Seconds later, the door toher room burst open and Ivan along with her father rushed in. Ivanwas doing up his robe, and her father had on a set of burgundy silkpajamas.
All Ivan could see was ahalf-naked man holding the woman he loved and she was barelycovered. She was only wearing a thin nightgown with spaghetti strapshoulders. “What the fuck—”
Ryan held up his handcutting him off. “She had a nightmare. I got this. Go back tobed.”
“Like hell.” He was aboutto tell him to take his hands off of Katya or he’d oblige himhimself, but was interrupted.
“Katya?” Peterspoke.
She turned her face awayfrom him and tightened her grip on Ryan’s waist.
Ivan took a couple of stepsinto the room. He was going to physically remove Ryan’s hands fromher body.
Peter lifted his hand tostop him. “Do as he says Ivan,” Peter interjected. It may havelooked like Ryan was doing something to her, but the way she wasclinging to him made him know the man spoke the truth. He couldalso hear her soft sobs. It took a lot to reach the man’s heart,but seeing his daughter suffer was certainly effective.
“Boss?” Ivan didn’t likethis at all. He’d been protecting Katya forever, and never touchedher like that man did. No, he didn’t like it. It didn’t help thathe could see what shape the other man was in either. “He’s got hishands on her and—”
“Do as I say,” Peterrepeated with irritation. He turned and left the room.
Ivan glared at Ryan andshook a finger at him in warning before he left shutting the doorbehind him.
Ryan saw the warning butdidn’t say anything. Ivan’s undoing would be his arrogance. Peterwould sacrifice him in a minute to save his own hide. He couldeasily see the man had some affection for Katya. However, who couldblame him? She actually felt amazing. Her skin was so damn soft andshe wasn’t wearing much in the way of stopping his body fromfeeling how well she was put together. She was also trembling. Hervulnerability was almost too much. “Did you want to talk about it?”He needed a distraction, fast.
She shook herhead.
He felt her arms tightenaround him. He knew it was for reassurance, but he was a man, andhaving a beautiful vulnerable woman pressed against him, didn’thave him thinking the same way. “Didn’t the doctor give youmedication?” She took a deep shuddering breath, and freed one ofher arms to wipe her eyes. He felt her breasts press against hisbare flesh when she did that. He stifled a groan. Okay, this wasn’tworking for him at all.
“Yes.”
“Then, you don’t liketaking it.”
“No. It makes me tired allthe time.”
“I can leave the bedsidelight on.”
“It won’t help. Nothinghelps. Just give me another minute. It’ll pass. It always does.Just hold me. Please.”
“All right.” Christ, aminute to her was an hour to him. At least she was true to herword. Her breathing was steadier now. She pressed her cheek againsthis chest. He turned his nose into her hair, and inhaled. Shesmelled like roses and her hair was as soft as silk. Her skin likewarm velvet. A minute later, she sat erect and stared at him. Theonly light in the room was from the doorway to his. He only had alamp on, but he could still see the puffiness of her eyes. She wasvulnerable—and magnificent looking in all of that. No one couldaccuse this woman of being anything less than beautiful, no matterthe marks on her face. Somehow, at that moment, he couldn’t see anyof them.
Again she rubbed away thedampness. “Thanks. I’ll be okay now. You can leave.”
The last sentence wasabrupt. She was trying to gain some control over the weakness shejust displayed. “Is this behavior frequent since you’ve beenreleased from your captors?”
Behavior? She knew he wasbeing polite, something he couldn’t brag about, but he was tryingbecause of the state she was in. She literally freaked out. She wasa mess and she couldn’t tell anyone about it. “Sometimes.” Shedidn’t meet his eyes as she lied. He caught it anyway.
“All the time.”
She shrugged and met hiseyes again. “Please don’t ask me to take those pills. They’reawful.”
“I know they are.” He’dnever taken them but he’d worked with people who did take sedativesand antipsychotics just to help them sleep. The side effects justweren’t worth it.
“Don’t tell my father,he’ll find a way to force feed them to me, hide them in my food, orwhatever.”
“I won’t if you continue tosee the Psychiatrist.” He wouldn’t have said anything anyway. Herfather could go to hell. What he did need was her to work a waythrough this and not have these horrible night terrors. They werehellish for her, but he didn’t think he could concentrate on whathe was there for if he kept holding that soft feminine body everynight.
He was resorting toblackmail. She clenched her jaw. No, she didn’t like it, but it wasa better alternative and in Ryan’s defense, he was trying to help.“Fine.”
“Are you all right now?” Heseriously had to get away from her. She was beautiful, half nakedand vulnerable as hell.
“I am, thank you for justbeing here.” Her
