In Too Deep_BWWM Romance

by Erica A. Davis

  It hadn’t stopped the bastard from following her and bothering her but Blossom liked the neighbourhood. She wasn’t going to uproot herself again and run, that wasn’t her style.

  “Not much.” Blossom turned the heat down on the burner. “Just finishing off dinner.”

  “Dinner? What are you doing cooking dinner this late? You normally eat as soon as you walk in the door.”

  “Well, I had some work to do when I got back.” Blossom leaned back against the counter and grinned. “I’ve got a new neighbour. He’s bought Larry and Olive Mayweather’s place.”

  “Oh? Is he hunky?”

  Jenny was crazy about men. She liked to ‘window-shop’, which was amusing and embarrassing for Blossom depending on how she did it.

  “For an accountant.”

  “Oh, a hunky accountant,” Jenny giggled. “What are the odds of that?”

  Blossom hadn’t believed it herself. Illya didn’t dress like a man who worked with numbers all day. He looked like someone who spent all day lifting weights.

  “Well, Illya has a brother with a lot of muscles so he does need to keep up.”

  Jenny was silent. For a moment, Blossom thought she'd been cut off.

  “Hello? Jenny, you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Jenny didn’t sound jovial anymore. She sounded wary. “Did you say Illya?”

  “Yes.”

  “And is his brother’s name Ivan?”

  “Yes, it is.” Blossom frowned. “Hang on a minute. How did you know that?”

  “Because the only Illya I know who’s an accountant is Illya Chekov. My friend Tasha's mentioned him a lot from work. He’s rumoured to be Anton Romanov’s accountant.”

  Blossom straightened up. She had definitely heard that name.

  “As in the Romanov family?”

  “Yes.”

  Illya worked for the Russian mob? Blossom felt like she'd been slapped in the face. She'd never met a mobster before and had expected someone who looked more like a thug and dressed with lots of jewellery. Illya looked like a man who kept himself in shape but nothing suggested he was in the mob.

  Then she remembered the tattoos on his left forearm. There weren’t many but they were intricate. What if that was a code to say who he worked for?

  This was ridiculous. Blossom shook herself. She was blowing this out of proportion.

  “He’s got a Russian name and he’s Russian-born. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Oh, really? He might be yummy eye-candy, Blossom, but you don’t want to get too involved with him.”

  “It’s just dinner so he doesn’t have to cook on his first evening. I’m being a hospitable neighbour, not a potential bedfellow, Jen.”

  But the thought of getting into bed with a man like Illya Chekov, with his rippling muscles and his charming smile, had Blossom’s body feeling a lot warmer. Her pussy rippled and made Blossom gasp. She hadn’t been expecting that.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Jenny said dubiously. She didn’t sound convinced that her friend wouldn't become a lover of the Russian mob. “Tasha says once you’re in with them, no matter how briefly, you’re in for a long time. Maybe for life.”

  Blossom rolled her eyes.

  “You’re overthinking this. I’m not going to be in with them. Illya’s just my neighbour.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  Blossom wanted to ask what that meant. She wasn’t a girl who threw herself at any man. Especially not after what had happened to her. Not even before the incident had she been a woman who had a different man in her bed every night. Blossom wasn’t about to sleep with Illya on the first night.

  But it was a very erotic thought and had Blossom’s whole body tingling.

  She was shaken out of her thoughts by the doorbell ringing. That had to be Illya.

  “That’ll be him. See you tomorrow.”

  “Call me later. I’ll still be up.” Jenny added slyly, “If you’re not too busy.”

  Blossom gasped.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded but Jenny had already hung up.

  Muttering some choice words about her friend, Blossom put her cell phone on the counter and went into the hallway. Peeping through the hole first, she unlocked the door and put a smile on her face ready to see Illya.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  God, why did this man have to look even better dressed up? Ironed grey pants, white shirt open at the neck and a flashy watch on his wrist. The man could grace the cover of GQ magazine. Blossom could feel her mouth watering at the sight of him.

  Chapter 2

  Illya raised his eyebrows at her.

  “Are you going to invite me in?”

  Then Blossom realized she'd been standing there staring at him. She coughed and stepped to the side.

  “I’m sorry. Come in.”

  She had to watch herself. Staring at Illya and listening to the gorgeous lilt in his voice was going to get her into trouble. Illya stepped into the house and Blossom led him through to the kitchen at the back. Illya looked around and nodded in appreciation.

  “I love what you’ve done here. Nice calming colours.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jeremy, Jenny’s brother, had done most of the work with Blossom picking out the colours. She'd wanted plain, simple colours with a calming effect. The warm tones were calming to her and Blossom could find herself relaxing for the first time in a long time.

  “Absolutely beautiful.”

  Blossom paused and glanced over her shoulder. Illya was staring at her. Had he just complimented her décor or her? Blossom’s mouth went dry, her nipples rubbing against her bra. Swallowing her discomfort, she hurried into the kitchen.

  “I thought, seeing as it was just us two, we could eat in here.” She turned off the heat under the saucepan and reached for a tea towel. “I hope you like duck or it’s going to waste.”

  “I love duck,” Illya declared. He sat at the small table beside the kitchen. “I haven’t had that in a while.”

  Blossom grinned.

  “Then you’re in for a treat.”

  She liked to cook things from scratch. She had chopped up all the vegetables and they had been steaming away. The duck had been cooking nicely in the oven and the roasted potatoes, which she had cut and cooked herself, were crispy and crackling away. It smelled delicious.

  Blossom couldn’t wait to eat it. Her stomach was growling like mad.

  She made the gravy and got the duck and potatoes out. Dishing everything out, Blossom held up the gravy jug. Illya gave her a thumbs up and Blossom poured it over his dinner. Then she carried the two plates to the table.

  “Thank you.” Illya whistled when he saw his full plate. “This is some meal.”

  “I don’t do things by halves.” Blossom sat opposite him with a grin. “Tuck in.”

  And Illya did. Blossom was amazed that he managed to breathe as he ate. He must have been hungrier than he anticipated. Illya munched through a potato, looking surprised as he savoured it for the first time.

  “Are these homemade?”

  “Yep.” Blossom declared, cutting up her own potatoes. “I’ve always made my own. They turn out better, albeit a bit more oily.”

  “Well, they’re delicious.” Illya raised his glass of water at her. “I approve.”

  Blossom knew she was blushing and was glad her face was dark enough that he wouldn’t notice.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, ducking her head as she focused on her own food.

  They ate in silence that was more comfortable than Blossom anticipated. It was as if they weren’t interested in opening their mouths, unless food was going in. Blossom didn’t mind. Illya was a very noticeable presence but he didn’t force it. He was comfortable as he was.

  Blossom liked that about him. Very relaxed. Didn’t force anything. Just what she needed.

  It wasn’t long before both of them had cleared their plates. Illya sat back and rubbed h
is belly as Blossom gathered the plates.

  “That was good. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Blossom gave him a little curtsy, which had Illya laughing. The deep laughter almost sent Blossom toppling over. Whoa, that was a delicious sound. She caught herself and carried the plates into the kitchen area.

  “Is it just for you that you cook?” Illya asked.

  From the sound of it, he was following her. Blossom swallowed and placed the plates on the counter. Then she opened the dishwasher.

  “Sometimes my mate Jenny comes over but she prefers takeout to a proper meal.”

  “That’s a shame.” Illya leaned on the counter with a smirk. “You’re wasted cooking just for yourself.”

  Blossom raised her eyebrows at him.

  “Are you flirting with me, Mr Chekov?”

  “Are you susceptible?”

  Blossom paused. If it had been anyone else, she would have shut it down. But there was something about Illya that was comforting. Having him flirt with her was nice. Blossom liked it. She flashed him a grin and turned away, opening the dishwasher.

  “I don’t know yet. Keep trying.”

  She began to stack their dishes into the racks. Pushing the racks away and shutting the door, Blossom turned to see Illya staring at her backside. A part of her was glad that she'd changed into leggings and a t-shirt; they showed off her body better than her work skirt. Then she snapped her fingers.

  “Hey, eyes up, mister.”

  “Sorry.”

  Illya looked up but he didn’t look sorry. Blossom couldn’t believe how brazen he was but she wasn’t about to argue about it. It had been a while since someone had checked her out and not made it sleazy.

  Illya sighed and spread his hands.

  “You know, I should do something in return for you.”

  Blossom laughed.

  “If we keep doing this, we’ll be doing it forever.”

  “Well, I don’t mind. I always repay my debts.”

  From the way he said it, and from the way he looked at her, Blossom knew he meant it. Her heart momentarily stopped at his look. It was one of those looks that could make any woman drop her panties. The urge to do that herself had Blossom biting back a gasp.

  She was in trouble if just a look from this man was enough to make her take her clothes off.

  Blossom was jostled out of her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell. Then there was a persistent banging. Blossom came back down to Earth with a heavy thud. She recognized that banging. Groaning, she went around the island.

  “Dammit.”

  “What is it?” Illya frowned at her. “Blossom?”

  Now was not the time. Blossom didn’t want him to see this part of her life. But, she surmised, he would have to eventually. He would be hearing a lot of disturbances in the near future. If Larry and Olive had mentioned it before, he certainly would.

  Which part of a restraining order said to show up at the victim's house and bother them into talking to you? Gritting her teeth, Blossom stalked into the hall. She was glad her gun was in the hall table, ready if she needed it.

  “It’s just someone I don’t want to talk to,” she grumbled. “He just won’t leave me alone.”

  “Oh.” The look on Illya’s face said he understood. He glanced at the door. “Do you want me to get him away from here? I may not be an enforcer but I can move people.”

  Blossom didn’t doubt it. She shook her head.

  “I’ll do it.”

  This was her fight, not Illya’s. She wasn’t about to ask a stranger to help her with this. Blossom braced herself and opened the door.

  *****

  Illya didn’t like the sound of this. Blossom’s body language said she didn’t want to do this. He wished he could make the man go away.

  It had to be a man. Illya could hear the shouting from the other side of the door. An ex-boyfriend, maybe? From Blossom’s reaction, this had to be the case.

  Blossom took a deep breath and opened the door. She stood in the doorway, blocking the tall, lanky man from entering.

  “What do you want, Adrian?” she asked sharply.

  “Can you let me in?”

  “No, because you’re not supposed to be here. I’m not breaking the RO on my end because you want to come into my house.”

  She had a restraining order against him? Illya couldn’t believe the gall of the man. He'd never been on the receiving end of a restraining order but he knew going after the person who had acquired the order was the stupidest thing you could do.

  Obviously, this man was a few cans short of a six-pack.

  The man, Adrian, looked pained. He looked a mess, his dark hair was unruly and looked like it hadn’t been washed, his t-shirt was stained and his jeans had seen better days. On his better days, he might have been classed as handsome. Now, Illya had no idea what Blossom had seen in him.

  “Please, Blossom,” Adrian pleaded, “Can we just talk?”

  “No.” Blossom stood firm. Illya could feel the anger from across the hall. “I’ve told you several times, I’m not going to talk to you. I don’t want to see you and I will be calling the cops about this violation.”

  “But we need to talk,” Adrian protested. “I don’t understand why you would do this to me. It was just a misunderstanding.”

  Blossom barked out a short laugh.

  “You do understand. You just want to get away with what you’ve done.” She started to close the door. “Go away. I’m calling my lawyer.”

  Illya could see Adrian’s face. He went from pleading and innocent to dark and menacing. His hand slammed onto the door, holding it open as he scowled at Blossom. The change in him was so fast Illya couldn’t help but feel impressed.

  “Not until I talk to you.” He snapped.

  “No!”

  Blossom was tense. She looked like she was ready to run. Illya decided he needed to step in; he wasn’t about to let Blossom get steamrolled. He stepped forward, coming to a halt behind Blossom.

  “The lady said no, you’re not coming in.”

  That was when Adrian saw him for the first time. He blinked, looking confused, and then comprehension dawned. He stared incredulously at Blossom.

  “You’ve moved on already?”

  Blossom glared at him.

  “Illya is my new neighbour. I’m being a nice person and giving him dinner.” Her scowl darkened. “Not every man who comes into my house is having sex with me.”

  “Really?” Adrian sneered. “I’d like to believe that.”

  “Don’t go nasty on me again, Adrian. I’m not having it. I’m not with you anymore, we’re going to trial soon and I am not dropping the charges anytime soon.” Blossom tried to shut the door again. “Go away.”

  Illya bit back a growl when Adrian shoved at the door with his shoulder, slamming it open. Blossom jumped back out of the way but didn’t give him a chance to get inside. She stood her ground as Adrian tried to get around her.

  “I’m not going until we talk,” Adrian growled. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped, swallowing hard as he held onto his frustration. “There’s a lot to talk about.”

  Blossom snorted.

  “The last time that happened I ended up in hospital because I refused to be your booty call. Not having it.”

  From the way Adrian was clenching and unclenching his hands, he was close to losing his temper. Illya wondered how many times he'd gotten his own way because no one wanted to get hurt. Blossom was holding her own but Illya’s protective side was coming out. He stepped forward, putting himself in Adrian’s line of sight.

  “I think you’d better leave, sir.”

  He didn’t raise his voice. He simply started unbuttoning the cuffs on his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. That motion alone was enough to make someone nervous. If that didn’t work, the tattoos he'd put on display once his sleeves were up to his elbows certainly did. Illya hadn’t met anyone who didn’t know what the Russian markings
on his forearms meant.

  Adrian’s eyes were snagged by them. From the way his eyes widened, he knew exactly what they meant. He started backing away, not looking any less angry but a flash of fear jumped across his eyes.

  “Fine. I’ll go.” Then he looked at Blossom and shook his head. “You don’t know what you’ve done, Blossom.”

  Then he was gone, storming off down the drive. Illya joined Blossom at the door and watched as he got into a snazzy sports car and screeched his way out of the driveway. He shut the door and turned to Blossom, who was looking like she would rather be anywhere else. Illya touched her shoulder.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Blossom looked up at him, biting her lower lip. She looked embarrassed. “I think I’d better explain…”

  “Don’t.” Illya touched his finger to her lips. Then he wished he hadn’t as her mouth sent a tingle down his arm. “I’m not going to pry. It’s not my business. Let’s not end the evening on a low.”

  Blossom was still staring at him as he lowered his hand. She looked like she'd never seen him before.

  “Why aren’t other men as understanding as you?”

  Illya smiled.

  “Because I’m not most men.” He glanced at his watch and rolled down his sleeves. “I’d better get going. I’ve got a long day tomorrow and a new commute to get the hang of.”

  “Don’t you get more than a day off to move things?”

  “Sadly, no. I’m very much in demand.” Illya buttoned up his sleeves and opened the door, not taking his eyes off Blossom. “Thanks for your help, Blossom. And thank you for dinner.”

  “Thank you for the company.”

  Blossom gave him a small smile. It wasn’t much but it was enough to make Illya's cock tighten in his boxers. He was surprised Blossom didn’t see his discomfort.

  Illya had a sudden urge to kiss her. But that would have led to more things and he was sure Blossom wasn’t the type to sleep with a man on a whim. Especially not after that confrontation. He stepped away and left, trying not to run as he went back to his house.