by Jayha Leigh
“But you’re not obligated to me,” Aloha sighed.
“On the contrary, angel, I am. You just need more time to accept that.”
Aloha’s heart skipped a beat. Ianikut said that with such matter-of-factness. “I’m flattered but I know that you’re a busy man.”
“You should be flattered,” he teased.
“Then you should…” she began only to be interrupted by him trailing kisses across her temple.
“If you’re so concerned about my time, then come to my home to recuperate,” he challenged.
“I want to stay here,” she insisted.
“Well then this is where I’ll be staying in the interim,” he pronounced as he took a seat on her bed and gently pulled her into his lap, sitting there as if he had all of the time in the world.
Ianikut’s arrogance worked Aloha’s last nerve. But he was also so damn fine and had a voice that left her shivering. And he feels like he has a big dick. Yeah, but he was also bossy as all get out. Even though he was wealthy, Aloha knew that he didn’t simply sit back and enjoy his wealth; he worked for a living. From her limited interactions with the Russian, she knew that once he made up his mind, like the Negro spiritual, he could not be moved. He would remain here until he pronounced her fit.
And the problem would be? Her body asked getting comfortable on the hard perch that was Ianikut. Damn, he smelled so fucking good and he felt even better. More importantly, she loved the way he held her. Ianikut may act nonchalant about it, but she knew what he was: he was a predator. It wasn’t just the look in his eyes; it was everything about him. He may wear grace like a second skin but the line that separated the hunter and his civility was paper-thin. Yes, the man was a predator and she suspected that she was his prey. Perhaps she should feel trepidation but she didn’t. She felt honored. Still, she had to protest. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to reconcile her acquiescence with her ego.
“I can call Atlanta to stay with me,” she said.
“You could, but you know that misguided soul determined to court her needs all the help that he can get.”
Aloha would bet her private stash of Skittles that she had Atlanta to blame for Ianikut being here. Atlanta might be her best friend, but she also had the most annoying habit of playing the role of her mother when she saw fit. How can you be mad at her when she sends this fine motherfucker over to play nurse? her body screamed. She couldn’t. Even if she could, Aloha liked the way Steele loved Atlanta and cheered hard for the Viking to win. So she’d sit back and allow Ianikut to care for her…for now.
Ianikut had only been there for three hours, and he was already starting to work her nerves. Aloha expected him to set out her food and maybe watch a little television or something. She didn’t expect him to hover so thoroughly. Not only had he fed her, he attempted to literally feed her. Only her threats advising him of his imminent death got him to back off. After assuring him that she ate something other than Skittles, he sauntered off to run her a bubble bath. She didn’t even get a chance to protest before he hauled her into his massive arms and deposited her on the edge of her tub with an admonition to not do anything crazy before leaving her in peace. The man corralled her in her own damn house, and she suspected that it wasn’t the result of an accident but a well-planned siege. Ianikut kept looking at her and though he was fine as all get out, it was disconcerting to be the focus of that intense gaze, especially when she looked only slightly better than death warmed over and felt two steps below that. She needed the chance to get used to the dominant, not-taking-no-for-an-answer side of Ianikut. The man was just as stubborn as she was so it looked like she was stuck with the Russian. On her best day she couldn’t physically throw him out, and today wasn’t her best day. She was a few seconds away from unleashing her inner gangster when Ianikut switched to straight-out mack mode.
“Angel moya, I don’t want to pressure you, but if you come to my house ‑‑”
“I’m. Staying. Right. Here.” She interrupted petulantly.
Ianikut continued as if she’d said nothing. “I’ll let you check out my newest purchase. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
Her interest piqued, Aloha uncrossed her arms, pulled in her poked-out lip, and asked, “You bought a Ferrari?”
“Of course not, but last month the rest of my furniture was delivered along with my new television. My new, one hundred three inch plasma,” he said.
“What! Who did you sleep with to get a plasma that big? You must take me to it,” she demanded as she hobbled from the loveseat.”
“Well, I would love to but I don’t ‑‑”
“Ianikut, later we’ll discuss the proper order a story should be told in, but right now you’re in danger of being killed dead if you keep me away from that plasma a moment longer than necessary.”
Aloha was so busy grabbing her gear that she totally missed the predatory smile that settled over Ianikut’s visage. Even if she had seen it, she probably wouldn’t have given a hot damn. She just kept thinking about how to keep from climaxing as she thought about Ianikut’s one hundred and three inches of plasma.
Chapter Eight
After saying bye to her baby Aloha allowed Ianikut to bundle her into his Bentley. “You’d better not be lying about the size of your television.”
“I’m not accustomed to being in the presence of a woman who cares more about the size of my television than my personal endowment.”
“You’re just not accustomed to being in the presence of a real woman,” she informed him right before launching into a diatribe of how he done her wrong. “Now that I have your attention let’s discuss what you did wrong: first and foremost, if you have a giga-normous television, you start off every intro with that. For example, ‘Hi, my name’s Ianikut and I have a giant TV.’ Second, when you make a juggernaut purchase, you should immediately inform any techno geeks in your inner circle. Third, you throw a party and invite techno geeks over to ooh and ah over aforementioned purchase. When I finish healing, I’m kicking your ass in the video game of your choice ‑‑ on your own TV. Now hurry up and get me to that television,” she demanded.
Aloha didn’t recall the trip to his house, she only recalled her first glimpse of that beautiful television set. Throwing off her Crocs sandals, she bowed before the plasma and touched it with reverence. She spent hours flipping through channels in awe. Sometime before nightfall, she recalled Ianikut forcibly ‑‑ but gently ‑‑ removing her from in front of the television. Though being cradled in his arms was nice, she put up a token amount of resistance, which only lasted as long as it took for him to walk her to a bedroom and settle her into a massive and deliciously comfortable bed.
Aloha knew with certainty that this was Ianikut’s room, not just because it was all white, but because everything in it screamed that it was the domain of a man who considered himself great, which just might be true in his case…not that she’d admit that.
“Obviously, this is your room,” she stated as she got comfortable on the soft mattress.
“It is,” he replied offhandedly as he was busy trying to preserve her modesty while removing her sweatpants and tucking her under the covers.
“Why are you putting me in here?”
“Where else would I put you? You belong here.”
Though her inner diva preened at his response, she had to ask. “And where do you belong?”
“With you,” he mumbled while stretching his large form on top of the coverlet.
Oh damn. The big Russian was straight bringing it and though it might sound like a line, Aloha was sure that it was anything but since it came from his lips. “Ah, I’m not…”
Ianikut interrupted her. “Angel moya, I will not harm you in any way. Neither will I press you. If you wish me to sleep elsewhere, I will, but you will sleep here.”
“Why is it imperative that I do so?”
“Because this is where I want you. It’s the master suite and therefore the most luxurious,” he whispered as he pulled her
closer. “And more importantly, it’s the most guarded space in my home.”
Arching a brow, she asked, “Have a lot of enemies, do you?”
“Not among the living.”
“Ah, evidence of that stellar personality of yours. I really appreciate you looking out for me, Ianikut, but I don’t want to take your room. I’m not the master here.”
“Net, ya ‑‑ vladelec zdes', (No, I am the master here) i Vy prinadlezhite vladel'cu (and you belong to the master),” he whispered in his native tongue. Reverting back to English, he said, “The sentiment is appreciated, angel, and though you’re not the master, this is nevertheless, where the master wants you. Do you wish me to go or to remain?”
“I want you to stay, but I…”
“Angel, as much as I want you, you’re not ready for the physical manifestation of my love. I will only consider making love to you when you are fully healed.”
“Are you insinuating that I’ll need to be in peak condition to withstand your lovemaking?”
“No insinuating about it. I’m not only a lot of man, but I’m all man, which means that I don’t do anything by halves, especially making love.”
Aloha felt her womb contract upon hearing Ianikut’s declaration, but she wasn’t about to give in so easily. “As long as you remember that you’ll need a few days to recover from my making love to you.”
Ianikut’s eyes went all black, and his cock went rock hard at her declaration. “Sleep, angel, so that you can recover the soonest.”
* * * * *
Aloha woke and took a minute to get her bearings. She was in Ianikut’s house, in Ianikut’s bed, and Ianikut had one hundred three inches of plasma television that was calling her name. Taking one last glance at the big Russian, she saw to her toilet as quietly and quickly as possible. Slipping on black, opaque boy shorts and a matching demi bra, she threw on a neon pink button-up shirt and padded to his basement where the television enticed her with its siren’s song.
Though Aloha had already experienced the television, she still got wet at the sight of the huge plasma. The computer geek in her demanded that she give it a thorough examination. She quickly located the VGA connector on the television and hooked it to her cutting edge laptop that boasted a seventeen-inch wide screen high-definition display. Like a boy scout she was always prepared, which meant that not only did she have impressive hardware, she traveled with all of the accoutrements including a c-pad, two extra batteries, and a VGA cord. Finishing her adjustments, she booted up and immersed herself in a game of Spider Solitaire on 1080-p.
She was so engrossed in her game that she failed to notice the presence of the five men who had thought to enter the room. Zhenechka and his brothers were surprised to see the petite woman in front of the television playing solitaire. They knew two things instinctively. First, this was the woman who had Ianikut panting and they could understand why. Second, she should be given a wide berth for knowing Ianikut as they did, they knew that he’d consider any male a threat to her ‑‑ regardless of whether they were related by blood or not. They were getting ready to quit the room when she turned and noticed them and sprang into a defensive stance.
Having only glimpsed her from the back while she had been playing solitaire, they were unprepared for the sight of the petite but abundantly stacked woman. Expertly arched brows framed black eyes that were scanning them with suspicion. Pushing back a stray braid that had escaped her Chun Li braided hairstyle, she pursed succulent lips that had one wondering how good they could make a man feel. This woman had something that made a man look more than a few times, and a whole lot of that something was viewable, since she only wore a button-up shirt that was mostly unbuttoned.
“Good morning. You must be Aloha,” Zhenechka said in a soft voice, hoping to put her at ease and looking anywhere but at her curvaceous body.
A slight gasp and a deeper scowl is all that she had time to get out before their brother materialized in the doorway. The men immediately retreated a few steps back even though they were already clear across the room from the woman that Ianikut had claimed.
* * * * *
Ianikut had known the precise moment that Aloha had wakened. He allowed her to venture off because he knew that she was safe in his domain and because he knew that she would instinctively search out the television. Affected by her presence, he had forgotten all about his siblings. Though he loved them, Aloha was his woman and therefore, her wants and needs came first.
“Ianikut!”
Walking toward her Ianikut gently embraced her, which served to both cover her and force her to relax her fighting stance. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled against his shirt.
“I see that you’ve made yourself at home,” he joked, eyeing the confetti celebration taking place on the screen indicating that she had conquered the game.
“You said to do so. The plasma is sooooo freaking hot. I was considering ways to make off with it.”
“You don’t have to make off with it when you can stay here and watch it.”
“What will you say when I refuse to leave?”
“I wouldn’t say anything, but I would march you straight to Indy so that she could marry us.”
“Oh damn,” she muttered not even realizing that Ianikut was leading her away from the impressive television until they had reached his bedroom.
“Why are we here when the plasma is in the basement?”
“I think it would be best if you finished dressing, so I won’t be forced to commit fratricide.”
“Oh,” she replied while throwing on a pair of jeans. “Did your brothers see anything good?”
“Hell, yeah, and I may have to erase their memories for my peace of mind.”
“You’re good for a woman’s ego, Ianikut.”
“And you’re hell on a man’s,” he replied, reaching for her hand.
“Why are you holding my hand? I’m perfectly capable of walking down the hall without assistance.”
“Perhaps, I merely want to hold your hand…no other reason.”
“Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Why do you want to hold my hand?”
“It’s what a man generally does with his woman.”
“But you’re a Duke fan.”
“And you’re a Carolina fan, but I find you intriguing, beautiful, and intelligent, nonetheless.”
“Well, fine, but you’re not holding my hand; I’m holding your hand.”
“I can live with that.”
Chapter Nine
Zhenechka, Antosha, Fyodor, Vyacheslav, and Tosya all rose when she reentered the den. Zhenechka being the one with the strongest sense of self-preservation cautiously approached her, stopped three feet from her, bowed and formally introduced himself.
“Hello, Aloha. I’m Max’s oldest younger brother, Zhenechka.”
“What’s up?” Sensing that his brothers were attempting to put her at ease, Aloha met him halfway. “So, are the rest of you going to introduce yourselves or what?”
One by one, they followed Zhenechka’s example until each of them had been introduced: Antosha, Fyodor, Vyacheslav, and Tosya.
“Well, being that Ianikut wears such an impressive name, tell me what your names mean.”
Hearing their responses, she merely smiled. Zhenechka meant noble, Antosha meant inestimable, Fyodor meant divine gift, Vyacheslav meant has glory, and Tosya meant beyond expectation.
“That figures. If you had named yourselves, I’d ask what you were overcompensating for,” she joked.
“Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, are you going to introduce yourself?”
“Isn’t it obvious who I am?”
“Yeah, but it would be nice to hear it from you,” Tosya said.
“Well then, I’m Aloha ‑‑ the simplest meaning is ‘hi’-- which suits me just fine, since I’m not overcompensating for anything. Besides being the reigning call-in champion in the Southeastern region, I’m the one who is as
king you to hand over the remote because we’re not wasting 1080-p or one hundred three inches of beautiful plasma on this crap,” she smiled, indicating the sitcom they were watching.
They watched television until Ianikut declared that she needed to eat and forcibly dragged her away.
“Nooooo, I’m not finished watching, Ianikut. You promised that I could watch it.” Turning to his brothers she pled, “You guys, help me out. Ianikut lured me over to his lair with tales of one hundred three inches of plasma, and now, he’s reneging on his promise.”
“Max, you lured her over here with the size of your…plasma?” Fyodor smirked. “Smooth.”
“Yeah, can you give us tips on how to woo a woman?” Vyacheslav asked.
“Ianikut isn’t wooing me,” she stated.
“That’s right, because the wooing is already complete. You need to eat. If you finish your lunch, I might allow you to come back down and spend time with it.”
“Allow? You either didn’t read the book I gave you or you read it but didn’t understand it because you’re pissing me off, Ianikut. I’m not your child. Perhaps I’ll simply find another man with a plasma equally as large or perhaps even bigger,” she taunted.
“And I’ll waste him,” he promised.
“For showing me his plasma?”
“For fucking with what is mine.”
“And just when did I become yours?”
“The moment I heard your seductive voice,” he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.
“Since you haven’t had a few days to rest up, you may as well sate one of my appetites.”
Leaning down, he whispered sotto voce, “I would be more than happy to sate any appetite that you have. You have only to say the word. You don’t have to be ashamed of your desire for me. I’ve been told that I’m devastatingly handsome.”
“Yeah, but most of the people who told you that are probably Duke fans.”
“Hey,” Antosha objected. “We’re all Duke fans.”
Tsking, Aloha replied, “That just proves that insanity runs in your family.”
