Russian Mobster's Forbidden Mistress Read Free Page A

dark.”
    “Stand up then.”
    Dani struggled to stand up without accidentally kneeing him in the groin, or something equally embarrassing. She felt like the most awkward teenager instead of the grown woman they’d only just been discussing.
    Her rescuer gained his feet with the grace of an athletic individual completely comfortable in his own skin. He seemed to rise from the ground with almost no effort at all. It was rather intimidating. Then the barest hint of light from the carriage lamps outlined the features of his face and the bottom utterly dropped out of Dani’s stomach.
    “Josef?” she gasped.
    “ Da .” He smiled, the expression appearing almost rakish in the half light. “I cannot believe you did not know it was me.”
    “Me neither,” she said, swallowing the lump that had appeared in her throat.
    In fact, she was dumbfounded. How could she have not known that the object of her every girlish fantasy had been cradling her against his chest?
    “Are you all right?” He seemed worried. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? I did sort of treat you like a human football.”
    “No! No harm done,” she said quickly. “So, are you going to tell Mikhail?”
    “No.”
    “So quickly!” She couldn’t decide if this was a trick of some kind. “My brother is your best friend. You used to rat me out to him quite regularly, as I recall.”
    He leaned in close, so close that Dani almost forgot to breathe. “That was when you were a girl.” She felt as much as saw his gaze raking over her body. “I don’t think either one of us could make an argument that you’re not a woman grown now.”
    Her tongue felt like a wad of cotton in her mouth. She struggled with a desire to seem worldly and experienced, even though she was anything but. “So you have no problem if I go clubbing with my friends?”
    “No.”
    “Not even if I should meet a man and decide I might like to dance with him?” she teased. “Since I’m an adult, I should be able to make those decisions for myself, right?”
    “I don’t know.” His voice sounded tight. “Is that what you want? To find some stranger who will dance the night away? Or would you rather choose a man who would respect you and put your pleasure above his own?”
    Dani couldn’t speak. Josef wasn’t really saying anything inappropriate, but her mind was drawing all sorts of erotic images. She couldn’t be sure if Josef was suggesting what she thought he was suggesting.
    Was she brave enough to find out?
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Josef should have gone right back into the house and reported Daniella’s escape to Mikhail. The Mikalevichs were a powerful family within the city. They commanded respect, but the position also came with a fair amount of danger from outsiders trying to wrest that power away. The possibility of Daniella being taken and used either as bait or ransom was very real. She should not be allowed to cavort around the city without an escort.
    She was staring at him. Josef wished she would stop. Then she cocked her head to one side, a long swatch of blond hair falling over her shoulder to rest against the curve of her breast. “What if I asked you to go with me?”
    “Clubbing?” He hoped he didn’t sound as horrified as he felt. “You want me to go listen to bad music in a room packed with people all spinning in circles and calling it dancing?”
    “Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Culture.” She was obviously mocking him. “Am I offending your high-class sensibilities?”
    “Do I look like a fan of modern industrial clubs?” He held out his arms to show her his custom-tailored slacks and shirt. That didn’t even take into account his ridiculously expensive shoes. But what was he trying to prove?
    “No.” She shook her head. “Definitely not the club type. Or at least not the sort of clubs I frequent.” She put one finger to her lips. “Although if you don’t go to my kind of club, I wonder what sort of place you do go to?”
    This was going nowhere