by Ashe, Karina
“Yes.” Leon’s expression was grave. “It’s high time I took a wife.” He glanced at Aiva. “She...suits me.”
“Huh. Well, come on boy, come into the house. We’ll talk about it.”
Leon nodded, walking forward, Saltano sandwiching Aiva in between himself and Andrew so Leon couldn’t do more than glance at her, ruefully. Dark hair falling over his eyes as if he were a naughty boy.
Aiva didn’t buy that shit for one minute.
Chapter
4
Aiva didn’t have to call b.s.- Daniel did it for her, taking her father aside as soon as they’d entered the house.
“You believe this crap?” Danny hissed. “He doesn’t want her- he wants control over the business.”
Pa stiffened. “You don’t use that language with me, boy. And I’ve no cause to question the man’s word.”
The man in question, having been ushered by her mother into the living room, glanced over as Aiva as Daniel and Pa entered. Danny glanced at Leon, eyes narrowed. Her father wasn’t the kind to talk behind a man’s back, though. He faced Leon squarely.
“My nephew here says your intention to court my only daughter is a smokescreen to involve yourself financially in her shop.” Pa’s tone, and direct stare, challenged Leon.
Leon said nothing for a moment, dark brow slowly rising. Then he laughed, startling them all.
“Funny,” he chuckled. “I’ll let the insult go because of the entertainment value.” He shrugged, lip curling as he glanced at Daniel. “The shop is a testament to her intelligence and business sense- but what would I want with flowers?”
Danny faced him squarely. “Are you telling me you didn’t call me to your office to discuss a deal to take over her contract with me?”
Leon sighed, hands sliding into his pockets. His eyes glittered. “Of course I did. It wouldn’t be appropriate for my future wife to be contracted to another man- even her cousin. That business should go through me in the future.”
Aiva stiffened. She supposed another gal would get all hot and bothered over his high-handed declaration of intent- in front of witnesses of sound reputation in the community. But all she heard was that-
“Wait just a damn minute,” she said.
“Knew that was coming,” Andrew murmured, moving past her to take a seat. He picked up a nearby glass of wine, examined the rim and contents critically then shrugged and took a sip.
“I built that business,” she continued, ignoring her brother. With effort. “And if you think I’m going to just turn it over-”
Leon held up his hands. “No, don’t misunderstand me, Aiviana. You can have as many businesses as you like. If you don’t want my help, that’s fine with me, too. But if you answer to any man, it will be me.” He pinned Daniel with a hard glare. “And me alone.”
“You talk like we’re actually getting married!” she exclaimed. “I don’t even know you.”
Leon grinned. “Ah, well. In the old country, when did that ever stop a wedding from happening? We’ll get to know each other first, of course. I know how you American girls think.”
The... effrontery. Aiva was speechless, and if it weren’t for the gleam of wicked humor in his eyes as he looked at her, almost daring her to lose her temper- she would have.
Unexpectedly, she relaxed, and returned his grin. Two could play this game.
“You want to court?” she asked, a purr in her voice. She took a step forward, enjoying the suddenly wary expression on his face.
“With the permission of your father and mother.”
“You have it, you have it,” her mother yelled from the kitchen. “Family dinner is every Sunday. Bring more wine.”
“Saltano can chaperone,” Pa said. “And maybe that girl from your shop, Aiva. Mandy? Maybe do a double date. I know you young people think that it’s okay to get up to all kinds of mischief-”
“No, no,” Leon interrupted. “My bride deserves the upmost respect.”
Aiva could tell her Pa was both gratified and satisfied. He nodded. “Well, it’s getting late. Mr. Sudano, you may say goodnight to Aiva- she has to work in the morning.”
***
Her family gave them the illusion of privacy. She walked Leon out of the house and stood with him in the front yard. It was dark, but the curtains continued to flick aside for brief moments, letting Aiva know they were being watched- not too discreetly.
Leon smiled at her. “That went well.”
“It would have gone better if you had asked me first. I don’t even know you.”
“You will.”
She wanted to roll her eyes. “You don’t even know me.”
He picked up her hand again, this time raising it to his lips to brush a soft kiss on her knuckles. “I know enough. I know you’re a dutiful daughter, and sister. I know you work nearly seven days a week and you treat your employees fairly. I know you’re determined to succeed, and pay your debts. I know you are fucking hot, and the day I can claim your body underneath mine can’t come soon enough.”
Aiva inhaled abruptly, the suddenness of his explicit talk shocking her, causing her pussy to clench. He spoke soft enough no one would hear him- but in the bright light of day, no one would have mistaken the look on his face for anything but possessive, sexual. Fortunately, it was not the bright light of day.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you home, yes? And we’ll talk in the morning when you’re free.”
She didn’t know anything about him other than the gossip she’d gleaned. He was rich, yes. Sexy as hell, check. He’d come to her parents and her brothers like a man of the old ways, publicly declaring honorable intentions- he wanted her for a wife, not a fuck buddy. And he seemed firm in his conviction. A man who rose to his station in life didn’t make mistakes like that- not with women. Women would be easy for him.
Aiva made a decision. She wanted a husband, a family. She wanted a man who respected her traditional values but also allowed her the freedom to explore her talents and goals. If he proved he wanted her, would treat her well, and they suited, then she would marry him. Why the hell not? Aiva stepped into his body, lifting her face.
“Kiss me,” she said softly, resting her hands on his chest. The hard muscle under her palms flexed. Strong fingers wrapped around her wrists, trapping her.
“You come to me,” he said, voice hoarse. His head lowered, lips seizing hers. “That makes you mine.”
It was just a kiss- not her virginity. But she knew he saw it as the same. Knew she wouldn’t have offered even that much if she hadn’t decided to give herself.
The kiss melted her spine, washing away any thought or sensation that wasn’t settled on him. When she arched her body into his, the hardness of his erection pressed against her middle and she felt the fierce satisfaction of a woman who knew she could make a powerful man want her. Need her.
“You may have fooled her father, but not me.”
Leon didn’t allow her to pull away. He raised his head, but kept her body against his.
“I’m getting tired of you, little man.”
Daniel sneered. “What, we’re practically family now. You can’t raise a hand against me. But if she defaults on her loan- she belongs to me.”
Leon stilled. “She won’t default.”
Aiva’s cousin crossed his arms. “The payments have to come from the proceeds of the business. You can’t gift them. That would be a cheat, and break the contract, making her honor forfeit.”
Leon laughed. “You’re an amazingly stupid little man. Aiva, sweet, you drove? I’ll follow behind you in my car. It’s late.”
“You can’t ignore me,” her cousin spat.
“I’m not ignoring you,” Leon replied, cold. His tone, if she were less sturdy of heart, might have frightened her. She sincerely hoped she was never on the receiving end of the death in his voice. “I gave you an opportunity to benefit from my involvement in the shop. You didn’t take it. Aiva will have enough business from me in the morning t
o pay out your entire contract.” Leon smiled. “Perfectly legitimate business, so no one can say she didn’t honorably fulfill the terms of your agreement. Now go away, little man. Before I do something I regret.”
Leon followed Aiva to her car to open the door, a gesture that charmed her. He drove behind her on the way home, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he had men of his own driving behind him. It disturbed her a bit, knowing he needed security. Something she filed away to think about in the future. She had an inkling of the lifestyle she might be getting herself involved in- both the benefits and the disadvantages.
The next morning she took her refrigerated van to the wholesalers at first light, the way she did every morning, to choose her blooms of the day. She kept a few varieties perpetually in stock, but also wanted to keep a rotation of new and interesting things so her customers never felt like they’d already seen everything. When she arrived at the first wholesaler, chose her flowers, and went to pay, she received a shock.
“I’m sorry, I can’t sell to you, Aiva,” the manager said, bluntly. “You’ve been blackballed. No one will sell to you. Whatever shit you’ve got going- you need to fix it first.”
She sat in her car, her shock rapidly evaporating into a fury that left her hands trembling on the steering wheel. Pulling her cell from her pocket, she dialed Daniel.
“What the fuck is going on?” she hissed.
He laughed. “How are you going to be a flower shop if you don’t have flowers to sell, Aiva? No profits- no way to pay your loan.”
“You think you can blackball me and then turn around and state I didn’t fulfill my contract?” She stared at the screen, unsure she’d correctly heard his logic. “Are you mad?”
“Run to Sudano, cousin,” he replied coldly. “Prove that you are nothing, that you couldn’t make it without a man of means backing you. That’s what you set out to prove, wasn’t it? That you could make a place for yourself without the help of your father and brothers. You didn’t want a man controlling your life. Unless that man is rich and powerful, of course.”
Cold settled in the pit of her stomach, the verbal blow hitting home. “I can make it on my own without Leon, without you, without any man. This is not the old country.”
“Prove it. Do it on your own.”
“You think I can’t?” she snapped. “I’ll refuse Leon’s order, refuse his help. I can make my business work without him- and without you. You’ll get your money, and not a dime of it will be from an order from Sudano.”
She sat in the parking lot of her shop, knowing Daniel had manipulated her- but knowing he was right. For one mad moment under the cover of night she’d forgotten, intoxicated by her own lust, that she’d started along this path out of a desire for independence. How could she let Leon save her if she wouldn’t accept help from her father or brothers? Daniel, her cousin, was barely acceptable as a source of capital and only because she knew he was an ass and would scrooge every dime out of her he could- he didn’t care they were related. He just wanted his money, and in lieu of money, control over other people. She’d known, going into the deal with him, that his very nature would act as a prod to drive success.
When she called Leon, she could tell from the carefully controlled neutrality that he was displeased.
“What’s the real reason you don’t want the order, Aiva?” he asked softly.
She’d told him that there was a problem with the suppliers and she couldn’t reliably fill it, recommending several reputable shops as alternatives.
“Mr. Sudano- thank you for the offer. But I need to do this on my own.”
The silence on the end of the line warned her. Maybe he’d been soft with her, nearly sheepish. But she couldn’t forget he was a man of power, with the pride and ego attached.
“Very well, Aiviana. When you’re ready to make me an offer I can’t refuse, call me.”
Chapter
5
She might have let it go. Her temper simmered, nearly boiled- but she might have let it go if he hadn’t walked into her shop, chest poked out like a bad cliché.
“Get out,” Aiva said, striding towards Daniel. “You sabotage my business then have the nerve to show your face?”
He smiled. “No sabotage. Just reminding you what your original goal was, remember? Independence. Self-determinism.”
Aiva never would have guessed he even knew the word self-determinism.
“That’s bullshit. You just don’t want Leon to upstage you.”
Daniel’s smile faded, mouth tightening. “I’ve got ninety-nine problems, but that prick ain’t one. I’m the man in my house.”
She stared at him, lip curled, hand on her hip. “You are no man, Daniel Losito. Do you hear me? You are lower than a street whore who sells her own children for crack.”
He hit her. The back of his hand connected with her cheekbone, his wide knuckles glancing off her eye. Aiva staggered back several steps, shocked, hand cupping her face. She heard a cry and whirled to see Mandira rushing from the back room, her face a study of rage. A vase clutched in her hands like a weapon. Aiva stepped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders.
“Don’t.”
“He hit you!”
“Let it go,” Aiva said, heart pounding. Mandira wasn’t part of the community, the family. No ties to the old country. If Mandira offended Daniel, he wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate. Her friend’s honor meant nothing to him- she had no family to demand redress of any insult.
“I’m not letting it go! I’m calling the police! Your father!” Mandira paused, cheeks flushed, eyes narrowing. And smiled. “Leon.”
“Mandira.”
“Yeah, Aiva, tell your girl to mind her own business before she gets some of the same discipline.”
It galled her. Bile rose in her throat, the heat of anger curling her nails into her palms. But she didn’t want Mandira hurt. She pushed and pulled the woman back into the storeroom.
“I’ll take care of it,” Aiva promised. “Just stay here.”
She approached her cousin, expression cold, walking right up to him so their noses almost touched. In her heels, they were of a height.
“That was a freebie,” she said softly. “But the next time you raise a hand to me, it better be to shoot me dead. Because I will come after you with everything I have.”
He sneered, but stepped back, casually. “Get those freakin’ protestors out of the street in front of my shop, Aiva. Next time I won’t ask so nice.”
Her fury simmered through the day and into the evening. When she went home, the first thing she did was pour herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves. Soothe her temper. She refused to look at herself in the mirror. Her fingertips could feel the bruised flesh- seeing it would only goad her into doing something that would be foolish. If she were going to war with Daniel, a confrontation of sheer strength would go in her favor. She would have to use patience, wit.
The doorbell rang. Aiva whirled, wine sloshing on her hand, wondering who in the hell was bothering her. She didn’t want visitors. She wanted to stew in her own temper and eat cake. When it rang again, insistently, she stomped to the door and flung it open with her free hand.
Leon took one look at her face, smile slipping from his lips. He stepped into her home, slamming the door closed, took the glass of wine from her limp fingers. She was...surprised to see him. She’d all but burned bridges, refusing his offer of help. Aiva hadn’t expected him to call her again, much less show up at her house.
“Who?”
“Huh?” She couldn’t think past her surprise.
His jaw clenched. “Who hit you?” Fingertips brushed her cheekbone gently, a contrast to the cold fury in green eyes. Eyes gone reptilian with anger.
“I- no one. I mean-”
“Don’t lie to me.” His voice slashed her, his hands taking her wrists and pulling her body flush against him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, raising her chin so he could examine her face. “Don’t fucking lie to me. Who hit you?” He pause
d, and the sudden chill in his eyes almost frightened her. “A man, of course. Who? Is that why you don’t want my help? Is there someone else?”
“What? No!” Her mouth gaped a little. He sounded... jealous. Angry at the thought she’d gone to another man. “It was Dan-” Aiva clamped her mouth shut, belatedly. Damn wine. Even her teeth were beginning to feel loose. To distract him, she allowed her knees to collapse.
“I feel faint,” she said.
Leon lifted her, a feat that on a normal day would have dampened her panties. But today- her stress mitigated her response to a man strong enough to manhandle a curvy girl like her. He lowered her onto the white couch, placing her legs carefully closed, and pulling off her heels.
“Don’t move,” he said, returning from the kitchen a few minutes later with a dishtowel wrapped around ice cubes. “Here. You should have done this straight away.”
“I preferred the wine.”
Eyes hard like chips of jade glinted. “I’ll bet. He’s dead, you know.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Aiva knew better than to brush off the threat. Not with a man like this. He wouldn’t mention death just to blow off steam. “It’s just a-”
“He touched what belongs to me. Hurt what belongs to me.” Leon inhaled through gritted teeth. “Marked what belongs to me.”
“Lower your voice,” she hissed. “And didn’t we just break up this morning anyway?”
Leon stared at her. “You’re the mad one. You think your girly silliness in refusing my help is going to make me change my mind?”
On one hand, being referred to as girly made her feel young and pretty- but the ‘foolishness’ part could have been held back.
“Just chill out for me then, okay? I don’t need you going after my cousin. I don’t need a knight.”
He pulled her to her feet. “Fine. Go put some powder on. We’re going to dinner and I don’t want anyone to think I beat you. A man who hits women-” he cut himself off, shaking his head as he turned away.