Page 38 of Delicious Prey

“Thanks for watching over me, Kirill. The truth is I’m not sure how I would’ve made it through those two years without you. The idea of you having someone watch me was scary at first, but then it became a comfort. I’d hear my car make a new noise, and instead of feeling stressed and worried about what the hell I was going to do about it, I knew someone would take care of it for me. The same thing with problems around the house. It was a comfort to know I wasn’t alone, but it was your letters that I loved most.”

“I loved yours too, zaika.” I give a soft laugh and add, “Once I convinced you to start writing me instead of just telling me to fuck off.”

“I’m glad you didn’t listen to that.”

“That was never going to happen.”

I run my fingers along her wet skin and hold her until the water starts to grow cold and Peanut comes racing in, wondering what in the hell we’re doing. He puts his small paws on the edge of the tub and barks at us. She laughs and reaches over to pet his head. He does a cute wiggly, excited dance, giving us puppy-dog eyes that he knows she’ll be unable to resist.

“Okay,” she laughs. “We’re getting out.” She looks back at me and gives me a kiss. “I think he wants some attention.”

“He’s not used to sharing your affection.” I give him a quick pet. “Better get him a dog treat before he starts to feel really neglected. It’s been a while since he had one. I’d hate for him to get his first ever hunger pain.”

She laughs at my teasing tone and returns my kiss before I stand up to get us some towels. Tying one around my waist, I hold the other out to her. She smiles at my need to take care of her but doesn’t try to push me away. I slowly pat her perfect body dry, planting kisses on her shoulders and the nape of her neck before wrapping the towel around her. She leans closer and kisses my chest, nuzzling her nose against my chest hair.

“How do you always smell so damn good?”

I cup the back of her head and kiss the top of it. “I was wondering the same thing about you. The jasmine smell drives me crazy, but what I really crave is what’s underneath it, your unique scent, the one I’ll never be able to get enough of.”

When Peanut gives another bark, she kisses my chest and smiles up at me. I reach a hand down and gently squeeze her ass.

“How sore are you?”

“I’m still sore,” she admits. “You’re fucking huge, Kirill. I think I’m going to be sore for a while.” She points a finger at me when I can’t hold back the smile, her eyes lit up with amusement even though she’s trying to look stern. “You don’t have to look so damn proud about it.”

I lean down and give her bottom lip a soft bite. “But I am proud, zaika, and I feel like it’s my duty to always make sure you’re walking around with an ache between your legs.”

She gives my lips a quick lick and steps back. “You have to give me time to recover from this first time, though.”

I smile and watch her walk to the closet, getting a new pair of panties since I ruined the last pair. She obeys my no-bra rule this time and pulls on a T-shirt before grabbing a pair of jeans. Once she’s dressed, I manage to take my eyes off her long enough to pull my own clothes back on. Even though I know we’re safe here, old habits die hard, so when Lydia looks away for a second, I tuck my gun into the waistband of my jeans, letting it rest against the small of my back. We head back downstairs together with Peanut yapping at our heels. She gets him his treat while I start on lunch, and when she’s done, she comes over and hops up on the counter, watching me cook like we’ve been doing this for years.

“So what about my house?” she asks.

“I’ve already taken over the mortgage payments with one of my other bank accounts. I don’t want to draw attention by paying it off all at once, so the monthly payments will continue as usual. You can either keep it or sell it or rent it, whatever you want to do.”

She thinks about it while watching me check the pasta. “I think I want to hang onto it for now, but eventually I think I’d like to sell it.”

“Whatever you want, baby.” I give her a wink and start chopping everything else I need for the pasta salad.

After lunch, we take a walk down by the beach, staying out until the sun begins to set. It’s a perfect day, one I never thought in a million years I’d ever have, and I have a gnawing feeling that nothing this good can last. I shove the thought aside and tighten my grip on Lydia as we walk back to the house. I cook supper for her, loving the way she always cleans her plate, even though she still likes to snack on the licorice that I pretend I don’t see. I’ve almost convinced myself that everything’s going to be okay, that a guy like me can get a happy ending, when the alarm sounds on my phone. I recognize the sound, and it’s not the one that lets me know someone is at the gate. The annoying beep emanating from my back pocket is the one that lets me know someone has breached the fence.

Lydia’s body tenses in fear when I grip her upper arms and say, “Stay here. Do not leave this house,” right before I run for the door.

Pulling my gun, I wait in the shadows and pull up the security camera feed while listening for my dogs. I see one man dropping down from the fence, not noticing the four large shapes closing in on him. As soon as I hear the first angry bark, I run in the direction of it, sprinting across the yard and into the woods. It’s not pitch black dark yet, but it’s getting close. I dodge a few low-hanging limbs, and when I hear a deep growl right before a man’s pained scream, I speed up and close the last of the distance.

Stepping into the small clearing, I keep my gun trained on the man who’s now laying on the ground with Pyotr’s jaws locked around his throat. He’s too afraid to move and make the dog bite down harder, but his body is anything but relaxed. His heels dig into the ground, and when he tries to scoot his hand to his pocket, Boris steps closer and bares his teeth, letting him know that if he keeps moving, he’s going to lose the hand.

When I look down at him, I shake my head in disgust. I know this fucker. Hitmen typically work alone, and we sure as hell don’t trust easily, but we know of each other. It’s a small world, after all, and the guy who’s just broken onto my property is Jay Winslow, an American hitman with an impressive reputation, although not nearly as good as mine.

“What the fuck are you doing, Jay?”

“Get him off me,” he grits out between clenched teeth.

Before I give the command, I search his body, collecting the guns and knives he has on him. Stepping back, I point my gun at him and tell Pyotr to release him. The dog immediately lets go and takes a step back. His muzzle is bloody, and he’s still on full alert. They all are. Jay looks at the four dogs and then at the gun I’m holding and lets out a sigh. He knows it’s over. I’m just about to ask him how the hell he knew where I lived when I hear footsteps crashing through the woods. I look up just in time to see Lydia break through the trees.

Oh, little bunny, we’re going to have a serious discussion about obedience later.

“Are you okay?” she gasps, running up to me and looking for any injuries.

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