Contempt at the fucking fate that made my life a living hell spread like wildfire in my chest. I had learned a long time ago wishes were for naught. Just a waste of time.

I survived. Period. Nothing more; nothing less.

But now, seeing the woman that made my chest actually hurt when she looked at me, I cursed all the saints for fucking me up. Because when it came to her, a visceral need formed and hunger roared in my ears and through my veins.

To give her everything she needed. And take everything I craved from her.

Except I knew what would come out of it if I went that far.

Distaste. Pity. Disgust.

“Get dressed,” I told her, gritting my teeth. I had to get a grip around this woman. “We have an hour to get there.”

She shrugged her slim, tan shoulder and disappeared into her bedroom. For a moment I stared at the door, burning a hole through it as if it would magically turn into glass so I could see her changing.

Too deep, I kept warning myself. It wouldn’t end well. Did I try to stop it though? Fuck no.

Trying not to picture Aurora changing, my eyes shifted over her furniture. In that regard, my FBI agent was similar to me. She was a minimalist. No pictures. No knickknacks. No personal effects sitting around except for a screensaver locked laptop on the coffee table and aStar Warsmovie disk.

Weird, she didn’t strike me as aStar Warsfanatic. But then I remembered, it was her brother’s. Agent Ashford preferredLord of the Rings. The little benefits of stalking and monitoring my little agent, as morally questionable as that was.

The place was polished, just as I would expect from someone that was born into a prestigious family. A slick tan couch with white cushions, matching white side tables with lamps, and a low coffee table. A large flat-screen TV hung on the wall with a game console sitting on a shelf.

The bedroom door opened and Aurora walked into the living room, taking all the oxygen in the apartment.

Blyat!Fuck!

She looked hot as fuck, with the sweetest body I had ever seen. Drop dead gorgeous. Dressed in red, she was the definition of sin. Sexy. This woman should always wear red. I debated whether there was any possible way I could patent the color and reserve it only for her.

My eyes roamed over her body. The dress hugged her luscious curves, giving me a glimpse of her breasts. Her tits pushed against the corset of her dress. The red pumps made her legs look even longer, her skin luminescent under the soft light of her apartment.

Suddenly, I regretted going to the club and letting anyone see her like this.

ChapterEighteen

ALEXEI

“We didn’t even practice.” Aurora’s voice trembled; so did her hand as she smoothed her dress down her torso for the hundredth time. “Are you sure there isn’t a better way?”

This was the only way. Igor would lead us to Ivan. The need to prove himself to Ivan was ingrained into him. And the temptation to bring to Ivan the girl I didn’t would help him earn extra brownie points. Little fucking shit.

“Yes.”

I’d never let anything happen to her, but I suspected it was the part about possibly having to perform that got her all riled up. It was ironic really. It was the only part I looked forward to. Yes, the circumstances weren’t ideal, but it was certainly a perk. At least for me.

There was an air of vulnerability about her as she wrapped her arms around her waist. Like she was protecting herself.

I couldn’t help but admire her. She portrayed strength even when nervous. There weren’t too many women that’d be brave enough to follow through with this. Though the final act was yet to happen.

Her gaze kept fleeting my way as if she studied me. It was clear I wasn’t her type. If her ex-boyfriends were anything to go by, she liked clean cut guys. I was far away from clean-cut.

Her ankle gave out, and I instinctively wrapped my hand around her upper arm, catching her. The softness of her skin registered immediately. Flawless and smooth. I could almost imagine how good she’d feel against me.

She stared at where my fingers clutched her bare skin, then her dark eyes flickered to my face. Careful not to betray how much I loved the feel of her skin under my palms, I slowly let go.

Her delicate neck bobbed as she swallowed. “Thanks.”

I nodded, then we continued walking and I ensured my steps were slower to accommodate her. In no time, we stood in front of the discrete black door.