by Bella Rose
We are not through here.
It was clear as a bell, but I didn’t understand why he was acting like this. He turned and put a hand on the knob of Daisy’s kitchen door. “I’ll go. But I won’t be far.”
Oh. My. God! He wouldn’t be far? An explosion of chills ricocheted throughout my body. I did not know if they were good or bad or just adrenaline-fueled insanity! My fingers and toes were tingling madly, and I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. Then the door slammed and Vasily was gone. We were left in the cozy confines of Daisy’s brightly decorated kitchen. The cows dancing on her wallpaper border seemed to be laughing at us.
“He won’t be far?” Daisy whispered. “Oh my God, Anya. You have to call the cops, or your dad, or—something! Surely your father could protect you from this guy?”
“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I left my father’s house on bad terms the other night. He was pretty angry with me about refusing to take the rest of the semester off from my job so I could be his willing prisoner.”
“Okay, that’s just ridiculous,” Daisy snorted. “Still. This creep is bad news. I can feel it. Didn’t you get the creepy vibe? He’s so damn bossy!”
“But he didn’t hurt you,” I pointed out softly. “He didn’t hurt either of us. He left when I told him to. And he’s really just trying to protect me.” I had to believe that.
She cranked her neck around and stared at me as though her eyes were going to bug right out of her skull. “Are you hearing yourself? Oh my God! He’s just protecting you? From what?”
“Those thugs the other night,” I whispered. I put my hands up to cover my face. “I was attacked in the street outside my house by a couple of men from a rival mafiya family.”
“What?” Daisy wrenched my hands away from my face. “And this weirdo protected you?”
“Yes. He put himself in the middle of it.”
“When you said earlier this afternoon that he was handling it, that’s what you meant?” Her shrill voice was making my ears hurt. “Get your head out of your ass, Anya! If a guy puts himself in the middle of a fight for a woman he doesn’t know, he’s got a reason. People don’t do that just because. They yell or scream or dial 911. They don’t get in the middle of a fight!”
“I know, I know,” I whispered over and over again. Because I did know. I just didn’t know what to do.
Vasily
The bar was warm inside. As soon as I walked in my face began to burn. The wind in my face had been icy, but I’d welcomed the pain. It had distracted me from everything else—from Anya.
I grabbed a beer from the bartender and threw a bill on the bar. There were people all around, but they didn’t bother me. I didn’t give a shit about them or their lives. And maybe that’s how I’d been all my life. I retreated to a corner where I wouldn’t be bothered. I kicked a chair back from the table and sat down. The scent of beer and stale peanuts permeated the air. The beer was bitter on my tongue, but I paid no attention to the taste. That was secondary. Maybe everything was secondary.
What was Anya thinking? People were out there stalking her, trying to kill her, and she was curled up on a couch with her little friend watching chick flicks? Really? That was the way she intended to survive in this world? It disappointed me to think that she was so naive. I had thought better of her, but maybe that was on me. Maybe I was the one who was expecting too much from the spoiled Romanov princess. She’d been catered to and protected all her life. Then she’d left her father’s world behind and expected to live some happy-ass life as a schoolteacher.
Across the room a fight broke out. Two men shoved each other around, arguing about a woman. I watched the object of their affection as she looked on with something akin to triumph on her face. Why did people never realize that they were getting jerked around? Was I? Was I some stupid prick who wanted a woman that didn’t really want me?
No. Anya was young and stupid. That was all. She was made for me. I’d known it from the beginning. Nothing was going to change that. Not even some silly decision that had put her life in danger. It was her life. I was trying to protect her. But I couldn’t sit here and rail against her when I hadn’t even told her that there was a real threat. Or maybe she knew. Sometimes she was such a strange contrast of savvy and oblivious. It was as though she had good instincts, but had never really let them loose.
I rubbed my hands over my face and tried to center myself. This whole thing had put me on edge. It made me crazy. Anya made me crazy. I was supposed to be this cold, hard-hearted assassin. Now I was starting to think that my ego had been calling the shots. I remembered thinking of myself as the man with death in his hands. I held the fate of the world. Blah. Blah. Blah. What the hell?
I felt like everything in my world was shifting. Boris had declared me his heir apparent. Fabulous. Except it wasn’t fabulous; it had made things a mess between myself and a man who had been the closest thing to a brother I had ever known. Yet I still suspected Antonin of treachery. Was that my paranoia? Or was that real instinct talking?
I got up. There was no way I would ever find the answers here in this bar. I left the half-finished beer on the table and left through the front door like a regular Joe. Pretty soon I’d be walking right into some assassin’s trap without even realizing it. Apparently that’s what happened when a man spent too much time thinking about a woman. He made himself a fucking target.
There were ten bikes parked on the street. I walked toward mine, keeping an eye on the two guys standing just a few feet away. They appeared to be checking out something on one of the other motorcycles parked at the curb. It just felt off somehow. I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly, but I got the sense they weren’t paying much attention to the bike.
I skirted their position and kept walking. The hair on the back of my neck lifted. Every instinct in my body screamed, and I pivoted just in time to avoid the knife coming at my back. I slid sideways and deflected the second blow. The man was Russian. Or at least the cursing coming out of his mouth suggested he was.
I clamped my arm down on the hand that slid past my midsection. Then I kept turning. The guy felt like deadweight. He had almost no balance of his own. I flung him toward the bikes. He crashed into one and sent them all toppling over. His buddy leaped out of the way as the first man went down in a tangle of motorcycles and limbs. That would definitely keep him busy.
“You bastard!” The second man snarled at me like an animal. “You think you’re so good, but I’ll make you pay.”
Pay for what? I didn’t even know these clowns. And I didn’t have time for this overdramatized bullshit either. I pulled a knife from my pocket. Flipping it end over end in my hand, I sent it flying toward my opponent. He fell back as it sank into his neck. I watched, but the sight of his blood didn’t stir me.
Chapter Thirteen
Anya
Daisy’s breathing was steady and even beside me, but I couldn’t sleep. I kept running through that last conversation with Vasily. I won’t be far. What did he mean by that? It wasn’t the sort of thing a man says to a girlfriend or a wife, was it? It was more as though he considered me his property. As if he would never be far away from me now that he had claimed me as his own.
The thought sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even continue to lie here when I was so confused about everything that was going on. Maybe if I got up and got a drink of water, I could finally settle.
I sat up and threw my legs over the side of Daisy’s queen-sized bed. She rolled over in her sleep. I held my breath, waiting. I didn’t want to explain to her that I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to explain anything else at all. It was all so confusing. Finally I heard her sigh, and I carefully stood up. Fortunately her floors are carpeted so I didn’t make a lot of noise heading down the hall to the kitchen.
I groped in the cabinet for a glass. Standing at the sink, I filled it with cool clear water. The liquid felt amazing on my parched throat. I closed my eyes and carefully set the gl
ass down. If I broke the thing I’d be sure to wake up Daisy.
The kitchen curtains were drawn back, giving a view of the little alley out back and Daisy’s tiny garden. I don’t know how long I was actually staring at him before I truly noticed what it was I was seeing.
Vasily.
Oh my God! He was standing on the other side of the alley in the inky shadows beside someone’s garbage cans. His arms were crossed, and he looked utterly relaxed. What was he doing there? Why would he station himself out there with no invitation or reason to do so? This went beyond stalker, didn’t it?
My brain kept throwing a possibility at me, but I didn’t want to consider it. That was too much. Surely my father would not really send a man to seduce me as an excuse to hang about and protect me from real or imaginary threats. So far the biggest threat in my mind was Vasily!
A wave of self-righteous indignation ripped through me. How dare he just stand around my friend’s house spying? It was so wrong! I’d told him to go, and I had meant it. So maybe he needed a reminder.
I carefully turned the knob on the back door and stepped out onto Daisy’s rear porch. I didn’t have to call out for Vasily to know that I had spotted him. The man had seen me the minute I entered the kitchen. I knew it even though I didn’t know how I knew it. Something in his stance changed. He went from watchdog to something sexually explicit. Then he sauntered toward me as if he had all the time in the world and nothing to do with it.
“What the hell?” I snarled, trying to keep my voice low. “I told you to leave me alone!”
“I can’t do that.” The words were so simple. How could I argue with his response? He hadn’t left me anything to go on.
“What is wrong with you?” I reached out and poked his chest.
He was so close. I could feel the heat coming off him in waves. It occurred to me—belatedly I might add—that I was only wearing the thin shirt that I sleep in. The thing goes all the way to my knees, but it did nothing to hide the fact that my nipples were tightening into hard little points while I stood there talking to him. The air was cold on my bare legs, and my toes were cold. I didn’t care though. I couldn’t even bring myself to pay attention to anything but the delicious warmth I felt coming from him, or the masculine scent of his skin. I could actually smell the spice of him. It was his essence, and it was making me hot and achy between my legs.
I might have started out angry, but right now the only word that came to my mind was horny. I was horny and I needed this man to make that go away right now.
“Why?” I asked hoarsely. “Why can’t you?”
He leaned in very close. I could feel his lips brush my cheek when he spoke. “Because my entire goal is to keep you safe. I cannot do that if I am miles away. So whether you want me here or not, or whether you know I am here or not, I’m going to make sure that you are not in danger even when you try to prevent me from doing so.”
“I’m not in danger,” I said quickly. “It’s all over. Those men haven’t been back.”
“They haven’t been back because I issued them a challenge and they are trying to decide how to respond,” he told me in a low voice filled with venom and promise. “They will be back. And when they are, I will be ready.”
I should not have found that little declaration to be a turn-on, but my hormones seemed to be in the On position and I could not get them to turn off. Then he put his hands on my upper arms. He leaned in close and brushed his lips over mine.
I should have bit him or pulled away or something, but I could not. So the only thing I managed was to kiss him back.
Vasily
Her words had gone from angry to aroused several minutes ago. I could not decide if she realized this, and even worse I could not decide if I cared. I wanted her. Here. Now. Without preamble and without apology.
So I kissed her until she melted against my body. Her thin cotton shirt was no barrier at all. I could feel every curve through the fabric. I put my palms on her sides and spun her around so that her back was pressed against my front. The long ridge of my cock fit perfectly in the crevice of her ass. I groaned at the contact. It felt so damn good. She wiggled a little. I put one hand on her belly to keep her flush against me, and the other hand I wrapped around her throat.
She froze when I gave her neck a light squeeze. I was so careful. Did she realize just how careful I was being? I would never hurt her. Surely she must know that. The urge to dominate her was not about taking away her will. It was about making her stronger.
“I’m going to fuck you,” I whispered in her ear. “You’re going to grab that railing and bend over. Put that pretty ass in the air, and I’m going to slam my cock so hard into your soft pussy that you’re going to want to scream.”
She was breathing hard. Her breasts rose and fell quickly, her nipples diamond hard as they pressed against her shirt. I felt her response bubbling up through her throat, but I tightened my hold and she went silent.
“Good girl,” I murmured.
Then I bent her over hard. I folded her in half and pushed her up against that railing. There were people awake in those other houses. I had seen them in their windows. But I didn’t care what they saw. If they happened to glance our way and saw me marking Anya as my woman, it would excite me. I’d fuck this woman in front of the whole world if I thought it would prove that she was mine.
Her ass was round in my hands. I saw her knuckles whiten as she gripped the railing. The moon was bright and the air was clear, and I was glad for the sight of this woman outlined by moonshine. I spread her feet further, the position making her point her pretty ass just a little higher.
I could hardly get my cock out fast enough. My balls were tight and hot between my legs. I had a feeling I would barely last a second before spilling my seed inside Anya’s welcoming body. With that in mind, I gently inserted two fingers into her wet opening. She moaned a bit, wriggling her butt and squeezing my fingers with her inner muscles. She was so hot. I’d never met a woman who turned me on more than this one.
I fucked her with my hand. The wet sound of my fingers sliding in and out of her channel filled the night. She got tighter and hotter. Her back arched harder, and she began to pant. Then I leaned down and set my teeth to the warm flesh of her right ass cheek. I bit down hard and felt her explode into orgasm.
“That’s right, sweet girl,” I crooned. “Come all over me. Get nice and wet for my cock.”
She was whimpering and saying something incoherent. It didn’t matter. I fit the head of my cock to her pussy and penetrated her in one long thrust. I grabbed those curvy hips and held her still while I rutted like the beast I was. In and out, hard and fast, as deep as I could go until I felt myself get so close to the heavens I thought I might fly.
This was living. This was the purpose. I would die for this pussy. I would die for this woman. And as I fucked her until I felt her getting ready to come once again, I knew that I had to make her understand.
“Come again,” I ordered. “Now. Give me what I want.”
The slow melting of her pussy around my cock was the most exquisite sensation I’ve ever experienced. Nothing else would ever compare. I felt every ridge, every striated muscle surface, and the trembling of her body as she did what she was told. It was a powerful orgasm that left her gasping for air.
For me it was like a massage. Each undulating contraction of muscles rippled over the surface of my cock until I felt myself unable to hold back any longer. I convulsed. I grabbed her around the waist, held her frozen in my arms, and poured my seed into her body. I ground myself against her. I spread my scent on her body and filled her with my cum. This was mine and nothing would ever tell me otherwise.
Chapter Fourteen
Anya
There had to be more to Vasily’s presence in my life than mere coincidence. I had to know why he had appeared so suddenly and at the perfect moment. I didn’t believe in coincidence. And I had a bad feeling that only one person could answer the questions I needed answer
s to. Unfortunately that man was my father. If anyone had a reason and a past history of meddling in my life, it was him.
I parked my tiny car in his expansive driveway, wedging it between two massive black SUVs. The place appeared to be packed. There were Russian scumbags everywhere. I saw my favorite jerk, Antonin, right away. He was lounging on the front steps with two other men. They all had cheroots in their hand and looked like thought they were God’s gift to humanity at large.
Marching right up the front steps, I nudged my way past the first two men and reached for the door.
“Excuse me?” Antonin’s voice was so snotty I wanted to cram my keys up his nose. “You opted out, remember? That doesn’t mean you can just stroll back in here whenever you choose. You’re not family anymore. You need to make an appointment.”
“I’m not family anymore?” I could feel my mouth pop open despite my best intentions to hang on to my composure. “How about you were never family, hmm? So why don’t you move your orphan ass out of my way?”
If my boldness surprised me, it shocked the shit out of Antonin and his cronies. All three men looked at me with more than a little interest. But I was too damn mad to care what they thought. Yes. I used a profanity, and I poked at the fact that my father only imported orphans from Moscow to be his soldiers. A lot of Russian mafiya families did the same thing.
“Meow.” Antonin actually had the brass to make a little claw with his right hand and mock me like a little kid. It’s possible that his emotional maturity level was lower than my students.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I snarled. “Move. Your. Ass. Or I’m going to text my father and tell him what you’re doing out here. Then we’ll see who is family and who is not. Right?”
I’d hit a nerve. That much was obvious right off. The look in Antonin’s eyes could have frozen a river of lava. “Fine. Then go on in and make yourself at home.”