Page 65 of Sweet Animosity

Disconnecting the call, I lifted Vivian off her feet and carried her out of the club.

“Where are we going?”

Fresh air greeted us as I opened the private side door where my SUV was waiting in an alley. “I’m taking you home.”

I opened the passenger side door and placed her inside, leaning over her to buckle her seat belt.

Her cheek brushed mine. “You smell good.”

My lips quirked. “So do you, baby.”

As I got behind the wheel, she rolled her head along the headrest to stare at me. “Am I in trouble?”

The car sped out of the alley as I steered it toward the Four Monks. “Yes.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

As I pulled up to a red traffic light, I reached over and stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. “Because I’ve decided to keep you.”

CHAPTER 24

VIVIAN

Iwasn’t super high. There were no dancing aliens.

I was just high enough to have zero filter and to find everything funny. It was like my mind was surrounded by cotton candy. I could hear myself about to say something but couldn’t quite get through all the pink, fluffy, sugary goodness to stop myself.

It was wonderful.

I felt so in the moment.

Everything around me was in soft focus. There was no stress, no worries, no dead bodies, no threatening Russians.

Well, there was one threatening Russian.

My head swiveled back to stare at Var’s profile while he drove.

He really had the most deliciously dark kind of raw sexual appeal. All those hot tattoos and big muscles.

Var tossed me a quick grin before focusing back on the road. “Thanks, beautiful. I’m a fan of you, too.”

I slapped my hand over my mouth. My words were muffled by my palm. “Crap. Did I say all that out loud?”

“You sure did.”

“Can I take it back?”

He winked as he playfully growled, “Absolutely not.”

We pulled into the Four Monks parking lot.

This time instead of taking the elevator that led to the main lobby and his public office, he hustled me into a different, private elevator. I watched in awe as he typed out a seemingly endless entry code onto a tiny pad.

As he ushered me into the elevator, I rested my head against his chest. “I’m hungry.”

I always got the munchies as my high wore off. It was like my body tried to hold on to the fun feeling by consuming fried foods and sweets.

The doors opened to a posh penthouse suite. My mouth dropped open. “Is this where you live?”

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