But not if I struck first.
My eyes darted to the gun placed exactly in the middle of the desk, several inches away from his massive hands. The distance wasn’t a help. The man was a crack shot and for most, he would be able to place a bullet right between their eyes before they had a chance to react in any manner.
I wasn’t most people.
Very slowly he moved his hand to the gun, tapping his long index finger against the cold, hard steel. Within inches was likely his signature drink, the finest scotch imported only for him. He’d been waiting for me. What was positioned next to his gun pissed me off.
My thong.
He seemed to notice my gaze, drawing the thin lace to his face and inhaling.
Fuck!
The smirk on his face was infuriating, but I also noticed a hint of a deeper, darker emotion.
Unbridled lust.
I’d never felt so uncomfortable or caught off guard, every inch of my body peppered with goosebumps. I kept the gun planted in both hands, widening my stance. His only acknowledgment was a lift of a single eyebrow. The Russian was without a doubt one of the coolest and most conniving monsters I’d ever come in contact with.
He was also absolutely stunning; shaggy shoulder-length blond hair that remained unruly even with his polished exterior, a muscular body that screamed of training and self-control, but his eyes were the dead giveaway to his soul. Almost iridescent, the color could only be described as the most beautiful sapphire ever forged deep within the earth.
To say I was attracted to the man was an understatement, a betrayal of the woman I’d pushed aside in favor of living my life in relative bleakness and solitude. Yet every part of me quivered, my nipples fully aroused from the thought of what he could do to my body.
Just like what had happened only hours before.
I’d taken a calculated risk, longing to see what he was made of. Fate had put us together with ease, the moment of intimacy we’d shared more passionate than I cared to admit.
Damn it.
My guard had fallen, tossed away in the heat of the moment.
I’d allowed the man to fuck me or maybe it was the other way around, our attraction far too intense. I could still feel the effects of him, could still smell the scent of his cum slathered across my body.
“Roxy. So lovely to see you again. Or would you prefer I call you by your given name? Willow Church, sister of the rather nasty creature known as Peter Church.” Aleksei chuckled, the same dark and dangerous tone that I’d heard at the earlier reception. Only then, he’d been pretending, acting as if he was anything but the heinous monster he truly was. His Russian accent was almost as attractive as every other well-endowed feature, the smooth as velvet tone no doubt allowing him the pick of the litter. “I find the name Church to be rather ironic, however. Neither of you are holy in any manner. Then again, I do know you in the biblical sense now. Delicious, I might add.”
I wanted to claw out his eyes.
I remained quiet, as if the mask covering my head was enough to hide my true identity. I pointed the gun at his head, shifting back and forth from foot to foot. If he thought he was going to rile me, he was dead wrong.
He issued another tap on the weapon, followed by a deep sigh. With exaggerated moves, he lifted the gun as he stood, moving around the side of the desk as if we were merely old friends prepared for a basic conversation. When he sat on the edge, crossing his long legs, I realized I was wet, pussy juice soaking my already damp jeans.
Damn the man.
“Nicely done,” he offered.
“I suggest you cut the crap, Aleksei. Your number has been pulled.”
“Interesting choice of words, but I must tell you that you’re wrong. You are well aware of my capabilities and if those weren’t enough, with the simple wave of my hand at that camera in the corner you obviously missed, this building will be surrounded within forty-five seconds. Since you are very calculated and organized, I’m certain you’ve already done the math as to how long it would take you to get down thirty flights of stairs.”
A cold shiver trickled down my spine as I looked quickly at the camera in question. Goddamn the man. I had missed the obvious security. I was slipping. “Or?”
“Let me think about this. We do have a connection, you and I.”
“A connection.”
“Yes. I can smell your desire from here, just like I could at the celebration. Besides, the kiss and the hard fuck we shared at the celebration was… extraordinary.” Aleksei took a deep breath and held it for a full five seconds.
I took a step closer until he lifted his eyebrows, his demeanor shifting entirely.
“All right, Willow, we can play this one of two ways. You can simply surrender to me, handing over your weapon and allowing me to dole out punishment for the length of time I determine in ways that I decide.” He seemed so certain of himself, as if I wasn’t a trained assassin who could kill him with a single shot.
I had nothing to say, my mind calculating the exact time it would take me to fire off the kill shot.
He tilted his head, allowing his gaze to fall toward my scuffed boots, forcing another round of nerves sliding down my spine. Reaching for his drink, he took several sips, oh-so relaxed in every mannerism. He had no fear of me. After swallowing in an exaggerated manner, he stood once again, the thick glass still in his hand as he swaggered closer.
“Or…” Aleksei allowed the word to linger, the same husky voice spinning me almost out of control, “I can merely eliminate another enemy and no one will be the wiser, but of course I won’t stop there. Your death will just be the beginning. While I admire your tenacity, as you can imagine, I can’t allow you to walk out of here. I do have certain protocol that must be followed. It would be a shame to ruin such incredible beauty; however, I wouldn’t mind breaking you.”
The bastard.
The words hung in the air, leaving frigid air shifting around me like a whirlwind and a huge pit in the middle of my stomach. I’d handled assholes before, brutes who believed they could best a woman in every manner, but this man was… impenetrable.
However, my extensive training and fortitude refused to allow me to give in. What he’d mastered in strength, I’d perfected in speed. I had one shot at this and I took it. The lunge I could tell he hadn’t expected.
Then again, I hadn’t anticipated his.
I heard the single blast and somewhere in my mind I knew my gun had gone off. Not the way I wanted and certainly not hitting the target I’d intended. The dull thud as the bullet hit the thick plate glass window was a reminder that the Russian was always prepared for anything.
Including an assassination attempt.