My Russian Beast: Standalone Billionaire Romance by Marian Tee

painful mumble, and when they realized that they had the same intent, they stared at each other, visibly startled.
    Sergei recovered first, a crooked smile slowly forming on his lips. “I truly am sorry, pchelka ,” he murmured huskily. “Forgive me?”
    Her eyes shone even brighter, and he realized that she was working hard to hold back her tears. “I’m s-sorry, too.”
    He waited for her to say something else, but she only stared at him, her eyes telling him that she didn’t care for any explanations.
    All that mattered to her was that he was back in her life.
    Unable to help it, Sergei slowly reached for her cheek, and the feel of her skin under his fingers made him want to close his eyes so he could savor the sensation.
    “I missed you,” he muttered tightly. He expected her to smile his words away, like she usually did when he crossed the lines of their friendship, but this time she only stared at him, stared at him like she hungered for his touch, like she couldn’t wait until she could touch herself while pretending it was his hands she felt---
    Ah.
    And then he heard her say, “I missed you, too.” Her words were so low they were barely audible, but even so they reached his ears, and with it he knew that things had inevitably changed.
    Not completely, but just enough. Not to the point that she had accepted the reality of how perfect they were together…but just enough at least for her to understand that she would never be able to see him as a mere friend.
    Time, he told himself tautly. He just needed to give her more time, and he would give her that, even if he was sure as hell every tortuous second of waiting would kill him.
    “D-do you want to come in?”
    He managed a smile. “I’d love to, but I can’t.” Because if I did, I can’t promise I won’t try to fuck you. “I still need to go back to the office.” A lie, but it was necessary.
    “Oh.”
    “Disappointed?” he murmured silkily, teasing her.
    “A bit.” When Sergei’s eyes widened in obvious surprise, her cheeks turned pink, and she stammered, “I was just joking.”
    “Of course.” But it was damn obvious that she wasn’t, just as it was equally obvious by the way she was biting her lip and shifting restlessly on her feet that she was going to do something about her disappointment.
    His hooded glance swept over her, noting the way her naked breasts had swelled under her gaping pajama top. Sweet, beautiful little idiot, he thought yet again. His little bee didn’t even seem to realize that her nipples had become fully erect and were poking against the thin cotton that hid them from his gaze.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow instead, da? Let’s have breakfast together?”
    “Da.” Her voice was breathless, her eyes still shining, but this time out of excitement.
    He bent close, and she drew her breath as his lips touched her cheek, alarmingly close to the corner of her mouth. “Good night,” he murmured against her skin, deliberately letting his lips linger.
    “G-good night.”
    Pulling back, Sergei gazed at her one last time before walking away. He felt her eyes following him, and the way her gaze burned told him he hadn’t made a mistake. She was going to touch herself as soon as he left---
    And so would he , he thought grimly. As soon as he reached his place, he would jerk himself off, imagining that it was his beautiful little bee holding his cock---
    This was how both of them would survive until Fredericka learned to trust him.

Chapter Eight
    W alking into the dining room of his family home, Sergei Grachyov stopped dead when the first thing he caught sight of was his baby stepsister Seri Devereux, being thoroughly kissed by the man who held her possessively in his arms.
    That man was Sergei’s own brother, Vassi.
    “Dammit, Vassi,” the billionaire muttered irritably under his breath. Although the family already had over a year to adjust to the fact that Seri and Vassi were in love with each other, it hadn’t made