14. Harper
Harper
Iwake to a headache and a groggy tickle in the back of my head that something very important happened last night. It takes me a second to remember it was me finding out Ev’s a Bratva member and then my forced stay at his place.
“Watson,” I mumble while I put a hand over my eyes to block the sun.
“He’s fine.”
The deep, masculine voice pulls me further out of my hangover, and when I peek my eyes open to see Ev standing over me, looking impossibly gorgeous in his finely tailored dark suit, I groan and smack my hand back over my face, knowing I must look like hell.
I hear his laugh, but I don’t open my eyes again to see the smug grin he’s probably giving me.
“Wake up, Harper. I made you coffee, and I placed a food order so you have some groceries.”
“Coffee?” I mumble, grasping onto the only light in this dark, dark tunnel.
“Yeah, but you’ve got to get off your ass if you want it. Come on,” he says again when I hesitate. “Watson and I have been up for hours, and I’ve already pushed off work long enough. I need to get to the police station.”
That gets my attention. Sitting up, I run a hand through my messy hair and ask, “What are you doing there? Has anything happened?”
“Yeah, my cousin was wrongfully arrested and accused of a crime he didn’t commit,” he deadpans while I roll my eyes.
I’m not sure why he’s so convinced of Sasha’s innocence, but he either believes it without question, or he really is the world’s greatest liar.
Considering he’s been fooling everyone for years, I’m guessing the latter might be the correct answer.
“Your stuff is already in the bathroom,” he says, walking out of view while I stretch my arms and try to talk myself into getting up.
Watson is still snuggled up next to me, but he’s awake and content, so I know Ev must’ve already taken him out and fed him. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m glad he’s taking such good care of him, but it also makes me think of him as a good guy, and Ev Melnikov is not a good guy.
I turn my head and kiss Watson’s rump before I get up and slowly make my way down the hall to the bathroom Ev had bandaged me up in.
His home is ridiculously nice, the kind of place I could never afford in a million years, and when I walk into the luxurious bathroom and see my things filling the space, I’m glad my brain still feels sluggish from the vodka because this is way too much for me to process right now.
Shutting the door, I grab my toothbrush and go about trying to make myself feel human again.
When I step back out into the living room, I can see Ev in the kitchen, pulling out the butterscotch creamer and adding a healthy portion to the mug of coffee that’s waiting for me.
I have to remind myself that he’s the enemy, that he’s the one keeping me here against my will, but it’s hard to hate him when he’s holding out a delicious offering of caffeine.
I take the oversized mug, refusing to think of it as any sort of capitulation on my part.
I may have passed out on his couch with a vague memory of stretching my legs out over his lap while he held onto my thigh, soothing me into sleep, but I will not allow myself to fall for a man who’s holding me against my will and also heavily involved in organized crime.
While my brain repeats that mantra, my eyes roam over his broad shoulders and the way his long fingers curl around his own mug.
Ev has gorgeous hands. It’s the kind of detail that drives me crazy because they’re impossible to see and not imagine how they’d look all over my naked body.
It’s unfair, really. He always keeps so much of his body covered, and it doesn’t do a damn bit of good because the few parts on display are too enticing to look away from.
“I’m torn about what to do with you while I’m gone,” he says while I quickly down half my mug and then reach for one of the bagels on the counter.
Grabbing the cream cheese, I spread enough to make it decadent and take a big bite, hoping it’ll absorb some of the vodka that’s still clearly running through my system and addling my brain.
“Is letting me go one of those options?” I ask around a bite.
“No, but locking you back up in that room is. It’s actually number one on the list of options.”
I look over at Watson. Ev notices and says, “Yeah, I know. He’s way too well behaved to lock up. It’s not fair to him.”
I swear the corner of his mouth lifts when he sees the glare I’m giving him. He’s right about Watson, but it’s definitely not fair to me either.
“One of my cousins was kind enough to come over this morning and add a few security touches.”
I look around, trying to spot the booby traps that must’ve been laid while I was sleeping last night’s drinks off.
“I won’t lock you up in the room, but there are cameras inside the house now.
All doors are locked and require a scanner to open from the inside.
” He points to the French doors. “You can let Watson out and sit out there if you want, but I’ll be watching you, Harper. If you try to leave, our deal is off.”
“We have a deal?”
“We do if you want your story,” he counters, dangling that juicy carrot in front of my face, the one he knows I can’t resist.
“What about my work?”
“You won’t have wifi on your own, but you’ll have your laptop.
I’ll give you information, you can write your articles, I’ll read them to make sure you’re not secretly screaming for help, and then you can submit them.
Same goes for texts. I read them first. Nothing leaves this house without my permission. ”
“My god, you’re such a control freak,” I tell him.
“You’re the one who tried to break into my house,” he reminds me.
“And look where it got me.” I can’t help but say with a grin while I hold up my coffee in one hand and my half-eaten bagel in another.
“I’m being served breakfast, my dog is happy, and this place is a serious upgrade from my apartment.
Also, I have my very own informant inside one of the biggest Bratvas in the country. ”
“I’m not your Bratva informant,” he says. “Not even fucking close.”
“Call it what you want, you’re promising to answer my questions.
Journalists would kill for this opportunity.
I can give up my freedom for a little bit.
” I look around, telling myself that what I’m saying could actually be true.
“I’m going to think of this as a little work vacation.
It would be cool if you had a pool, though. ”
“It’s on the roof,” he says while I laugh and shake my head.
“You’re not serious.”
“I am, but you can’t go up there without me. The door is locked so don’t even try.”
“Why can’t I go up there?” I ask him.
“It’s one of the few places my neighbors have a view of if they look out their window. I can’t risk it.”
“That does put a damper on things,” I muse before taking another bite.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. My tub is pretty big. Use your imagination,” he tells me.
“You mean it’s bigger than the one in the hall bathroom? Because that one’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s bigger, yeah. Someone needs to get some use out of it.”
“Why do the people who never take baths always end up with the biggest tubs?”
“One of life’s great conundrums,” Ev says.
“I might take you up on the soak. I slept with my head on Watson’s rump all night.” Stretching my neck and shoulders, I wince when I hit a tender spot. “Yeah, I definitely need some hot water and a giant tub.”
“Top floor, last door on the right,” he says before finishing the last of his coffee and setting his mug in the sink. “Food is in the fridge, remote is on the coffee table, and all your things are in the spare room down the hall.”
He straightens his tie and suit jacket, and a very big part of me wants to go over there and mess it up with my body.
Ev looks amazing put together, but I bet he looks even better all messed up.
I’ve gotten glimpses of it after we’d kissed, and I can’t help but want to see more.
Grabbing his briefcase and keys, he looks back over at me, blue-green eyes studying me like he’s still debating the wisdom of this plan.
“It’ll be fine,” I tell him. “I know the rules, and I’m not planning on breaking them.”
“Not planning to,” he says, “is not the same thing as not actually breaking them.”
“Don’t give me a reason to then. You keep your end of the deal, and I’ll keep mine.”
“I told you I’d tell you what I can. I’ll be back late.
” He walks over and pets Watson before coming over to me.
“Try not to burn the place down or hurt yourself again.” Reaching for my hand, he lifts it up and slowly grazes his thumb along the Band-Aids I’m still wearing.
I feel the traitorous reaction my body gives, an instant response that this man brings forth so effortlessly.
I’ve never been with a man who could so easily make me want to rip my clothes off.
I’m usually much more of a slow burn. Ev throws me right into the deep end, though. Zero to aroused in record time.
“Does it hurt?” he asks while his thumb trails the skin right below the bandage.
“No,” I say, wanting to add that my palm is not the part of my body that’s aching right now.
“Good.” He lets my hand go and takes a step back. “Don’t forget I’ll be watching. Behave yourself, Harper.”
He’s almost to the stairs when I have enough sense to yell, “Not the bathrooms, though, right?”
“What?”
“You said your cousin put in cameras, but not in the bathroom, right?” I ask, because there’s no way in hell I’ll be able to pee if I think I’m being watched and possibly recorded.
The corner of his mouth lifts up the tiniest bit. “I’m not a pervert. There are no cameras in the bathroom. If you’re going to plan my downfall, that’s the room to do it in.”
“I would never,” I say with mock sweetness. “You’re the guy who’s buying me really good food that I can’t afford otherwise.”
“See?” he asks. “I’m not the monster you thought I was.”