Page 54 of Monstrous Urges

“Sports team?”

“Yankees.”

His lips curl. “Where did you summer?—”

“I have no idea. Where did you summer growing up,” I fire back.

“A POW camp in Kosovo.”

I wince.

Shit. Right.

The table goes quiet as I take another gulp of wine.

“Well,” Drazen smiles coldly. “I believe that’s covered enough bases for now.”

I nod, feeling…seriously not myself. I’m failing this meeting, and I eat meetings like this for breakfast.

Slow down on the wine, girl.

I set the glass down and push it away.

“So, what should we talk about now?”

Drazen’s piercing blue eyes meet mine, unblinking. Eviscerating me.

“I think we can talk business now, Ms. Crown,” he rumbles.

Thank God.

“Well,” I smile. “Which of your current ventures that we handle would you like to?—”

“Oh, not that sort of business. The business you and I have.”

What the— A wave of dizziness washes over me, and I quickly grab my water glass and take a large sip.

“What business would that be?”

Drazen’s mouth is the thinnest of lines. “The sort that is…unfinished.”

I take another gulp of water to wet my suddenly dry, cottony mouth.

“Mr. Krylov, I’m afraid I don’t know what?—”

Just as I’m talking, he reaches into his inner jacket pocket and pulls something out. Without any fanfare or flourish, his eyes still on mine, he deposits it on the table between us.

My gaze drops to it.

My pulse races. My entire thought process, my ability to think, everything… It all stops.

Because there on the table between us, is a sliced scrap of black lace.

Panties.

…My panties, that were cut from me the night I drove into the woods to meet my stranger.

I can’t breathe.