by Harper West
“Well, I’m eager to see what kind of food Russia has, that’s for sure.”
She knew that by ‘food’ I meant men.
Chapter 4
Nicolai
I pulled out my favorite deep blue suit, which I had purchased with the first paycheck I received from my dad.
It was wool and kept me warm, not to mention it brought out my eyes. Hugo always said that it made me look like a real businessman, and since this was the first time he put me in charge of a project, I didn’t want to take any shortcuts. My father’s approval meant everything to me.
My apartment was in an upscale building on the outskirts of Moscow. It used to be a mill, but our family turned it into condominiums. Renovating the entire building was my first project. All I expected out of it was a promotion, but my father surprised me by gifting me the only penthouse in the building. It was on the top floor and was full of real gold furnishings, even down to the sinks.
I was getting ready to meet the representative from Affinity Finance. After taking a long, hot bath, I exfoliated my body in the shower and then rinsed off. Hugo taught me about maintaining good skin and how beauty regimens weren’t just for women. One of the first things that a potential client notices is your skin, so I got into the habit of regularly scrubbing mine.
Hugo also groomed me on how to present myself. Not everyone reacted well to cologne, but since humans were smelly creatures by nature, you still had to have some type of pleasant scent on your body. I dabbed a small amount of cologne on my neck. It was a gift from him and had a clean yet musky scent with bamboo overtones. Numerous clients had asked where they could buy a bottle.
Unlike my brother, whose hair was slightly longer than a buzzcut, mine fell to my ears and had loose curls. I ran some mousse through it and then let it air-dry. My father had been begging me to cut it shorter, but as I grew older and morphed into a more serious businessman, I longed to hold onto something that would remind me of my younger days.
After applying some unscented body oil to my skin, I got dressed and then stood in front of the mirror.
“Not bad,” I said while admiring my reflection. It was impossible not to recognize me as one of the Stepanov brothers, future heirs to our family business, and heads of our Russian Mafia family. All thanks to Hugo, of course. Our father had asked him to take the reins, but he insisted on having me by his side.
We were brothers and the best of friends.
I grabbed my phone, keys, and wallet, and then got into the elevator to go downstairs. The building had seventy-seven floors, one of the tallest in all of Russia, and every apartment had tenants. One of the great things about living in that building was keeping an eye on everyone who came and went.
It was hard not to flirt with some of the more attractive women.
I took Hugo’s advice and didn’t sleep with any of them, though. As hard as it was, even I knew better than to mix business with pleasure.
A driver from our company was waiting for me when I went outside. One of the perks of being a Stepanov was always having someone ready to take you wherever you wanted to go, and there was still ice-cold vodka waiting for you in the limo. I knew Hugo wouldn’t want me drinking before meeting with a client, though, so I left it in the cooler.
We drove to the private airport, which my family had built several years ago. It was strictly to fly esteemed clients in and out of Russia, and anyone from Affinity Finance was important. Hugo had already taken it upon himself to have the most expensive champagne available at the airport’s bar, just in case the client wanted a drink after their long flight.
As I looked out over the city skyline, I wondered who Affinity Finance sent over as their representative. It was a large company with thousands of employees, though I assumed it’d be a man. Doing business with us required an iron fist that most women lacked.
Hugo called me as soon as we pulled into the airport.
“You don’t trust me, big brother?” He chuckled a little bit, and I knew damn well that he was going to call me. I wouldn’t have put it past him to time my exact arrival.
“Of course I do, Nico, but this is a big project. I just wanted to go over what you’ll be doing today.”
“I have it on my phone right here, Hugo. I didn’t even go out last night, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Just listen to me, okay? As soon as they get off of the jet, offer them some champagne and anything else they may want. The airport has plenty of food, although they might eat on the flight. After you leave the airport, take them to the hotel and help them get settled in. Then give them their itinerary and ask what else you can do to make their stay more enjoyable.”
“What am I, some bellhop?” Hugo laughed a little bit, but I could tell that he was annoyed.
“Part of this business is kissing their asses. Kissing this particular ass isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last, alright?”
“I know,” I said.
I wasn’t submissive by nature, but my brother and father showed me that to get what you want, sometimes you had to put your ego aside, especially when it involves a significant amount of money.
“Remember what Dad said: this could make or break our company, Nico. I cannot stress that enough. We need financial ties to the United States if we want to continue expanding, so don’t fuck this up, all right?”
“I won’t, Hugo.” The driver met my eyes in the rearview mirror and then quickly looked away.
“Alright, you’re good to go. We’re still meeting for drinks tonight, right?” I eyed the cold bottle of vodka peeking out from the cooler.
“We sure are,” I replied.
“Good, don’t drink any of the vodkas in the car, either.” I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone.
As the plane landed a few minutes later, the driver opened my door, and I stepped out, quickly buttoning my jacket and waiting for the stairs to lower. I suddenly felt nervous and wished that Hugo was by my side. We had always done this part together. It was time for me to grow up, though.
My mouth fell open when I saw a reasonably tall, beautiful blonde woman get off of the plane. She was wearing oversized sunglasses, a black pencil skirt, a red blouse tucked into it, and high heels. Behind her was another woman, presumably her assistant, carrying some of her luggage.
As she walked closer towards me, I could hear her high heels clicking on the pavement. I had expected a muscular man with a shaved head and goatee, not a woman who might as well be a model.
“Hello,” I said while extending my hand. “I’m Nicolai Stepanov, but you can call me Nico.”
She firmly shook my hand with two pumps and then let it go, which was standard business etiquette.
“Michelle Harrington,” she replied.
“Would you prefer that I call you Miss or Ms.?”
She seemed impressed that I had asked such a question.
“Ms. Harrington, thank you. I'd like you to meet my assistant, Elaina Iverson.”
I reached out my hand and shook hers, too.
“Ms. Iverson,” she said, already knowing what I was about to ask her.
“Would either of you like some champagne or something to eat at our airport? We have several restaurants run by five-star chefs, and they can prepare any type of cuisine.”
Both of them shook their heads, so I walked them to the limousine. The driver held the door open for us and then loaded their luggage into the trunk.
“Is it true that Russia has the best vodka?” Michelle took off her sunglasses, revealing dazzling-blue eyes.
Her smile instantly made my cock hard, and I suddenly found it hard to focus.
“Yes, Ms. Harrington. Allow me to pour you, ladies, a glass.” I pulled the bottle of Kors Vodka 24K out of the chiller and gave a glass to Michelle and Elaina. Both of them took a sip, and their eyes lit up.
“It’s delicious,” she said while handing the glass back to me.
“Expensive vodka always is,” I replied. “What about you, Ms. Iverson?
”
Elaina smiled and handed the empty glass back to me. “Holy shit. That’s fantastic.”
I laughed a little bit, then stopped when Michelle gave her the side-eye.
“I’d love to see the itinerary now,” Michelle said.
I reached into my briefcase and pulled it out, trying hard not to stare at her gorgeous body. I couldn’t believe that Hugo decided to put me in charge of this massive deal, and Affinity Finance had sent over a beautiful woman.
That’s when I put two and two together.
As I handed the itinerary over to her, I said: “You’re Chase Harrington’s daughter, yes?”
She smiled and nodded.
Hugo would have killed me if he could have read the thoughts running through my mind.
I went over the itinerary in great detail, careful not to leave anything out. It was hard to focus, though. Michelle's face was so beautiful, and her complexion was as soft as the Russian snow. Whatever perfume she wore was more intoxicating than any Russian vodka, too. Every time she shifted in her seat, I had to stop myself from staring at her gorgeous breasts.
We had gone over everything by the time we arrived at the hotel. I reassured Michelle that she was staying in the best one in Russia, with nothing but five-star reviews and any amenity they needed.
I walked up with her to her room, then showed her where Elaina would be staying.
“I like that her room is right off of mine,” Michelle said while surveying the space. Her curves were on full display as she stood in front of the large window. Her narrow waist gave way to full hips, then slimmed down to her feet.
“Of course, Ms. Harrington,” I said, snapping back to reality. “Allow me to show you a few added features to this room.”
I demonstrated the chair with the vibrating back, trying not to notice how her breasts jiggled as she tried it out. Then I showed her the hot tub, and it was impossible not to imagine her naked taking a bath. Michelle took the brochure for the full-service spa on-site, seemingly pleased at the services that we offered.
“I’ll be needing that later on today,” she said. “That long flight sure did a number on my back.”
She used her hand to rub her neck, and I had to look away quickly. Michelle was the most stunning woman I had ever seen.
“If you don’t need anything else of me, then I’ll let you two get settled in.”
Michelle smiled and nodded her head at me.
As I stood looking at her, I realized that I needed to see her outside of working hours. There was something about her that pulled me in, and it wasn’t just her gorgeous looks. “Would you two ladies care to have a drink with my brother and me tonight?”
“That sounds great,” Elaina said eagerly.
Michelle turned around and smiled at her as if silently telling her to calm down. When she turned back around, I noticed the way she looked me up and down. It was similar to the way I’d been checking her out since she first got off of the plane.
“Sure,” she said. “That sounds wonderful.”
Chapter 5
Michelle
I knew that my father would have been firmly against going for drinks—which made it all the more appealing.
Even though he’d certainly go himself if invited, but he’d chastise me for being a single woman and mixing business with pleasure.
‘It sends the wrong message,’ he’d remind me.
But I refused to care.
If my father has things his way, late nights drinking with my girlfriends would soon be a thing of the past.
I think that’s partially why I didn’t behave as cautiously. Something about this trip felt final, as if one chapter was closing and another, unknown chapter, awaited me on the other side.
So tonight, I indulged my freedom and independence. I opted for a more low-key look. We were in a different country, and my father was far away.
I slid on my favorite pair skin-tight jeans, partnered it with a low-cut pink blouse that enhanced my cleavage, and some black stilettos. Elaina chose black leather leggings, a cobalt blue halter-top, and black ballet flats.
The Stepanov brothers would probably take us to an expensive, upscale bar, but our outfits were sexy enough to be either casual or sophisticated.
A part of me always rebelled against my father whenever we were apart, but there was more to my outfit choice that night. If Hugo was half as good-looking as his brother Nico, then I wanted to see the looks on their faces when I walked in wearing such tight-fitting clothing. The ability to bring a man to his knees was empowering. Plus, I was used to getting what I wanted in both my work and personal life.
Elaina stood in front of the full-length mirror in my hotel room, turning around a few times to see how she looked. “Why did I ever stop doing crunches?”
I watched as she sucked in her gut a little bit. She may not have been able to bounce quarters off of it as she could back in college, but it was still pretty flat.
“At least you have the ass to pull off those pants,” I said while looking at my backside in the mirror.
Elaina rolled her eyes and adjusted my shirt from behind, then helped me put my blonde hair up in a messy bun. “You know damn well that you’re one of the hottest women in New York City, and I’m sure that’ll be the same case tonight at the club.”
“I don’t know about that,” I replied, “but thank you. How about we do a pre-game shot? You know, like we used to back in our partying days?”
Elaina's’ eyes lit up as she grabbed a bottle of vodka from the wet bar and two shot glasses. It felt good to be free of my father’s controlling ways. If I had been in the United States at that moment, I knew he’d have someone following me as I went to a club.
He loved to know my whereabouts at all times.
“Here's to hot Russian men,” Elaina yelled as we clinked our shot glasses together.
We got into the stretch limousine the Stepanov brothers had sent over, then proceeded to take yet another shot of vodka together. By the time the driver got back to his seat, Elaina and I were feeling pretty damn good. Russian vodka was delicious.
“What bar are we going to, sir?” The driver adjusted his rearview mirror to meet my eyes. Maybe it was all of the alcohol, but I suddenly found him incredibly sexy.
“It’s called the Vodka Grove, Ms. Harrington. The Stepanov brothers go there quite often, and I’m sure you’ll have a good time. It’s one of the most popular bars here in Russia.”
I looked at Elaina and raised my eyebrows.
“It sounds classy,” Elaina replied, sounding impressed at the name alone. The driver didn’t respond, though, and when we pulled up to the club, I realized why.
The Vodka Grove was so loud that you could hear the music blasting onto the street. Dozens of twenty-somethings stood outside of it, waiting for one of the bouncers to let them inside. None of them wore classy clothes. While it didn’t appear dirty or greasy, like some of the bars back home in New York City, it wasn’t a place you’d bring someone to with the hopes of getting their business.
“At least we didn’t wear those designer dresses you made us buy,” Elaina said as we got out of the limousine, eyeing some of the less-attractive guys who needed a shower.
I made my way to the front of the line, ignoring the dirty looks from people who had been waiting in line. “Michelle Harrington and Elaina Iverson,” I said, “here with the Stepanov brothers.”
His eyes lit up, then immediately pulled back the heavy steel door to let us inside. “Have fun, ladies, and welcome to the Vodka Grove.”
We walked inside, and it was utter chaos. Young adults were laughing, drinking, and saying things in Russian that I couldn’t understand. Most of them were so drunk they had to lean on their friends for support, continuing to drink as they slurred words into each other’s ears. A few of the men made eyes at us too, which meant that we were blending in as effortlessly as I would have liked.
Elaina linked her arm in mine as we wove through the crowd of p
eople, looking for Nico and his brother.
“Ms. Harrington and Ms. Iverson.” I turned around and saw Nico smiling at us, his soft, luscious hair framing his face. His brother was standing next to him, and I immediately noticed how similar yet opposite they were from each other. “This is my brother, Hugo Stepanov.” Hugo put his hand to my lips and kissed it, then did the same to Elaina’s.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
The brothers were wearing button-down shirts that tucked into their jeans, which revealed both of their chiseled, muscular chests. Hugo seemed a bit more refined and mature, whereas Nico had a boyish charm that I found adorable.
They walked us towards the back of the bar, and over to a half-booth where we could sit closer to one another. Elaina pulled a chair up to the other side of the table. Usually, I would have sat next to her, but I felt a magnetic pull to Nico as he slid into the booth. I had assumed that Hugo would have sat next to Elaina, but I didn’t say anything as he sat on the other side of me.
Hugo leaned into my left ear and said, “Is this alright?” I nodded while staring into his steel-grey eyes and tried not to get lost.
“You look lovely tonight.” I turned around and met Nicos’ stare, which were also a steel-grey. My knees suddenly felt weak as my heart began racing.
“Thank you for inviting us out,” Elaina said, aware of the sexual tension between the three of us.
“You’re quite welcome, Ms. Iverson.” Elaina waved her hand in the air.
“Please call me Elaina,” she said.
Not wanting to come off as a bitch, I followed that up with, “And you can call me Michelle. Outside of business hours, at least.”
Hugo brushed a lock of blonde hair that had fallen into my face. “Of course, Michelle. I wouldn’t want to disrespect you or your company.”
Our eyes locked for a full minute, and it wasn’t until a waitress asked for our drink order that I brought myself back to reality.
“In America,” Nico said, “I understand that it’s frowned upon to spend time with business clients outside of work, right?”