Guarded Rebellion (The Baranov Legacy)

7. Lev

7

LEV

E va’s attitude worsened over the weekend. Ever since I caught her smiling at that fucking punk trying to look like a badass in his preppy clothes and sporting those smug smirks, I made it my mission to drive her rebelliousness out of her.

Her mood of hating me lingered well into Monday morning as she took a seat in the lecture hall. “It’s bad enough that you make me live with you?—”

“You’re stuck with me no matter where you sleep,” I muttered as I sat right behind her.

“—and you deprive me of living with Kelly in the dorm,” she ranted without pause, as though I hadn’t spoken. “But you fail to give me one damn good reason she can’t hang out with me at the apartment over the weekend.”

“Because I can’t vouch for her. No one can vouch for her.” Kelly’s background was still too vague for me. Sure, going through the foster care system could warrant a few blanks, but I refused to lower my guard. Even if babysitting was a mockery of a job for someone like me.

“ I can.” She spun in her seat to glare at me. “I can vouch for her. For fuck’s sake, Lev, you’ve seen her with me for the last three weeks.”

I merely stared back, trying not to notice how smooth her cheeks were, reddened slightly with anger now. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore how gorgeous she was when she actually let loose to show an emotion or two. Especially anger.

“Are you not letting Kelly visit me at the apartment as punishment?”

The corner of my lips kicked up. “Punishment?”

“Yeah.” She arched a brow, sexy as fuck with that haughtiness. “Because you saw Bryce put his arm around me Friday.”

“Trust me, Eva. You would know it when I endeavor to punish you.” Fantasizing about spanking her round ass to get her submission was my favorite. The vision that came as a runner up was stuffing her sassy mouth with my cock and feeling her moan.

Her eyes slitted. “You?—”

“Oh. Gee.” Kelly scooted into the row past Eva, who turned to face forward again. “Look. It’s the bickering couple again.”

Eva jabbed a finger at her. “We are not a couple.”

“Fooled me.” Kelly rolled her eyes as she sat. “The way you two argue nonstop would suggest otherwise.”

“I am stuck with him. That’s it.”

The idea that I could be seen as one half of a couple with Eva was laughable. She would never be mine. Despite the trend of my thoughts running filthy and squarely in the gutter where she was concerned, Eva wouldn’t ever be my woman. I was here to ensure her safety and purity—for whoever ended up as her husband.

As the lecture hall filled up, it became clear that seating would be an issue. That little fucker, Bryce, took the seat to Eva’s left, leaving her caged in with Kelly to her right. When a student glowered at me, I stared right back without a flicker of an expression on my face.

“Are you even a student? You can’t be enrolled in this class. I never see you take notes.” He crossed his arms, disgruntled and impatient.

Even though Eva didn’t turn to face me, I caught the sight of her cheek rising in a smile.

“If you’re not in this class, move.” The guy looked down at where the professor set up to begin. “I don’t want to miss the lecture.”

I stood, maintaining level eye contact on him. Then I walked around to Eva’s row and grabbed the front of Bryce’s shirt.

“Hey! What—” He damn near fell into the next row down as I took his spot at Eva’s left.

She fumed. Angry heat practically vibrated off her throughout the whole lecture. And her fury remained burning at a simmer for the rest of the day as well.

If looks could kill… I would’ve been six feet under.

At lunch, Kelly made it clear that she wasn’t fond of the bad mood clouding over Eva. I had yet to speak much with the blonde, but she didn’t annoy me. Not like Eva did. Kelly could be sweet and soft spoken. Shy, even, and lacking the defiance Eva wanted to funnel my way.

“Are you going to order anything?” Kelly asked before she tapped the screen for the café’s order.

Eva sat upright. “Don’t ask him that.”

Kelly sighed, letting her shoulders slump. “Why not? He’s sitting here. We’ll be eating. It’d be rude?—”

“Ignore him.”

Kelly scoffed. “Easier said than done.”

“Ignore him,” Eva instructed, looking at me with disdain. “He’s just there. Not as a friend. Not a guest. Just a thing . A hulky asshole of a thing.”

“Look, I don’t even want to know why he’s gotta be here or why you need protection you clearly don’t want, but can’t you two pretend to get along?” She raised her brows at me. “Or can’t you sit at another table like you usually do?”

No. I could, but I wanted to make a stand with Eva. She was getting too damn headstrong, trying to talk to any and every man she could—and I knew she was doing it just to piss me off.

“Yeah. Go away, Lev.” Eva flicked her hands at me. “Shoo.”

I responded by grabbing the arm of her chair beneath the table and dragging her closer. “No.”

Eva pressed her lips together, almost trembling with rage. She barely ate, pushing her food around even after Rurik came to join us. Kelly checked out, scrolling on her phone, and I couldn’t blame her.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Eva announced as she shoved her chair back. When I moved to follow her, Kelly mumbled, “Oh, boy.”

“And you are not following me.” Eva stood and scowled at me.

“You don’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” I replied.

“Hey.” Rurik stood, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll see her there.”

Once they left, I met Kelly’s gaze. She shook her head. “I’m not saying anything.”

“I didn’t ask you to speak.”

“Do all women need permission in your world? To breathe? To do anything?” She sneered as she glanced aside.

“Your comments are not welcome. Nor are they necessary.”

She shrugged and gathered her wrappers to throw away. “I guess it’s a damn good thing I’m not a woman in your world, or hers.”

I didn’t stop her from leaving the table and heading off to her next class. Instead of sitting at a table where I wasn’t eating by myself, I got up to join Rurik in the hallway.

I found him further down toward the end of the corridor, his phone to his ear and his face lined with worry. He held up a finger at me in the universal sign for me to wait, but then he pointed at where my charge was.

Eva had exited the restroom already. She stood with her back against the wall while Bryce stood in front of her. He was smiling, rubbing his hand on her elbow. Her fingers were clutching the lapels of his leather jacket as she grinned slyly at him.

I didn’t need to be any closer to know what she was doing. A woman only gazed at a man like that when she wanted to be kissed. Or fucked. Eva was vying for his complete attention, and it was more than enough to make me snap.

Without hesitation, I stalked over and tugged him back from her.

It was the second time today that I’d physically hauled him away from Eva, and if I had to do it ten times more, I would.

“What the fuck, man?” Bryce straightened his jacket, frowning at me.

I gave him one look, stepping into Eva’s place, and that was all it took for him to shake his head and walk away, muttering something.

When I looked at Eva again, I didn’t let the frustration slide off my face.

“Was that necessary?” she asked, deadpan.

“Was this necessary?” I took one more step closer, pinning her to the wall with my leg between hers as I gripped her elbow.

Her brows dipped down as she frowned.

“Flirting with that pathetic piece of shit? Is that necessary, Eva?”

She licked her lips, keeping her gaze cast down at the scant inch between us. While I knew she broke eye contact because she was livid, likely wishing she could strangle me, that coy move turned me on.

More than ever before in the three weeks she’d been with me day in and out, I was tempted. To slam her up against the wall harder and kiss her. To put her in her place and show what happened when a woman really wanted a man’s attention. To prove to her that she wasn’t ready to handle a man’s passion. Struggling with the desire she incited, I clung to the fact I couldn’t dismiss.

She’s not mine. She won’t be mine.

This is just a job.

Just a fucking job.

Her blue eyes sparkled with ire as she lifted her chin. “I wasn’t?—”

“Don’t lie to me,” I warned as I gripped the back of her neck.

I could do it. I could lean in, hold her close, and cover her lips with mine. She was right there. Within reach.

I can’t.

“You knew damn well what you were doing.” I pushed my leg against her, pinning her with a little more force where she’d feel it between her legs. “Don’t play these little seductress games like Maria does with the soldiers. Not with pieces of shit like that waste.”

“Oh.” She mocked surprise. “Now you’ll tell me who I can play with, huh?”

“Not him.”

And not me either. This desire pushed me to the edge of teetering on such a fine line of control. She was taunting me, begging me to scold her and discipline her, and I continued to forbid myself from acting on it. Even this stance with her was a risk.

“Play stupid games and win stupid prizes,” I warned her. “If you’re going to act like a flirt and try to get the wrong attention here, all it would take is one call to the Boss and your adventure is over.”

“How dare you threaten me?” she sassed, shoving at my chest. I followed the momentum of her push, not because she had the force behind it to make me move but because Rurik added to the suggestion that I back up. He grabbed my arm and tugged me away from her, from the wall.

“Don’t you have another class to get to?” he asked, furrowing his brow at me.

Eva growled, spinning on her heel and walking away.

We fell into step behind her. Of course, we did. Once we saw her to her chemistry lab, though, I stationed myself outside the closed door. Unlike the lecture halls and bigger classes, these small labs were too rigid with seating for me to hover over her like I wanted to.

“What the hell is going on?” Rurik asked as soon as she was inside the lab room. “Why are you goading her like this?”

“I’m not goading her.”

“Fuck, Lev.” He laughed once as he shook his head, incredulous. “I see the way you two fight. I get it. She’s living up to her icy bitch persona, but this antagonism is like a fucking game between you two.” He raised his brows. “Forget about it, man.”

I ground my molars, peeved that he’d even think to call me out on this. “You’re imagining things.” I gripped my neck and kneaded the soreness there from another lousy night of sleep with the most uncomfortable pillows on earth.

“Bullshit. You looked like you were ready to fuck her up against the wall back there.”

I shot him a stern look.

“Forget about it. You, messing around with the Boss’s niece?” He laughed again, bitter and sarcastic as he swatted his hand at my chest. “Fuck that. That’s never gonna happen.”

I stared ahead at the closed door to her lab room.

For the first time, I hated that he was right.

Eva Baranov was off-limits.

But the more she gave as good as she got, the more she rebelled and tried to push me into acting on this lust I couldn’t shut off, I fell deeper into a pit of need that drowned me.

This was just another job, another assignment from Oleg Baranov.

I was here only to keep her safe and pure—and that included from me and what I wanted.