Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
8
ANTON
Idon’t know everything there is to learn about Liliana. I only met her last night, and ever since Viktor brought her in shivering and cold after she crashed into my parked car out front, I’ve treated myself to exploring her delectable body and finding all the ways to pleasure her.
I lack the time and energy to get to know everything about her. That’s just how my hectic life is as a workaholic.
But I do know this.
She’s consistently eager to get away.
At first it came across as a sweet need to avoid being a bother. It’s endearing, this reflexive instinct to stay independent and not expect me to clean up her mess.
Now, holding her close and wondering why she’s so desperate to sneak out of my bed, I can’t help my curiosity about her flightiness. I’m too used to people overstaying their welcome and testing the limits of my patience. Liliana’s eagerness to slip away has caught my interest.
Before I can ask why she’s so determined to get away, I fight off the thoughts that she could have something—or someone—to get back to. Once more, I hate the idea of another man having the right to claim her. It’s possessive as fuck. It’s twisted, considering I’ve only just met her and knowing full well my busy life leaves no room for a girlfriend or a lover.
Her stomach growls, and she cringes, cheeks going pink. “Sorry.”
I scowl. “What the fuck for?”
She lifts her brows and parts her lips, searching for an answer.
“Why are you sorry that you’re hungry?” I ask, dismissing the multitude of other questions I have for her, like why she feels the need to get away from me. Sure, I’m bossy and demanding, but last night, she showed how much she liked my guidance.
“I’m…not,” she admits sheepishly.
“Then why are you acting like you’re doing something wrong?” Annoyed that I never fed her last night, and set on making up for it now, I hold her close and sit up, pulling her with me until she’s seated on my lap. A reminder that she’s not going anywhere. Not yet. Not until I say so.
That blush is still there, making her even sexier. It’s not an act. She’s not faking some kind of doe-eyed innocence to manipulate me. I can tell.
“You’re hungry. So am I.” I kiss her deeply, as a reminder that I’m hungry for her, too. “That’s part of being human.”
She sighs, leaning into me. “I know. It’s just that, um, my ex used to give me a hard time when my stomach would growl.”
I rear back to frown at her. Hearing that she has an ex, and not a current man in her life, sounds fucking amazing. But I despise him already. Both for having her first before I could and also for how he treated her.
“He was never into my body, and…” She frowns, more in anger than sadness. “And he was always telling me I was too fat.”
I grip the back of her neck and pull her in close to kiss her. I manage to erase that frown, but when we part for air, she’s slow to smile back at me. “He sounds like a fucking moron.”
She pulls her lips in and hesitates. “I don’t know if you really mean that.”
I nod. “It’s his loss he can’t appreciate a gorgeous woman.” I smooth my hands over her hips, wishing I had the time to hold on to her like I did last night, fucking her until she begged to come.
“No, I mean, you can’t actually think that about him. Because, um…” She winces. “Um, he’s your son.”
I don’t release her. Her statement surprises me, but it isn’t working as a deterrent to my desire for her. “What?”
She bobs her head and tucks some of her golden hair back behind her ear. “Yeah. I didn’t realize it last night. But I saw your tattoo this morning.” She presses her fingertip to the one on my chest. “This one, that says you’re the boss of the Sokolov Family. And it clicked.” She lowers her gaze again, but only for a second. “I dated Roman for just under a year. We shared an apartment. But when I walked in on him cheating on me with my best friend a week ago, I left him.” She clears her throat, tipping her chin up higher, as if saying that fills her with pride, not shame. “He brought me here over the holidays.”
Instead of bringing you to the family gatherings.
My stupid son brought some other woman, instead. Not her.
Now it makes sense. I thought something about Liliana’s voice was familiar, and I realize I must have heard her in the background sometime when Roman called me.
“And I left a few things. I came here to get them, and I didn’t count on crashing into your car. Or meeting you. Or letting last night happen.” She licks her lips. “I didn’t know you were his father.”