Early in the day’s sightseeing venture she’d realized that she had to be careful. If she admired anything, Konstantin bought it and added the new bag to the host of others he carried. Dresses, shoes, souvenirs, jeans, baseball caps, and even a few toys had found their way into her new possessions. Some of them she was sending home to family, but most were just things she’d mentioned were cute. Crazy man. He liked spoiling her too much.
Every time they walked into a store she had to bite her lips together while Konstantin hovered, grinning, as though he found her enthusiasm as much fun as she found exploring.
The candy store was her undoing.
As they walked past the window, she tried not to look in, but the place held more candy than she’d ever seen—all in unfamiliar packaging. As a child, her family teased her about her sweet tooth but she’d never been allowed many treats. Before she realized what she was doing, her feet had slowed her to a stop. She stared inside, dazzled. Only her dignity kept her from pressing her nose against the glass.
“Do you want to go in?” He chuckled.
“No.” She backed away and smiled up at him. “I just didn’t know what kind of store it was.”
“Liar.” They had a standoff in the street, both of them grinning at each other.
People flowed around them like they were stones in a river, but Konstantin didn’t seem worried about being in the way. He always gave the impression of being completely self-possessed. How could she have ended up on a . . . date . . . with someone like him?
Varushka always imagined that if a man was going to show interest in her, he would be from a neighboring village. In her fantasies he was wealthy enough to have his own farm and a vehicle. If someone had told her she’d be dating someone as exhilarating as Konstantin she would have laughed herself silly.
“Well . . . I guess I wouldn’t mind going in if you want to look around,” she conceded.
His hand closed around hers and he pulled her to the door. “Look around? You don’t go into a candy store to look around. You go in to buy candy.”
Half an hour later they left the store with two bulging paper bags, which they soon had to transfer into their other bags because they were starting to tear from the weight. Both of them were laughing like children. It made her want to kiss him.
“If you thought that was fun, you’re going to love Halloween.”
“Halloween?” she asked, grimacing. “Isn’t that evil?”
“No, here it just means you dress up in a costume and get free candy. I love it.”
She snorted. Of course someone who looked like the devil would love Halloween.
Varushka pulled a cherry-flavored lollipop out of one of the bags, removed the wrapper, and put the paper in her pocket. She popped the ball of it into her mouth just as she realized Konstantin was watching her.
Twirling the candy around, she sighed with pleasure, the sugar waking up her taste buds. There was a slight crack in the candy and she explored it with her tongue. His dark eyes, narrowed and gleaming, followed every move of the lollipop.
“What?”
He arched a brow but didn’t respond. As they turned down a side street, his fingertips brushed across her ass cheek again, and guilty pleasure made her heart falter.
She was trying hard to be good and not encourage his overfamiliarity with her, but the way he touched her always made her want more. No wonder American girls were rarely virgins when they married if they went through life unchaperoned. The strength she’d gotten from talking to the priest was fading.
Living alone in a house with a man like him, even if he was being a gentleman, was too much temptation. She didn’t go into his bedroom, but even the sight of him roaming the house in jeans and no T-shirt made her desperate to touch and be touched. How could something that felt as good as his hands on her be wrong?
“Do you want to go home now, or do you want to do something else while we’re here?” he asked, gazing around at their surroundings for the first time on their shopping trip—as though he was trying not to look at her.
Varushka shrugged, then stopped on an empty stretch of sidewalk. “I’m not hungry after eating all that candy. Is there anything else to see around here?” She put her lollipop back in her mouth and sucked. He watched her with sexy, half-lidded eyes.
A shiver prickled her skin. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
He crowded her with his body, backing her against the building’s brick wall. Feeling menaced and turned on, she fought the urge to rub up against him.
Don’t encourage him. A virtuous woman wouldn’t accept this kind of behavior in a suitor.
Should she push him away? She didn’t want to, not even a little. If anything, she wished they were alone in their house. Better that they weren’t.
“Konstantin, what are you doing?” She blinked up at him.
“You are going to be the death of me, woman,” he growled.
“Is it the candy?” she asked, holding it up between them. “Every time I put it in my mouth you stare.”
He shook his head as though he was in pain.
“Do you want to taste it?” she offered. “I don’t mind.”
Konstantin said some very bad words in Russian, and she trembled, breathless, hoping he’d forget he was a gentleman. He sighed, then pulled away from her.
“Yes, I want to taste it,” he said softly.
She had no idea what he was talking about, but the way he said the words made her desperate to find out. She wished he’d pull her into an alley, put his hand up her skirt, and whisper dirty things in her ear.
Her nipples tightened uncomfortably. Being turned on in public made her feel reckless.
She needed strength before she asked him to do something depraved. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to think of something they could do other than go back to his house and give each other orgasms. Keeping him at bay had been going so well until today, but the bit of flirting while they shopped had made her resolve unravel quickly. It was hard not to flirt with such a man, especially when he was so obviously interested.
When she opened her eyes again, he was staring at her, brows knitted.
“That is how you make me feel,” he grumbled, jabbing his finger at the wall beside her.
Confused, she turned and looked. There was a poster stuck to the wall, with a woman in black and a woman in white. The woman in black had green skin. At the bottom of the picture was written the word WICKED.
She snorted. “I make you feel like a woman in a big hat?”
“No, little brat. You make me feel wicked.” He smiled. “Not all witches are wicked, by the way. I know some very nice witches.”
“Nice ones? They don’t have bony legs and iron teeth, like Baba Yaga?”
“I didn’t look that close.”
“Maybe you should have.”
He laughed, and the deep sound made her want to press against him so she could feel the depth of his voice rumbling against her body. Konstantin had the sexiest laugh she’d ever heard and his eyes hinted at forbidden secrets.
The look he gave her as he held out his hand made her shiver.
To accept was to follow him into temptation. Her hand slid into his without hesitation.
“Where are you going to take me?”
His lips twitched in a half smile. “I won’t take you until you beg for it.”
Beg? The molten look in his eyes made her feel as though he was melting her from the inside. It probably didn’t help that the memory of his fingers toying between her legs was so vivid she could almost convince herself he was doing it right then with his mind. What was he thinking, looking at her that way in a public place? It wasn’t like they could do anything there. And she was trying to remember to be good.
She made a sign against evil but the cruel man only watched her.
“Desire isn’t evil, Varushka. We were designed this way for a reason.”
Nervously, she nibbled on her bottom lip. His gaze followed th
e movement, and she popped her candy back in her mouth to disguise her nervousness, but that only increased the interest that lurked in his dark eyes.
“For now maybe we’ll see if we can get last-minute tickets to that musical on the poster. It seems appropriate. That, and I probably shouldn’t be alone with you right now.”
Nor I with you, Mr. Romanov.
They walked along the streets, the crowd thinning out, then growing again. Sooner than she would have expected, Konstantin stopped at the end of a line at a booth in the center of Times Square. It was more crowded here than the side street he’d led her down after the candy store, so she avoided eye contact to keep from flirting. When they finally made it to the desk, the woman sold him two last-minute tickets to Wicked, then they strolled around for a while until it was time to go into the theatre. Konstantin left their shopping bags with the girl at the coat check and gave her a stack of money to guard them.
The decorations alone had Varushka gripping Konstantin’s arm and staring around in fascination. So many people, and such a lavish theatre!
“I feel like I should be dressed nicer.” She tugged at her skirt, wishing the action would magically make the simple cotton fancier. “This isn’t a place for poor people like me.”
“Shh.” Konstantin frowned. “If they find out you’re not rich, they’ll call the police.”
“Really?” she stared at him, open-mouthed.
“If anyone walks by, you should kiss me so they don’t notice you.”
Catching on, she glared at him. When a chuckle slipped out of him, she swatted his arm.
“You just want to kiss me because you know I taste like candy,” she said flirtatiously, shocking herself with her own boldness.
The lights dimmed then, and the curtain started to rise, calling her attention to the stage. Konstantin pulled her close and kissed her deeply, making the arm of the seat dig into her side and her toes curl in her shoes. Just as quickly, he let her go as though it had all been her imagination. She stared up at him, the rest of the theatre turning more or less invisible.
“Cherry,” he observed casually. “Now watch the show and quit being distracting.”
* * *
As they walked through the dark streets after the show, Varushka trotted beside him, clinging to his arm, excited about everything they’d seen.
“That poor woman! I can’t believe the stories made her seem evil. She was so brave and kind.”
The sound of their shoes on the sidewalk echoed against the buildings. It was surprising how only a block or two away from the busy theatre district the streets were quiet and almost deserted.
“The difference between good and evil often depends on your point of view. Most of the world isn’t one or the other.”
“That’s not true.” She shook her head at him in disapproval. Had he already forgotten so much? “The church tells us which is which.”
The corners of Konstantin’s mouth twitched upward, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, it does. Then we decide what to do with that information.”
It was a dangerous idea, to think for herself, but living here she was starting to question so many things she used to take for granted. She nodded at him, not wanting to say something else that made her seem stupid and backward. So many things that came out of her mouth made her sound so naive when she was around him. How long until she was as worldly and confident as he was? Would she ever be?
She hummed the tune for the song “Popular” and Konstantin wrapped his arm around her shoulder. A warm feeling spread through her. Even though they’d walked around town through the heat of the day, he still smelled sexy. She was tempted to burrow into his shirt.
“Were you popular in school?” he asked.
“I’m not bad enough to be popular. Although, when I go to retrain at the college here in the fall I’ll be a lot less good if I’m not careful. The girls I went to school with in the city went out to clubs and ran with boys. I was trying to deserve the chance you gave me.” She shook her head. “It’s so funny how I used to idolize you. I thought you were like some sort of saint to give money like you do. But you’re as bad as Sergei Sokolov.”
He grimaced at her comically. “Who?”
“Sergei Sokolov. Just a boy. He tried to kiss me when I was fifteen. I smacked him.”
Konstantin sighed. “Did you tease him with candy like you do with me?”
A laugh burbled out of her. “I was not teasing you.”
“You’re going to tell me you didn’t mean to tempt me with the way you were sucking on that lollipop?” He had the look in his eyes again that said she was on dangerous ground and might love what happened next if she wasn’t careful.
“I . . . maybe,” she admitted. “Not at first, but then I saw your face. It’s your fault for being fun to tease.”
“Mmm, so bratty. Someone needs a spanking.” He backed her against a car, and just as she was about to protest she realized it was his car. She hadn’t even noticed they’d reached it.
“I do?” Varushka felt her eyes widen and her cheeks go pink. The memory of the woman getting spanked at the club and Konstantin spanking her in the foyer merged in her head, making the heat between her legs even worse. What if he leaned her over the car and spanked her right there in the street?
Her breath came short and ragged. The way he looked at her was primal and filled with lust. She wanted to run, but she desperately wanted him to catch her.
The sound of a car door opening drew Konstantin’s attention from her. He pulled Varushka away from the car and pushed her behind him. Had they mistaken someone else’s car for his in the gloom?
She peeked out from behind Konstantin, feeling as safe as if she was hiding behind a concrete wall. A man emerged from the driver’s side, holding a case. He was tall and broad, with light-colored hair—handsome, but with an edge like Konstantin had a lot of the time. The parts of him she could see around his T-shirt were muscled and tattooed. Both of his ears were pierced. With the cocky smile, he looked like a pirate.
“Konstantin.”
“Fox.”
“Sorry, man. I had no idea what you were driving nowadays.”
Silence fell between them, but it seemed to be filled with so many unsaid words that it deafened her.
The car door shut and Fox walked over to Konstantin. Maybe it was more swagger than walk, but he wore it well. The two of them clasped hands. Fox grinned, as though he was genuinely happy to see him, but Konstantin’s smile, when it came, was more reluctant.
“We miss you, you know.” Fox let go of Konstantin and slapped the other man’s shoulder with casual familiarity. “There’s no reason for you to be a stranger.”
“It’s been busy. How are the others?”
“Good.”
“And business?”
“Excellent.” The man’s wild expression made Kon shake his head.
Konstantin grunted. “My offer still stands.”
“As does ours.”
Fox seemed to be waiting for Konstantin to say something, but he remained silent. The man’s lips pressed together, and he looked away. Without another word, he nodded politely to Varushka and disappeared into the night.
Konstantin sighed heavily. He helped Varushka into the car, then put their bags on the back seat before getting behind the wheel.
“Who was that?” she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
“The past wearing the shape of a man.” He started the car and pulled away from the curb. “We were friends a long time ago. We chose different paths.”
“Why was he in your car?”
“A mistake,” Konstantin replied, his eyes cold. She could tell his irritation wasn’t about her. “It won’t happen again.”
Chapter Six
His new shop in Los Angeles was big and bright, and what he’d thought was only a veneer of efficiency had turned out to be the real thing. The crew that his scout, Marco, had hired might have been rough when he’d picked them up,
but they knew their shit and had strong work ethics. The shop uniforms covered some of their rough manners, but if anything, the dynamic gave a more authentic feel to the customers’ overhaul experience. People tended to trust their cars more with workers who didn’t sound like they’d been raised at country clubs.
Lord knew he hadn’t been.
It was weird handing so much of the work over to other people, but the business had grown so much in the past few years there was no way he could take care of everything by himself anymore¸ no matter how little he slept. If he could clone himself it would be helpful.
The shop foreman, John, had given him a good vibe though. He was both confident and competent, a combination that seemed to keep the place running smoothly. It was a good day when the main issue at a shop was that they had too much business. He was already having to consider opening a second shop farther south, just to handle the overflow.
If only he could get his personal life so well-organized.
Things with Varushka confused the hell out of him. With past relationships, his private life had been on autopilot. He never had to think about the person or people he was seeing unless he wanted something. If they got underfoot, he’d just give them money and send them shopping. The girls before Anna and Sindee, Crystal and Lula, had been similar, except the two had fought with each other incessantly toward the end, which was why he’d cut them loose. He didn’t have time for drama.
Varushka was so much more complicated. She wanted more from him, and gave him more to worry about. Things had been looking promising, but after she’d gone to confession, she’d been more reserved about physical contact. They were a mismatch, so he shouldn’t have been surprised. It was almost as though she was an emissary from his grandmother, and her disapproval of him and unspoken rejection stung.
Then when he’d taken her to the city she’d been adorable and flirty and made him crazy. The one-eighty kept him off balance. Not knowing where he stood with her was uncomfortable.
But it was more than that.
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