Page 67 of Brutal Promise

He looks like his feelings are hurt, which frankly confuses me.

The crease on his forehead disappears, and he rolls out of bed. “Let’s shower and dress. There are PJs and lounging clothes in the drawers for you.”

“Really?” How thoughtful. I get up and walk to the dresser. I assumed the drawers were empty. What will he think of next?

I open a drawer and find several lounging outfits with matching tops and bottoms. I select an outfit the color of heather and lay it on the bed.

I hear what sounds like light summer rain and realize Dmitry is warming up the shower.

Is it me, or is it the two of us together that makes everything in life sublime?

I go to the bathroom and slip into the shower next to him. He rubs soap over my body. If he keeps this up, there will be a round two.

After we’ve dried each other, I slip into new panties and the outfit. I could get used to this. I hear people complaining about flying commercial nowadays because of the overcrowded planes and weather delays that turn into cancellations with no way of getting home.

Dmitry pulls on a t-shirt and black joggers. We’re both barefoot, and he grabs our champagne glasses while I follow him to the breakfast he prepared. I slide onto my seat and dive into bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon.

He refills our drinks, and I take a few gulps of the bubbly. I watch him eat caviar and wonder how he managed to pull this off so seamlessly. He finds his phone on the table and checks messages.

He’s silent as I wait impatiently.

“What is it?” I finish my champagne, fearing the worst. “Please tell me Alena is okay.”

“Kirill says she’s fine. He saw members of the Russian mafia and the Irish at the airport.” He chuckles. “They were confused at first, but when they saw our doubles get on the flight, they boarded too.”

“What? You found doubles of us?” I remind myself to close my mouth. This is some serious spycraft.

“What did you think I was doing all week? This took a lot of time to set up and at a considerable expense, too.”

“Where did you find them?” I relax, telling myself he knows what he’s doing.

“Word of mouth. Many people in New York are in acting classes and willing to take a gig to build a resume.” He drains his champagne and refills our glasses for the last time as the bottle empties.

“Wow, I never would have thought to trick our surveillance with body doubles.”

He cocks his head and observes me. I must look a fright with my just-been-fucked hair. Self-consciously, I fluff it with my fingers then tuck my long bangs behind my ear.

“Leave it. You’re perfect the way you are.” His eyes focus on my face, then drift to my cleavage. “Why do you feel like you always have to compete for attention? No one holds a candle to you.”

“I’m not used to attention,” I murmur while staring at my plate.

“Well, that’s got to change. You’ll soon be part of a rich and powerful family whose members circulate in high society, attend galas, and donate to charities. When you attend those functions, you must hold your head high and with confidence.” He chucks his phone onto the table. “Do you like the food?”

“Oh, yes, it’s all delicious, thank you.”

“I need to get some work done before we land.” He stands, grabs his laptop, and disappears into the bedroom.

I clear the table, then make myself comfortable in front of the enormous TV monitor. I wish Alena were here and wonder if my phone will work. I connect to the plane’s Wi-Fi and text her to see how she’s doing.

Alena:I’m fine. Just lolling around the house, waiting for this ordeal to be over.

Me:Any word on your future husband?

Alena:Not yet. The suspense is killing me. Oops, sorry.

Me:You’re so funny. No harm done. I think we’re in the clear for a while.

Alena:Yes, Kirill said the same. It’s crazy that someone in the Russian mafia is following you. I don’t get it.

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