Preston
Vadim's dark-gray eyes bore into me, his hand firmly clamped over my mouth. My heart is hammering so hard my ribs might explode.
My second uninvited encounter tonight. Is it a full moon or something?
"I'm not going to hurt you," he repeats. "And I didn't want to scare you."
"Ever thought of mmph—" My words are muffled by his hand. He lifts it off me slowly. "Ever thought of knocking on my front door?" I finish my question. "Tends to be a lot less scary than lurking in my room."
"That's fair."
I take a step back and blink hard a few times. He's dressed in all black, from collar to shoe. His hair is neatly combed, his jaw is sharp, and those striking gray eyes are focused exclusively on me.
My brain can't wrap itself around the fact that he's here, in my room.
"What are you doing here? How do you even know where I live? Jesus." I drag a hand through my damp hair. "Does every creep in Reno know where I live and work now? Am I on some sort of register?"
"I'm not a creep." His voice is firm but steady.
"What?"
"You just called me a creep."
"Yeah, well, in my defense, I've had quite the night. You've broken into my house. And you're wearing all black. Seriously, do you not own anything in another color?"
"I'm not a creep." There's a stronger hint of insistence this time. "But that guy you maced outside your work is."
"Oh my god." I back away from him. "You're spying on me?"
"No."
"So how do you know about the guy?"
"I happened to be in the area."
"Hm. Creep and a liar. Ellie was right. You're red flag central."
The muscle in his jaw ticks, and his fingers have curled into fists. When he sees that I've noticed, he loosens them. "I'm not a liar. I was working late. I remembered where you work. I googled it and saw that it was almost closing time. I was curious. So I drove by."
"Why?"
"To see you."
"Why?"
He drags his top teeth over his bottom lip. "Because I was…curious."
"About?"
"You."
I groan.
Communication is clearly not his forte. I'm way too tired to keep going round in circles like this. I pick up my mug of tea before it cools too much and becomes undrinkable and take a long sip.
Chamomile and lemon. My favorite.
"Who was that guy outside the spa?"
"His name is Lev Farkas," Vadim replies.
"And you know him?"
"I do."
"How?"
"Business associate."
"Thought you said you weren't a liar."
"I'm not. Fine." Vadim squares his shoulders. "He's working for my family's rival. They're trying to destroy us."
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
The skin around his eyes tightens for just a second. "Excuse me?"
"It's my turn to be curious about you. And since you're not a liar, I'm sure you'll have no problem answering a simple, little ques—"
"Yes."
I put the mug down harder than I mean to. "Really?"
"Yes."
I squint at him, searching for any signs he's messing with me, that this is an example of his Eastern European humor I'm not getting.
He looks deadly serious.
I shuffle my feet against the floor, unsure what to think, what to feel. It's been a long-ass day. It's been a long-ass week…and it's only Tuesday.
"And what does this Fev Larkas guy want from me?"
A tiny smile plays on Vadim's lips but quickly disappears. "That I don't know. Was hoping you might be able to clue me in. What did he say?"
"He told me to pass on a message. To you."
Vadim's face hardens, but he speaks in a soft register as he moves closer to me. "What was the message?"
I shiver as I recall the encounter.
I'll be the first to freely admit I'm a full-blown scaredy cat. I don't like the dark. Hate being alone at night. Can't stand horror movies. And this Larkas guy, or whatever his name is, rattled me to my core.
Maybe I overreacted, macing him like that, but it dragged me back to a place I've worked very hard to leave behind.
I heave out a tired breath. "He told me to tell you that you're not as smart as you think you are."
Vadim frowns, his eyes darting side to side, like he's trying to decipher the deeper meaning. He cocks his head back to me. "Was that it? Did he say anything else?"
"Nope. That's it. I told him to tell you himself and warned him to stay away from me. He kept getting closer, so I maced him and ran off."
"Yeah. I saw that. Nice work."
"And then you…?"
"Followed you back here, yes."
"Why? And I swear to god if you say it's because you were curious, I will scream. You're not allowed to use that word anymore. And no bullshit either. Be straight with me. You owe me that much for scaring the life out of me." I lift the mug and tip back what's left of the lukewarm tea.
Vadim runs his hard, gray eyes over me, and I try not to shiver. He can do so much with his eyes.
Too much.
Ellie is right, he is dangerous.
"Someone must have seen us at The Butterfly Lounge. That's why Farkas approached you. He must think we're connected. And unfortunately, that puts your safety at risk."
"Why?"
"Like I said, he's working for people who want to take my family down."
I don't know anything about how the casino world operates other than clichés of grizzled underworld mobsters, shady backroom dealings, glittery showgirls, and corrupt cops happy to look the other way for the right price.
But that's Hollywood. Make believe. Surely in the real world, in this day and age, in freaking Reno, stuff like that isn't actually happening.
Although, I did just get accosted by a creep and told to pass on a message to a gorgeous casino heir who's decked out in all black, has admitted to killing people, and is currently standing in my messy bedroom staring at me like I'm the only thing in the world… So who the fuck knows anything anymore?
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe."
"I don't need you to keep me safe." I plant my hands on my hips and lift my head to meet his gaze. "I handled that guy just fine."
Vadim purses his lips and lets out a breath through his nose. "You don't know what you're getting into. These types of people don't mess around."
"Neither do I." Our eyes stay locked for one breath, two, three, four, when it hits me. "Oh my god!" I shriek.
"What? What is it?"
I glance down to the pile of clothes on the floor. "I just realized you were in the room when I got changed."
"Was I?"
"Don't play dumb. You saw me. You saw me…naked."
"Fine. I saw you naked."
My hands fly to my cheeks. "I can't believe this is happening."
He lifts a shoulder. "It was a very pleasant sight. If that helps?"
I glare at him. "It does not."
He doesn't blink as he stares right back at me.
Then he moves in, ever so slightly but close enough to latch onto my fingers and lower my hands from my face.
"What if I told you that you have a great body?
What if I said that despite tonight not turning out how I expected it to at all, I was outside your work, hoping to see you, because I've been thinking about you? And that's very rare for me."
"What, to think?"
"Hilarious," he deadpans without smiling, turning his hand so the back of it grazes my cheek. "I don't like many people."
"Shocker."
His eyes drop to my mouth. "You're…different."
"Is that meant to be a compliment?"
"It is." He licks his lips. "Tell you what, do you still want to pay me back for the other night?"
"I do. You got Venmo yet?"
"No." A fire ignites behind those gray eyes. "But you can pay me back another way."
I scoff. "If you're suggesting what I think you are, forget it."
"I'm not. Don't worry. I remember your three-date rule."
"Y-you do?"
"Of course."
"So what do you want then?"
"I didn't get to see as much of you as I wanted to before, when you were getting changed." He's so close now that his rum-edged cologne has wrapped itself around me. "I want to see your ass."
"My what?"
"You heard me."
"I—"
I've got nothing. Is the full moon messing with him? This feels like a cross between a fever dream and a horny practical joke. He can't be for real.
"No touching." He brings his palms to the sides of my face, caressing my skin. "I just want to see it."
"My ass?"
"Correct."
I don't know whether to be flattered or slap the guy. Actually, I think I maybe want to do both. But if it'll settle the debt I owe him, which I hate hanging over me, then…maybe?
An Ellie-sized angel lands on my shoulder and warns me not to go ahead with it. He's a potentially dangerous man who broke into my house and is the reason some goon accosted me tonight. Red flag, red flag, red flag.
But then an Andre-sized angel lands on my other shoulder and encourages me to take the plunge and just go for it. He's always on me to take up camming, which I am so not made for, but this crazy offer?
What have I got to lose? I show some ass, and I settle the score with Vadim. Two birds, one stone…right?
I wave a finger in front of him. "No touching."
"No touching," he repeats solemnly, sliding his hand from my face.
"Fine." I point to my bed. "You. There."
He nods and sits down on the edge of my bed, hands on his lap where I can see them. I position myself directly in front of him, leaving a solid COVID social distancing gap between us. I glance over my shoulder to make sure he hasn't moved.
He hasn't.
Neither have his hands that are resting on those massive thighs of his.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, then lower my sleep shorts and hike them back up again.
"There you go." I spin around to face him.
Vadim stares back at me with a blank face. "No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"That was too fast. I want to see it. Properly."
I sigh. He did buy Mom flowers, so I suppose he's earned the right to a slightly longer peek.
"Fine."
I turn around and lower my shorts again to expose my cheeks, trying not to feel like the world's biggest idiot. My respect for Andre has shot up a million percent. He gets naked and takes requests from hundreds of strangers online every week. How does he work up the courage to do it?
"Happy now?" I ask after a few seconds have passed, moving my hands to pull up my shorts.
"No. Wait."
I freeze. "What?"
"You're not showing me your ass."
I grab one of my bare cheeks and give it a squeeze. "Pretty sure I am."
"I want to see everything."
Wait. Surely he doesn't mean…
"Spread your cheeks, and show me your hole."
Okay, yep, that's exactly what he means.
"Not happening."
"A deal's a deal. Unless you're a flake. Or, I don't know…a liar."
I grit my teeth.
Bastard. I know he's baiting me, so I should be smarter and not fall for it. But damn my stupid pride.
"Fine," I hiss.
"Only if you want to though."
His voice is calm. Annoyingly so.
This isn't something I would willingly come up with as something I want to do, but a deal's a—hang on a minute.
It hits me what he's doing. He's getting my consent. I mean, sure, he's architectured a completely insane situation, but he's also, in his own unique way, making sure I'm okay with what he's proposing. Or at the very least, okay to go along with it.
That strikes something deep inside me.
I crane my neck. "I want to."
He nods once. "Good. Go ahead then."
My cheeks—the ones on my face—puff out as I exhale, then I bring my hands to my other cheeks, grabbing one in each hand. I tilt forward slightly and pull them apart, exposing the most private, most intimate part of myself to an almost complete stranger.
I hear the bed creak, and my spine stiffens.
"I'm just coming in to get a closer look. I won't touch you, I promise." His words hang heavy in the room. When I don't say anything, he checks, "Is that okay?"
It shouldn't be.
None of this should be.
But even though it's unexpected and awkward, it's not entirely all bad. There's maybe even a tiny part of me that's getting a kick out of it. Andre is going to be so proud of me. Ellie is possibly going to start hunting for a new roommate.
What's even weirder, on top of everything else in this already mightily weird situation, is that I believe Vadim when he says he won't touch me. I don't know why, but I do.
"Okay," I agree.
I hear him getting closer. A joint pops, and I turn my head to see him kneeling on the floor behind me. Wow, he's going in for the extreme close-up. I wonder if he's one of those people who sit in the front row of a movie theater.
That thought vanishes as I'm hit by a wave of self-consciousness, suddenly very aware that my asshole is the sole focus of Vadim's attention.
Do I look okay down there?
Is he comparing me to other guys?
Am I…normal?
"So beautiful," he murmurs so quietly I barely catch it. "I'd like to do something," he says a little louder. "I won't touch you, I swear. Just…trust me, okay?"
"Okay," I breathe.
I have no idea what he's planning, and not gonna lie, my stomach is turning itself inside out. I swear if he so much as lays a fingertip on me, he's getting a kick to the balls.
My heart is racing, my eyes won't stay still, and as each second ticks by, I get closer and closer to shutting this whole thing down when…the most delicious sensation ripples through me. It's so good, so light, but it almost knocks me off my feet.
My breath hitches as my brain scrambles to figure out what it is, where this intoxicating feeling is coming from.
Actually, that part I sort of know. It's coming from Vadim.
But how?
What is he doing?
He's stuck to his promise and hasn't laid a single finger on me.
I go still and just listen, picking up on a sound that's familiar yet I can't place. It's smooth. It's rhythmic. It's…ohmygod…
It's Vadim on his knees, his mouth angled toward me, releasing a slow, steady breath over my entrance.
"That feels…divine," I whisper-pant, turning slightly so I can see his face.
He looks up at me and smiles possibly the first genuine smile I've ever seen on him, and utters just one word.
"Good."