Read Online Let Me In-Dragan's Tale: The Mikhailov Brothers by Amanda Hough - Free Book Online Page A

my mouth. She was such a girl sometimes.
    Bending down, I loaded the plates and glasses into the dishwasher and added the soap. I hissed in discomfort when a stab of pain went across my shoulder blades. When I returned to the sink, I peered out the window again. The burning tip was gone. I got closer to the window looking for signs of life.
    “ You okay, Antonina?” a voice said behind me. He rubbed his hand over the small of my back, the heat of his fingers, pulsing through the fabric of my dress. I jumped when Dragan’s arms caged me against the sink from behind. His mouth once again finding my ear. “Or did I scare you little girl?”
    I growled and spun on him in the little space he provided me. “You sneak up on people. And no you don’t scare me! And don’t call me little girl.” I hurled demands at him, pointing my finger into his chest. “You got it?”
    Dragan grabbed the offending digit and brought my hand to his mouth. The anger in my gaze still burned bright. I could feel the heat bleeding into my cheeks. But he didn’t care. My hand was so small in his. So warm. He closed his eyes and kept my hand in his. Just a moment. A few seconds to feel what his lips would feel like on my skin. That was all I needed. I hated that being near him ignited a hum in my body that I’d never felt. It was excitement.
    I looked up into Dragan’s dark eyes. His haunting stillness. Finally, I was able to name the elusive emotion he elicited in me. Longing. For an instant his aversion and distain for me faded and I saw Dragan Mikhailov. I saw his hunger, his loneliness and I had to swallow the need to comfort him. I knew if I did, he would run, or lash out. Just like he always did. My eyes went to his lips and a confession escaped from my mouth in the form of a groan. Why must I always lust after the dangerous ones?
    “Antonina. If things were different right now, you’d fuckin’ be my—”
    “Hey Toni, you want to hang out…” Evie’s question died on her tongue and I watched her ease out of the kitchen. I was sure it was a fascinating scene but one she didn’t want to interrupt.
    I grimaced and pulled my hand away. The moment shattered by reality. Thank God!
    “No, Evie. I can’t stay. I need to get home.” I rushed around the kitchen without purpose.
    “I am sorry guys.” Evie stumbled over her words. “I will go. I’ll go check—”
    “No!” I said more loudly than I intended. “I need to go. I am opening the bar in the morning.”
    With out a word to Dragan, I gave my friend a kiss in passing and left.
     
    My car started to sputter about six blocks from Sergey and Evie’s house. I had a lot of tricks to keep my car going. One of my favorites was to open the hood, pop the lid off the air filter, lift the little flappy thing in the middle of it, jam a wrench in it to prop the flap open, go back in and start the car. Once it was going again, I’d jump out, pull a wrench, pop the air filter back in and take off. Easy. It was winter in Austin so I was doing this a lot. I tried this and my other tricks about a dozen times before I caved and decided to call Evie. I wasn’t that far and I’d only been gone about 45 minutes. Hopefully the party was still going strong.
    I pulled out my cell and dialed Evie’s phone. I got Sergey.
    “Hey, Toni! What’s up babe?” I liked that he called me that.
    “Hi, Sergey. Sorry to bother ya . Is Evie around?”
    “Nope,” he answered quickly. “Fell asleep on the sofa. Said her belly hurt. Just put her to bed. You need something?”
    Ugh, I hated asking for help. And with Evie sick, I didn’t want him to leave her.
    “Uh, no ... No. I’ll call her later.” A tow truck whizzed by me at the side of the road and honked. Yeah, honk! Don’t help, dick !
    Sergey was silent for a moment and sighed. “Toni, what’s up? You ok ay?”
    Rolling my eyes, I confessed. “My car is dead. I’ve tried all my tricks and nothing is working.”
    There was a smile in his