by C. M. Steele
He often complained that he didn’t trust them and would sit and watch the meal be prepared, so it only made me wonder if there was a history between them.
I had to check this chef out myself. Something about her caused Igor to be extra attentive, and that bothered me more than anything. I’d already started to feel that he’d worn out his welcome and that his usefulness had faded. Maybe I’d send him back to Russia in an urn.
Waiting a few minutes, I stepped out of my office and made my way down to the kitchen. I’d hardly ever gone in there, but the second I opened the door, I understood why Igor had to be checking in on her all the time. Standing there, blowing a strand of hair out of her face, was a perfect doll made just for me.
My entrance had been so quiet that she hadn’t heard me enter. I stood there, stealing the opportunity to watch her work. Long blonde hair pinned back into a large messy bun with a few loose strands falling around her face sent a heated longing through me that I couldn’t explain.
Her hands were kneading dough with such a great deal of effort that she bit on her bottom lip to concentrate. My dick jumped in my slacks for the first time in forever as I pictured her riding me with her hands pressed on my chest, working her orgasm out on my cock.
The sudden urge to dominate her overwhelmed me. I’d never caved to lust like a simpering fool and yet, I wanted to possess this woman in every way, forgetting about dinner.
I wanted to slide up behind her and taste her neck before unpinning her hair and watching it cascade down her back. My soul ached to yank her pants down, tease her from behind, and then take her hard and fast as she tried to cook.
Unexpectedly, thoughts of other bastards who came before me whooshed through my mind. Igor. I saw red as I pictured hunting every single one of them down and putting a bullet in their heads for having stolen what was mine. A low growl rumbled through my chest as I realized that she was mine and I’d do anything to have her.
Her gaze shot up to mine and she jumped back, frightened. Damn her eyes were bright and round. My dick wanted those babies looking up at me while she took me down her slender throat. God, she’d fucking choke on my dick for sure. I’d barrel my thick, long rod past her lips and let her know who she belonged to.
“Oh my. Um…Sorry, I didn’t hear anyone come in. Did they send you in with another request?”
“Another request?” I asked, wanting to hear her speak to me. How the hell was her voice getting me hard? Damn. The woman had the power to own me, and that was unnerving to say the least. Yet, I would gladly claim her. Waiting impatiently, I darted my brows up and then down again.
She gave me an impish smile. “Yes, from Mr. Kazakov. Igor the ogre told me to make the whole menu to please him. If you do, can you tell him that I need more product? I’m talented in the kitchen, but I can’t make pasta out of thin air.” She waved her hands in the air in frustration.
It dawned on me that she had no idea who I was, and I liked it that way. I wondered that if she knew who I was, would she give me that attitude too? Could I handle it? I knew that if she did, I’d fuck it right out of her. My feisty little thing had claws that I wanted down my back very, very soon.
“Well, wouldn’t that be great if we could. No, there are no other demands, except to see how you are coming along?” I asked, wanting to know how she felt being here in her future home. She had no idea that the second she walked through those doors that I’d never let her out again. Hell, I didn’t know.
“The meal will be on time.”
“I assumed so, but I was asking how are you liking it here?”
“It’s not the worst day.” She rolled her bright eyes that were almost the same cerulean blue as mine. My balls ached to stuff her pussy with my seed to see if our babies would have the same color. I couldn’t wait to find out.
“At least the kitchen is gorgeous.” I felt a ridiculous amount of pride in that she loved the kitchen. I wanted her to love her home especially our bedroom.
“Well, it’s not like you have to spend all day cooking. At the restaurant, you make it seem effortless,” I muttered, unsure of how to make her relax without revealing who I was. I liked the little deception. People became who they thought I wanted them to be when they knew my name.
“Hardly. Vegetables and ingredients are prepped in advance, making cooking time the longest part of the process, but none of that matters. My biggest concern is pleasing the boss.” She rolled her eyes again as if calling me the boss was preposterous.
“The stress of giving him the right food without getting whacked is a little stressful and not very conducive to productivity. Never mind. Excuse me, but I have to get this in the oven soon.” She dismissed me, and I’d never been more turned on. If she only knew who she was talking to, I bet she wouldn’t be so vocal about her annoyance.
“I’ll see you around, moya krasota.” Stealing one more fleeting glance, I walked out of the kitchen to head back to my office, but first I wanted a word with Igor. Taking my future bride’s order.
Stepping into the security room where he normally watched the perimeter, I surprised him. “Is there something wrong?”
I grabbed him by the collar, lifting him from his chair, and through clenched teeth, I gave him a warning. “Yes, there is something wrong. First, do not speak to Maria if it’s not necessary. Two, don’t ever threaten her again, or it’ll be the last thing you do. Do you understand me, Igor?”
“Yes, boss. I only did what you said.”
“Well, here is my new directive. She only speaks to me or Nina. If she has a question or concern, she brings it to me.”
“Okay.”
I stormed out of the office, avoiding the question of if they’d been together before. A part of me couldn’t ask that or the house would be in an uproar before my guests came and I couldn’t hide my jealousy.
I didn’t even understand why I felt the need to keep her all to myself, even in the most trivial ways, but I did. There would be no questioning my decisions; they all knew the price for that. Now to prepare for dinner. It would be one for the books.
Chapter Three
Maria
“Holy hell,” I whispered, fanning myself with the baking sheet. The second he entered the room, my world shifted. I pretended not to notice and look, but when he growled, I couldn’t fight the tingling feeling that shot through me.
I didn’t know who he was or what part of the organization he worked for, but I wanted him. He had to be a half a foot taller than me with light brownish-blond hair and beard with sexy, bright blue eyes that were laser focused on me.
From the way he stared at me, he must have felt the same way. Feeling the weight of Igor’s words, I tried to put away the insane lust and focus on my task at hand. I’d been cooking for years, three years at Andretti’s, and according to Mr. Andretti himself, I’d been the one to prepare Mr. Kazakov’s meals.
I should have been able to whip up the meal without thinking twice about it, but when the thick, six-foot beast man with broad shoulders and chest and bright blue eyes turned his gaze on me, I’d forgotten everything. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms. I held back a moan and realized that he was too tempting to me. Standing up straight, I informed him that he was interrupting my work and told him to leave.
I hated that I’d been rude and essentially kicked him out of the kitchen, but I had to get my thoughts together if I planned to live through my time here. Thinking about seeing him again heated my entire body. I was practically sweating, and the oven wasn’t even on yet.
After setting the oven to the right temp, I worked on the salad. They were to have a fabulous feast in just a few short hours. I was in the middle of the prep work when Nina came in. We hadn’t met officially, but I knew she was the only other female employed here.
“Hello, you must be Maria. I’m Nina. I’ll be serving Mr. Kazakov after you’ve plated the dishes.”
“Hello. Do they always walk around here threatening the staff?” I asked,
pulling out some fresh apples for the apple pie I planned for one of the dessert options.
She picked up an apple and twirled it in her hand. “No, but all it takes is one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.”
“So there’s a reason I have the position out of the blue, and it has nothing to do with the flood.” I shouldn’t have pushed the issue because I didn’t need to know the answer. My stomach did a flip as I contemplated what would happen if they thought I knew too much.
“The flood is part of it, yes, but that is all I can say. So welcome. Although, I must warn you away from Mr. Kazakov. He’s not the kind of man to cross or look for a meal ticket. Flirting with him will do you no good. The man does not chase the help.”
Damn, she sounded like she tried before. Nina was a lot older than me, but I didn’t know how old Mr. Kazakov was. Maybe they had a past and she was put out when a new female entered the house. I raised my palm in a sign of a truce and said, “Don’t worry. I don’t have any interest in the man. I just came to do a favor for Mr. Andretti and once my time is done, I’ll be heading back to the restaurant.”
“Good, good. Keep your head down and things will go smoothly.” She left the room almost as quickly as she came. How the hell did these people work like this? They were acting as if Mr. Kazakov had a hair-trigger temper.
I tried to ignore the constant uncomfortable feeling that the staff gave me and work in the most fantastic home kitchen I could ever have imagined, from the granite countertops to the pristine white cabinets with the sleek features of the stainless steel and the massive country sink. I ran my hands over the counter, feeling the cold stone under my fingers when the image of my mystery man entered my head. I pictured him coming in here with those lust-filled eyes, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed the hunger that was clearly in his entire demeanor.
What would he do to me if we were alone? Would he toss me onto the counter, or maybe just bend me over it?
Doing my best to push those dirty thoughts away, I called Mr. Andretti to see how it was going.
“Maria, how are you?” he asked as soon as he picked up.
“I’m good. Just getting started here. It’s been a strange day. Anyway, I only called to see how you were doing. Have you been able to drain all of the water?”
“Yes, the water is gone and now the repair company is doing an assessment.” I peeled the apples and then started to chop them up into thin slices for the pie.
“Good. I hope that you can get it up and running soon.”
“Is it that bad? You’ve only been there a few hours.”
“It’s not good, if that’s what you’re asking, but I could fall in love with the kitchen. I want to be wealthy enough one day to afford my own breathtaking kitchen.”
“You will. You will. I think you could be a culinary master if you worked hard on it and tried your hand at your own restaurant.”
“Maybe one day. A girl can hope. I’m going to let you go so I can get this pie in the oven.”
“Absolutely. Have a good one, Maria.” I pocketed my phone after the call and went back to work. If Mr. Kazakov had people he wanted to impress, I’d give him the best meal he could ever present to his guests.
The sound of footsteps made me anxious because I wondered if it was Igor or my mystery man. I needed to remember to ask him his name or I’d have to give him one. God, I thought about the way he stared at me again. My pussy ached, and I strangely never felt more alive. Tossing the pie in the oven, I checked the sauce on the stove. It was coming to a boil, so I lowered it to a simmer and then took a seat on one of the stools on the other side of the island.
Pulling out my phone, I checked my messages. Two were from Diego, the head chef.
Good luck pleasing that bastard with your cooking. You’d be better off serving him on your knees. You probably only got the job because Andretti recommended your head game.
I was pissed as I typed furiously. It took a lot to get me mad at someone, but this was over the top. I’d been nothing but hardworking and dedicated, and he knew that.
What is seriously wrong with you? You are insane. I got the job because I was at work on time. You, on the other hand, were nowhere to be seen.
He didn’t respond back, so I ignored his ranting and raving. I had a job to do. After all, Mr. Kazakov had eaten my cooking and I knew I’d proven my worth because he always came back for more.
Chapter Four
Maxim
Their vehicle came up the drive and I fixed my tie, anxious to see my longtime friend. I doubt it was indeed that, but at least I’d play it that way. My feet were antsy and ready to rush into the kitchen to claim my woman.
For the first time in my life, my stomach flipped at the thought of a woman. I waited, pouring myself a glass of vodka, pretending to be relaxed and calm about everything. Still, my hand shaking gave it all away.
I opened the door and smiled.
“Maxim, my friend,” DiMarco cheered, greeting me with a hug and a double-cheek kiss before stepping inside with his bride.
“It’s so great of you to come. And this must be your enchanting wife, Isabella.” A low growl came from my longtime friend, making me chuckle as he tugged his wife closer to him. She was practically on top of him as he entered the house.
As he set her on her feet, she swatted him. “Oh, Alessandro, calm yourself. He’s just being polite. I bet there is someone on his mind as we speak.”
“I will always be possessive of you, amore mia.” I knew the feeling. It had come over me so quickly that I didn’t know what hit me, and I’d forever be that way with her.
“Well, do come all the way in.” I noticed two guards who lingered outside. “Do you want them to come in as well?”
“No. They’re fine where they are.”
I nodded and led the way into the salon. “Would you care for a drink?”
“That depends.” He smirked.
“Do I have your favorite vodka? You wound me.” I pulled out the bottle and tilted it for him to see the label. It was my own brand of vodka that had made me millions hand over fist. “And for you, Mrs. DiMarco?”
“Water, please.”
I stood behind my personal bar and served them both. Alessandro snarled at me as I handed his wife the bottle. “Alessandro, your bride is correct about my sentiments. However, my future wife does not even know who I am.”
He quirked his brow and tilted his head. “Ah, interesting, my friend. You must inform us of how it unfolds.” He took a large swig of the vodka and grinned. “You have to send me a case.”
“I’ll send it along with the wedding invite.” A knock at the doorway halted our conversation.
Nina stood there and waited for me to wave my hand for her to speak. “Mr. Kazakov, dinner is ready.”
“Thank you, Nina. We will be right there.” I led my guests to the dining room. “Please sit and enjoy the antipastos. I’ll be right back.” I went to check on dinner and to steal another glance at my future wife.
I thrust the door open a little rougher than I should have, but as I approached, I could smell my favorite. “Hello, Maria.”
She jumped back, bumping her ass on the sink. “Oh my goodness. Do you really enjoy startling me?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest. Something in me demanded I stake my claim right now. I stepped around the kitchen island, moving closer and closer to her.
“Why are you so jumpy, cara?” I asked, stepping into her personal space and focusing on the rapid pulse in her neck and the rise and fall of her chest.
Her ample chest begged to be touched and yet, I had to respect the mother of my children when all I wanted to do was pin her to the nearest surface and fuck her like a damn animal.
“Excuse me.” I didn’t give her the space she tried to create with her shoulder.
Instead, I cupped her face with my hand, skimming it down and to that rapidly beating vein. “You are so beautiful, Maria. I bet you taste as delicious as your food.”
She glar
ed up at me, but lust poured from her gaze. Her quick breathing forced her to stumble over her words. “Do you always accost your fellow coworkers?”
“No, I don’t, but the look in your eyes tells me that you want me to accost you. You want me to taste those lips of yours before spreading you wide and tasting your pussy. Bet it’s as sweet as your dessert, cara mia. Tell me I’m lying. Tell me you don’t feel it, too,” I whispered against her ear. “Soon.”
I used all the strength and self-control I possessed to turn on my heel. I winked as I exited the room, hearing Nina’s footsteps coming back into the kitchen just as I walked out the way I came. I enjoyed my little secret a little too much. Tomorrow I’d reveal it all, breeding her as she screamed my name out.
I adjusted my throbbing cock, hiding it better under my suit before rejoining my guests. Alessandro would gladly chop my balls off if I showed his wife what other steel I was packing even though it wasn’t for anyone but Maria.
“Maxim, I was just telling Isabella that this bruschetta is excellent.” The smile that graced his face brought one to my own, thinking with pride that my future wife made it.
“Yes, my new chef has a talent that is hard to even explain.”
“I bet,” Isabella said, smiling at me and then raising her brow at Alessandro. “I wonder if it’s just the delicious food that is hard to explain.”
“My wife is right, no?”
“You are way too perceptive,” I informed Isabella, which only made her giggle.
“That’s why he married me. It was either that or kill me,” she purred, causing him to growl at her.
He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. “She is such a pain in my ass, but she’s mine.” He played with her ring finger, rubbing the diamond band and refusing to let go of her hand.