Mafia Enforcer's Sassy Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family Series Book 4) (4 page)

Kostya had seen naked women before. How could you not in Las Vegas? Strippers, dancers—a woman was a woman. But this… he was not prepared for the vision that stepped from the bathroom! The light of the vanity lights casting a halo of light behind her. She stood tall and proud, like a goddess, her tattoos bright swirls of colors against her skin. And her…piercings.
Holy Mother of God!
He’d thought her gorgeous before, but naked she was every man’s wet dream and then some. She wore her bare skin as if she dressed in the finest fabric. His jeans tightened and his breath caught in his chest. His heart hammered against his ribs.

This might not have been his best idea of the day!

The arrogance she had shown earlier came back in full force. Giving him a smile full of promise, she sauntered towards him, stopping only when she stood mere inches from him. If he leaned forward he would brush across those dangling rings that tempted him.

“See something you like?” She asked. He immediately knew that she was playing with him—and faking most of her bravado. This close he could see the pulse skitter against her skin below her throat. Her voice quivered and her pupils tightened to small points. Narrowing his eyes, he decided to see how far she was willing to take this. “What do you think?”

She reached out and walked her fingertips down from his shoulder until she reached the center of his chest. “I think you might have underestimated me.”

That goes both ways, sweetheart!
Kostya looked down at her. Without the extra height of her boots, she stood almost half a foot shorter than he did. He reached out and wrapped the purple tips of her hair around his finger. “Why purple?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Someone told me it was the color of royalty. I decided I’m as royal as the next girl, so…” She tossed her hair back. “I’m only trying the color out right now.”

He let the purple strands fall from his fingers. They fell like folds of silk. That flowery scent from the bathroom wove around him, leaving him dizzy.

“To see if I want to die all of my hair this color.”

He heard her words but couldn’t quite make sense of them. Shaking his head, he said, “I like it. Just like this. It makes you look edgy.”

She smiled. “Well, I am edgy.”

He gave a small laugh and took a step closer. Her bare breasts brushed against his shirt. He’d taken off his jacket and had rolled up his sleeves.

She looked away from his eyes and her gaze seem to catch on way too much exposed skin. She traced the edge of one of his tattoos which was just barely visible. “Looks like nice work—do you mind?”

He waved a hand. That creamy skin, those lush breasts…all of her kept distracting him. His mouth dried.

She began to unbutton his shirt, her gaze following the lines of the tattoo. She spread his shirt open and stared at the avenging angel tattooed across his pectoral muscle and over his heart. With gentle fingers, she traced the wings, and then the flowing lines of the angel’s gown..

She lifted her eyes to his. “What does it—?”

He put a finger on her lips. “Do not ask questions if you are not ready to hear answers.”

She dropped her hands from him and stepped back. “Why are you so angry?”

“I am not angry!”

“Okay, why do you sound so angry?”

Kostya gritted his back teeth. He was not going to give into the urge to pick her up and toss her on the bed and apply that spanking he so wanted to give her earlier. That…that would be even more unwise than this plan had been. His skin seemed to burn from within and his thoughts skittered away, always going back to her.

When she had first started unbuttoning his shirt, he’d expected another sexual assault from her. But she had begun tracing the wings of the angel he’d had tattooed on his chest after Talia’s death, her touch gentle and so soft. She had seemed enthralled with the image on his skin—and he had become furious with himself.

She is nothing like Talia! Nothing! And she can be nothing to me!

Pulling in a breath through his nose, he forced his jaw to relax. “What makes you think that?”

Tori shrugged. “I…the look in your eyes, I guess. Your voice. You’re angry, but not at me. At least not anymore.”

Stunned by her intuition he eased away a step. “This is not why we are here. You are here to try and win your clothes back”

She crossed her arms and seemed to realize all over she was naked. Skin turning pink, she dropped her arms and then waved them out to the sides. “I’m not playing until I know what the angel represents.”

He shook his head. “Why must it represent anything? It is an angel.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dude, no one gets a tat like that just because. That’s a lot of ink, meaning a lot of pain getting it. That’s not some freaking star on your wrist that you get on a dare or because you’ve had too much tequila!”

He blinked at her. “People get tattoos for those reasons?”

Her voice dropped lower. “What was her name? She’s dead, isn’t she? That’s why it’s an angel. She’s looking after you now from up there.” She gestured to the sky.

Kostya sighed and shook his head. He didn’t discuss Talia. Ever. Especially not with any women he bedded. That had always seemed like the ultimate betrayal of the relationship he’d had with his Talia. But he was not bedding this woman—this…this rebellious child. No. She was an employee who must be taught her place in the organization and that place was not here! He cut the air with the flat of his hand. “That doesn’t matter.”  He took a breath and then released it, letting his anger flow away with his breath. “I think you should be more concerned about yourself right now, than my tattoos.”

Tori glared at him, her eyes narrowed. She shook her head and pushed her shoulders back. Taking a side step, she grabbed the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her. “Look, Ruskie, just what game are we playing here? I think I’d like to get all the cards on the table!”

Kostya had to hide a smile when she covered herself. He gave a nod. Perhaps she was wise with these cards on the table. “Let us start with why you were so defensive and sarcastic earlier when I was asking about the warehouse plants?”

Tori swallowed and looked down for a moment. When she looked up again, she looked sincerely sorry. “Yeah, I’m a little touchy about the way the warehouse runs. When Terrence was around…” She let the words trail and gave a low growl “That bastard didn’t give a shit about things. You haven’t seen the southern warehouse—”

“I have.”

Tori blinked. “You have?”

Kostya nodded. “Raul showed me. Before we went to the club.”

“Well, goody-two-shoes for you. Okay, maybe you can understand. That is what things looked like when Terrence runs things. The best thing he ever did for this part of the operation was stay away. And now I can’t tell if you’re going to be another Terrance—or something worse!”

Kostya crossed his arms tightly. He figured it would help him not reach out and pull that blanket away from her. But he could not forget what she looked like naked. And those rings of hers that hung from her nipples—what would she do if he took one into his mouth and tugged on it. He cleared his throat. She’d brought the conversation around to the topic he had wanted to discuss. He must focus on that.

“Continue. I am interested to know why you felt it was all right to all this?” He waved a hand at the room. He really should turn on some bright lights, but he had to admit she had made his evening far more interesting than he had anticipated. “Is there something wrong with your vehicle that prevented you from leaving?”

She could have easily jumped at such an excuse—he had given her an easy lie. She shook her head. “Look it’s not my style to lie. Well, I mean not unless I really, really have to. I’d rather be upfront with everyone. If you don’t like it, you can go jump in a lake. I mean, not that I want you to jump in anything, but it’s…you know, I’m not trying to live my life for others. And… and, my car is fine. Well, as fine as a 1967 Volkswagen can be. It’s running. Mostly.”

Kostya shook his head. “Talking to you is like walking in a circle. You haven’t explained anything.”

“Do I have to?” She started to wave a hand. The blanket slipped and she caught it. “It’s dumb, I know, and yeah, I probably should have known this was going to happen. In a way I’m lucky it was you. I mean, if Raul had walked in on me…”

She shivered, shook her head, and let out a long breath. “I mean, major ick factor, right?” Truth is, I’ve been staying here for a while now.”

“Raul didn’t know?” Kostya knew the answer, but he wanted her to tell him the truth. He would know from her answer if he could ever trust this woman.

Tori shook her head, “No. Raul hasn’t been here in four months. No one knows I’ve been staying here.” She sank down on the edge of the bed. “God, I am so fired now! All to save…”  She cut off the words and bit her lower lip.

He frowned. This was not just a matter of her using this place for the pure luxury of it. Something else was going on here.

“Does Raul not pay you enough?” Kostya asked. He was trying to understand what would have prompted the young woman sitting in front of him to jeopardize her job and possibly her life. He had seen the way Raul had looked at her. And how Raul snuck in small touches of her, even going so far as to slip his hand onto her under the table. If Raul had found her naked in the bathtub, he could guess the outcome. Raul would have used her as he pleased.

Turning from her, he flicked on the bedroom lights and snuffed the candles. He came back to stand over her. “You don’t seem stupid.”

She stiffened. “Well, gee, thanks a ton.”

“So why do you take such risks?”

Fingering the blanket she kept wrapped around her, she told him about her building being condemned and the deplorable living conditions of any nearby apartments. “I wanted a place where I could feel safe.”

She looked up at him.

Kos shook his head. She was still holding back on something. Why didn’t she want to spend her salary on a decent place to live?

He pushed out a breath. He supposed that was her business.

“It pleases me that you value your safety, but your presence here belies that. You heard Raul offer me the use of this facility during my stay.”

“But you said…” She stood up and poked him in the chest with one finger. “Hey, do you think I staged this? That I’m…I’m some scheming bitch trying to get into your pants to get ahead? Like I’d do that after trying to take you down a few pegs!” Kos smiled and shook his head. “You blow hot and cold—I don’t pretend to know what you are thinking”

She stared at him, her eyes narrowed. “Are you…not a fan of women? I mean, I’ve heard about the type of clubs Raul likes, and…” She shook her head and the purple tips of her hair swung. “So not my scene. We’re talking worse than skanks here—you know, the type who are looking for the next fix and don’t care how they get it. And I don’t mean to judge—hey, I’m easy going, but I’m also not into stuff that gives you disease. Or worse.” Her forehead wrinkled with a frown. “So just what is your scene?”

“Nothing you need to know. And I am still waiting to understand. Why so unfriendly earlier today?”

Tori huffed out a breath. “You really want to know? Okay, the full deal. I got a little miffed that some guy who obviously doesn’t know anything about what we do here thought he could come in here and take over. It’s not that I want to blow my own horn…okay, maybe I do, but
I’m
the only reason this place runs as well as it does.” She punched a finger into her own chest this time. “Would you like all of your of my hard work would be destroyed without ever being recognized?”

Kostya looked at her. He rubbed his chin. “This job is important to you?”

“Of course. It’s a paying job! Like, really good paying.”

Kostya gave a laugh. “Now you are not being so honest. I cannot see you as wanting only the money. No, not you. By turning this warehouse around, you have proved something to yourself. Am I right?”

She chewed on her lower lip but she offered up a nod and a shrug. “Not that it matters now. So if you’ll step out, I’ll get dressed, and gather up my things.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Tori asked. Her face tightened with confusion.

He stepped closer to her. “Why would you want to leave when it is almost midnight?”

“Well…you’re here for one thing. And I…I kind of thought you wanted me gone. So I’ll just—”

“No.” Kos shook his head. Tori’s mouth dropped open and she stared at him. “I am not throwing you out on the street. As you say, this is not a good neighborhood.”

Tori swallowed. He watched her throat work. She had an elegant neck—long and well-shaped. He shook his head. Head to the side, she stared at him from the corner of her eyes. “What? You planning on taking a page out of Raul’s playbook and making me pay for using this place?” One hand fisted on the blanket. “Look, it’s not that I don’t think you’re cute—you are. But…well, I’ve worked damn hard not to whore myself out. And if you think I’m going to lie back and take it—”

He put a hand on her lips. “First, thank you that you think I am cute. It is not a word I have ever heard much applied to me, but I will take the compliment. Second, I do not intended to force you to pay for staying here with your body. But if I did wish that, I can tell you that you would find much pleasure in the act.

“Damn it,” she muttered. “I should have gone to
The Cellar
and taken my chances with the cops!”

“I do not know about this cellar, but let me finish. Third, I am not letting you walk out of here to stay on the streets. If you have been living here, then here you live. And that brings us to the fourth thing. You will get dressed and join me in the living area. We need to work out a few things.”

Kostya watched her struggle with her predicament. He saw the exact moment when she decided to shut up and deal with him. The look of defeat in her eyes was like a knife in his chest.
She should never allow herself to be defeated!

And then he wondered if this was yet another act. This woman would always keep him guessing.

He watched her violet eyes darken. Turning from her, he headed out the door. “You have fifteen minutes to get into your clothes or I come help you with them.”

***

Tori watched Kostya walk out of the bedroom. He closed the door behind him. She blinked and adjusted the blanket around her.
What just happened?
He was letting her get dressed and wanted to talk? She blinked again. That hadn’t gone as she had expected. He hadn’t backed down—and…and she wasn’t sure who had won that round. Well, at least he hadn’t told her to pack up and get out. Maybe they could work out a deal.

Dropping the blanket, she pulled on her underwear, dragged on her jeans and sweatshirt. She’d pulled them from her clothing stash earlier that evening, intending to have a comfortable time watching a comedy or something on Raul’s flat screen. Now she was going to spend the time talking to a stubborn Russian. She grinned. That wasn’t a bad swap.

Once dressed, she shoved her feet into her hi-tops, tossed her clothing from that day into her backpack, and cleaned up the bedroom. No sense in giving Kostya the impression she was a slob. As she made the bed, she decided she’d apologize nicely. She'd be polite. He’d unbend a little and be generous enough to let her keep her job. Come Monday morning, they’d be working together just fine. She skipped over the weekend—she’d deal with what she was going to do for a place to sleep later. Hell, maybe Kostya would opt for a high class hotel after all. She pasted on a pleasant smile and resolved to show him just how agreeable she could be in the next few minutes. In fact, Kostya wasn’t going to know what hit him!