Ruthless Stranger by Maggie Cole

7

Aspen

I sleptmost of the day, which I suppose isn't out of the ordinary for Vegas. When I open my eyes, a dim light is on in the room. Hailee, Skylar, and Kora sit on the bed with matching smirks on their faces.

"What?" I innocently ask but know exactly what they are doing.

"Spill it," Hailee says.

I can't hide my smile and put my hands over my face then peek through my fingers.

"I knew it!" Skylar high-fives Kora. "He's a total stud in the bedroom, isn't he?"

Heat instantly fills my face, and I try to hide in the pillow, but there's no getting out of it. I boast, "Grade-A."

Shrieks fill the room.

Kora removes my hands from my face. "Was it O, O, O, all night long?"

I nod and can't get the grin off my face.

"And did he tell you his name?" Hailee asks.

My face falls. "No. He stuck to the rules."

"Why do you look upset?"

"I'm not. He did everything he agreed to," I quickly reply, but part of me wishes I knew his name. And where he lived and how to get ahold of him.

He's dangerous. He even said you should stay away from him.

It was a one-night deal. Appreciate it for what it was and move forward.

Kora leans toward me. "We need deets."

I slip out of bed. "It was a great night. He was great. End of the story. I'm going to take a shower. Where are we going tonight?"

"That's it? You're not going to give us more than that?"

I shake my head. "Nope. And the chastity belt is back on, so don't get any crazy ideas tonight."

Not that anyone will ever measure up to him.

I race to the bathroom, to avoid any further questions, and lock the door. I lean against it and close my eyes. All I see is black, but I can still feel and smell him. I hear his Russian accent and deep voice. My core stirs with flutters, but then reality comes rearing its ugly head, and disappointment fills me.

He's gone. It's as if the entire thing was a dream and he's just an apparition. I shouldn't feel like this. It wasn't part of the deal. Plus, I'm in Vegas. Nothing permanent happens here. The ink is hardly dry on my divorce papers, and the last thing I should contemplate is anything long term with any man.

But he's so different.

Doesn't matter. He's gone, off-limits and dangerous.

What about him puts him in that category?

Although I felt his danger, and he admitted it, I can't imagine him ever doing anything harmful to me or anyone else.

I don't really know him.

Stop all these thoughts. Be happy you had a good time in O land, and forget about him.

I get in the shower and let the hot water beat on my back until it turns cold. When I get out, I dry my hair, put on my makeup, then step out in my towel.

I have a suitcase of clothes, but there's only one thing I want to wear.

I take his gift—the white dress he bought me—and put it on. Since he didn't seem to want me to wear panties with it, I don't put any on. It's another thing I would never normally do, but something about last night makes me feel a bit more carefree.

I slide into a pair of gold stilettos I brought and stroll back into the bedroom. Everyone is sitting around in their evening wear.

"Holy...where did you get that dress?" Hailee asks.

"Is that from downstairs? I swear I looked at that last night, but it was over three grand," Kora interjects.

Three thousand dollars?My stomach flips. I knew it was expensive but...

"Well? Where did you get it?" Skylar pushes.

"He left it for me."

"Mystery man?"

"Yes."

Kora whistles, and Hailee and Skylar gape at me.

"You must be one hot lay!" Kora teases.

My cheeks flush. "Stop it."

They all laugh, and after a bit more teasing, we leave for the evening.

We go to dinner at Caesars Palace and then a show. I feel guilty because everything costs a lot, and my friends are paying for all of it, but I can't seem to pay attention to anything. I keep scouring the room at the restaurant, wondering if he could be there. Any man with salt-and-pepper hair, I look at closer. There are many, but most of their bodies would never match to Mr. Stranger Danger, so it eliminates them quickly.

When we get to the show, instead of losing myself in the production, I'm lost in my memories of the night before. I desperately am trying to hold on to how he felt, smelled, and sounded.

After the show, we go to several hot spots on the strip. The drinks never stop flowing. I lose track of where we are. We end up in a more intimate bar. It has red, seductive lighting. Dancers wearing skimpy lingerie perform on a small stage and sometimes the bar.

Lots of men are here, and we soon have a crowd around us. Several hit on me, but I'm not interested. No one comes close to measuring up to Mr. Stranger Danger. I don't need to talk to them for more than a few seconds to know this. My friends, however, are quite cozy, and each has seemed to pair up with someone.

After several drinks, I rise. "I'll be back. I'm going to the restroom."

They all nod and go back to their flirtatious behavior. I step around the corner and down the dark hallway and go inside the bathroom. I do my thing and leave.

I take two steps out the door, and a hand goes over my mouth.

I panic at first, as he pulls me back and spins me into the corner of the wall, but then his scent fills my nostrils. My body molds to his, and he says with his deep accent in my ear, "It's me, krasotka."

I shudder from the pure force of his energy and stare at the red glow on the wall.

His hand slips to my chin, and he puts his cheek next to mine.

I close my eyes. Is he really here? Am I imagining this?

"I'm sorry to scare you."

I nod. "It's okay."

"I couldn't pull myself away when I saw you. I've been waiting to figure out how to talk to you."

My flutters go crazy.

I lean into his body further. "Did you know I was here?"

"No. I tried to keep my word. All day, I avoided coming to your room to see you."

"You did?"

"Yes, krasotka."

Happiness is a rocket shooting through me. He is still calling me his krasotka. He wanted to see me again.

"I've been searching everywhere I go for you," I admit.

He sighs. The beat of his heart thumps against my shoulder. His erection grows and digs into my spine. "You look more beautiful in this dress than I imagined."

I smile. "I didn't thank you for it. It was very generous. I don't think I've ever worn anything so...um...well, expensive."

"That's a shame. You deserve the best."

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding and grip the sides of his thighs.

He quietly groans, and it stirs everything carnal in my belly not already ignited.

"I need to give you something," he says.

"What?"

"Something I regret not giving you last night."

"You gave me everything," I blurt out. And he did. He breathed life into me again.

"No. I didn't."

"I don't understand."

He strokes my lips with his finger. "I bought another tie today. I felt crazy doing it. But I have it with me. Can I put it on you for a moment?"

"Maybe I should turn around, and we shouldn't use the tie."

"No. I gave you my word. And those terms allowed us to be together. Nothing's changed about me. You're still a woman I wouldn't pursue if we didn't have our arrangement."

I try to convince him. "I don't think—"

He puts three fingers over my lips. "Krasotka, can I blindfold you? Please?"

"Okay."

The seductive music fills my ears. My insides quiver at being back in his arms. He puts the silk around my eyes, ties it, then turns me. He moves me so my back touches the wall, and his hands cup my cheeks. His lips brush against mine as he speaks. "I'm going to regret this. I already know I will. You'll torment me, but it drove me insane all night last night. And I'm sorry you can't see me when I do this. I know it's not fair, but I'm going to be a selfish bastard right now."

"How?" I ask, pushing my lips into his, my heart pounding so hard, I'm sure he can hear it. The faint taste of his mouth is a gateway drug to addiction. Every desire I had to kiss him last night is a hundred times more potent now.

He doesn't answer me. He only steps closer so there is no room to move or way to escape his hard, warm flesh. His thumbs stroke my cheeks, and his fingers slide into my hair, around the silk. He possessively tilts my head, and nothing else exists, except his lips, tongue, and teeth.

Dominance, desire, and danger are in his kiss. It all rips through my soul, tearing any shred of resistance to be his. But I can't be his. I already know this. We're miles from where we both reside. I still don't know his name, and I'm pretty sure he isn't going to tell me. He's dangerous and has already told me he'd never let me into his world, and I shouldn't want any part of it or him. But every inch of me wants to live in this kiss.

The night before, he made me come alive and feel things I never had. Tonight, his kisses show me that I was wrong about us. Last night was a sliver of how good we are together. Our hunger wasn't fully unleashed. It was a mere piece of what we now feed each other.

We kiss. And kiss. And kiss some more, until he finally pulls back and murmurs in my ear, "I want another night."

I nod, trying to catch my breath.

"Same rules."

"We don't have to—"

"No. It's better this way. I haven't changed who I am. If you tell me who you are, I will try to find you after we leave. I will have to make you mine. It is not in your best interest."

I grasp his cheeks, only seeing blackness, inhaling his bergamot and cardamom scent. I shouldn't have anything else to do with him. I'm already deeper into this than I should be. My heart is going to hurt when I go home.

And I don't understand how he could do anything terrible or what makes him so evil. But instead of doing what my gut tells me I should, I step right into the lair.

"Then, let's have each other tonight."

He kisses me again, takes my hand, and slides a key card into it. "I hoped you would agree."

How could I not?

"Sixteenth floor. It's the only room they had left. Room twenty-eight. I'm going to turn you and remove your blindfold. I'll go into the bathroom. When you hear the door shut, leave. Stand at the window when you get in the room. I'll put your blindfold back on when I get there."

I try one more time. "I really think we can forget the blindfold."

His voice darkens. "Same rules. If you can't follow them, I will leave. I don't want to, but I will."

My pulse beats harder.

"My krasotka, do you understand and agree?"

I move my hands up his chest and back to his face. "Kiss me again and seal the deal."

His lips twitch against mine before he removes any barrier I have to ever stay away from him. His fingers glide over my hip and ass. "Where are your panties?"

I try not to smile. "I didn't think you wanted me to wear them in this dress."

He groans then sends my quivering insides into more turmoil by kissing me again. "I need you alone. I'm going into the bathroom now."

And when I hear the door shut, I don't even stop to tell my friends where I'm going. I hightail it out of the bar to the room he reserved. I send my friends a quick text then turn off my phone. I stand at the window and wait, knowing any indulgence with him is setting myself up for heartache but unable to stop my path of destruction.