Page 94 of The Dark Side

"And three dates."

Adrik nodded once, spinning on his foot. The car was waiting for him, and he dived in. The guard shut his door. "Wait," he said to the driver. He watched Jolie, a hand on the wall as she steadied herself. He smirked, admiring the destruction he had caused. She slowly made it to her car, and as soon as she was in, he ordered the driver to go.

Adrik sat back. He didn't care about the dates, but this was his strangest arrangement. No woman had denied him in such a way. He'd make these two weeks the worst of her life. Being horny for twenty-four hours was a painful way to live, and she was about to find out.

Chapter thirty-five

Acting

Joliewasexhausted,spendingmost of the night tossing and turning, thinking about Adrik. She was trying to decide if her idea to wait was because of something she wanted or something her mother had constantly spewed into her head. She was twenty-three, and getting pregnant in high school was no longer a worry. But still, she hadn't been on birth control since Vincent was taken to jail. And her experience with condoms was always odd and uncomfortable. She was typically too dry, and it hurt when he would shove into her.

Just thinking about it eased some of the intense passion she was feeling. Jolie ended up giving herself two orgasms through the night, and it still wasn't enough to stop the intruding thoughts of Adrik licking her nipple.

Or maybe I'm waiting because I'm a piece of shit.Jolie had to face the fact that she was lying to Adrik. She was working for the FBI, and if she kept going down this path and gave information to Mally, there would be no reconciliation. Adrik would see it as a betrayal. He'd abandon her.

A knock on her door provoked her out of her room. Katia stood on the other side.

"Good morning. Would you walk with me to breakfast?"

Jolie looked down at her pajamas.

"Oh, you're not ready?" Katia mocked. "I'll wait."

Jolie almost slammed the door in her face. Sometimes, she thought Katia was sweet, and then she'd reveal herself in broad daylight. It reminded her of Adrik's warnings. Still, Jolie was desperate enough for a friend that she'd take the insults with a smile.

When Jolie exited, Katia was leaning against the wall in jeans and a T-shirt. And the look on her face said,'Not much better.'

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" Katia wondered casually.

Jolie's eyes widened, and though she knew the woman wasn't talking about her self-care, it was still embarrassing. "Yeah, it was fun."

"I don't think I've seen Alexei laugh so much. It was a nice change."

It was surprising to hear because Alexei seemed to be the funniest of the group.

"You were certainly the talk of the night. Even in that dress."

Jolie knew she was going to bring it up. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I just didn't feel comfortable in the one you chose."

"Now, everyone calls you the 'thrift shop girl.' I guess it is better than being called 'the American.'"

Horror doused her. "They do?"

"Oh, yes. Among other things. How you could possibly think what you wore was more appropriate than the five-thousand-dollar designer dress we picked out, I can't understand. Perhaps, next time, you will follow my advice. If you are invited next time, that is."

They entered the dining room. It was raining outside, so the dining table was set up exquisitely. Thunder rumbled beneath their feet. They were the first to arrive, and Katia excused herself, diving down a hallway to the workers' quarters. Jolie didn't question it. She sat stiff, watching the rain pour into the pool.

Jolie hadn't intended to embarrass herself as severely as she did. It wasn't a good way to wiggle herself into Adrik's family. She would need to let some of her old tendencies go if she wanted to be in his life. And that meant following Katia's advice.

Adrik and Alexei came into the room. The smell of their colognes preceded them, snapping her head to the doorway as they walked in. They wore the same suit, nearly identical to their gelled black hair, collars open to expose the barest of their chests, and shining black dress shoes. And though they looked alike, Adrik gained all of her attention. The tattoo on the side of his neck, the necklace that rested against his collarbone, the way he touched his cuff before resting his hands on the back of his chair—his mannerisms were enough to make her fall to her knees.

"Good morning," he greeted, stiffly scanning the room for privacy.

Jolie dropped her gaze to the food in front of her. She had forgotten for a moment that she wasn't allowed to look at him. Especially with the amount of awe she was feeling.

Alexei sat in the chair next to her. "Hey, you come here often?" Jolie grinned, giggling.

Adrik wasn't going to withstand any of that shit today. He snapped in Russian,"Enough with the teacher."