Mikhail's POV
The burner phone felt like a trophy in my hand that I used against her, a small victory in the game Nora and I were playing. Her shiver from my whisper still echoed in my veins, that defiant snarl of hers fueling a heat I hadn't expected. I paced the living room, Aleksei gathering his things by the door, his impatience clear. We were running late for the mansion-lunch and business talks with my family, but my mind was on her—the way her body tensed against the wall, her breath hitching, those full lips parting just enough to make me wonder what they'd feel like under mine. She was a temptation wrapped in fire, and I was already imagining ways to stoke it.
Footsteps padded softly from the hall. Nora emerged, still in her baggy pajama top and shorts, the fabric loose
