microchip in it.
“Go.” She pushed again at his chest but with some force behind it this time. “Go.”
He looked down at her flushed face and knew what he had to do.
Chapter Eight
Steele exited the limo with Alayna in his arms still wrapped in the robe. One of the attendants had brought her clothes before they left which she clutched to her chest.
The hotel doorman opened the glass door as he approached.
“Do you need some assistance, sir?”
“No thanks. Women and their shoes. Right?”
The doorman smiled. “I know. But we do love the way they look in them, don’t we?”
“You got it, man. Have a good night.”
“I can walk, you know,” she said with her nose pressed into his neck. “Leave me and go after Korovin.”
He’d wondered as he carried her from the Purple Curtain if she’d clam up, retreat somewhere in her mind where he couldn’t reach her. But she hadn’t. She pushed as hard as he did just like he’d become accustomed to her doing.
“I heard you the first eighty times in the car. I’m not leaving you. Now press the button for our floor.”
She did as he asked, but continued with her argument. “You have to go after him, Steele. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
Probably. But at the moment nothing mattered to him more than seeing to her needs. What kind of Dom would he be if he left her?
What kind of Marine?
What kind of man?
“The right thing to do is take care of my girl, now quit bitching or I’ll gag you, and it won’t be in a sexy way either. I have a feeling you get off on that. Get my key out of my back pocket and open the door. ”
“Why are you fighting me on this?”
He shouldered his way into the room. “I’m military. No one gets left behind.”
“Well where I’m from it’s pirate’s code. Fall behind, you stay behind.”
“And where is that?” he asked as he set her on the bed, taking her clothes and setting them with her things. “I’ve wondered how you come by your accent.”
“My parents came to America when I was two. While in the home, they only spoke Russian.”
“Longing for the American dream were they?” he asked as he unzipped her boot.
“Something like that. My grandfather was former KGB.” She shrugged. “Long story short he sold secrets to the United States and went on the run. Life became difficult for the family he left behind, and my father grew tired of paying for my grandfather’s treason, so he packed us all up and asked the Americans for asylum.”
“So spying runs in the family.”
“Making the world a better place runs in the family.” She let out a contented sigh as he dug his fingers into the bottom of her foot.
There was a reason why he hadn’t left her ass and gone after Korovin. He sure as hell couldn’t put his finger on what that reason was, but it sure had to be pretty important to trump years of guilt and thoughts of revenge.
Perhaps if he knew more about her, unveiled some of her mystery, he’d be able to better focus on his mission. “You said us. You have siblings?”
Beneath his hands she stilled. Obviously he’d hit a sensitive subject and for a second thought about changing topics but he held his tongue and hoped his patience paid off.
“Had.” She licked at her bottom lip and pulled on a loose thread of her robe. “My brother. He was in the Army. A ranger. Died in Afghanistan about three years ago.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Alayna.”
She shrugged. “The worst part was I had just begun a new assignment and was undercover. I couldn’t even attend his funeral.”
“Where were you at the time?”
She stilled again and nibbled on her lips. “Moscow. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Damn. He should have expected she’d want him to open the vacuumed sealed book on his life. Manners dictated he respond in kind, however talking about his personal life was akin to torture.
He didn’t share.
Ever.
A fact that she clearly picked up on
“Go.” She pushed again at his chest but with some force behind it this time. “Go.”
He looked down at her flushed face and knew what he had to do.
Chapter Eight
Steele exited the limo with Alayna in his arms still wrapped in the robe. One of the attendants had brought her clothes before they left which she clutched to her chest.
The hotel doorman opened the glass door as he approached.
“Do you need some assistance, sir?”
“No thanks. Women and their shoes. Right?”
The doorman smiled. “I know. But we do love the way they look in them, don’t we?”
“You got it, man. Have a good night.”
“I can walk, you know,” she said with her nose pressed into his neck. “Leave me and go after Korovin.”
He’d wondered as he carried her from the Purple Curtain if she’d clam up, retreat somewhere in her mind where he couldn’t reach her. But she hadn’t. She pushed as hard as he did just like he’d become accustomed to her doing.
“I heard you the first eighty times in the car. I’m not leaving you. Now press the button for our floor.”
She did as he asked, but continued with her argument. “You have to go after him, Steele. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
Probably. But at the moment nothing mattered to him more than seeing to her needs. What kind of Dom would he be if he left her?
What kind of Marine?
What kind of man?
“The right thing to do is take care of my girl, now quit bitching or I’ll gag you, and it won’t be in a sexy way either. I have a feeling you get off on that. Get my key out of my back pocket and open the door. ”
“Why are you fighting me on this?”
He shouldered his way into the room. “I’m military. No one gets left behind.”
“Well where I’m from it’s pirate’s code. Fall behind, you stay behind.”
“And where is that?” he asked as he set her on the bed, taking her clothes and setting them with her things. “I’ve wondered how you come by your accent.”
“My parents came to America when I was two. While in the home, they only spoke Russian.”
“Longing for the American dream were they?” he asked as he unzipped her boot.
“Something like that. My grandfather was former KGB.” She shrugged. “Long story short he sold secrets to the United States and went on the run. Life became difficult for the family he left behind, and my father grew tired of paying for my grandfather’s treason, so he packed us all up and asked the Americans for asylum.”
“So spying runs in the family.”
“Making the world a better place runs in the family.” She let out a contented sigh as he dug his fingers into the bottom of her foot.
There was a reason why he hadn’t left her ass and gone after Korovin. He sure as hell couldn’t put his finger on what that reason was, but it sure had to be pretty important to trump years of guilt and thoughts of revenge.
Perhaps if he knew more about her, unveiled some of her mystery, he’d be able to better focus on his mission. “You said us. You have siblings?”
Beneath his hands she stilled. Obviously he’d hit a sensitive subject and for a second thought about changing topics but he held his tongue and hoped his patience paid off.
“Had.” She licked at her bottom lip and pulled on a loose thread of her robe. “My brother. He was in the Army. A ranger. Died in Afghanistan about three years ago.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Alayna.”
She shrugged. “The worst part was I had just begun a new assignment and was undercover. I couldn’t even attend his funeral.”
“Where were you at the time?”
She stilled again and nibbled on her lips. “Moscow. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Damn. He should have expected she’d want him to open the vacuumed sealed book on his life. Manners dictated he respond in kind, however talking about his personal life was akin to torture.
He didn’t share.
Ever.
A fact that she clearly picked up on
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