by Harper West
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Nico said to me. I started to ask if they’d like to spend the night, but decided that wouldn’t be a good idea. What happened that night couldn’t happen again, especially since we were all doing business together.
“You’re welcome, and thank you too. I’ll see you two in the morning.”
Both of them kissed me on the lips and walked out, never even batting an eye.
I went over to the window, rested my head against it, and looked out. It wasn’t like me to catch feelings for clients, but I was starting to fall for both Hugo and Nico. I’d have to find a way to get over the way that I was feeling, especially since they were members of one of the most prominent Russian mafia families. People knew not to mess with them, and that’s what I had just done.
Even though it killed me inside, I had to stick to my guns. Especially if I wanted to run my own real estate business one day, of course, according to my father, that would only happen if I agreed to be in an arranged marriage.
I shook my head and realized I would deal with that part at a later date.
I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets up to my nose, realizing they smelled just like the Stepanov brothers.
The sunlight woke me up early the next morning. Then again, I’d never been one to sleep in late. It was one of the principles that my father had instilled in me.
I decided to wear a pink, vintage Chanel jacket and skirt, along with my mothers’ pearls and white heels. After applying some makeup, I heard a knock at the door.
“That’s odd,” I said while walking to the peephole. There was a female hotel employee behind a cart full of food. “I didn’t order any breakfast.” The woman pushed the cart inside, though.
“Mr. Nico Stepanov sent this up, Ms. Harrington. She put it in front of the beds and then left, leaving me to stand there with a bewildered look on my face. Less than a minute later, Nico knocked on my door.
“Nico, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed on meeting at the office.”
“There’s always time for breakfast, though, right? You can’t possibly go to work on an empty stomach.” I hesitated for a moment, then let him inside to join me.
“This is so sweet,” I said as we both sat down to breakfast. Nico had pushed the cart into the dining room portion of my hotel suite.
“I wasn’t sure what you ate, so I had them make a little bit of everything.” My stomach growled as I looked over the spread. There were pancakes, French toast, mini quiches, muffins, bagels, and plenty of fresh fruit.
“I could easily eat all of this,” I said, “but I may never fit into my clothes again.” Nico blushed while putting pancakes on both of our plates.
“I’m sure you’d still be beautiful,” he said. “I’ve always found thick women quite attractive.”
I smiled while tucking some of my long, blonde hair behind my ear. My father had me on a strict diet because he believed that women could only seal business deals if they were thin and attractive. To hear a man encourage me to eat was a breath of fresh air.
“So, I was talking with your brother last night. You two seem very close.” He nodded and poured us some orange juice.
“He’s my best friend,” he said, “and his approval means everything to me. Except for my father, he’s taught me everything I know about the business.”
“Are you close with your father, too?”
“Of course. Every day I vow to make him proud of me, and I hope to one day be as good of a businessman as Hugo. He’s a few years older though, so therefore he has some more experience.”
“You seem to be doing an outstanding job, Nico. You should give yourself some more credit.”
“Thank you, Michelle. I’m sorry, I mean, Ms. Harrington.” I waved my hand in front of my face.
“Please, we’re eating breakfast the morning after a threesome.”
He smiled, and once again, I found myself falling for his boyish charm.
“Very well then, Michelle. What about you, though? Are you close to your father?”
I let out a sigh, not sure that I wanted to go down that path. Nico immediately picked up on it, then backtracked what he’d asked by shaking his head.
“No, that’s all right. You probably understand how working for your father can be stressful at times, though.”
“That’s an understatement! My father is a mighty man, and he reminds us of that whenever I step out of line. Luckily that’s only happened a few times.”
“That’s pretty much how it is between my dad and me. There have only been a few mishaps, but he doesn’t hold back when that happens.”
“That’s interesting,” Nico said. I tilted my head at him. “I just assumed that he’d be easier on you.”
I burst out laughing. “Why, because I’m a woman? If anything, he’s harder on me because of my gender and the fact that I’m his daughter. He knows that it’s harder for women in the industry and has trained me to be as cutthroat as him, plus what I say and do affects his reputation. That’s not an easy thing to live up to all the time.”
Nico grimaced, and I wanted to tell him even more. He seemed caring and sweet, the kind of guy who would encourage you to say to him all of your secrets. Not to use it as leverage, but because he understood what it was like to have an overbearing father who set unrealistic expectations. I suddenly wanted to lay it out all there for him, to tell him that my father wants me to marry someone in the industry because it’d be good for his business. I held back, though, reminding myself to keep it as professional as possible.
“You are a beautiful woman, Michelle, and your father should be very proud of you.” All I could do was smile, too afraid that I’d tell him my life story when I wanted to keep it about business. “The meeting today should go very well.”
“Will your father be there by chance? I’m interested in meeting him if only to see if he’s as firm as my father.” Both of us laughed a little bit, and I could see his eyes lighten up. There was more than sexual chemistry between the two of us.
“Today it’s just me, Hugo, you two and the lawyers. He’s interested in meeting you, too, though. I’m sure it will happen eventually. This business deal is going to be huge for our company.”
I focused on my breakfast as Nico continued to talk. He told me about the properties they owned, projects their company was working on, and how big of a deal it was for Affinity Finance to be working with Erect-it. I kept nodding while sipping my coffee, realizing that I had to hold back from developing feelings for Nico and Hugo. My father would never give me a real estate company if he found out that I’d slept with them both.
Nico and Hugo were so alike, yet so different. The way Hugo spoke about protecting his brother made me like him even more, and hearing Nico talk about how proud he was to be a Stepanov had the same effect on me. Both of them were proud and protective of their family. Nico said he didn’t want Hugo to end up like his father, who suffered a heart attack from too much stress.
He also wanted his father to retire soon, and couldn’t wait to run Erect-it Corporation with his brother.
“I’m sure you and Hugo will make your father very proud when that day comes,” I said.
“I’m sure you’ll do the same for your father. From what I hear, you’re the heir to Affinity Finance, correct?” I nodded but didn’t say any more. As much as I enjoyed doing that line of work, my real passion was private real estate. I didn’t want that to get out, though. Once again, I reminded myself to keep it professional with the Stepanov brothers.
Chapter 8
Nico
Hugo and I made sure that we were at the office before Michelle showed up. We met in a conference room on the top floor of Erect-it Corp. I felt my phone go off as we sat next to our two lawyers, waiting for Michelle and her lawyers to show up. I still couldn’t believe what had happened the night before. And unlike other threesomes, I was actually looking forward to seeing her again.
I noticed Hugo pull out his phone and a
ssumed that he was texting Michelle. Instead, it was my phone that went off.
“I’m still shocked about last night.”
I read Hugo’s text message and wondered how I should reply. As a prominent Russian mafia family, there was always a chance that someone was reading our words. I didn’t want the media outlets to find out that we’d just had a threesome with Chase Harrington’s daughter. Our father was open-minded, but I wasn’t sure how he’d react to that kind of news.
“Neither can I,” I texted back.
I put my phone away, hoping that would be the end of it. There was no way our lawyers didn’t know that we were texting each other. Both of them kept eyeing Hugo and me, the way we quickly sent a text message and then put our phones back in our pockets. If we were discussing business, we would have done it with the lawyers present.
Sending text messages suggested something else.
“We have to focus on business now,” Hugo wrote back. “I woke up this morning and immediately regretted what happened. Dad has wanted to do business with Affinity Finance for years, and then we go and almost fuck it up!”
“How did we fuck it up? Michelle was the one who initiated it, Hugo. If that ruined the deal, then I’d say it wasn’t meant to be in the first place.”
“Because it shows that we were unprofessional.”
“Again, Hugo, MICHELLE invited US to her room. Please stop overreacting, especially since the lawyers are looking at us now.”
I saw Hugo look up at the lawyers, who were, in fact, eyeing us texting back and forth.
“Fine, Nico. But pay attention during this meeting. What happens today has a huge effect on the future of Erect-it Corporation.”
I let out a sigh and quickly replied. “Okay.”
I shoved my phone back into my pocket and cleared my throat, letting him know the conversation was over. For the first time in my life, I felt like the more professional brother. I told myself to give him some credit, though. Hugo had a tendency to get attached to women pretty easily, so I was sure that he was just trying to talk himself down.
Michelle, Elaina, and her two lawyers walked into the conference room a few minutes later. Everyone but Michelle said ‘good morning’ to us and smiled.
It wasn’t until she sat down at the table with her briefcase open that she finally acknowledged us. For some reason, that turned me on. I was used to women tripping over their feet to get to me, and here was a woman who was making me come to her for a change.
“Good morning, gentlemen.” Elaina sat down next to her, and I could tell that she was trying to hide a smirk. I couldn’t help but wonder how much information Michelle had told her about last night. I instinctively pushed my legs closer together, wondering if she knew the size of my penis.
Not that I had anything to be ashamed of, though. It was no secret that the Stepanov’s were well-endowed men. Although Hugo’s was slightly larger and thicker than mine, I could always fix that with a penis pump.
“Good morning, Ms. Harrington,” I said. It was hard not to blush while looking at her, though. She was the epitome of a sexy businesswoman, and her outfit hugged all of her curves. Just looking at her body reminded me of the night before, when Hugo and I were naked and pressed up against it.
“Yes, good morning Ms. Harrington. We hope that you’ve been enjoying your stay here in Russia.” Michelle looked into Hugo’s eyes and paused for a moment as if to silently acknowledge what he was suggesting. It was unlike him to act that way in a meeting, though. Even when we had dealt with beautiful women in the past, he never let their looks get in the way of business.
Hugo was falling in love with her.
“Very much so, thank you. Russia is a beautiful country.” Michelle pulled out all of her paperwork and began to discuss the business deal. “But we’re here to discuss business. As you know, Affinity Finance is more than willing to invest in this new construction project. We need to discuss some of the details and some agreements, as well as develop a timeline.”
I watched Michelle go over each document meticulously, line by line, and was in awe at how she commanded everyone’s attention. Even our lawyers seemed impressed by her business skills. She spoke with a no-bullshit attitude, letting everyone know that she was all about making money. I could still sense a bit of femininity coming from her, though. Maybe it was her clothes, or maybe it was just who she was, but something told me that she was tired of being in charge.
When Michelle stood up to do a PowerPoint presentation, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her body. She was all woman, with soft, gentle curves and a fiery attitude. Even her long, lean legs had started to turn me on, and I quickly dabbed a tissue on my forehead to wipe away some beads of sweat.
“I’m fully aware that the Stepanov family has a lot of power here in Russia,” she said, to which Hugo nodded. Michelle leaned in a little closer to him. “And I’m sure you’re aware that my family, the Harringtons, have a lot of power in the United States. Not just in New York City either, boys. That might be our headquarters, but we have offices across the country.”
Michelle brought up another presentation on the board in front of us. This one detailed all of the projections and how much they expected in exchange for their investment.
“With all due respect Ms. Harrington,” one of our lawyers said, “but you’re asking this job to be completed fast. If I may say so, it’s faster than what’s typically expected. We understand who your father is, and of course we respect him, but he’s making this a bit more difficult than necessary. Plus, I’m sure you know that what you’re asking is a bit out of the ordinary.”
Michelle sat down next to Elaina, who was busy typing notes on her tablet and folded her hands. “That’s a good observation,” she said. “But I’d like to point out that you did a similar deal with one of our competitors, Investdeck, in a little less than the timeframe that I’m demanding.” She stared into his eyes as he fumbled through his paperwork. “So if you can make it happen for them,” she continued, “then why can’t you do the same for us?”
As the lawyers discussed a few things with Hugo, I kept my eyes on Michelle. Not once did she look away, even though she must have known that I was staring at her. It was her silent way of putting her foot down and not letting them pull a fast one on her. Even though I had vowed to keep it professional with her, I suddenly wanted to fuck her right there on the conference table.
“We might be able to accommodate that time frame,” the lawyer replied. “And we apologize, Ms. Harrington. We’ll just need to pull a few strings, but I’m sure that we can make that happen.” Michelle’s lawyers had yet to speak, other than to say their names upon entering the conference room. Michelle was the one running the show, and we were just along for the ride.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Michelle said. Her voice became a tad softer, almost like velvet. That’s what I loved about her. She could go from business to seduction with little to no effort. In fact, her voice had gotten almost as soft and velvety as it had the night before in bed. When she moaned, all the hair on my body stood up, and I wanted to fall asleep next to her.
As Michelle went back to discussing the deal, I carefully sent a text message to Hugo from under the table.
“Why is she in such a rush with this deal? She literally just got to Russia.”
“Beats me, but I’m sure that we can make it work. Just go with the flow. We’ll iron out the kinks later.”
“I just feel like something else is going on, Hugo.”
“Relax, Nico. Worrying is wasted energy, and Stepanov’s don’t waste energy.”
After last night, I kind of hoped that she’d stay in Russia for a while, but after watching her discuss the details of the deal, I got the feeling there was pressure for her to go back home.
“Ms. Harrington, may I ask the reason for the short time frame? Please don’t take offense to my question. I’m just curious if there’s something else we can do to make this run more smoothly.”
Elaina looked at her and then back at her notes, and I could tell there was something that she wasn’t telling us.
“I just want to move things forward,” she said. “This is your first business dealing with Affinity Finance, and we certainly don’t want it to be your last. Not that I think that’s the case, gentlemen. It’s just that there’s a lot of money to be made in this world, and the sooner we finish this project, the more all of us can make.”
Hugo and I nodded, and I could tell that he was turned on by the way she ran the meeting. Towards the end, I shot a quick text to Hugo about dinner that night.
“What are we doing for dinner tonight?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot, Nico.”
I glanced at him and then back at my phone, trying hard to remember. As Michelle continued to talk about the project, I quickly pulled up the calendar on my phone but didn’t have anything planned.
“Um . . .”
“Dad is having his big dinner party tonight. Lots of members from the other families will be there, so don’t flake out. Out of all of the dinners to miss, Nico, don’t let it be this one.”
Our father had regularly scheduled dinner parties, just to discuss business dealings and to mingle with other Bratva members. For the most part, all of the families got along with each other. They respected boundaries and went out of their way to acknowledge each other. Having them all go to my father’s house was a ritual of sorts, and they always had the best food.
“Chill, bro. I’ll be there. You know that I never miss a meal. Should we invite Michelle, though? She mentioned wanting to meet our dad when I had breakfast with her this morning, and this would be a good opportunity.”
“You had breakfast with her this morning?”
I glanced over at Hugo, who once again gave me the side-eye. After our threesome from the night before, I was a little surprised at his jealousy. But I quickly reminded myself that it was probably less jealousy and more concern that it would fuck up the business project.