Chapter Seven
I had to admit to being unnerved several days after the encounter with Kingston Brannington.
His last name still invoked fear in me, but I wouldn’t be intimidated.
There was no real reason to worry because until the other night, I hadn’t run into him before, and I hadn’t since, so I’d likely worked myself up over nothing.
I needed to just keep my cool and stay the path.
Aram was my bigger concern because he’d find me one of these days, and when he did, I’d be on the run again.
Until then, I’d bank as much money as I could.
And tonight, I had a date with a new client. His name was Graham Benson. I knew nothing about him, but he’d been vetted through the agency. First date jitters always set in, and while he’d be picking me up at the Four Seasons, he’d never see the inside of my room. No one ever did.
Like most clients, this one had a simple request. Wear red! It happened to be one of my favorite colors, so fulfilling his wish wouldn’t be a problem at all. The mini dress was crimson and had a large slit down the center, which displayed my breasts.
It was also skin-tight, and the length was so short that it barely came mid-thigh.
While this was a new client, I briefly worried if something this revealing would give off the wrong impression, but ultimately decided to keep it on.
My profile clearly listed my limits, and he’d hired me, so he’d been okay with them.
I quickly applied my lipstick and perfume as the room phone rang. Snatching it up, I answered. “Hello.”
“This is Frederick with the front desk. You have a caller downstairs. Should I send him up?”
“No, I’m on my way downstairs,” I told him before hanging up the phone.
After grabbing my cell phone and purse, I left my room.
There was little concern on my part as I took the elevator to the lobby.
Once there, I tried to see if I could find someone fitting the description of the man the agency told me about, but I did not, so I turned around and started to head toward the concierge desk.
“Ekaterina”
I stopped dead in my tracks at the familiar voice with the most delicious hint of a rasp. Turning around quickly, I gasped when the man I saw was none other than Kingston Brannington.
“Are you stalking me?” I asked in accusation.
“Stalking you? Definitely not. Rescuing you from a night of boredom, possibly.”
My brow furrowed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I actually have a date tonight.”
“I know, and it’s with me.”
“What?”
“I’m Graham Benson,” he said, and I felt dizzy as I waited for the floor to open beneath me and swallow me whole.
“You’re not,” I said, but with no real conviction, especially when he smirked and drew his wallet out of his tuxedo pocket. He thrust a license toward me which bore that name, but I knew who he was. “That’s not your na?—”
“You and I are from the same world. You know names and faces are never the same.” He had a point, but as I quickly tried to think of an excuse to cancel, he grabbed my hand, and like at the party, a jolt of electricity passed between us.
“I hate attending parties alone, and you were so gracious at the last one.” I narrowed my eyes, especially when he grinned more broadly.
“It’s just a date, Ekaterina. Nothing more. ”
There was something lurking in the depth of this bad boy’s eyes, but I saw the challenge in those orbs, and determined to never cower to a Brannington ever again, I squared my shoulders.
“Fine.” While there was a bit of apprehension on my part, I wanted to know what he was up to, so I ended up taking his hand.
He tugged lightly but slowed his long steps enough so I could walk beside him and not have to give chase.
These stilettos had quite a heel on them, and while I could function doing anything in ones five inches or shorter, these were closer to six inches, so I’d be limited in how fast I could move.
We breezed through the door, then out into the sultry night air.
Since I’d not been keeping up with Kingston, I had no idea what mode of transportation he used.
I followed him down the street until a royal blue Porsche came into view.
Nothing was said as I slid into the passenger seat after he held the door open for me.
He got into the car as well, then pulled out onto the street before I spoke.
“Do you often have to pay such obscene rates for a date?”
He chuckled. “No, but tonight I’ve made an exception.”
“Lucky me,” I sneered, not even bothering to hide my sarcasm. “Now cut the bullshit and tell me why.”
“Such language from those beautiful lips,” he said, and I didn’t even need to turn toward him to know how amused he was.
“If you like my English so much, wait until you hear my Russian.”
“I’m looking forward to it. After all, I’m fluent in four languages, Ekaterina.”
“And I’m fluent in six,” I said, not sure why I admitted that, but it made me feel better to put myself on at least equal footing with him. “Are you going to answer my question about why you hired me?”
“Such impatience, too. I’m going to test the limits of your restraint one night.”
“You already are,” I snapped back. “Now, tell me where we’re going or else I want you to pull over and let me out of this car.”
“Do you always have to be in control?” he asked me.
“Yes,” I retorted, and wanted to add that it was no thanks to his pervert brother, but I didn’t want to bring Princeton up now, or ever. “And while I’m sure you have a harem of women willing to let you control them, I’ll never be one of them.”
He moved his hand to my bare leg, and I had to suck in my breath as his hand lazily crept up my thigh, leaving a trail of tingling sensations in its wake. “Never say never.”
“Nev—”
“Shhh,” he said, and after he dragged the bottom of my dress all the way up my leg, his hand slipped between my legs. “Don’t test me, Ekaterina. If you do, you’ll see that I have less patience than others.”
I didn’t know whether he was speaking about men I’d dated, or even his brother, but I let out the breath I’d been holding in as soon as he removed his hand.
Like most Mafia Dons I knew, Kingston was a take-charge type of man, and just imagining him doing more had my panties already damp.
And imagining that deep rasp in the darkness as he tried bending my body to his will nearly made me whimper out loud.
Thankfully, my vivid thoughts took a backseat when he pulled into the parking garage of another luxury hotel.