13. Adrik
ADRIK
K eeping my distance from Elena seemed impossible. My idea of forcing things to stay strictly professional between us backfired.
Once I gave her the greenlight to investigate those unknown shell companies that seemed connected to transfers linked to the Bratva accounts, I realized that I had unleashed a new side of her. A side that intrigued me even more than I already was.
Finding someone who was dedicated to their work was always a benefit. Witnessing how much of a hard worker she was only made her more admirable. A sexy woman who was smart and liked to have something to work on? She checked every box. Why would I want to keep myself from someone so perfect?
However, even if I wanted to spend all my time with her, I couldn’t allow myself the luxury of all these late nights in the office, smelling her, watching her, and yearning to reach out to her while the tension thickened between us.
She didn’t act on it. Of course, she didn’t.
I denied myself too. Other duties pulled me away.
My cousins and I had to go deal with a disgruntled member of the Cartel who thought he could talk smack about us.
Then another day, I was requested as a guest at a luncheon to meet a politician who wanted to earn my favor.
This morning, after I welcomed Elena into my father’s old office, I felt right in the decision to let her work here with that laptop.
She seemed to prefer the privacy here. I hadn’t stayed, though, going to remind a couple of drug dealers what kind of punishment they could expect when they stole from the family. A lethal punishment.
Killing liars and traitors was something that my brothers and cousins could do for me, but they were all equally busy in their own respects.
When did Father step back from being on the front line?
I wondered about the timing of it as I was driven back to the large mansion.
He always stayed fit and strong. And he was always involved as much as he could be with the men and soldiers who handled the dirty work.
All my brothers and cousins had gone out on tasks like I had today, killing alongside him.
When he got older, though, he had delegated more. I supposed that was expected, but I struggled to see how that would apply to me—yet. I was only thirty-eight. I didn’t feel old enough to stay in an office and be on the phone.
I rubbed my face.
Bullshit. Like you’re not hurrying home to get in the office.
I was motivated to check in as quickly as I could to see Elena.
It still didn’t feel like my office. Memories of it being my father’s space were too strong.
Seeing Elena there changed it all. She was the reward waiting for me there.
And she was also acting like a catalyst for me to let go of the past and embrace my future.
I entered the room after the long day of dealing with bullshit. The sight of her sitting there in the spare chair, hunched over her laptop, made me want to smile.
“You’re going to ruin your posture like that.”
She sat up, surprised, and gave me such a big smile that it stole my breath.
Fuck. Do you realize how gorgeous you are, sweetheart?
“Hey, you’re back.” Her face lighting up at my return made me feel like a god among men.
“How’d your day go?” she asked conversationally, like we were just two ordinary people discussing ordinary jobs.
She wasn’t na?ve. She understood that I was a leader of a dangerous and powerful criminal organization.
While she didn’t want to know any details, she continued to impress me with how laid-back she could be about my identity and what my family did.
She was way too sweet to ever want to harm anyone, but she didn’t view me as some horrible, murdering monster.
She didn’t cringe or cower away from me like she feared me.
Her acceptance of my darkness was something I couldn’t get over.
Why do you have to be so perfect for me?
Why now?
Why did you have to come into my life when I shouldn’t be thinking about you but instead, all the responsibilities that I have on my shoulders?
“My day is better now.” I gave her a long, appreciative look, letting her pick up on my tone.
Her responding blush was exactly what I was hoping for. She noticed the flirty way I’d spoken, but she didn’t give me anything back. As expected. She was too shy to hit on me.
“I don’t think I can add to any good news, though,” she admitted.
I set my hands on the back of her chair, tormenting myself with the soft brush of her hair on my fingers. “No?” I itched to slide her wheat hair aside and massage the knots out of her neck.
“Well.” She let out a sigh and looked up at me.
“These shell companies seem connected, but it’s a more layered and complicated web than I thought they might be.
” She looked up again quickly, as if regretting her words.
“I’m not quitting. I’m not saying it’s too hard for me to look at.
It’s just that it might take me a few more days to really have any answers for you about who might be trying to mess with your finances. ”
She proceeded to show me what she had investigated so far.
The more she talked and walked me through what was on the screen, I understood that she was not only an accounting genius but also well-versed in investigating and researching online.
I had already set her up to work alongside my bookkeepers, but now I wondered if she would be even more helpful if she were to work with my cyber specialists, the few men who were IT techs that could hack into any system in the world.
“You’ve been busy,” I commented at last.
She nodded and closed the laptop. “It feels good to be busy and know that I’m working toward something.”
“It’s also late,” I commented.
She winced as she stood. “It’s not that late. But I did remember to eat!”
I hated how little she thought to take care of herself.
At first, I wondered if it was because she was used to being dependent, counting on others to take care of her and provide her with what she needed or wanted.
I doubted that John Morovov ever gave a damn about her like that.
As a father should. I knew firsthand that she never asked for anything.
In fact, I knew her father hadn’t provided for her because he’d given her to me as a punishment he wanted to avoid facing himself.
The more I got to know her, though, I realized that she neglected to consider her own needs because she’d been dismissed all her life.
“Come on. Let me walk you home,” I said.
She grabbed the laptop and left the big house with me. The walk to the guest house she was staying in wasn’t a long trip. Once we reached the front door, I wished that I’d had more time to spend in her sweet company.
She paused in front of the door. Sheltered by the roof of the porch and the columns that made up this entryway, it seemed more private. “You don’t need to walk me home,” she said quietly.
“I want to.”
“Then I’m sorry if you thought that you had to tonight. It is late.” She dipped her chin a little, looking shyer. “I stayed late because I was holding on to the hope that I’d have a chance to see you. But I’m sorry if I’m making your night even longer and keeping you up.”
I smiled at her downcast face. She wasn’t putting on a show of being demure. She wasn’t faking this coy act. She really was this eager for my approval, sincerely committed to trying to make my life better.
But what she didn’t realize was that it already was. I was a different man from the one I was a month ago. Not only due to my father dying, but also because I’d met her.
My life felt fuller with something to look forward to rather than facing the dread of all the changes that were forced upon me now.
“You have nothing to apologize for.” I tipped her chin up, and the contact between my fingertips on the underside of her jaw had me raging for more.
For all of her.
I’d be up late one way or another. Due to her on my mind and in my dreams.
With how reluctant she seemed to be about heading inside, perhaps uneasy about seeing me go, I had to acknowledge that denying this tension crackling between us meant that we’d let it fester. If we continued to deny ourselves, this need would only worsen.
“You don’t have to worry about me staying up all night,” I said as I stroked my thumb along her silky, smooth skin.
She stared up at me with longing, her eyes glittering with want.
“Because I tend to anyway,” I added as I cupped her face. “I stay up all night wanting you.”
I dipped down to kiss her. Deeply. Soundly. Giving her no room for misunderstanding. I lusted for her, and I was sick of pretending this raw desire would fade or go away.
She let out a soft whimper and didn’t wait to kiss me back.
Her lips brushed over mine as I clutched her closer, hauling her flush against my chest. Heat hammered through me, and my dick got even stiffer, aching with the rush of blood to it as she reached up and pressed her mouth more firmly to mine.
Oh, fuck. Sweetheart…
This time, she wasn’t as shy. Unlike when I’d lost my control and kissed her in the main house, she was replying. Kissing me back. Clutching at my tie with one hand while she spread her fingers around the back of my neck. Like she couldn’t stand the chance that I might retreat.
She wanted me, too. She was this impatient to taste my lips, this hungry for my touch.
“I stay up every fucking night wishing I could have a chance to feel all of you,” I growled.
She panted, gazing up at me as she looped both arms around my neck. “I… Me too.”
Ragged breaths could wait. I crushed my mouth back on hers as I picked her up.
Bare skin greeted my hand as I hoisted her up.
I gripped the soft undersides of her thighs as I carried her toward the door.
The closed panel was a solid surface to brace her against. Leverage mattered now as I sought to kiss her until she was breathless, to commit the hot, sexy taste of her to memory.
She clung to me, rubbing against me with a torturous rhythm. Her soft breasts sliding over my chest. Her flat stomach over the tip of my erection under my clothes.
Knowing that she needed more was the last break on my restraint.
She cared about what I wanted or needed.
But it was far past time for someone—for me —to give her what she was looking for.
I dragged my hand down her side as I pinned her to the door with my hips. She was wedged there, sandwiched between me and the wooden surface. This freed me to get my hand under her damnably plain and so sexy skirt. With her legs parted, hooked around my waist, she was open to me.
A few strokes over her panty-clad pussy had her moaning into my mouth.
One hard tug on the fabric ripped the seams and prompted her to gasp.
I sucked on her lip as I rubbed my fingers back and forth over her folds, spreading all the juices and sweet cream she dripped for me.
“Adrik?”
I kissed her as I pushed one finger into her tight, wet heat.
She rocked her head back, knocking it on the door, as she cried out loudly. “Oh, God. Shit. Adrik! I—” Giving up speech, she settled on low moans and needy whimpers that made me insane.
I fucked her with my fingers, first one and then two.
But it was my thumb strumming her clit that pushed her over the edge.
She came loudly, gasping then crying out my name.
It was sexier than I’d ever imagined, the way her eyes closed and her lips twisted into a circle of awe.
Her thighs quivered around my waist as I kept her pinned there against the door, steadying her while she rode out the thrill of coming.
For me.
Just for me.
“Good girl,” I whispered into her ear.
Her pussy squeezed my fingers again, and she slumped toward me. Spent. Lax. And looking like she’d gone to heaven and back again.
“Such a good girl, coming for me like that,” I praised.
My dick throbbed, a pole of pain that I couldn’t get to at the moment.
I ached for her. I needed her like I’d never needed a woman before.
But as I lowered her to her feet and braced her until she could stand on her own feet with her knees still shaky, I caught myself from following her inside and getting what I wanted.
What I needed.
Because the second I caved, the instant I surrendered, I would never have any hope of reining myself in again.
She caught her breath, keeping her face lowered, as I reached around her and opened the door.
“Go on,” I urged her, needing to see her safely inside before I could go.
Without another look at me, she obeyed. She held on to the wall for balance as she went inside.
And once the door was closed, I damned my control and adjusted my erection under my pants.
I’m going insane.
I could’ve had her. Nothing was stopping me from going in there and fucking her all night long.
Only my sense of duty could rope me back into the territory of common sense.