Russian Mobster's Secret Read online

  “I’m fine.” Susan gave her friend a warm smile. “Really, but I’m glad you stopped by. Want to come inside?”

  “Sure.” Oksana strode in with the trademark hip motion that made men the world over pant like dogs. She headed directly for the kitchen. “Do you have coffee? I’m dying after last night.”

  “Of course.” Susan hustled into the kitchen. “Let me grab you a cup. Sit down. You look like you had a long night. Did you meet someone fun?”

  Oksana opened her blue eyes wide. “Oh, I don’t want to talk about me. Tell me what happened with you!”

  Susan poured herself a cup of coffee as well as one for her friend and carried them to the table. Then she sat for a moment and tried to collect her thoughts. Fortunately, Oksana was absorbed in her coffee for the time being.

  “Well?” Oksana eventually prodded.

  “Nicolai was a lot of fun. He’s hot. He’s obviously experienced. And I can’t say I expect him to start picking out wedding china or anything.”

  Her friend threw her head back and laughed. “No. Nicolai most certainly won’t trouble you with that. Do you think you will see him again?”

  “I don’t know.” Susan figured that was a pretty honest answer. “It’s not like I had a chance to get his number or anything. If I see him at the club next time, I think I’d like to dance with him again.”

  Oksana snorted. “I don’t know what got into my brother last night!” She reached across the table and laid her hand on Susan’s forearm. “Kirill was completely out of line.” Oksana muttered something in Russian. “I’m so sorry he interrupted your dance. I told him last night to leave you alone. I don’t know what he was thinking.”

  “Who knows?” Susan took a swig of her coffee, holding the mug in two hands and savoring the warmth.

  “I told him you were too smart to make a mistake with a man like him I almost expected you to punch him right there on the dance floor! It would have been so funny. No?”

  “I suppose so.” Susan felt odd talking about Kirill like this. “Kirill is certainly pushy.”

  “He thinks women need to be bossed around.” Oksana rolled her eyes. “Although sometimes I think he says these things just to make me mad.”

  “That doesn’t seem very nice,” Susan said absently. “And I don’t understand why it matters what crime family someone works for. If anything, I’d rather find someone with no mafia connections at all.”

  “Exactly!” Oksana said with a moan. “My stupid brother thinks everyone is in awe of his mafia status, which is nothing, by the way. He’s barely managed to become an Orlov enforcer. I tell him all the time that they’re just toying with him.”

  “That’s not what other people say, though.” Susan thought about the rumors she’d heard over the years.

  “Pfft!” Oksana waved her hand. “That’s because of our uncle. People used to say he was a serious mafia man. Some kind of leader or something. I don’t know. It’s stupid! My mother used to say that Kirill only wanted to be like Uncle Ivan. Why my brother thinks he’s going to make a name for himself doing dirty work for stupid men like Yuri Orlov is beyond me.”

  “So Kirill does do work for Orlov, though?” Susan wasn’t sure why it mattered. Except she couldn’t stop thinking about how dangerous it was for these guys to be constantly trying to murder each other.

  “He says he does.” Oksana waved her hand. Then she suddenly looked at Susan as though something had just occurred to her. “You’re not interested in Kirill, are you?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’ll kick your ass.” Oksana frowned. “He’s my brother, but he’s bad news. You need to stay away from him.”

  “Duly noted.” Susan wondered if Oksana realized that she hadn’t really agreed to anything one way or the other.

  KIRILL OPENED HIS eyes, blinking at the clock and wondering what had woken him up to begin with. Getting up early was a waste of a post-sex high. And the one he’d managed to get from fucking Susan was the best one he’d ever experienced. The woman’s pussy was magic.

  He let his eyes drift closed again and realized his brain was now contemplating all the reasons why screwing Susan wasn’t just about physical satisfaction. That was a woman who was bold where others would shrink away. She wasn’t just a receptacle. Even though she didn’t seem to fully know what she wanted, she absolutely seemed capable of determining how to get it. And nobody had ever talked to him the way she had. Her tongue was sharp and her mind was quick. It was really a knockout combination.

  Oksana suddenly strolled into his bedroom. “Get your stupid ass out of bed.”

  “Who let you in?”

  “Your spare key did.” She put her foot on his bed and began to shake it.

  He rolled over, giving her his back. “Remind me to have the locks changed.”

  “You and I need to talk.”

  Now he was awake. It occurred to him that it was possible Susan had felt compelled by some girl code to tell his sister they had fucked. If that was the case, Kirill was in for the lecture of a lifetime. Except this did not feel like Oksana ready to give him hell. More like she was about to lecture him in a preventative fashion.

  He sat up. “What do you want now?”

  “I want to talk about my friend Susan.” Oksana crossed her arms over her chest and looked belligerent.

  He scooted up and rested his shoulders against his headboard.

  He made a face. “You want to talk about how her personality is so much better than yours? Then the answer is yes. It is.”

  “Ha! No. I want to talk about you keeping your dick in your pants.”

  “I thought you told me she was far too smart to get mixed up with a loser like me.” He waved his hand. “Or something along those lines.”

  She cursed in Russian. “She is. Except when she’s going through some personal stuff, you know?”

  “No. I don’t. But I have a feeling you’re about to enlighten me, so I’ll try not to fall back to sleep.”

  “God, you’re an asshole!” she muttered in Russian. Then she switched back to English. “I’m talking about the fact that Susan feels super vulnerable right now because she just got worked over by this asshole she works with.”

  “What?” He attempted to look bored, but in reality he was piecing together his observations about Susan’s behavior.

  “This guy she works with kept poking fun at her, telling her she was fat and ugly. He made a lot of jokes at her expense and spread them around the office. She works in finance, so I think he called her the cash cow. I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes. “It was something totally stupid, but Susan took it pretty hard.”

  “Any woman would.” He kept his tone flippant. “You’re all a bunch of shallow wenches who spend half of every day worrying about what everyone else thinks about your shoes.”

  “Seriously? That’s what you come up with?” Oksana unceremoniously kicked him in the shin.

  “I’m sorry, what did you want me to say?” He held out his arms. “It sounds like Susan could use my services. I’ll tell her how sexy she is, give her a few good romps between the sheets and build up her confidence. It’s like a public service!”

  “Why am I surprised that you think a one night stand with a player like you would help things? She needs a good guy for a long term relationship. I think I’ve got some people in mind. I just need her to be confident enough in her own appeal to be willing to give them a chance.”

  “So you steer her toward Nicolai?” Even the thought of that little bastard putting his hands all over Susan’s curves made Kirill grind his teeth in irritation. “I thought you just said you didn’t want her to be with a player?”

  “Nicolai is harmless and you know it.” Oksana shook her head sadly. “The man is good looking and he’s a decent lay, but he has zero interest in a woman past that first time.”

  “And you think that will make Susan feel more confident?” Kirill frowned. “There’s
a flaw in your logic, sister.”

  “I don’t think she’s going to sleep with Nicolai. But she’s going to know that she could, and that will make her feel good about herself.” Oksana seemed to have that nonsense all figured out.

  “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” He didn’t like that idea for more than one reason, but he wasn’t about to list them for Oksana.

  “So my point is that your little stunt last night interfered with my plan. Stay away from Susan. Got it?”

  “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, baby sister,” he told her with lazy indifference. “But if a woman shows interest in me, I’m going to respond appropriately.”

  “She hasn’t shown interest. I talked to her this morning.”

  “You did.”

  “Yes! She was really pissed that you interfered. She’s hoping to go back to the club tonight so she can score another dance with Nicolai. It’s working perfectly. She totally wants to dance with him, but she’s already decided there’s no way she’s sleeping with him. See? She’ll reject Nicolai, and that’ll give her confidence.” Oksana gave him a look that made Kirill seem like a bug about to be squashed. “So go somewhere else tonight. Got it?”

  He made a noncommittal noise. Susan wanted him to leave her alone? Or Oksana only thought she did? Either way, the situation was going to require a little more investigation on his part.

  Chapter Five

  Things were not going exactly as planned for Susan. The club was hopping. The music was great. There were people everywhere dancing and having a great time. But Susan was beginning to realize that having sex with Kirill had altered her perspective a bit.

  First of all, her gaze kept wandering to the club entrance as though her mind couldn’t stop looking for Kirill. She was trying to dance with Nicolai. Except last night he had seemed sexy and maybe a little dominant. Tonight, she couldn’t help but think of him as a moron with about twenty sets of hands and no idea what to do with them.

  Susan rebuffed Nicolai’s attempt to get underneath her skirt for about the fifteenth time in the last ten minutes. Once again, she laced her fingers with his and lifted them above their heads. She gyrated and swung her hips to the beat of the music, but Nicolai only seemed interested in getting her to spread her legs right there in public.

  “What is your problem?” Susan finally backed off and flung Nicolai’s hands away from her hips.

  “Me?” He looked affronted. “What’s your problem? Last night you were all over me.”

  “And tonight you’re all over me, dumbass!” She made a face at him. “Only I don’t want you anywhere near me!”

  Susan turned and stalked off through the dancers. She was so done with this guy that she didn’t even know where to begin.

  Oksana stopped her just before she made it to the exit. Her friend was dressed to the nines once again in a fitted tank dress made of some kind of stretchy, sparkly silver material and heels so high they made her legs look a mile long.

  “Where are you going?” Oksana demanded. “I thought you wanted to dance with Nicolai.”

  “You know what?” Susan pursed her lips. “I can totally do better.”

  Oksana gave her a little hug and then bounced up and down in her impossible shoes. “Fuck yeah you can!”

  “Why do I feel like I’m about to get ambushed?” Susan asked suspiciously.

  Oksana smiled with obvious excitement. “Because I have this amazing guy I want you to meet. He’s so perfect for you! I just knew you needed to get over what that asshole did to you at work. That’s all.”

  “And you thought Nicolai would help me do that?” Susan wondered if her friend had a screw loose.

  “Would you have said you deserved better before Nicolai?”

  Susan couldn’t really argue that point. Especially since that feeling had nothing to do with Nicolai and everything to do with Kirill. Oksana wouldn’t have appreciated that at all.

  “So will you meet this guy?” Oksana pressed.

  “Tomorrow,” Susan finally agreed. “Not tonight.”

  “Perfect!” Oksana clasped her hands, looking like a beauty queen during the Q&A round.

  “Good night, Oksana,” Susan said pointedly. But her friend was already off to find her next conquest.

  KIRILL WAITED IN the shadows across the street from Susan’s house. Her windows were dark, and the place was deserted. He had already been to the club. He had seen the cab pull up to the curb before dropping off Oksana and Susan. It had galled him to stand there and do nothing while Susan went inside, but he had known it was the best course of action.

  Now he watched as another cab pulled up outside Susan’s house. She got out alone and strode to her front door like a woman on a mission. Or probably more likely a woman annoyed. It was difficult to say, but Kirill knew what she looked like when she was satisfied, and this was not it.

  “Couldn’t find a partner to suit you at the club?” he called out across the street.

  She whirled on her heels, wobbling for just a moment. “You!”

  “Yes. Me.”

  “Where were you?” she demanded, walking down her front steps and stopping at the edge of the sidewalk.

  “Why?” He couldn’t help but grin. “Were you looking for me? I thought you were going to the club to get another dance with Nicolai?”

  “Who—” Her confusion turned to irritation. “Did Oksana tell you that?”

  “Who else?”

  “Ugh! Your sister needs to learn to keep her mouth shut!” Susan stomped her foot in a fit of pique.

  He sauntered across the street. “I would agree with you there, but Oksana did have some interesting insight to offer about you.”

  “Oh, I bet.”

  He moved in closer. So close that he caught a hint of her scent. “You don’t seem happy about that.”

  “No happier than you would be if you knew what horrible things she says about you. In fact, if I wanted to believe all of the rumors she quoted me, you’re nothing but a pathetic wannabe gangster.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, she does seem to be into spreading rumors.”

  “Oh God! Did she tell you about the rumors at my work?” Susan covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Why does she do this to me?”

  “She means well.” He wasn’t sure why he felt so inclined to soothe her pride. He simply knew he wanted to make her smile.

  “Meaning well doesn’t make it okay to be a busybody.” She turned her back to him. “I think I’m going to go to bed. This day needs to be over.”

  “Does it?” Kirill watched her body language. “Because you don’t look as if you’re done.”

  “Oh really?” The look of skepticism she sent his way was scorching. “What? Are you going to tell me that I look like I need to relax?”

  SUSAN WAS REELING from the knowledge that Kirill knew about her embarrassment at work. How graphic had Oksana been? She hated to imagine what her friend had said. For now, Susan was ready to go hide under her covers and try to forget any of this had happened.

  “As a matter of fact, I wasn’t going to say a word about relaxation. That would come later.” Kirill leaned in close. “First, I’m going to make you very, very tense.”

  “Is that right?” She put her hand on her hip to hide her trembling. The tone of his voice was reminding her of the decadent amount of pleasure this man could bring her with merely a look.

  He lifted his hand and let his fingers trace the neckline of her dress. The light touch made her suck in a quick breath. Her nipples instantly hardened, and she grew lightheaded. The tip of his index finger slipped between her breasts, following the line of her cleavage.

  “Shall I do the same with my tongue?” he asked softly.

  They were standing on the street in front of her house. It was late, but people might still be watching. She had no business letting him touch her at all, but she couldn’t refuse.

  “Yes.�
�� Susan exhaled the word on a breath.

  He moved closer. He lowered his head and licked a light trail across the tops of her breasts before dipping down low between the full globes. She felt a corresponding pull below her navel. It was as if everything between her legs was beginning to melt.

  “Ask me inside, Susan.”

  “Why should I?”

  His low, sexy laugh drew a visceral response from her. “Because you want to.”

  She forced herself to turn and walk away. It was a deliberate attempt to exert her free will. Unfortunately, he followed along in her wake and ruined everything. She climbed the three solitary steps to her front door. She’d forgotten to turn on the porch light, and the door was shrouded in shadows.

  “Invite me in,” he said.

  She searched for her key. “What are you? A vampire?”

  “Obviously not. You’re still alive, correct?” He pulled her abruptly into his arms.

  Susan gasped as his lips touched her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. She should have been pulling away, but she couldn’t make her body obey. The feel of his kisses on the thin skin at the base of her neck was erotic. Her heart was racing, and she was getting so turned on that she could feel the slippery wetness coating the insides of her thighs.

  “Are you wet for me?” he asked. “I think that you are. I think that when I pull your dress up like this—” He tugged her skirt up nearly to her waist. “—and put my fingers in your pussy—” He slid his hand down the front of her panties and right between her nether lips into her slit. “—I think I’ll find that you want me as badly as I want you.”

  She couldn’t protest. It felt too good to have him stroking her clit. He straddled the tiny nub with two fingers and began to rub in small circles. She was going to come. She could feel the burning sensation building quickly out of control. A series of little gasps escaped her lips, and then she was flying.

  “That’s right, Susan,” Kirill whispered. “Come for me.”

  HE WOULD NEVER get tired of this woman. The thought came unbidden as Kirill felt the rolling contractions of her orgasm flexing against his fingers. He wanted to be inside her so badly. Nothing else mattered.