Chapter Fourteen
Igor
April sat beside me in the back seat of my car and silently fumed.
Her arms were folded tight across her chest, and her ankles were crossed.
She made herself as small as possible but the fire that emanated from her could ignite the whole vehicle.
She was upset that she had to leave her brother even though her friend Kelsie offered him her spare room in addition to regular updates on his condition.
“Your plan is to remain silent until you give birth?”
Her response was a lot of side eye in my direction before she turned away completely and fixed her gaze on the city as it whizzed by outside.
The inside of the car was oppressively silent as Maxim navigated through the streets until we arrived at my home, a large brick Georgian style mansion with an extended tree-lined driveway.
April snorted and shook her head as the mansion came into view, clearly unimpressed. “Of course.”
I hid my smile, amused by the fact that she was impressed—at least not visibly so—by my home or my wealth. She saw me as a means to an end which was kind of refreshing. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
“My cell, you mean?”
I was working hard to keep my patience because I understood her reluctance but dammit this was about safety, hers and my baby’s.
“Look April, I know you don’t want to be here.
I’m not sorry for bringing you here to keep you alive but I am sorry that our agreement has upended your life this way.
” I made a vow then and there that I would find a way to make it up to her.
“Right. Where will I be staying?” She shook off all the emotion and gave me a blank stare.
I nodded once and motioned for her to follow me.
“This is your room for as long as you’re here.
” I opened the door and stepped inside. “You have a private bathroom through this door here with everything you need. If something is missing just ask and I’ll make sure you have it.
” I looked back and her expression was still blank as she eyed the king-size bed with blue bedding, the armoire and chest of drawers.
“This door leads to a sitting room, feel free to do with it whatever you like.”
April’s silence was unnerving, but I matched it as I closed the door and turned to face her. She stared back, those green eyes dug deep into my soul for long moments.
Even though we weren’t as close as we’d been that day at the lake, I already knew there were flecks of forest green and gold swimming in her gaze.
Her lips, as pink and as plump as I remember, drew my stare and just like that I was back there at the lake with her, laughing and baring my soul.
I remember how she tasted, the way she moaned into my mouth and pressed her curves against me. Fuck, I don’t need to remember.
April took a step back and crossed her arms but this time it wasn’t anger or it wasn’t just anger, it was also protective. “My life is in danger. Why? What do you do to afford this mansion and employees, Mr. Stephens?”
Oh, shit. I inhaled deeply and let it out slowly because I’d completely forgotten about Roman Stephens. She was the only one who called me that and now, just when her anger was starting to subside, it would erupt. “About that,” I began and sighed once again. “My name is Igor Romanov.”
“Igor Romanov,” she repeated the words, but she wasn’t just testing the sound on her tongue, she spat it out. “Your name isn’t Roman Stephens. You lied to me even about your name and now my life is in danger. Because of you, Igor Romanov.”
I gave a sharp nod. “Yes.”
Her nostrils flared and she sucked in a deep breath and then she propelled herself forward, shoving my chest with her full strength. Once. Twice. Three times she pushed me, and she wasn’t done yet. “Fucking liar!”
“April, listen. I did it for your own protection.”
“Bullshit!” She pushed me again, her green eyes blazed with fury. “You did this to protect yourself and your precious business.”
“April,” I began again and gripped her wrists to stop her fists from pushing me again.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Her smile was wild, half-crazed. “These enemies are professional rivals of some sort, aren’t they?” She struggled against my hold, but I gripped her tight enough to keep her in place. “You don’t have to say a word, your expression says it all.”
I couldn’t remember the last time someone spoke to me the way April had. Not even Maria had dared to challenge me so blatantly. She was beautiful and feisty, and she was carrying my baby. I shouldn’t.
It would be foolish.
It would be incredibly fucking reckless.
“Are you even listening to me,” she began and struggled. I knew if she could hit me again, she would.
“No,” I growled and released her wrists, spearing my fingers in her hair. I tilted her head and crashed my mouth down onto hers, swept my tongue across her lips in a slow back and forth motion until she opened for me. I smiled against April’s mouth the moment she submitted to the kiss.
She hated me right now, but she was still attracted to me, as evidenced by the way she pressed herself against me and the way her hands fisted the lapels of my jacket. A soft moan escaped her lips, and I swallowed it down, pulling her even closer.
Our tongues tangled together in a choreographed danced that made it feel as if we’d done this plenty of times over many years.
It didn’t feel like a second kiss and it sure as fuck didn’t feel like an angry kiss.
It was fiery and explosive and when April rubbed herself against me, I deepened the kiss.
Exploring every inch of her mouth, I smiled to myself at the soft, gasping pants she let out, desperate to get closer but unable to.
She wants this. She wants me.
Even if she didn’t want to, she wanted me.
Too soon April recovered her senses and released my jacket before she stepped back, trying like hell to look angry but with her slick, swollen lips and unfocused green eyes, it failed. “You can keep me locked up here for my safety, but you can’t make me listen to your lies. Get out.”
“Excuse me?” How in the hell did I go from kissing her to being kicked out?
“You heard me,” she growled and shoved me toward the door. “Get out. Get out and stay out!”
“April, be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable. I’m here, aren’t I? But you stay away. I’ll continue to deal with Maxim.”
I frowned, “He lied too,” I reminded her.
“Only because his boss ordered him too,” she shot back and then she slammed the door in my face.
I could’ve ordered one of my men to take the door off its hinges, but I wouldn’t. I was too damn amused by her fiery spirit to do anything other than smile. Or maybe it was that fucking kiss.
When it was clear she wouldn’t open the door, I went in search of Maxim. “Has the footage revealed anything yet?”
“No,” he sighed and leaned back in the desk chair. “So far it looks like the person knew exactly where the cameras were.”
Another fact I had to tuck away for later. “Thanks.”
“How’s the houseguest?”
“Angry as hell,” I answered with a smile. “She’ll come around.”
Maxim’s brows rose, “And if she doesn’t?”
“She will,” I insisted. “Now that she is safe, we turn our focus to Voronov.”