Page 10 of Mistletoe and Mayhem

“Tell me about them. The twins.” Ruski lowered my hand but didn’t release his grip, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand.

“You’re terrible.” I tugged at my hand but he held firm, a small smile curling the corners of his lips where I wanted to kiss him, have him kiss me again like he had when he’d turned up on our doorstep. Today. “You only arrived today?” I blinked.

He laughed softly. “Tell me stories of your boys.” He folded his hands—mine still attached in one—behind his head and lay back to stare up at the stars, drawing me down alongside him. “I want to know.”

I want to know everything about you.

He said that to me the night we met in the club in Bangkok, tucking my hair behind my ear and tracing spots on my throat that made me moan.Show me what you like so I can tease you later.He hadn’t lied about that; whatever I thought we did on the main floor, lap dancing for him, finding out if our bodies worked together, though dating wasn’t ever supposed to be on the menu.

But because he was a Boryenka, he got whatever he wanted, and for that week, what he wanted wasme.

I got the impression that had his uncle not abandoned him and later tried to kill him, from the reports of local gossip, Ruski would have whisked me away to wherever he lived and that would be that. But his life intervened and we moved along. Until now, when he was back in my life.

“Are you staying?” I frowned, rolling slightly onto my side, and tucking the pillow beneath my lower back. I couldn't breathe lying flat anymore, not with a baby sleeping on my organs. I battled baby brain hormones to make sense of his sudden appearance. “Are they all in there plotting your demise?”

“Nah. I’m too good looking to kill.” He smirked without opening his eyes. “Tell me stories, Abby.”

I sighed, sinking back onto his pillow, and shifting with all the grace of a whale. “I was still at the bar, and I still didn't really have a home. ‘Cause, you know, my chosen source of income meant I dishonored my family, though funnily enough they took the money I sent back for rent every month.” I shook my head and let out a slow breath. Right. Twins. I could do this. “They found me dancing, much like you did. Sat in the bar, caused a ruckus.” I giggled and shook my head. “They took on Buster. Do you remember him? Ex-American Navy, absolutely massive?”

“Built like a brick shithouse but was decent to the girls. Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, they took him on. Dressed in sequins and heels and whatever else they’d picked out to wear in drag for the night. I got the idea they were meant to be on an operation but decided that enough work was enough... Eventually I came out to break it up and found poor Buster on his knees with the two of them prancing around him. I thought they were drunk or on some designer street drug but nope, turns out that’s just the way they were. A few hours later, I was in bed with both of them and the morning after, I landed in Australia. Illegally, too. It was madness.”

“Sounds like it.” Ruski propped himself up on one arm, turning to face me. From this angle he leaned over me a little, blocking out the stars and stealing my air. “So, what you’re saying is I enjoyed fucking around with you too much, and should have taken you back home before anyone else could argue with me?”

“I—” I stared up at him, starlight reflected in his yellow gaze, the warmth of him emanating against my body.

“Mmhm?” He leaned down, hesitating a breath from my skin. The world stilled, quieting. Then his mouth dropped to mine, grazing over my lips in a searing kiss that curled my bare toes. “Should I take you away right now? Is that what I was supposed to do with you?”

Was I ready to let Ruski fling me into his version of the whirlwind I knew was coming, so different from the twins—slow, seductive and hot as all hells on this earth and below it? I turned the thought over in my mind and found nothing abhorrent about it.Baobeikicked my hand. I gave a gentle squeeze, a million unsexy and unromantic thoughts floating across my mind, but luckily it wasn’t me who answered the soldier curled around me.

“Everything okay out here? Abby?” Ace stepped onto the long verandah at the back of the house, his voice projected into the backyard.

Ruski curled his hand around my cheek, brushing his thumb back and forth. A river of tremors scattered in the wake of his touch, leaving every nerve ending alight and aching.

“I’m fine. Thank you, Linc.”

Lincon Kelly made a dissatisfied noise deep in his throat. “Fine. Hadleigh will be here soon. First door on the left. If you need either of us...wake me up. I don’t care what time it is.”

“Yes,sir,” Ruski murmured sarcastically.

I stifled a giggle. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Ace made another male noise and moved away.

“Were you thanking me?” Ruski tucked his hand beneath me, drawing me closer to him while managing to avoid my bump.

The back screen door clanged shut, reverberating in its frame.

“Smart ass—” I started to whisper back.

Ruski silenced me with his mouth, kissing me deeply, more intimate than he had by the door hours ago. But somehow, being alone made it that much more visceral. His tongue swept along mine in a dance that took me straight back to Bangkok.

Memory assailed me in his kiss, the press of his body against mine, until I was tumbling and only Ruski’s arms were there to catch me.

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