Page 4 of Under Control

“It’s not funny! Seriously, Merrick, he pointed a gun at me.”

Merrick doubles over. He’s laughing so hard his face is red and tears stream down his cheeks. I stand on a small platform in his studio on the top floor of his house while sunlight streams in through the big windows, and I’m thinking about murdering him.

“You have no idea how close you just came to getting killed,” he says, wiping his face, his other hand pressed to his stomach like he’s holding himself together.

“Great, thanks, I just exposed myself to a stranger and you’re cracking up like it’s the funniest thing you’ve heard all week. It’s not a joke!”

“Okay, okay, you’re right, sweetie, it’s not a joke.” Merrick’s grin suggests he most certainly does not mean what he’s saying.

“Who is that guy anyway? He had one of your paintings hanging on his wall.”

“Oh, you know, just an extremely scary and powerful member of a large multi-national organized crime family.” He says this while looking at his nails as if he was describing a new polish color he bought recently.

I cover myself with my arms.

For the second time today, I’m totally naked.

“Sorry, what now? Did you sayorganized crime?”

“That’s the rumor, anyway. Told you, you came extremely close to getting whacked just now. Then again, I wouldn’t mind getting whacked by Valentin Zaitsev.”

Valentin. So that’s the man’s name. His deep blue eyes and full lips play through my mind, and I’m uncomfortably aware of my nudity.

“How do you know he’s in the mafia?”

“Bratva,” Merrick corrects. “That’s what the Russians call it, anyway. And I’m not totally sure, that’s just the rumor. He’s got a shitload of money, keeps some really shady hours, and doesn’t seem to have a real job. I don’t know, seems pretty plausible to me.”

I start to pace. Merrick murmurs something and sketches as I move.

“Okay, great, so I just barged into a Russian gangster’s house and flashed him. That’s probably bad, right?”

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry. I mean, look at you. He probably liked it.”

I pause and frown into space. Hewasgiving me an extremely sexy and serious look.

But I don’t feel like I’m anything special.

I’m lean from years of running track and cross country, and my boobs aren’t particularly big. I keep my hair too long and I really could use a manicure. I’m not even wearing any makeup right now—Merrick wanted me totally natural.

Still, the look Valentin gave me…

“No, definitely not.” I start pacing again. “You don’t aim a gun at naked girls if you’re into them.”

“I don’t know. He definitely gives off a fuck-then-murder kind of vibe.”

“That’s a vibe?”

“Sweetie, it’svery mucha vibe.”

I shiver and shake my head. Merrick doesn’t know how little experience I have with men, and I decide that I don’t feel like enumerating my total lack of sexual history while standing butt naked in front of him.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I don’t plan on ever seeing your neighbor again.”

“Unfortunately for me, Mr. Gorgeous happens to enjoy investing in art, and he likes throwing a lot of cash around.” Merrick taps his lips with the end of his brush. “Actually, those are my favorite qualities in a man. Rich and willing to pay me. Now, keep pacing like that, I’m liking this movement and the light’s just right, but stop talking.”

I flip him off and do as he says, strutting around in the nude, and thinking about his dangerous and gorgeous neighbor, who I am definitely, absolutely never,evergoing to see again.

It’samazing how quickly I’m wrong.

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