My heart jumped. “Yulia has her math tutor.”
“Good. Leave her in Margot’s charge. I’ll send a car to pick you up.”
“Why?” I asked.
His eyebrow lifted at the defiance in my voice.
After the previous night, he no longer deserved courtesy. He could go ahead and fire me if he wanted.
He looked away from me and to Yulia. “Yulia, would you excuse April and me for a moment? Ask Margot for a coffee refill for me.”
I watched as the little girl slid out of the chair with a concerned look for me and took her exit from the room.
The fear in her eyes worried me so as I turned back to her uncle I asked, “Why does Yulia seem so afraid of you?”
“It’s the usual reaction most people have around me. You on the other hand seem particularly hostile.”
I took a long sip of my juice.
“Is this because of last night?”
I boldly met his gaze. “Last night? What about it?”
He let his fork clatter noisily to the plate, and leaned back against his chair.
My anger slowly began to flame the fire of desire for him that had begun from the moment he’d entered the room.
“I had an emergency,” he stated with a sigh. “Do you think I wanted to leave?”
I looked down at my plate. Suddenly, I felt almost tearful.
“I apologize,” he murmured.
“There’s no need to. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” I said quickly. “Why do you need me at 4 pm?”
He answered without taking his gaze off mine, “I’m going to put a gun in your hands.”
My brain sputtered to a stop. “What?”
“You need to learn how to use it. Just in case you and Yulia ever encounter any danger.”
I looked away from him to process his words. Encounter any danger? What kind of danger could we possibly encounter, especially if we’re going to be escorted by his burly bodyguards at all times? Charlotte’s warning came to mind. What was I truly getting myself into?
“Scared?” he taunted.
I returned my gaze to his. “No, but I would like to know what kind of danger we might encounter that would involve needing a gun?”
“It’s just a precaution. I take Yulia’s safety very seriously,” he said before pushing his chair backwards and rising to his feet.
“I don’t want to use a gun.”
“Consider it an occupational hazard. You’re the one who wanted the job,” he reminded me. “You can quit at any time you choose.”
He started to walk away but my mouth moved before I could stop it, “What about us?” I asked.
He took two more steps, and closing the door turned the lock. Slowly, he turned to me, the corner of his mouth tilted in slight amusement. “What do you mean?”
I shut off my brain, rose to my feet and walked to him, only stopping when my eyes were boring into his, my breasts almost brushing his chest. “You don’t want to finish the job you started last night?” I asked.
His eyes were sparkling at my audacity. “Oh, I want to.”
When I was with him, I felt no shame, no embarrassment, no timidity. “When?”
Every trace of amusement left his face then. The public mask of approachability disappeared. Replacing it was the man I suspected he really was…an infinitely dark and brutal beast. “Tonight,” he answered. “After we’re done with your training.” Pause. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
“Handle what? The training, or you?” I retorted.
“Oh, I know you’ll be able to handle a gun.”
My response shot out of my lips before I could even think about it, “Well, I got a good enough taste last night. It shouldn’t be a problem for me.”
His laugh was dry and short. “Good.” He moved to unlock the door and leave the room.
If Charlotte saw me now, she wouldn’t believe how I was taunting and provoking this guy. It was just not me. I didn’t do this kind of stuff. I knew I was playing with fire, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Can you?” I asked.
He stopped. “Can I what?”
“Handle me?”
He charged me in an instant. One moment I was standing in front of him and in the next, my back was slammed against the table, plates and cutlery were crashing to the floor, the front of my shirt was gripped in his fist to hold me in place. My hand searched desperately for the edge of the table and the rest of my fake confidence.
His gaze roamed hungrily over my jutting breasts as my chest heaved. His eyes were veiled. “Put your claws away wild cat. I don’t think you understand what you want to get yourself into.”
I found the guts to smile. “Make up your mind. Yesterday, I was a little rabbit.”
He went along with my show searching my eyes thoroughly. “Be ready at four.”
My hand shot out to grab his crotch. He was rock hard and my heart jumped at the incontestable evidence of his response to me. “I already am, let’s fucking get this over with.”