His cold brown eyes pin me in place, but I refuse to let him get through to me. I’m not going to let him intimidate me. I lean back just enough to look him in the face. “Look, Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is, I’m just here to do a job. I don’t even have a camera on me.”
The lie falls off my lips easily, as I trap my bottom lip between my teeth, biting down to stop myself from saying anything else. He catches it, staring at my mouth. A sharp breath escapes his lips before he brings his eyes back to mine.
“Mm, I hear you,” he murmurs, nodding slightly. “But if I so much as see a flash tonight, I’ll have to punish you.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever. I have guests to serve.”
The laugh that follows from him comes from his chest. “It’s Alexei,” he says. “Not whatever name you’ve been calling me. Though I don’t mind you calling me ‘baby’ if that’s what you want.”
I roll my eyes even harder and try to push past him, but his hand catches my wrist.
“Dance with me.”
Does this man have multiple personality disorder? Only a few seconds ago, he was telling me off for being in his establishment, and now, he wants to dance with me?
“What? No, I’m working…”
“I own this hotel, Zoya. You’re working for me whether you know it or not.” Alexei pulls me toward the dance floor before I can protest. “And it would look very suspicious if a waitress refused the host, don’t you think?”
Fuck. He’s a sly bastard who doesn’t have a point.
Alexei pulls me flush against him, moving to the slow rhythm. I have to tilt my head all the way back to look up at him, putting the scar near his upper lip directly in my line of sight. “Relax,” he chuckles under his breath. “You look like you’re going to be executed.”
“I probably am. You never know when it comes to thugs.”
He laughs at that, a genuine sound that catches me off guard. “Tell me, did you enjoy my gifts?”
I step on his foot. Hard.
He doesn’t even flinch. “Careful, beautiful. I might think you’re doing that on purpose.”
“Oh, sorry, sir. I’m a bad dancer.” I step on his other foot.
“StrangeMoscow47,” he muses suddenly. “I liked the singing, Zoya. Even if you were just doing it for the money, you put on a hell of a show for me.”
Every part of me stops.
“What are… you…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stammer, flustered.
“Don’t lie to me, Zoya. It’s embarrassing. I know it was you on that screen, just like I know you’re lying to me right now.” His hand slides down my back, stopping right at the top of my ass. “Maybe use some of that money I’m sending you for singing lessons, Vedma. I’d hate for you to scare our children with that voice.”
I go stiff in his arms. “First off…are you seriously threatening to get me pregnant? And second, I’m not a witch.”
Alexei throws his head back and laughs. It’s the second time I’m seeing him laugh so real and loud. “So a man saying he wants kids with you is a threat now?”
“Yes,” I say, not missing a beat.
“You didn’t even have to think about that one.”
“I didn’t need to.”
He leans in smiling. “Good to know. But I should probably warn you - I’m hard to say no to. And I always get what I’m after.”
“Not this time.”
“We’ll see.” He spins me away fast, then yanks me back against his chest so my back is flush with his suit. A clean scent of bergamot and crushed leaves hangs around him.
“And you’re wrong about the witch thing. You’ve definitely done something to me.”