Bratva's Captive - Piper Stone Page 0,4

in my diner? His back was to me, thank God. That allowed me time to collect my shit before making a fool of myself.

I took a deep breath then grabbed a menu before walking to his table. When I eased it down in front of him, he slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with mine. There was a split second where nothing else existed but the two of us. I was floored by my body’s reaction, my pussy quivering and my nipples rock hard. Even with the apron covering a portion of my shirt, I had no doubt he could tell how aroused I was.

Swallowing hard, I offered a timid smile, which wasn’t like me in the least. What was he doing here? “Hi. Welcome to Milly’s.”

Of course I’d heard his voice before. I knew every gruff inflection, the husky tone always wrapping around me like a bearskin rug on a cold winter’s morning.

“Chloe. I didn’t know you worked here,” he said. This time, his voice seemed even duskier, the alluring quality creating a wave of heat coursing through every inch of my body.

“I need the money. Plus, the atmosphere isn’t too bad. What can I get you?”

“How about a beer? Your choice. As long as it’s tall and ice cold.” He allowed his gaze to slowly drift down by several inches.

Then he took a deep breath, holding it in his lungs.

I could swear the man was undressing me with his eyes. And dear God, I wanted him to do that and much more.

Don’t be ridiculous. He’s your professor.

Maybe so, but a girl could fantasize.

My mouth was so dry, I had difficulty even forming a coherent sentence. With a Herculean effort, I managed to drag my mind out of the gutter. “You got it.” As soon as I started to walk away from the table, the assholes only fifteen feet away started making noise, the biggest jerk smashing his fist on the table. Dishes clattered together, something falling onto the floor.

I growled, shaking my head.

“Darlin’. You need to get our drinks. Now,” one of the dudes yelled.

I could feel another wave of heat but this time coming from behind me. The slight reflection in the expansive wall of glass allowed me to see that the professor had gotten to his feet, standing over me for a few seconds. What the hell was the man going to do?

“Where are the restrooms?” he asked as he flanked my side, following my gaze toward the unruly group. I noticed his accent was decidedly heavier than when he was in class, the tone sending a building storm of desire, electricity shooting through every cell and muscle leaving me breathless.

“Right down there,” I pointed. When he brushed against me as he walked around, heading toward the assholes’ table, I realized I was quivering. Christ. What was wrong with me? As I walked back to the wait station, I couldn’t take my eyes off the rugged Russian as he continued his slow trek.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered when I noticed he’d stopped mere inches away from the largest creep. And all he did was give the man a hard, cold stare for a solid ten seconds before continuing his path. I eased into the shadows, trying to catch my breath. My God. The man was absolutely dark and dangerous.

Fortunately, by the time I had all the liquid libations on the tray, Professor Lenkov was back in his seat and from what I could tell, no blood had been spilled. But as I got closer to the table, I was able to tell all three of the assholes were fixated on the Russian.

“Who the fuck does he think he is?” one of them asked.

I placed the drink in front of the jerk, resisting tossing it in his face.

“He’s gonna be dead is what he is,” the second added as he laughed.

I slammed his beer in front of him, liquid sloshing over the edge.

“Yeah, good idea,” the third said under his breath.

This time, when I thrust the heavy glass onto the table, I actually spilled a good portion down into the dude’s lap. What a pity. The asshole deserved it.

He snapped his hand around my wrist, giving me the kind of look that should scare me to death.

“Be careful, little girl. You don’t want to mess with us. Do you understand?”

I continued to hold my tongue, although he’d pushed me to the final limits. “Absolutely. Enjoy your drinks.” When I tried to jerk out of his grip, he dared