this room?” I wave my arm around, stopping at the barricaded window. In this motion, the blanket slides down my body, and I notice his gaze follow its trail, pausing for a second longer at the parts where my nipples peak out through my camisole.

I quickly fold my arms in front of me, pretending he didn’t notice my state of undress. The gentleman in him quickly looks back up, his eyes honing in on mine.

“Oh, I won’t make the mistake of underestimating you again,” Lev smirks, clearly not buying my act. "But if you must know, I'm just trying to make your stay here more… pleasant." The way he says 'pleasant', his eyes shifting to my lips, down my cleavage, before starting back up, sends a shiver down my spine.

"Fine," I concede, deciding I’ve played hard-to-please a little too long now. "Let's see what this prison of yours has to offer." My heart races with anticipation as I think of the possibility of finding a way out while exploring the house. This is just what I wanted, and to see Lev deliver gives me hope at last. I can get back to my life, once I’m out of here.

"Excellent," Lev grins, stepping aside and gesturing for me to step out of bed. "Get dressed.”

I sit there in bed, suddenly thinking about how I’m hardly wearing any clothes. He’s still watching me, innocently enough. I clear my throat and part my lips, but no words come out. What should I say? Hi, Lev? I’m shy? Please turn around?

What am I? A teenager?

I take a deep breath and throw aside the blanket. I notice the sudden shuffle in Lev’s expression, from annoying arrogance to endearing humility, as he quickly takes in the thin straps of my camisole, the curve of my thighs. He quickly turns and walks to the window, pretending to inspect something.

But I know that the sight of me affected him, somehow. In the same manner, the thought of him seeing me half-naked excited me.

I head into the shower, all the while thinking I wish he watched me walk away. I wonder if he feels the heat crawl down his spine, as it does up my legs right now. That same confusion hits me like a truck. I can’t be having such feelings for him, when I’m supposed to deceive him again.

I command myself to think of escape, and not Lev. It’s a command I have to remind myself of over and over again, because his smothering gaze keeps creeping into my mind, goddamnit.

When I’m done showering, I shut off the running water and put on my towel, only to realize I didn’t bring my clothes in. Shit. This turn of events does nothing for my resolve. Again, I think of Lev. Who is right outside…where my clothes are.

Keeping my expression neutral, I exit the shower with just my towel wrapped around me. But inside, I’m a whole and utter nervous wreck. I know it shouldn’t matter what he thinks of me, but I don’t exactly have that model-esque figure I can proudly flaunt off.

Lev sits waiting on my bed and looks up from his phone when he hears the door creaking. I blush as his eyes draw over to my body. His gaze lingers a little too long on my well-rounded bare legs, causing the heat in my cheeks to deepen. I quickly grab my clothes and rush back into the bathroom to get dressed.

By the time I return, fully dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, he’s standing by my open bedroom door. His gaze trails over me again, from my face, to my neck, to my legs and his face breaks into a smile. “Considering all things,” he says, his voice gravelly. “The towel was a better look on you.”

Wait, what? Did he just say that out loud to me? My mouth hangs open, unable to find the right words as my neck turns red from how shy I suddenly feel.

“I’d close that mouth, before a fly gets in,” he tells little old gaping me.

I immediately close my mouth and shake my head. I have to force myself to say something, before he becomes overconfident about his ability to influence me. “You really know how to take a moment and turn it into trouble, don’t you?”

“Trouble’s my middle name,” he shrugs, as I join him by the door.

“Alright, Lev Trouble Zolotov,” I say, turning to face him. “Show me your house.”

"Remember, Pippa," Lev warns as we step out of my room, his voice a low rumble down my spine that makes me shiver involuntarily. "You can roam the house, but that doesn't mean you can just waltz out the front door. Everything is locked.”

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