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important that she know that. He was as American as she.
    She narrowed her eyes at him. “Brighton Beach?”
    Son of a bitch, she was smart.
    At his expression of defeat, she gave a fist pump. “Got it.”
    “Kate, please.” Though his childhood home wasn’t that much personal information; it was a good guess. Most people knew about the huge Russian population in Brighton Beach—but how many knew about the mob activity? “So your dad kept you under his thumb?” he asked quickly, hoping to change the subject.
    “Were you in trouble with the law? Dealing drugs? Do you owe someone a lot of money? Is it a woman?” She snapped her fingers. “You got involved with someone’s wife and he wants to—”
    “Stop it!”
    She startled at the exclamation. “How bad can it be?”
    “Don’t,” he said through ground teeth.
    “Don’t what? Be cavalier?”
    “I don’t even know what that means, but yeah. Don’t treat this situation lightly.”
    She fell back on her pillows, sighing as she reached over and turned off the light, dousing the room in unexpected darkness. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but he heard her sheets rustle and imagined her sliding over the expensive cotton. Oh, fuck, it was going to be a long night.
    “You didn’t answer my other question,” she said softly.
    He frowned as he turned on the love seat and tried to get comfortable, but his legs hung off, and the armrest was hard. Damn it. “The witness is off the stand for the night. No more questions.”
    “Have you ever killed anyone?”
    She wouldn’t like the truth, but he really hated to lie. And, hell, she asked for it. Maybe she’d lay off if she didn’t like the answers. “I have.”
    He heard her soft intake of breath, then the sound of her moving again. Turning over, fluffing the down pillow. Great. Now she thought he was a murderer. He’d mentioned he’d been in the Marines. Wouldn’t she have expected him to kill the enemy on the field of battle?
    No, she was probably thinking of real murder. And he had to let that go. It endangered her to know anything about him, and he’d already said too much.
    The darkness pressed, but Alec kept his eyes open, determined to stay awake at least as long as she did. He’d never get into a deep sleep on this thing, which was good.
    He heard her sigh one more time, not as deeply, maybe inching toward slumber. He looked into the darkness, but pictured her body in the bed he’d been sleeping in for weeks, her long legs, her narrow waist, her breasts rising and falling with each breath. He imagined that thin tank top and her hair spilling across the pillow, her eyes closed. What would it be like to kiss her?
    He’d never been with a woman like her, that was for sure. He wasn’t even close to worthy of a woman so…perfect. She was as flawless as he was flawed.
    “Alex?”
    “Yeah?”
    She shot up and turned on the light, and immediately he realized his mistake. “That’s it, isn’t it?” Her eyes were bright with victory, her mouth open in a little O of happiness. “I had a Russian friend in college named Aleksandr, and he went by Alex.” She even pronounced the Russian version exactly right. Aleksandr. “Am I right?”
    So, so right. He didn’t even bother to sit up. Why fight or lie or dig himself in any deeper?
    “Good night, Alex .”
    Damn it. “Alec,” he replied. “I go by Alec.”
    She beamed at him. “That’s the perfect name for you.”
    He had to laugh. “You’re going to be a helluva lawyer, Kate.”
    She dropped back on the bed. “You bet I am.” Satisfied, she turned out the light again, and almost immediately, he could hear her breathe with the steadiness of sleep. Shit, that woman liked control.
    He wanted to be furious, or worried, or make her promise to never use the name, but something about her knowing his real name felt good. Too good.

Chapter Seven

    The next day, sitting poolside, Kate turned the page of the sample contract, her eyes glazing