Page 46 of Miki

But she shouldn’t be here!

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to get a grip on my emotions, which were all over the place.

“Open it,” I told Marko as I stood off to the side, still trying to bloody compose myself. If I didn’t, I would likely grab her and kiss her immediately she walked through the door.

“Hi, I’m here to see Miki,” Eilidh said.

“Who should I tell him is calling?” Marko asked.

“I believe you know,” she replied with a chuckle.

Taking another deep breath, I stepped around Marko and gulped as her beautiful face grinned up at me.

“Nice to see you again, Little Miss Red,” I drawled, trying to appear cool while my heart hammered like a jack rabbit against my chest.

I saw the way her eyes widened at my nickname for her. She liked it. Of course, it wasn’t the first time she’d heard it, but I could tell by the secret little smile tugging at her lips that she enjoyed hearing it.

“Hi, Miki,” she said with a look of triumph.

A slow smile spread over my face as I stood there staring at her.

Eilidh was pleased to see me, but why? Had she been pining for me as much as I had for her, or was there another reason for her visit?

My emotions warred with each other as I watched her face, waiting to see if she said anything else.

I wanted her here, but I wasn’t ready for her.

This was not part of my plan.

Well, to be honest, I didn’t have one yet. My mind was set on pursuing her and, if possible, winning her for my own. But for that to even be an option, I knew I would have to gain her trust and then somehow her loyalty and love so that she would want me, despite my criminal background.

That would take some convincing, but considering that her colleagues were corrupt and might have had something to do with her dad’s murder, I guessed her faith in law enforcement might have been shaken.

Eilidh was twenty-eight and had been a police officer for seven years. She’d followed in her father’s footsteps and was now a detective like he had been. However, any pride she’d felt in that must have been severely affected by everything she’d discovered.

It was sad, and although my heart went out to her, I had to admit that it gave me hope. After all, she would need to give up her job for me, but if she was less than enamoured with it after discovering all of this, that would certainly benefit me.

Maybe once I helped her deal with those officers and Mathieson, she would be glad to leave the police. I mentally crossed my fingers and hoped that would be the case.

We could be great together. She was supposed to be with me; I knew it with all my heart. But she could not remain a police officer and be with me. That was impossible. Being a Bratva pakhan wasn’t conducive to having a relationship with a police officer. My brotherhood would not condone that.

“Are you going to invite me in?” she asked, sounding calm, but I caught a flash of worry in her eyes.

Did she think I wouldn’t? I might not have expected to see her yet, but I would work with it. Starting right now, I’d begin trying to win her to my side.

Grinning, and licking my lips, I let my heated gaze drift over her, ensuring she was in no doubt that I was glad she’d come.

She gulped and her face flushed slightly, making it obvious her calm façade was just that. My Little Miss Red was as affected by me as I was by her.

My heart soared.

“Come in, beautiful,” I said, deliberately thickening my accent as I opened the door wider and gestured for her to enter. I had noticed the effect my voice had on her before and was going to use it to my full advantage. Of course, my voice wasn’t the only thing that thickened.

Throwing caution to the wind, and uncaring about Marko standing a few feet away, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

She gasped in shock, obviously not expecting that reaction, but she quickly got over it and kissed me back. As it always did when we kissed, the world fell away until only the two of us were left.

Marko cleared his throat, and I heard him sniggering as my tongue delved inside her delicious mouth. Ignoring him, I continued to kiss her. However, his chuckle broke the moment for her, and she pushed away from me, redness crawling up her face.

---