Page 91 of Devious Secrets

When he breaks away, I run my tongue over my top lip. I haven’t been kissed by a large number of men, but enough to know this is different. I’m left dazed and breathless every time his lips brush across mine.

“On your way out, speak with Mrs. Wells and let her know what sort of meals you like. She’ll stock the kitchen with whatever you want.”

“Even if I want hamburgers for dinner?” I’ve been craving a good burger for the past two days.

He grins. “Yes, even those things.”

Now I’m smiling. “Then I’ll talk to her.”

“And Megan,” he says, grabbing my elbow again when I start to turn.

“Yeah?”

“My sister and you together reek of trouble.” He pulls me closer, leaning down until his mouth is just a hair from my ear. “Behave today, or when you get home, I’ll put you over my knee before I take you to bed. Understand?”

My mouth dries at his words, but my pussy is another story altogether.

“Yeah. I understand,” I answer quietly, hoping the guys aren’t hearing us over their own chatter.

“Good girl. Now go.” He presses another kiss to my cheek, then lets me go.

He returns to his brothers and Lev with steady, grounded steps –– like our exchange did nothing to him. While I slip out of the room, my head and heart somewhere up in the clouds.

We’ve been shopping for hours. My feet throb inside my brand-new pair of black Gucci Horsebit loafers. After spending an afternoon shopping with Elana, I stopped asking how much things cost. She would just shrug and tell me to hand over Alexander’s card.

I’d let Elana talk me into changing into the dark-olive straight-legged trousers and ivory silk blouse I found at the last store we were at. I’d wanted to keep my ballet flats on, but I lost that battle—just like every other battle waged today.

She hadn’t even fought me; she’d just picked them up, carried them to the saleslady, and asked her to get rid of them.

Elana can say whatever she wants, but she is every bit a Volkov.

“I’m starving,” Elana announces as she hands over the last of the bags to Artem, our guard and chauffeur for the afternoon. “We’re going to walk over to Cafe Spiaggia, Artem. Come join us?”

He looks down the street. “Why don’t you get in the car, and I’ll drive you there, then we can all walk into the restaurant,” he says while stashing the bags into the back of the SUV.

“It’s half a block,” Elana protests. “I’ll get us a table for three.”

He eyes us for a moment, already sensing he’s lost. It’s Elana after all.

“I’ll get a seat at the bar.”

“Your choice!” Elana laughs and loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go before he changes his mind and throws us in the car.”

The street is bustling with people as we make our way across the intersection. Feeling eyes on me, I look over my shoulder and find Artem watching us from the curb.

“He’s still there.” I tug on Elana’s arm.

She sighs. “He’ll probably wait until we’re inside the restaurant. The only reason he even let us get this far out of reach is because my brothers promised me they wouldn’t keep a bodyguard on me.”

Once inside the restaurant, we’re seated at a table with a small porcelain vase with a single flower.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Our waitress pops up as soon as I have my purse hooked on my chair. Elana rattles off an order before I can even ask for a menu.

“Thanks.” Elana smiles at the young woman who hasn’t written anything down as she walks away.

“What was all that you just ordered?” I would have been fine with a Caesar salad, but it sounded like she ordered a several-course meal.

“Oh, not much. Burrata for an app, then black truffle risotto, spaghetti with clams, and Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. We’ll just put it all out and share. The food here is amazing.”

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