Page 66 of Cruel Longing

She blinked. “You’re kidding.”

“No. Dead serious.” I reached for the champagne bottle. I remembered her favorite from Marguerite’s. I’d had it delivered for the occasion. “Watch out,” I warned, positioning my thumbs at the base of the cork. It shot across the room. The champagne flowed into the first glass. I handed it to Amara.

“I have no idea what you’re up to.” She folded her arms across her chest.

“Think about it.” I filled the second glass. “We convert this into our joined space. We run our projects together here.”

“Our projects?” She hadn’t even attempted to bring the champagne to her lips. “Since when dowehave projects?”

“It doesn’t work when we’re on opposite teams. It never has. Look at the Crescent Towers. The Vieux Carre. The distillery.” I rattled off examples that made us enemies. “If the last two days taught me anything, it’s that we’re much better together than we are fighting each other. We can run New Orleans together. We are stronger. More powerful. I have the forces that run the city. You have amassed the wealth.”

I snaked my arm around her waist and drew her toward me. Her lips were only inches from mine. Her breath floated across my cheek. I was dangerously close to causing her to drop the champagne glass.

“I already run New Orleans.” Her eyes lit with fire. “I don’t need a partnership to gain more power in this city.”

“That’s not true and you know it, kotyonok. You are mine.”

She quivered in my hold. “Luka, that’s different,” she whispered.

“It’s not. You belong to me. Now. Always.” I smirked. “You can either compete with me, or work with me. This is what works.”

“I could take my chances,” she whispered. “With what you still owe me, you won’t be a threat for a long, long time.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip. Our eyes locked on each other.

“Oh, I have a plan for that. Something that will make us equals very soon.” I wanted to tell her, but the plan had to be laid out in steps. There was a method I couldn’t deviate from today.

“Really, what’s that?” she asked.

“A surprise.” Our noses practically touched. “I’ve already had the plans drawn up for our suites,” I whispered in her ear. “There’s a hidden room in the middle that only we have access to.” I kissed behind her ear. “Mid-day meetings are essential.”

“You’ve made a lot of assumptions rather quickly.” Her head leaned backward, allowing me access to her throat.

“What’s this?” I stopped. There was a bandage on the side of her neck at the top of her shoulder.

She quickly covered it with her hand. “Just where I had the tracker taken out. Like you wanted.”

“Let me see.” I removed her hand and lifted a corner of the Band-Aid. “Looks like that might have hurt.” I was proud of her for listening to me.

“It’s nothing. Just a little scratch from Ciro.”

My eyes widened. “You had Ciro remove it?”

She nodded. “He wasn’t happy about it. But it’s out.” She smiled. “I took your advice over his. How does that make you feel?”

“Like we both know what’s best for us.”

“And what’s that?” she tested.

“Each other,” I answered, knowing it was true.

“Is that what this merger is about?”

“I know what I want. I know what you need. Why wait?” I dotted her skin with kisses. She grinned.

“Because I haven’t agreed to any of the terms,” she responded slowly. “This is a big merger. We need to think through every detail. Analyze every angle. There’s nothing simple about it.”

I traced my finger over the pearl dangling from her neck. “You’re wearing it again.”

She nodded, straightening her neck into an upright position. “I’m sorry for the way I left it in the suite at the Vieux Carre.”

---