Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(26)

“I have no intention of cutting you loose.”

She rolled her eyes. Sure, she thought with just a touch of scorn as she turned to face him. “What is that you keep calling me?” On her toes she went—had to—and the pleasure she took from pressing kisses to the corners of his mouth was immense. She dropped back down and barely held herself back from snuggling into his front and pressing her ear to his chest so she could listen to his voice from the inside.

“It is an endearment that sounds unusual when translated. I use it because you smell of rich cream and strawberries.”

“And that makes me your creamy berry?”

“Are you creamy?”

Lightning strikes popped over the surface of her skin. “When you’re not talking stupid? Yes. Very. Wanna feel?” She did step into him then, but all she did was rub her breasts across the front of his shirt.

“Later. As I said, I want to talk a bit more stupid before I have you.”

His straight face was getting harder for her to read. “Will I shock anyone in the house if I don’t put on a bra?”

He stepped back, and his eyes went down. Dale could have sworn she felt a plume of lust billow out from him. “You won’t shock them,” he said quietly and without humor. “But if my people stare at this body I’ve yet to sample, I’m likely to take another life, and I’d rather not upset you again on your first night in our home.” He disappeared into the closet and came out a second later with a white lace bra that he draped over her shoulder before walking to the door. “I’ll be right outside.”

Dale jerked on the bra and joined him in under thirty seconds. “Is this another of your shopper’s purchases or am I wearing someone else’s bra?”

He smiled a little as he put his phone away. “It was purchased for you.”

Of course, it was, she thought as she slipped her hand into his and kept pace beside him.

How could a guy be both adorable and psychotic at the same time, she wondered as they began a tour through a mansion more luxurious than anything she’d ever been inside before. With every room, she realized more and more just how far out of her element she was.

At one point, they passed by a handful of men and women who turned out to be staff, and Lukas stuck it to her by introducing her and being friendly while asking after their night. It would have been easier if he’d been a prick and ignored them. Or better yet, if he’d ordered them to their knees and made them bow as he walked by. Then she’d have been able to slot him into the gross-me-out category. She would have been Teflon where he was concerned; her stay in his home unmemorable. But…no.

He showed her rooms that actually looked lived in, a pool so inviting she’d itched to dive into the calm blue waters, and, finally, a large kennel that housed four Cane Corsos in a variety of sizes and colors. The dogs were quiet until Lukas whistled. Then they went bananas, barking, butts wagging, jumping against the fence. He left them to it as he spoke to a man with a bushy salt-and-pepper mustache and a big smile. She didn’t know what they talked about because they did it in Russian.

Once they were alone again, Lukas spoke one sharp word, still in Russian, and the dogs settled immediately. Then their owner proceeded to feel her up in front of them. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. Brought each of her hands to his mouth to kiss her palms. He gripped her hips and slid his long fingers down until he almost reached her knees. While he was bent, he gave her shoulder a nip that made her smile through her enflamed skin and excitedly thumping heart.

“What are you doing?”

Ugh. Her voice had come out soft and lover-like. Not sexy and fucky-like as it should have done. Come on, Dale, you can do better!

He pulled her against his front and rubbed his chest on her back, and a growing erection across her ass. “Making sure they know you’re mine. We’re only visiting with four of the ten we have, but they can still be a handful.”

When he was done, he ran his hand in a possessive swipe over one of her butt cheeks before opening the gate, and for the next twenty minutes, Dale had to suffer through watching Mr. Murdery act like a big kid as he played with a small pack of ferocious guard dogs. Once he was sure she wouldn’t be their meal, he allowed her to sink to the floor so she could also get mauled and slobbered on.

As they left the kennel, she wasn’t feeling so confident in her ability to remain distanced. They stopped in something of a mudroom to wash up before returning to the house via a brick path that was sheltered on either side by twelve-foot walls.

Their next stop was a kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and fresh herb plants sitting in front of the windows.

“Sit.”

Lukas stood next to an island that boasted three sinks and a mountain of fresh produce on one end. He pulled out a carved stool and waited for her to slide on before turning away.

“Excuse me for a minute.”

She wordlessly watched him walk out an arched exit that didn’t have a door attached. Once he was gone, she tried to reassure herself that she could do this. Just because he was all sorts of attractive, it didn’t mean he was going to get inside her. She wouldn’t allow it. She knew how to protect herself when it really mattered.

The windows across the way had no curtains or blinds, which afforded Dale a perfect view of two men strolling by a fountain in the beautifully lit gardens. They wore all black and had gun belts like the ones cops wore. But, unlike a typical officer on a street corner who carried only a revolver, these two had semi-automatics hanging over their shoulders.