by Alyse Zaftig
She looked like she was done putting up a fight. “Fine, but you will have to wait until my ankle is better before I can go anywhere. The doctor said I have to stay off it for a week.”
“One week isn’t a bad thing when I have something to look forward to.”
“Do you ever let up on the charm?” she asked. She was smiling at him, which took the sting out of her words.
“Not when it works, and you better call me if you need anything,” he said. “I mean it.”
“Yes, Mr. Rusak,” she said, a teasing singsong in her voice.
He liked her when she wasn’t so straight-laced and uptight. Getting to know her was going to be fun indeed.
“I like the sound of that,” he said. “I may have to change my mind about you calling me Andrei.”
She huffed. “Goodbye, Andrei.” She couldn’t slam the door, but she did shut it before he left. It didn’t matter though, because he was holding her to that date.
He waited two days before he called her. He’d checked with her office, and she was indeed on sick leave. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to call and ask for help, so he took the initiative and called her instead.
She picked up and he heard shuffling before she said anything. “Hello?”
“Victoria, it’s Andrei.”
“Oh, hi.” She didn’t sound like she was happy to hear from him, but she also wasn’t openly hostile. He’d proceed cautiously.
“Is your ankle better?”
“It’s still sore, but the pain pills and ice are definitely helping. Thanks for asking.” she said.
“It sounded like you were having some trouble getting to the phone. Are you sure you’re okay?” Andrei didn’t want to be too nosy, but he wanted to help her if she needed anything.
“Yeah I was just trying to make dinner, but it’s hard when you can’t move around freely in your own kitchen.”
“Then I called at the perfect time. I was just about to order dinner from my favorite Italian restaurant. I can swing by and bring you something.”
“That’s not necessary,” she said. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You’re actually on the way. Look, we can stay on the phone arguing about this, but I’m starving. Besides, I can hear your stomach crying out from here.”
“You can’t hear that!”
“I knew it. You’re hungry.”
“I’m starting to see why you won that case,” she mumbled.
“Just let me do this for you.”
She sighed. “Fine. You remember where I live?”
“Of course. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Okay,” she said.
After hanging up, he knew he was growing on her a little. Now, he was going to use this opportunity to turn that little into a damn lot.
He ran by Julio’s and picked up his order. He made a second quick trip and bought some wine and pink roses before heading to her apartment.
When she answered the door, he nearly lost it. He’d only seen her a couple a days ago, but now in her jeans and sweater, she looked even more gorgeous. She looked soft and feminine. In her suit, she was a sexy lawyer with a reputation for fighting hard in the courtroom. In casual clothes, she looked soft and sweet, like the kind of woman you’d bring home to your mother.
“Are you coming in or not?” she asked.
“Yeah. Of course.” He handed her the flowers. “These are for you.”
“I thought we were just eating.”
“We are.”
“So you always just eat with flowers and wine?”
“If the mood strikes me, anything can happen.”
“Anyone tell you how odd you are?”
“I’ve been called many things by my family, so I’m sure that’s popped up once or twice.”
The sound of her laughter filled the room, and it made him happy to have been the one to cause it.
“See? That wasn’t too hard, was it?” He found some glasses in her kitchen and a corkscrew as she sat on a bar stool.
“I laugh every now and then,” she said.
“Good. I can’t wait to hear more of it.”
He watched her warm skin flush, and he wanted so bad to kiss it to see if it felt at hot as it looked. Instead, he pushed the longing down and popped open the wine.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” he said. “I bought everything we need. Do you want to eat in the living room and watch television?”
“That sounds like a plan.” she said. “I actually have never eaten in the dining room or kitchen. It feels so impersonal.”
“Me neither,” he said. “It’s either the living room or bedroom surrounded by stacks of papers.”
She glanced up at him, as if surprised by his answer. “Exactly.” She hobbled to the living room. He followed with the wine and food in hand. “Can you help me prop my leg up on this ottoman?”
“My pleasure,” he said. “Is it okay to put the food on the coffee table?” he asked.
“Go for it. I’ve been eating in here because I can’t seem to get comfortable anywhere else. The doctor said to keep it elevated to limit swelling, so I’ve been using this thing often. It makes me feel stiff, though.”
“How about using a pillow and placing it in your back? That can help with the stiffness.” he asked
“That actually sounds comfortable. Go into the closet in the hallway. I have extra pillows in there,” she said.
He bought the pillows out, then he placed them in her back under her leg and under her arms.
“Wow, that feels amazing,” she said, closing her eyes. “I should have called you over sooner.”
“I told you. I’m here to help.” Andrei smiled down at her.
“First the ice packs, now this. You sure you’re a lawyer?”
“I played football in school. You get a lot of injuries and you learn how to help them fast.”
“So you’re a jock?”
“Far from it. It was rare if I ever got up off the bench.” He passed her a glass of wine. “My father went to Columbia, so I went to Columbia. He played football, so I played football.”
“Ah, so you’re one of those.”
“One of what?”
“Daddy’s perfect son.”
It was his turn to laugh. “I think he’d disagree with you there. I’m far from perfect.”
“Really? You did go into law just like him. Now, you’re working at his law firm. I’m almost positive that makes you perfect in his image.”
“Kicking and screaming while doing it. Let’s just say it wasn’t as smooth sailing as you make it out to be.”
“Okay,” she said as she took a sip of her wine.
He watched her lips take in the red liquid, and he got lost in her mouth. Those lips were plump and begging for him to kiss her.
Andrei turned to the side, so she wouldn’t see the bulge that was slowly filling his pants. He focused on opening the dinner boxes as she got lost in television.
The local news was on.
“Damn it!” she shouted.
“What is it?” he asked, following her stare into the television.
“That guy right there! Vladimir Stavenoff.” A man in a fancy suit walked into the courthouse with news people following him. “I was supposed to be the one to prosecute him. He’s heavily involved with the Russian mob, and he was supposed to be my big case. Now I’m stuck here.”
Andrei thought the man looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d met him.
Victoria shifted in her seat. “Ow! My ankle.”
Andrei was there in an instant to adjust her pillow and help her rotate her foot to a better position.
“Thanks,” she said. “That was supposed to be my big case this week, and now my boss handed it over to someone else. I hate this.”
He took her foot and rubbed away the tension without moving her ankle.
She was quiet as he worked, but she didn’t object, so he kept rubbing her foot. Her skin was soft under his fing
ers.
“That feels…amazing.”
“Good,” he said as he worked the area above her ankle, loosening the muscles around her injury.
“I need to keep you here all the time,” she said.
“Okay,” he said as he continued to massage her calf.
“What do you mean okay?” she asked.
“I don’t mind staying here to help you. Just say the word, and I’ll stay.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“You just said—”
“I was just thinking out loud.”
“Look, it’s no big deal. You have a spare bedroom or something right?”
“Yeah.”
“I can sleep in there for a bit, help you around here until you’re well enough to go back to work. You actually live closer to the courthouse than I do, so it may help me out to be closer for my next few cases.”
“You know how crazy that sounds, right?”
“Not if I make it worth your time.”
“What does that mean?”
“You just said you feel stuck here while your work is being done by others. What if I gave you some of my resources to help you?”
“Isn’t that a conflict of interest? If not, it should be.”
“As long I and my firm don’t represent the people you’re fighting, it has nothing to do with us. Therefore it can’t be a conflict of interest.”
“I don’t know.” She sounded like she was on the verge of saying no.
“Just think of me as your assistant. I’m here to help for the next week or so until you can get back to doing things on your own, okay? I won’t be any trouble and only help when you need me. You can keep your independence around here and use me when you need to.”
“I’ll admit you’ve got me curious about these resources,” she said.
“Then it’s settled,” he said.
“I didn’t say yes.”
“But you want to, so I’m agreeing before you have to. That way, if anyone asks, you can say you had no part in it.”
“Even when you say it like that, it sounds sketchy.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.” Andrei was a man of his word. Plus, he couldn’t leave her like that. He wanted to spend time with her, and the perfect opportunity presented itself. Who was he to turn it down?
After dinner, he went home to pack some clothes and his paperwork for court. On the way back to her place, he did a little grocery shopping for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He bought some sirloin steak and fish along with deli meat, vegetables for salad, and fruit. He tried to get various things in case he got something she didn’t like.
He returned and raided her fridge. “You have nothing here,” he said.
“I’m a takeout girl,” she said.
He started putting food away. “I’ll remember that.”
“Did you really shop for groceries?”
“Yeah. That’s what most people do. Except you, from what I’m hearing.”
“Did you buy enough for an army or something? Are we having a party?”
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a little bit of everything.”
“At least we’ll be ready for the zombie apocalypse,” she said, picking up a few things he hadn’t put away yet.
“Or world hunger, whichever hits us first. I’m making some ham and cheese, tuna fish, and chicken salad sandwiches for tomorrow. You may not need them all, but if you get hungry while I’m gone, you can just grab one. I also got you some salads, but I bought three different salad dressings in case you don’t like one or two.”
“I may surprise you and eat everything,” she teased.
“Good. I like a woman with a healthy appetite.”
She bit her lip, and he wanted nothing more than to bite it for her.
“I’ll make breakfast before I go to work and put the beef in the crock pot with onions and peppers for dinner,” he said. “Will you be able to manage if I set everything up for you?”
“Yes, Andrei, but this is too much. I didn’t expect you to be a chef or anything. I can order delivery. Believe me, I have close personal relationships with all the delivery men in a four-block radius.”
“It’s no problem. I love cooking. It relaxes me before I have to work with the New York’s crazies.”
“Medical knowledge and a cook,” she said. “I swear, if you start cleaning my apartment, I’m going to beat you with my crutch.”
“You can skip the crutch violence, because I don’t clean.”
“Thank God. I was starting to think you were too perfect.”
“Perfection and I don’t get along well at all.”
“Good to know,” she said. “And thanks for the help.”
“You are welcome. Want me help you to your room? I’m going to call it a night soon, since I have an early case to prepare for.”
“No, I am good. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Victoria.”
Chapter 5
Victoria
Maybe Victoria was the one who needed a psych evaluation, because she didn’t recognize herself. She’d gone from all business to allowing Andrei to room with her to getting excited about her date with him. It made no sense, but she was starting to realize whenever he was near, she couldn’t think properly.
And those hands of his? Rawr. The man knew how to heal with them. He made her wonder what else he could do well with them.
That night, she couldn’t sleep knowing he was in the next room. She tossed and turned until she had knocked most of the covers and a pillow off of the bed.
There was one way she knew would put her right to sleep, but she was pretty sure Andrei would hear her vibrator. Usually, it was just her, so the sound wasn’t a problem. Now, she wished she’d gone with that silent version, even if it was slightly less powerful.
But she didn’t need a vibrator when she could use her hands. She closed her eyes and imagined her hands were his, the same hands that felt so good on her bare skin.
Her hands roamed over her covered breasts, and she could feel her nipples harden as they pressed against her shirt. She gasped as she pinched her nipple, letting it harden underneath her touch.
Behind her closed eyes, she saw Andrei’s smile and heard his deep, smooth voice as it flowed through her. She pinched her other nipple as her other hand traveled down over her stomach and into her pants.
Thinking about him already had her wet as she made contact with her warmth. She imagined it was his fingers exploring her, touching her in the most intimate way possible. She was going crazy with need, her back arching.
Her fingers circled her clit as she arched off the bed. In her mind, he was there kissing her and licking her until she could barely stand it. Her walls contracted as she ground into her sheets and covered her face to stifle her moans.
She imagined his butt in that bespoke suit of his. How she could see the outline of him. She thought of peeling off each layer like a sweet orange and wondered if he would taste sweet on her tongue.
Never had she fantasized about a guy like this, but none of that mattered as she cried out her release into her comforter and exploded from her orgasm. It was his face she saw as she came and came some more.
Part of her wondered if she was quiet enough to keep him from hearing, but as sleep took over her body, that was the last thing from her mind.
She woke up to the sound of a blender churning. Morning light snuck through her windows, and she could hear Andrei in her kitchen.
That last night had given her the best sleep she’d had in weeks. She giggled and wondered if she should thank him for it. She blushed a little and decided against it.
The smell of fresh coffee lured her into the kitchen. He didn’t see her right away, so she watched him from her bedroom doorway. His sleeves were pushed up, so she could see tattoos on his muscular forearms, which flexed as he cooked. There were intricate symbols and designs, and she wanted to see how far up they went, but his sleeves covered the upper part o
f them. He moved around her kitchen as if he’d been in it a thousand times, and she was happy that someone finally got to use the space properly.
She moved into the kitchen and saw boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and buttered toast. It was the pot of coffee that grabbed her attention.
“Good morning,” he said, finally seeing her. “I have breakfast all set.”
“I see that,” she said, grabbing a pot of coffee and pouring some milk. “How long have you been up?”
“A few hours, but this was nothing,”
She grabbed a piece of toast and buttered it. “You’re going to spoil me this way. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.” She took a bite of her toast, and he just stared at her.
“Oh, it’s a good thing for both of us,” he said. He took her hand and took a bite of the toast she was holding. He chewed slowly and deliberately, savoring the butter, making it hard for her to do anything but watch him.
“Don’t forget to swallow,” he said.
She realized he meant her toast, so she swallowed it down.
That smile he gave her was making her all kinds of stupid, which might have bugged the hell out of her. Instead, it reminded her of what she imagined his mouth doing to her only hours before.
“If you need anything else let me know. I am have dinner on low in the crock pot with some potatoes, onions, and peppers. I’m off to work. I’ll call to check in on you when I get a chance.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
He moved up to her so she had to crane her neck to stare up at him as he spoke. “I’m calling you, and you’re going to answer. If you don’t, I’ll just race over here and do it in person.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll answer.”
“Promise me, or I may have to punish you for not following orders.”
Punish her? Say what? “Look, I appreciate your help, but I’ll be damned if I let you—”
She didn’t have time to react. He captured her mouth in a second, a moment still too long for her brain to comprehend what was happening. His lips were slightly rough but still soft.
Her head was empty of anything but him, that kiss, and the warmth in her stomach. Then his tongue invaded her mouth until she thought she’d fall off her stool. His hand wrapped around her back, preventing that from ever happening. Instead, he pushed her closer to him, so she had to use her hands and place them on his chest.
