Chapter 20
Stash
Women were fascinating creatures.
Beautiful. Beguiling.
Beloved by men who had no idea how to handle them. I’d paid attention to the way both Kazimir and Kirill were with the women who they adored, cherishing every moment and every word out of their mouths.
Big strapping dangerous men who wouldn’t be in such a high level of power without them.
Everything about their relationships had created a more harmonious atmosphere in and out of the office.
On the flipside was how Dimitri was in his life, acting as if he was forever twenty-one. Never grounded. Never too serious.
Maybe I was stuck somewhere in between. I’d heard every word Saige had stated with her full heart and conviction that would easily convince most men.
But I wasn’t most men.
I’d had a crash course in dealing with the other side of the coin, the dark realm of existence few people were forced to deal with.
In doing so, I’d lost a part of my soul, forced to shove my conscience into the toilet.
My mother had warned me. My father had nurtured the notion, schooling me in proper etiquette and managing my emotions.
Learning to control any weakness before it began whether it be alcohol or sex.
Or someone touching my heart.
The other word that lingered in the back of my mind was betrayal.
It was synonymous with the Bratva and had been since the beginning of time.
I’d heard stories from my father. I’d lived through the horrific betrayal of a brother who’d never accepted me.
I was also well aware that with Saige’s suggestion of being used as a femme fatale for my benefit, she’d already fulfilled her own curiosity about what betrayal truly meant.
I couldn’t forget the possibility. Not even for a moment.
The two words issued as a threat meant someone was watching me, planning.
Mikhail.
I felt it in my bones. There was no discounting the fact he’d likely been watching me, plotting revenge effort number three since I’d arrived in New York. An irrational thought had powered through my mind since leaving from my visit with Vartan.
I’d managed to place Saige in the crosshairs, making her my weakness without even trying. When had that started? On the night of the Christmas party.
And how? I’d remembered the delicious event happening with no one being the wiser. But I’d remembered incorrectly.
There’d been a guest on the terrace when I’d met Saige.
I’d believed him to be an employee given his access to the ballroom and the accompanying outdoor venue, both by invitation only.
He’d seen our connection that had sparked from minute one.
Then it was possible Mikhail had figured out we’d gotten closer through our work together.
And somehow, he’d decided on that night to claim her as his own. Only because Saige was similar to the original girl who always wore a mask.
Maybe I was completely wrong, allowing my emotions to get in the way of cognitive thinking. However, it was something to keep in mind. Including when deciding how best to handle moving forward with Saige.
But my desires were far too out of control to try to stop them now.
With Saige on her knees in front of me, I was overwhelmed with the very emotions I’d learned to ignore. Now I was ready to chuck all the education in favor of accepting a tempting offer.
From a beautiful woman harboring a secret. Not one that would condemn anyone’s life but rather the very reason for her strength and resolve. And for playing Russian roulette with the devil.
I’d been consumed by wondering why a decent, hardworking, brilliant, and law-abiding woman would even hint at working in the darkness she should fear. Or at least shy away from.
The reason was as simple as knowing innately she didn’t deserve to have a portion of her soul taken away. She wanted above all things to protect her family that she loved so much.
Much like I’d felt with my mother from the time I knew we were mostly going it alone.
Yes, we’d had my grandmother, but only as emotional support.
We’d scraped the bottom of the barrel just to survive.
I’d been the kid stealing bread from bakeries and taking jobs at ten years old to put some food on the table.
So I understood her reasons why.
What I didn’t comprehend was how powerful a hold she had over my desires.
Saige’s body trembled as I studied her, her tongue continually darting across her plump bottom lip. The one she’d been chewing on and off while trying to explain her way out of breaking into my office and my computer.
My beautiful assistant was a very clever, determined woman, someone I craved with every ounce of my being.
Damn it all to hell, but I did.
The woman had left a forever impression on me and although I’d convinced myself keeping her at arm’s length was the best choice, that wasn’t going to work.
Not now that she’d almost laid all her cards on the table.
And the fact that my dick was harder than before. Spanking her had reawakened a longing I couldn’t toss aside.
“Come closer,” I instructed.
With her eyes glassy, she dropped to all fours, crawling closer. She was relinquishing control, perhaps determined to please me. Who was I to push that away? Not when I craved tasting every inch of her.
Even with only a few inches separating us, she managed to take her time.
Did she think she was required to pass another test?
That’s what I’d been doing since finding her in my office, tossing out anything to try to get her to crack.
Including about her brother, who was of no consequence.
Even if he was FBI, I wouldn’t be fazed.
Saige was the only person capable of doing that to me.
What I continued to mull over in my mind was whether I could place my trust in her.
Yes, she had a sob story as so many families did and one easily checked for accuracy.
However, one too many issues with the last twenty-four hours was driving a sharp blade through my instincts.
I’d saved one last question for her, something that I’d refused to allow her to wiggle away from. Now seemed like the perfect time. With my legs split wide open, when she was between them, I fisted her hair, yanking her up onto her knees.
Shock pushed a moan from her lips as she gripped my thighs. Her eyes searched mine, the only hint of fear I’d seen in them appearing.
“I need an answer to a question, my little dancer. Do you know Vardan Zargarian?”
My years of paying close attention was challenged, but she wasn’t a player and because of that, her initial reaction was the truth. “Who is that?”
“Someone you went to college with. He graduated with the same degree as you.” Did I suspect Vardan was not a man who could be trusted? Not necessarily, but I was determined to look at the situation from all sides.
Her uncertainty turned to her signature annoyance. Which is what I was hoping for. There were no additional barriers that mattered to me at this point.
I might consider myself a fool later for agreeing to anything other than simply taking what I wanted, but right now, my mind was preoccupied with physical needs.
Everything about the woman was devastating and there was no turning back my desires.
She’d not only accidentally stepped into my world; she’d crashed into it on purpose.
She was mine and there was nothing anyone could do, including the beguiling enchantress, to change that.
A single rough tug of her head backward and I dropped mine, crushing my lips over hers. Her fingers dug into my legs as I kissed her. There was no gentleness about my actions. I was simply in too much need for her.
Her moan, which I caught, encapsulated the moment. I had a gorgeous naked woman on her knees in front of me, her voluptuous body calling to the beast inside. I swept my tongue inside, enjoying the sweet taste of her.
Cinnamon, a favorite flavor, a hint spicy to suit her personality. My cock was straining against the material, pinched by the zipper. As hungry as I was, the need to consume her mouth was completely overpowering.
She crawled her fingers up my shirt, clenching them tightly and arching her back. The way she’d enticed me, challenging me on purpose had increased my appetite, leaving me ravenous for her.
Every sound made was thoroughly animalistic, both of us consumed by lust. She worked on my tie, yanking the knot free while our lips remained locked together. I wasn’t much in the mood for foreplay, the spanking igniting everything I’d come to expect from spending time with her.
Her breathing labored, she worked on the buttons on my shirt, her actions fervent while I consumed her mouth.
With the heat exploding between us, I yanked her back by a few inches. Her heavy breathing brought a smile. Everything about her was perfect, a woman meant to be worshipped.
I’d meant what I’d said to her. Women were meant to be treasured, and she was a precious creature.
All I could think about was that she was fucking mine.
As if intended all along.
From that night on the terrace.
I bit her chin, savoring the moans slipping past her swollen lips. Everything about her drove me crazy, especially the way she looked at me.
Even now.
Her eyes were deep and smoky, her own needs keeping them smoldering with reticent fire that often mocked me. I yanked the pin from her hair, watching in fascination as the tendrils of her long, dark curls fanned around her shoulders.
I’d learned so many important things about her with her determination to discover every dangerous secret. She was the strongest woman I’d ever met, even if her resolve and her caustic mouth could get her killed.
She would need to be controlled.
I rolled my fingers down her chest, flicking one across her nipple.
She bore a smile that could easily drive a man six feet under, her sass more evident than usual.
Her hands slipped down my chest, determined fingers unfastening my trousers.
When she peeled the material aside, her eyes darted toward the prize she was searching for.