Page 53 of Wicked Arrangement

She furrows her brow at me, “I thought you said they have kids?”

“Innokentiy has kids with his mistress, not his wife,” I explain.

Kim’s eyes widen in surprise, “Does his wife know?”

“Yes,” I reply with a small nod, “And before you ask, no, she doesn’t care. Since they’re bastards, they can’t inherit, and Innokentiy can’t leave her, not without pissing off her father, who comes from of one of the most powerful families in Russia.”

“Sounds like a telenovela. It also explains why David thinks your uncle doesn’t like him if he’s a closed-off kind of person.”

I nod thoughtfully, “David sure does seem to enjoy telling you all his secrets.”

She looks away, her expression unreadable. “He trusts me and opens up to me about his feelings, that’s all.”

“He always was better at expressing his emotions,” I admit.

“You’ve always had to be the strong one,” she states knowingly.

“Yes, vulnerability isn’t something I’m comfortable with.”

She reaches across the table to take my hand, “You know you can trust me, you don’t have to keep your walls up around me.”

I’m surprised that my usual instinct to pull away and retreat isn’t there, I want to open up, to let her in. I’m just not sure I know how.

“I know. And I want you to know that you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need, and I will make sure your grandmother is taken care of too.”

“That’s very generous of you, but you don’t have to do that. We never agreed on me staying here indefinitely, I’m not a charity case. I’m sure I can find a way to manage somehow,” she says in her usual humble fashion.

“Kim, I am well aware that you’re not a charity case and that you can look after yourself. That is not why I am offering this. I’ve made it perfectly clear that I want you to stay here longer and that I have feelings for you.”

She blinks, her beautiful eyes widening in surprise, “You do?”

“Was that not evident in my desire to keep you here? Or in the way you drive me crazy, and I can’t get enough of you?” I ask, confused as to how she can possibly think otherwise.

“To be honest, I thought you just wanted me for sex and that you’d get bored of me soon, that you were just keeping me around because you felt bad for me,” she says in a small voice.

“Kimberly, do I strike you as the kind of man who cannot get sex if I want? Or who needs to force a woman to live with him to get sex?”

“No,” she admits.

“And do I strike you as the kind of man who is overly sensitive and prone to doing things out of pity?”

“Definitely not,” she says with a grin.

“Well then, please trust me when I tell you that you are here because I want you to be.”

“So, whatever… this… is between us, is more than just sex for you?” she asks nervously.

“Most certainly, though I do enjoy fucking you.”

She arches a playful eyebrow, “Oh do you?” she says mischievously.

“Yes, I can prove it to you,” I purr.

“I think you should.”

I don’t need any further encouragement, I stand, whisking her off her feet and carrying her upstairs to my bedroom. I plan on showing her just how much I want her.

Chapter 26

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