by Bella Rose
“Ivan owes me,” Vladimir said emphatically. “It is my casino that suffers the loss when he does not pay his debt. Therefore this woman is mine to do with as I please.”
Nicolai snorted. “The casino is syndicate property. If you want to get technical, it belongs to our father since he’s still in charge.”
“Thank you, Nicolai,” Pyotr said drily. “Though I feel your comment is as self-serving as it is deferential.”
“I won’t lie,” Nicolai said. “There is something about this woman that makes a man want to have her. She’s a waif and yet she manages to be sexy.”
“So you want her in your bed,” Pyotr laughed. “My lusty sons!”
Nicolai shrugged. “Of course I want her in my bed. I also want to help her. I want to see what she becomes with a chance to be independent and healthy.”
Their father turned to Vlad. “So you said she is thin and needs cleaning up?”
“Yes.” Vlad gave a hard nod. “I will keep her in my home and break her in for the brothel.”
“No.” Pyotr shook his head. “I know you, Vladimir. You will use her until she is too far gone to be of any use in any of our businesses.” He scratched his bristly chin. “I will give her to Nicolai. But if she is not capable of earning the debt she owes in three months or less, you will be responsible for paying off her debt.”
“Agreed,” Nicolai said immediately.
“You cannot!” Vladimir shouted. “She is mine! I saw her first. I made the deal with Ivan. This is my woman!”
“Do you dare to argue with me?” Pyotr advanced on his son, glaring hotly at Vladimir until he looked down and began to squirm. “I may not be able to thrash you, but I have legions of men at my beck and call who can. Do you understand me, boy?”
“Yes, Father,” Vladimir spat. “I understand you perfectly.”
Nicolai watched his brother leave the office with angry strides. Then he looked at his father. “Vladimir will never give up. He wanted the toy, and you took it. Worse, you gave it to me.”
“Then perhaps you had better figure out a way to protect the toy,” his father said grimly. “We have always known it would come to this with your brother. He is headstrong, but he is still my son.”
Nicolai bowed his head, showing his father respect. Then he left the office behind.
Lily was still sitting on the bench, but her posture was rigid. Nicolai approached with caution. This wasn’t going to be easy to explain under the best of circumstances.
***
Lily was relieved when the nicer brother returned without the crazy one in tow. Perhaps she could actually scrape together the courage to state her case. She took a deep breath and launched in before she could change her mind.
“I’m not going to be a whore,” she said in a rush.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Did you expect we would make you one?”
“I was listening to the men in the kitchen,” she explained. “They were talking about how women pay off their debts here.”
“Ah.” He sat down on the bench beside her. He was warm and his body language didn’t seem threatening. Then he smiled at her. “I have no intention of putting you to work in a brothel. There are other options. We will have to see. In the meantime, I have a responsibility to you—as you pointed out earlier—to see that you’re fed and taken care of. You need time. I will provide a place for you to have just that.”
“Where?” She could not even imagine such a place.
“In my home,” he explained. “I won’t ask any more of you than you’re willing to give. Do you understand?”
“I think so.” She felt eager and didn’t really understand why. “But what happens after?”
“I’m not sure.” He shrugged, his lopsided grin warming her heart. This man seemed genuine, even when he was being reserved. She liked that. Then he gestured to the door. “Let’s go. I think we should start with new clothes and a warm meal. How about you?”
She could barely speak, she was so stunned. Managing to nod, Lily walked out of the house and into what she hoped was a new life.
Chapter Three
Lily gazed around the clothing store and wondered if her eyes would pop out of her head completely. She had never seen so much stuff packed into one room. The colors were amazing. All of the clothes she currently had had been previously worn until the fabric was faded and thin.
“Go ahead,” Nicolai urged. “Find some things for yourself. You may touch or try on anything that you wish.”
Lily felt embarrassed. The salesclerk was staring at her as though she were garbage that had walked in off the street. Worse, Lily knew that the clerk was right about her in a way. Lily was wearing a thin cotton dress that was several sizes too small. She was barefoot and her hair was a tangled mess. She couldn’t remember the last time she had used makeup or even a nail file. Occasionally she could get away with purchasing those items, but generally her papa had kept a close eye on what she bought at the corner market. Lily had never known another life. Now she felt as if everything were changing.
It was impossible to keep her eyes from drifting over to Nicolai. She had thought him an unfeeling jerk to participate in a scheme to take a woman as payment for a debt. Now she was beginning to see him as her savior.
She ran her fingers over a dress with fabric that was particularly soft. She removed the hanger from the rack and searched for the fitting room.
“You like that one?” The clerk seemed to realize that this was likely to be a very large sale. “I can find a few others in a similar style or pattern. Here, why don’t you start with this one, and I’ll bring you some other items?”
“Okay?” Lily said uncertainly. From the corner of her eye she saw Nicolai smile. It gave her courage. “That would be very nice. Thank you.”
The clerk grinned and showed Lily into a tiny room with a bench and two full-length mirrors. Lily locked the door and pulled her dress over her head. It was a shock to see herself in the mirror. Every one of her ribs was visible. She looked away and picked up the new dress.
It only took seconds to try on the pretty blue garment. Lily stood in front of the mirror and turned from side to side. The improvement was dramatic. The color made her eyes stand out and gave her pale face some life. She certainly liked that.
“Here are a few more.” The clerk swung an armful of clothing over the top of the door. “And your gentleman friend said you’ll be needing some underwear and lingerie as well.”
“He did?” Lily was astonished. She had thought Nicolai simply didn’t want to be seen in public with a woman in a dress that was too small and without shoes.
“He seems very eager to fit you out properly.” The clerk’s tone was kind. “I was sorry to hear about the fire. He said you lost everything.”
Lily was taken aback. “Yes. I have nothing left.” It was unusually thoughtful of Nicolai to come up with a story to cover the truth about Lily’s embarrassing circumstances. Perhaps he was avoiding his own embarrassment? “Thank you for your help,” Lily said quickly. “I’ll just try these on.”
It seemed as though only minutes passed, but it had to have been more like an hour or two. Lily tried on so many things that she soon couldn’t decide what she liked best and simply began putting things into two piles—what fit and what didn’t fit.
There were chemises and slinky satin nightgowns, socks, and silk pantyhose, and shoes with heels so high that she despaired of ever being able to walk in them. Skirts, blouses, dresses, jeans, leggings, sweaters, and even T-shirts that were snug around her breasts all went into their respective piles. Finally she heard the clerk speaking to Nicolai out front.
Lily opened the dressing room door and peered out. Nicolai was at the front counter, handing the woman his credit card. Had he chosen a dress for her after all? She was almost disappointed. While it would be heavenly to have a new dress, she had really wanted to choose for herself.
The clerk strode over a few minutes later with the very first dre
ss she had tried on. “Here, sweetie. He says to put this one on and find some sensible shoes to wear.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lily dutifully took the dress.
Inside the dressing room, she chose a bra and a pair of panties with lace and bows. She put the clothing on, finishing up with the dress and a pair of sandals. Hopefully whatever Nicolai had paid the store would cover these items.
Lily left the fitting room behind and walked to the front of the store. She felt uncomfortable with the amount of attention she had received. “Thank you,” she said to Nicolai. “I very much appreciate the new clothes.”
The salesclerk smiled at them both. “I’ll have everything boxed up and sent to the home address you’ve given me. It’ll all be there by later tonight.”
Nicolai winked at the clerk, making her blush. “Thank you.”
The wink did funny things to Lily’s stomach. She had never been proprietary about anything, but seeing Nicolai give special attention to the clerk made Lily feel warm under her dress. The angry sensation was uncomfortable. She had no right to feel like this about him. He did not belong to her. It was the other way around. And for all she knew, he might own fifty other women. Perhaps people paid him in women all the time.
Suddenly the clerk’s words penetrated Lily’s consciousness. “Wait. Did you say you’re sending the rest of this stuff to Nicolai’s home?” Lily asked incredulously.
“Of course.” The clerk was smiling from ear to ear. “If it fit you and looked good, your handsome young man bought it for you.”
***
It was obvious that Lily had been struck speechless by the salesclerk’s announcement. Nicolai tried not to laugh. He supposed for someone used to making do without much of anything, such an extravagant shopping spree seemed ridiculous.
Nicolai was of another mind. Whatever it took to get Lily to trust him was barely enough. He wanted her to know that he was nothing like his brother. She didn’t need to fear him. Now he held out his hand and waited patiently for her to take it. Her expression was mixed, but soon enough she put her fingers lightly in his. The feel of her skin was intoxicating. He would be lying to himself if he didn’t acknowledge how much he wanted her. But there would be time enough for that later.
“Come on, Lily,” he coaxed. “Let’s go get a bite to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m famished.”
They left the clerk and the store behind, heading back to where he’d left the car on the curb. He could tell she was gearing up to ask him something. “There is no harm in asking a question, you know,” he told her gently. “Is there something you would like to say?”
“It isn’t a question.” Her voice was a whisper. In the fading evening light, her eyes were enormous and bright blue. “I simply wanted to say thank you.”
“There will be ample ways and ample time for you to express your gratitude,” he told her. In fact, his cock was getting hard just thinking about it.
Two tiny lines creased her brow as she considered his words for a moment. He didn’t give her any more time to think it over. Instead, he put her in the car and ran around to his side. It was time to show her a little taste of the life he was accustomed to living.
The dining room at Kalinka was packed. It didn’t matter. Nicolai strode in with Lily on his arm and the hostess immediately gave them the best table. Servers brought wine and crusty bread to the table. He could see that she wanted the bread, but she would never take it without invitation. He respected this.
“Please.” He picked up the breadbasket and put it practically beneath her nose. “Help yourself.”
Looking almost shy, Lily began to nibble at her piece of bread. He almost expected to see her licking the tiny plate to ensure she hadn’t missed a single morsel. He offered again, and she accepted. The ritual made him wonder how long it had been since she’d eaten a real meal.
Tatiyana sashayed up to their table. “Shall I bring your usual, sir?”
“Of course.” Nicolai eyed Lily. “And double it.”
If Tatiyana were surprised, she had the sense not to show it. Neither did she show any outward reaction to the fact that Nicolai Pasternak had brought a woman into the restaurant. Normally it was Vladimir parading his string of women through the place. In fact, at one time Tatiyana had been in Vlad’s bed. Once Vlad was bored with her, he had found her a position here at the restaurant. Tatiyana had been one of the lucky ones. Vlad’s usual method of disposing of a lover was to place her in one of their brothels. Nicolai could only hope that his plan for Lily to get work in one of their restaurants would be successful.
Lily was looking around with wide eyes, taking it all in. He could see the blatant interest on her face. “This place belongs to my father,” he told her, surprising himself with his candidness. “It’s my favorite of all our restaurants.”
“I’ve never been here.”
That did not surprise him in the least. “Do you know how to speak Russian?”
“Da.” She nodded her head and answered him in flawless Russian. “We spoke Russian when my mother was alive.”
“That’s good.” He was pleased that he wouldn’t have to train her in that, at least.
“Why?”
“Because I am a Russian man and I prefer to speak in Russian.” He maintained the exchange in his native tongue.
“What are my duties going to be?” she asked. “Why did you really want me as payment? Or do many men pay off their gambling debts this way?”
He considered this question. “It does happen on occasion. More often than you might think. But no. We do not have rooms full of women who have been sold to us.”
“That’s a relief.”
Her wry tone surprised him. “It’s good to see that you have a sense of humor in there somewhere.”
“Shall I tell you jokes?” she asked. “Is that to be my purpose in your household?”
He raised his brows. “And if I tell you that I have a far more boring use for you in mind?” Her expression showed only confusion. There was no fear. It was a relief to discover she was capable of trust. It would make his task that much easier. Besides, she was rather charming when she was being funny
“Boring?” Her eyes sparkled. “Filing? That has always sounded boring. Or maybe I would be answering your phone. I don’t have any skills like that, you know.” She started to look a bit worried.
“Perhaps I consider it my duty to teach you.” He could hardly hold back a ridiculously goofy smile. Lily was beautiful, but Nicolai was discovering that under the layers of mistrust and dirt, he really liked her. “But for now”—he gestured to the feast that Tatiyana was bringing them—“we eat.”
Chapter Four
Lily pulled Nicolai’s dinner from the oven and set it carefully on the stove. If she had ever puzzled over the fact that a Russian mobster had a secret affinity for Italian food, she would never have mentioned it. As far as she was concerned, she would cook whatever Nicolai wanted to eat.
In the last three weeks she had lived an almost blissful existence of safety and tranquility. There were certainly some oddities in the household. Nicolai was always asking about her day and whether or not she needed anything. For Lily, the only thing that mattered was that Nicolai did not hit her. In fact, in three weeks she had learned to accept his tender touches with eagerness. He would stroke her shoulder or touch her neck. The result was that Lily was growing almost desperate for the feel of his warm affection.
Lily had been assigned a list of household chores and she completed them every single day without fail. She no longer felt lonely and deprived. Even her ribs were beginning to disappear beneath a layer of curves that Nicolai had declared to be “sexy as hell.”
The sound of an engine in the driveway drew her attention. Excitement sent a thrill of anticipation down her spine. She ran to the door and peered out the window with eagerness. She knew in the back of her mind that she was living in a little fantasy where Nicolai was the husband and she was the wife. Kind of like some black-
and-white fifties television show where every problem could be solved in thirty minutes, and nothing was better than a talk with Dad. It was just so different from the life she had lived with her father. Lily didn’t want to let go of the dream.
The door opened and Nicolai entered the house. Pausing before her, he gently brushed his fingers over the line of her collarbone, drawing a shiver. “Hello, sweetheart. How was your day?”
“It was wonderful!” she said eagerly. “And you?”
He sighed. “It was stressful. In fact, we need to talk. Go into the kitchen and wait for me for just a moment please.”
Eager anticipation thrummed in Lily’s veins and she ran to do his bidding. Perhaps he wanted to eat and talk. Sometimes he told her of the things he did in the course of fulfilling his duty to his mafia family. Other times he spoke to her of the things he would like to do with his life.
She waited only a moment before he returned. He had changed from his suit and dress shirt to a black T-shirt and jeans. He looked incredibly handsome in this casual wear.
“You’re very good looking,” she blurted.
A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “That’s pretty brave of you to say so.”
“Thank you.” She ducked her head, feeling shy.
“Sometimes I can hardly keep my hands off you,” he murmured. “Do you understand what I mean?”
She felt her heartbeat going faster and faster. Excitement thrummed through her veins and she felt an ache begin to grow below her belly. “You’re talking about sex,” she whispered.
His low laugh made her womb tighten. “Not exactly, but yes. I want to have sex with you.”
“I—I would like that, I think.”
“I want to touch you tonight, Lily.” There was something almost rough in his voice. “I’m going to stroke that softness between your legs and I’m going to show you how great a pleasure I can bring you when I do.”
