Page 55 of His Smile
Roman shrugged. “I told you, I got into a fight withAlexei.”
“You mean just you and Alexei, not together…as a team?”
Roman laughed. “No, but if I had to get into a fight and Ineeded a wingman, I would definitely pick Alexei as back up.”
“Why were you two fighting?” She didn’t understand at all.
“A simply disagreement. I knew he would never stop sulkingunless I let him hit me.”
“But you hit him back,” she said, confused even more so now.How was letting Alexei hit him an apology?
“Of course,” he said as if insulted by the idea.
“That’s a terrible way of settling a disagreement,” steppingcloser to him she tilted her head up to look at him and her heart fluttered. Hehadn’t shaved today. Normally, Roman kept his wide jawline neat and shaven eachday, but today she could see some of the dark hair trying to grow through.Unshaven and bruised and covered in tattoos, he looked exactly like the manpeople feared him to be. “You don’t plan to do this often, right?” she gesturedto his bruised face. “I don’t think I could handle seeing you beat up likethis.”
Reaching for her waist, he gave her an admonishing click ofhis tongue as he pulled her against him. "I told you I won."
Smiling, she let him pull her from the bathroom and walk herinto the bedroom. “Mmm, but Alexei didn’t look as bad as you.”
“Because his is mostly internal organ damage,” he grinneddelightedly.
She wanted to ask him why he invited her tonight. From themoment she sat down at the dinner table next to him, talking and laughing withthe other women, she felt strangely out of place while feeling like shebelonged at the same time. Was what they had even real? Was this oddrelationship she had with this dangerous man going anywhere? When it firststarted, she wasn’t thinking about the future, she just wanted him. She wantedto be possessed by this man, touched by him. She wanted Roman to want her asmuch as she wanted him, and now—she found herself wanting the same thing allover again but craving something deeper.
He stopped leading her, and they stood in the middle of theroom, his hands still around her waist. “What are you thinking of?”
“Nothing,” she lied, pushing the thoughts from her head andleaning into his hand with a smile.
Lifting her hands, she smoothed them across the expanse ofhis muscles, brushing across the stars ingrained into his flesh beforefollowing the natural ridges of his abs.
She could tell he didn’t believe her, his gray eyes turningsharp as they examined her as if she was trying to read her thoughts. "Youdo not have to worry about the fight, it was as friendly as a fight amongstbrothers could be.”
Between his deep rolling accent and the mischievous gleam inhis eyes, she could not bring herself to believe him. Giving him a suspiciouslook, she pursed her lips and nodded. “Uh huh, sure,” she said with evidentdisbelief, reaching up to gently trace the outer rim of his lip just below thecut. “I don’t believe you. Just try not to make this a habit, please.”
She could see the moment the spark of heat bloomed in hiseyes, widening his pupils before contracting like an eagle to his prey. Dippinghis head to her neck, Rahina closed her eyes as she felt his lips at thejuncture of her neck.
“When you walked in tonight dressed like that,” his lipsdragged across her skin as she spoke. “Showing everyone just how beautiful youare, I had to physically restrain myself from dragging you back out. It wasonly the promise of how I planned to punish you later that consoled me.”
“Punish me?!” She jumped at the feel of his teeth nipping ather skin. Pushing against the hot flesh of his chest, she tried to lean back tolook at him squarely. “Roman, I don’t want to be punished, I didn’t doanything…”
Slowly the smile spread across his lips, never-ending anddark. Gleefully his bent down to kiss her as his hands tightened at her waist,turning them both. “I bought us something.”
Not trusting his insane grin, she shook her head in questionas he turned her around. In the corner of the bedroom was a new black leatherclub chair. To say she was confused would be an understatement, the chair wasplain, it was oddly shaped in the back, and didn’t match a thing in the room.
“Ok,” she said slowly.
Letting go of her waist, he walked around to the back of thechair and stood behind it. “It’s a special chair.”
Dubious, at his odd mood, she crossed her arms over herchest. "How so?"
Still smiling, Roman grabbed the back of the chair andflipped it to the front. The back that looked odd seconds ago now formed awedge like cushion in the front where one would normally lean back against asthey sat. Walking around to the front Roman reached for something near the seatcushion until he revealed two black cuffs, one on either side. Comprehensiondawned on her immediately.
Backing up, she shook her head. "No," she held upboth hands as he came towards her, warding him away. "I don't want to bestrapped down on to that."
Cocking his head to the side, he spread both arms outward.“Would I ever hurt you?”
Shaking her head. “No, but Roman I don’t…
Tilting his head back until he stared at her down the ridgeof his nose, his smile disappeared. “Come here.”
