Page 49 of Lord of Vice
He kept the adorable smirk on his face, which highlighted his high cheekbones and aristocratic nose. How was it he hadn’t had his nose broken? Or maybe he’d undergone the knife.
“My darling Penny. I am neither royalty nor the owner of any city. However, as you’ve probably determined, I am quite powerful, fearful to some.”
“Some?” I almost choked after taking a sip and it wasn’t just because the drink was strong. “You could tell women to drop and spread their legs and they would. And men? They cower in your presence. See what you did to Misha, who by the way is like your greatest supporter, although I’m not sure why given the way you treated him.”
“As I said, obedience is a requirement.”
“Including by me?”
“Including by you.”
Even the way he lifted a single eyebrow was sexy. While he was being deadly serious, I found myself rolling my eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “So. You take the goons with you wherever you go?”
“Goons?”
“You know. Crockett and Tubbs wannabes over there and their two sidekicks.”
His eyebrow remained lifted, his expression one of full-blown amusement. “Crockett and Tubbs?”
“I would have thought given the way you’re dressed you watchedMiami Vice.” He said nothing and I found myself giggling around him, another oddity. “You know, the hit television show in the eighties.”
“You weren’t even born in the eighties.”
I shrugged. “So what? I adore cop shows, especially with sexy as hell detectives that make a girl’s lady parts tighten up.”
His laughter was as gloriously huge as it had been before. “So you’re saying I’m attractive.”
“You know you are.”
“I’m just a guy.”
“With a constant entourage like a celebrity, a hotel that would suit any royalty, and dangerous men trying to blow your head off? No, you’re not just a guy, Kraven. You’re an enigma.” I noticed a woman who’d arrived only minutes before studying him as if he were more than pricy wagyu beef. She was the kind of woman I would normally be jealous of, perfect in every way. Okay, I was completely jealous of the bitch. Long legs. Perfect body. Even the way she was sitting was as if she was a celebrity. I rolled my eyes and he noticed.
“What now?” he asked in his usual husky voice.
“Just another sex kitten wannabe. You have fans. They’re all beautiful.”
He gave me a very heated onceover. “None of them have what you have,malyshka.”
“Do tell? What fabulous qualities do I have?” Maybe I was fishing for a compliment, but I’d never been called beautiful. Cute, yes, but not beautiful. When he leaned over the table, I could swear the man took my breath away. If only he didn’t have such a tremendous effect on me.
“You have everything a man wants. Beauty. Personality. Spunk. Audacity. You’re the kind of woman men want to tame. And own.”
Why did he suddenly make sounding like his possession so hot? I leaned over until our lips were almost touching. “Bullshit. You’re just plying me with compliments.”
I wasn’t certain if he was irritated or continuing to be amused. But his grin was infectious. “You like to speak your mind.”
“As my mama told me as a little girl, my caustic mouth would help me build a career or get me into a heaping amount of trouble. Speaking of which. How dangerous is this dude who tried to kill you?”
“Perhaps more so than I believed. However, why don’t we talk about more pleasant aspects of life? Yes?”
I’d noticed a quick change in his demeanor, as if he’d learned the assassin was after more than just his life.
“Fine.” I ran my finger through the salt on my glass, pulling the tip to my mouth. He didn’t blink the entire time, but his twinkling eyes were more pronounced than before. “Tell me. What would you like to talk about?”
Everything about the man’s actions, his utter personality screamed dominance. Especially when he took a full minute before answering.
“You coming to work for me.”