talk.”
“Whose side are you on, exactly?” I asked. “Are you with me, or are you with Dimitri and Ivan? Is there something going on I should know about, Julia?”
She sat back and shot me an appalled look. “You know whose side I’m on,” she hissed. “It’s not like I’m sneaking down there and sleeping with him.”
I raised an eyebrow, unable to resist the opportunity. “Now, there’s an idea. I wonder if it would get him to talk.”
“You ass,” she responded playfully.
I chuckled, trying to keep the mood lighthearted, but I really had expected her to fall in line more after sleeping with me, at least more than she was.
“Well, look, while you’re eating, I think I’m going to go downstairs and check on him,” she said.
I reached out and touched her hand. Covering my mouth while I finished chewing, I protested, “No, he’s fine. Sit down. Let’s talk for a bit before you get started. He’ll be there no matter when you go down.”
She sat back down with a puzzled look on her face. “Wow, I certainly didn’t expect this,” she said, staring me right in the eye.
“What?”
“I expected you to be done with me after sex. I expected all that caring and closeness to turn out to be an act just to get me in bed. I figured things would be back to business as usual today,” she explained.
Juarez and Chase weren’t back from the basement yet, so no, things couldn’t go back to business as usual . Not while they were still working Dimitri over.
I grinned at my beautiful companion. “Now why would you think that?” I asked.
She blushed and shook her head. “I don’t know.” She turned her eyes away, but before she did, I saw something in them. I couldn’t read her mood yet, but I got the distinct feeling there was something she wasn’t telling me.
I gently stroked her arm and hand. “Nothing is going to change what happened, or how I feel,” I told her, sweetening my tone so she’d believe me.
“I know. I’ve told myself I’m just being silly,” she admitted.
“It’s okay, but wait for me to finish eating,” I told her. “I want to go down there with you.”
“I really think I should meet with him alone,” she said in a serious tone. “I think I stand a better chance getting him to talk that way.”
I stared into those deep green eyes, unable to tell her the real reason I was keeping her from going downstairs to resume questioning Dimitri. I knew if I told her I had a couple of guys persuading him to talk to her, she’d probably try to call it off again. Luckily, if it did come to that, I knew the sex would give me at least a little leverage. While I wouldn’t have to say anything, I hoped she would be a little less likely to just jump up and walk out now that we’d slept together.
“I certainly agree,” I told her, taking a bite of my omelet. “I just want to be down there in case anything happens. I want to be able to get to you quickly.”
“I’m flattered you want to protect me, but I can handle myself,” she said. “Especially in a room with a man tied to a chair.”
“Don’t underestimate Dimitri,” I warned her. “He’s not as compliant and weak as you think.”
“You keep telling me that,” she said, challenging me. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“Yet being the operative word.”
She got up to leave. “Look, just come down there when you’re finished,” she said, starting to walk away.
I grabbed her arm, and the feel of her soft, delicate skin under my grip sent a jolt of pleasure through me. I wanted her again. “Sit down,” I told her, covering my full mouth with my other hand. “Why are you in such a hurry to go down there this morning?”
“Why are you trying so hard to keep me here?” she snapped back.
I realized I was all out of answers. “Just sit with me for a minute,” I told her.
She sat back down, but
“Whose side are you on, exactly?” I asked. “Are you with me, or are you with Dimitri and Ivan? Is there something going on I should know about, Julia?”
She sat back and shot me an appalled look. “You know whose side I’m on,” she hissed. “It’s not like I’m sneaking down there and sleeping with him.”
I raised an eyebrow, unable to resist the opportunity. “Now, there’s an idea. I wonder if it would get him to talk.”
“You ass,” she responded playfully.
I chuckled, trying to keep the mood lighthearted, but I really had expected her to fall in line more after sleeping with me, at least more than she was.
“Well, look, while you’re eating, I think I’m going to go downstairs and check on him,” she said.
I reached out and touched her hand. Covering my mouth while I finished chewing, I protested, “No, he’s fine. Sit down. Let’s talk for a bit before you get started. He’ll be there no matter when you go down.”
She sat back down with a puzzled look on her face. “Wow, I certainly didn’t expect this,” she said, staring me right in the eye.
“What?”
“I expected you to be done with me after sex. I expected all that caring and closeness to turn out to be an act just to get me in bed. I figured things would be back to business as usual today,” she explained.
Juarez and Chase weren’t back from the basement yet, so no, things couldn’t go back to business as usual . Not while they were still working Dimitri over.
I grinned at my beautiful companion. “Now why would you think that?” I asked.
She blushed and shook her head. “I don’t know.” She turned her eyes away, but before she did, I saw something in them. I couldn’t read her mood yet, but I got the distinct feeling there was something she wasn’t telling me.
I gently stroked her arm and hand. “Nothing is going to change what happened, or how I feel,” I told her, sweetening my tone so she’d believe me.
“I know. I’ve told myself I’m just being silly,” she admitted.
“It’s okay, but wait for me to finish eating,” I told her. “I want to go down there with you.”
“I really think I should meet with him alone,” she said in a serious tone. “I think I stand a better chance getting him to talk that way.”
I stared into those deep green eyes, unable to tell her the real reason I was keeping her from going downstairs to resume questioning Dimitri. I knew if I told her I had a couple of guys persuading him to talk to her, she’d probably try to call it off again. Luckily, if it did come to that, I knew the sex would give me at least a little leverage. While I wouldn’t have to say anything, I hoped she would be a little less likely to just jump up and walk out now that we’d slept together.
“I certainly agree,” I told her, taking a bite of my omelet. “I just want to be down there in case anything happens. I want to be able to get to you quickly.”
“I’m flattered you want to protect me, but I can handle myself,” she said. “Especially in a room with a man tied to a chair.”
“Don’t underestimate Dimitri,” I warned her. “He’s not as compliant and weak as you think.”
“You keep telling me that,” she said, challenging me. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“Yet being the operative word.”
She got up to leave. “Look, just come down there when you’re finished,” she said, starting to walk away.
I grabbed her arm, and the feel of her soft, delicate skin under my grip sent a jolt of pleasure through me. I wanted her again. “Sit down,” I told her, covering my full mouth with my other hand. “Why are you in such a hurry to go down there this morning?”
“Why are you trying so hard to keep me here?” she snapped back.
I realized I was all out of answers. “Just sit with me for a minute,” I told her.
She sat back down, but
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