Page 5 of The Bratva King's Kidnapped Bride

With a tinkling, almost nervous laugh, she tried to disentangle herself from her inebriated friend. Clearing a path, I grabbed her hand and tugged her away from him.

“Hey,” he shouted, his face screwed into an angry scowl.

I gave him one right back and shook my head. He put his hands up and turned away, dancing with another of their group. I kept pulling my little prize until we were clear of the writhing mass. She barely came to my shoulder, and up close, she was even more beautiful, with a straight, slightly snubbed nose, big, excited eyes, and lush, full lips curling into a smile.

“Mr. Fokin,” she said, staring up at me with eager wonder.

So she knew who I was while I was still drawing a blank where she was concerned.

“You know who I am?” I asked, trying not to appear smug.

“Of course,” she said, her feathery brows coming together as she looked around before settling her big eyes on me again.

Ah, she knew I owned the place. Well, being the owner did have some perks, and I wanted to show them off to her.

“Come with me,” I said, still holding onto her hand. I stayed close to her, not wanting her to get jostled, but also because I was drawn to her. The way she so openly took everything in on the higher level was refreshing since, normally, even newcomers tried to appear jaded and as if they’d seen it all before.

In my section, her mouth dropped open as I motioned for her to have a seat on one of the black velvet banquettes. I sat beside her, and once again, the server appeared within seconds. She took our order, trying to hide her disgruntlement that I’d found someone I wanted to spend time with.

“This is amazing, Mr. Fokin,” my girl said. “How have you been?”

The shyness I’d seen while watching her didn’t seem to apply to me, and I was glad. “You have to call me Aleks,” I told her.

She blushed and nodded. “Okay.”

I waited a beat but finally had to ask her name. Now I could tell her eyes were green, and they flew open at my question, even though it was the least shocking thing I could have said to her.

“Oh, uh, it’s Katie. Katie Brixton,” she said expectantly.

Our drinks arrived, and I asked the server to close the curtain, which cut the noise back considerably and gave us complete privacy.

“Well, Katie, tell me what brings you to my club.”

She kept looking at me like she was waiting for something but finally gave a small shrug. “Oh, you don’t even want to know.”

Leaning close, I poured the white wine she ordered and handed her the glass. “I want to know everything about you,” I told her.

She turned sideways, and our knees touched. Her clingy dress had ridden halfway up her thighs, and I longed to run my hand up the creamy length of her leg.

Her sigh was long, and she delved into a story about quitting her job, failing miserably at a catering business, and then having to grovel for her old job back, only to be demoted. It wasn’t funny, but the animated and good-natured way she told it had me laughing at the end.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll have your old job back soon. It sounds like a classic power play to me.”

I thought about having my brother Nikolai hire her at his Beverly Hills restaurant, a passion project for him. But my mind was already reeling with other ideas for this feisty and resilient beauty. As she asked me to fill her in on what I’d been doing lately, I only waved my hand at the surroundings and urged her to tell me more about herself.

She had a sister and an aunt but no mention of parents, which made me feel an odd stirring in my chest that competed with the stirring in my pants now that she’d scooted even closer to me.

I’d only had one shot of vodka since I arrived and a sip of her white wine, but I felt intoxicated. The steady beat of the music had her toe tapping, and as soon as she was finished telling me all about the restaurant she worked at and would have loved if only it weren’t for the horrible boss, I pulled her to her feet.

“Dance with me,” I said, pulling her close.

She melted against me, then turned toward the curtain separating us from the rest of the club. I shook my head, sinking my fingers into her lush curves.

“No, in here.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but her hands slid up my chest, and her fingers locked behind my neck. Her body so close to mine had me feeling a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. When we began to sway, and her eyes drifted shut, I got a jolt that I could honestly say I’d never had before.

I glanced at my watch behind her back. Had we really been up here talking for two hours? It felt like only minutes. As responsible as she seemed where her job was concerned, I started to worry she’d say something ridiculous about having to get home and get to sleep. Splaying my palm across her back and nudging her closer as we danced, one thing was certain. I wasn’t letting Katie go. Not tonight.

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