Crave (Beneath The Secrets #3)

44. Alexei

CHAPTER 44

ALEXEI

“Who the fuck let Jax drive this thing?” Mikhail grunts out.

“He’s a good driver,” I reply.

“Yeah in a Lambo or on a bike. I’m going to end up with a concussion if he takes another corner like that!” Mikhail’s arm shoots out and grabs the headrest in front of him.

Just as expected, I brace myself as he suddenly turns left. Lara’s body slams into mine and I quickly put my arm around her to protect her.

“Jax. We have women in here, including your wife. One more and I’ll drag you out myself and leave you on the side of the road,” Nikolai seethes.

“Stop being so miserable, Niki. We haven’t died.” Lara scowls at him.

“Yet,” I say, pointing a finger. “I can always drive.” I suggest.

“No.” Both Nikolai and Lara reply at the same time.

“There’s nothing wrong with my driving.” I let out a pouting sigh.

“Limos don’t do wheelies,” Niki replies deadpan. I can feel Lara’s hard stare in the side of my head.

“You better not be doing stupid shit with that bike again,” Lara hisses next to me.

I only smashed up one motorcycle. Oh, and her car.

I look at her, cross my heart, and give Niki a glare to shut the hell up.

“You know me. Responsible. Never trying to die,” I say with a grin.

When she bites down on her glossy lip, I can’t stop imagining not only my cock, but my entire body covered in her marks. God, she’s gorgeous tonight with that tight black dress, those matching heels with the red soles. I wonder what she has on underneath. I hope it’s dark and lacy. Against her cream skin will send me wild.

It is taking every bit of self restraint I have not to grab her and sit her on my lap. She’s all I can think about.

She runs her fingers through silky curls, and I almost lose my breath. If it was just us tonight, she would be naked and at my mercy by now.

Her Chanel perfume wafts up my nose and I nudge myself closer to her, pulling out the little box in my jacket pocket and placing it on her lap.

“What’s this?” she asks sweetly.

“Open it and find out.”

Confusion is written all over her pretty face as she looks at the single key inside. “I have one to your house already?”

“Yea, I know that.”

Her big blue eyes blink slowly as she stares at me. “Okay, do you want to tell me what this one unlocks?”

“Your new house.” Well, I am hoping it will be ours.

A furrow forms in her forehead. “You’ve lost me.”

“I haven’t. You aren’t going anywhere.” I grin.

She laughs, my favorite sound, and the limo goes quiet for a second.

Tapping my fingers on my knee to distract myself from my heart pounding.

“The house you had your heart set on when we first came to Vegas,” I proclaim proudly.

“That one that sold before Mikhail could buy it and the new buyers we’re adamant not to sell?”

I nod.

It crossed my mind a couple of years ago just to kill them in their sleep and then buy it, but I was too busy to pull that off.

“Well, turns out recently they wanted to move.”

Her eyebrow raises, as if she read my mind.

Yes, I may have put in place some circumstances where they may not have felt safe anymore.

“And I bought it.” I pause, tugging on my now seemingly tight collar. “For you, or for us?” I whisper in her ear.

She looks down at the key and I can see her eyes start to water.

Fuck, did I mess this up?

“It doesn’t have to be for me, too,” I say quietly.

She shakes her head. “I want to live there with you. When?”

I glance over and Nikolai and Mikhail, both deep in conversation and I swallow. After all these years, I still don’t know how they would react.

I expect Nikolai will be mad at me. Mikhail not so much.

Lara can’t lose her relationship with them and neither can I. I can’t let that happen.

“Soon,” I reply. “It needs some work. We will make it perfect.”

It’s all I can give her for now.

I squeeze her knee, knowing she needs the reassurance. Her mind is racing. I can sense it.

“I’m all in, baby. Never question that.”

She doesn’t look at me as she puts the key in her purse.

“Me too,” she whispers back, placing her hand over mine.

“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” She bats her lashes at me for full effect.

My leg is bouncing with excitement. I can’t wait to see her face when she walks in and sees what I’ve done.

“Nope.”