Page 53 of Inked Adonis

“She knows,” Samuil says simply.

I wait for more, but apparently, the king of brevity has spoken his piece.

“And...?” I press, unable to help myself. “Is she suing you for custody?”

Samuil’s snort drips with derision. “Please. She’s happy I’m taking Rufus off her hands. I should charge her for the favor.”

Katerina didn’t seem especially attached to Rufus, but that seems cold even by her ice queen standards. “She really doesn’t care?”

“She’s not what you would call an ‘animal person.’ Come to think of it, she’s not much of a people person, either.”

“Maybe you two have something in common after all.”

His eyes flash to mine. “We’re not here to discuss me or my personal life.”

“No, we’re here because you refuse to believe that I’m not in cahoots with your snobby ex-wife. If I’m going to be imprisoned because of the woman, the least you can do is tell me about her.”

“You’re in no position to make demands,krasavitsa.”

“No, you’re right! I’m only in position to be locked in the house of some billionaire d-bag who takes advantage of helpless animals and struggling businesswomen. But when you put it like that, it kinda seems like I have nothing to lose.”

Samuil whirls around to face me again. All it takes is one step to cross the space between us. Suddenly, the oxygen in the room is gone. The light, too, because he blots it out as he towers overhead. I’m painfully aware of how big he is and how easily he could reach out that last few inches and put his hands on me.

Worse, I’m aware of the small, flickering part of me that wishes he would.

“The position youcouldbe in is one where thepakhanteaches his smart-mouthed captive exactly what that mouth is good for.”

Oh.

My.

Lord.

That small, flickering part of me burns a little hotter even with his icy gaze on me.

But I’ll be damned if I let him see that. He wants to be an asshole? Fine. I can be an asshole, too.

So I lift my chin and snap back, “I see why your marriage failed if that’s your idea of foreplay.”

“If you want a lesson in foreplay, I’m happy to oblige,” he growls, and something in his tone makes my knees weak. “But I don’t think you’re ready for that kind of education.”

I step back, nearly toppling over the arm of that damned sofa. My heart hammers against my ribs like it’s trying to escape—smart move, really.

“What is it, little lamb?” he growls as he advances. “Nothing smart to say now?”

Nothing that wouldn’t accidentally come out way, way wrong.

Samuil’s mouth splits into a grin that I refuse to find attractive. “I thought so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a shower and then have dinner. You’re welcome to join me.”

“In the shower?” I breathe before I can stop myself.

That one takes even Samuil by surprise. His eyes trail over my body before he swallows. “If you climb naked and willing into my shower, I certainly won’t be the one to stop you.”

ButIwill.

I’ll fight my way past guards and throw myself over the railing before I let that happen. Because my dignity, self-respect, any and all of my morals—that would all be gone. What would there be left to live for?

With my cheeks on fire, I shove past him and take refuge in my room.

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