Russo Saga Collection

by Nicolina Martin

  “Yeah, I guess it was.” She looks back toward me, her thumb rubbing the back of the hand I held.

  I’m affecting her too and the jolt in my chest shakes me. Something about her brings me totally off balance.

  Sydney clears her throat. “So, any dirty secrets you care to share?”

  I laugh. “Nah. Like I said before, nothing interesting about me.”

  At least nothing I can share with her or it would be the most uncomfortable next few hours of her life. I wonder how she would react. I have two worlds, and I keep them separate. She can be a tiny part of one for a few hours, and fuck me, I want her to be, but she can’t share the other.

  “Come on. Something. I’m spilling everything here. You’re tricking me into revealing all my secrets.”

  “Girl, anyone would’ve found those secrets if they dug a little.”

  She frowns. “That’s an odd thing to say. What are you? A cop?”

  I shake my head and have to suppress the laugh. I’m most certainly not in law enforcement. “No business talk, remember? But no, I’m no fucking cop. How did you end up deciding on the Dominican Republic?”

  Her eyes narrow. “There you go again. Aiming all focus on me.”

  “Very well. What do you want to know?”

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Russo. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lewis,” I say, a bit smug. Let’s see how much that throws her off balance.

  Sydney

  I gape as my heart does a double beat in my chest. “How did you know my last name?”

  “It was on your name tag on the suitcase,” he answers lightly, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

  “How on earth did you have time to catch that?” I try to think back. Did he see it when I crashed into him? Or when I stuffed it in the overhead compartment?

  “I’m good with details.”

  “You are a cop!”

  He shakes his head.

  “Undercover agent?”

  “Sydney, you watch too many movies. It’s my job. Nothing special about that.”

  “Okay… I’m gonna go with secret agent.” He makes me want to stomp my feet in frustration. God! What’s with all the secrets?

  The stewardess comes by and picks up our trays, and we fold up our tables. Nathan leans closer and puts his mouth to my ear. “Am I getting under your skin, sweetheart?” He leans back and studies me, his gaze traveling down my body and then back up to meet my eyes. “Or do you just desperately need to use the restroom?”

  I open my mouth to object, but then I groan and realize he’s right. “Well you’re making me want to tear my hair out with all your non-answers. But that last thing was on the spot. You’re good.”

  “If you only knew how good.”

  A thrill runs through me, and from the hungry look in his eyes, I have a feeling it doesn’t go unnoticed. I dart up, out of breath. “Do you mind?” I’m overwhelmed with a sudden need to flee.

  He stands but doesn’t move much out of the way. Clearly intentional this time. When I squeeze past him, the air between us sizzles. I feel his sharp intake of air. He puts a hand on my hip, as if to guide me, but that’s definitely not an innocent touch. The warmth from his hand burns through my clothes and shoots a beam of need right down to my pussy. On unsteady legs, I make my way to the restroom. Almost falling into the tiny space, I lock the door behind me and sink down on the seat. My stomach is in knots, my thoughts scattered. My God, I dread going back out there. It feels like a chain of events have been set in motion, and I’m not sure how much control I have. On the other hand, I wanted something different in my life. This is definitely different. I’ve never reacted so immediately to anyone before.

  I study him from behind as I walk back to our seats. My fingers itch to touch that dark, silky hair. He looks up when I’m by his side, his eyes glittering.

  “Refreshed?”

  ”Mm-hmm.” I fall back into my seat, reeling because yet again he guided me past him. The feeling of his touch lingers on my waist long after he’s let go. I glance at him. God, he’s attractive. God, I want him to put his hands on me again.

  “You’re lovely company, Sydney.” His intimate tone sends goosebumps along my arms.

  “You can call me Syd. Most of my friends do. Sydney sounds so… formal.”

  “We’re friends now?” He cocks his head and regards me, his eyes flashing.

  I lick my lips and his eyes follow my tongue. “Well, it’s a long flight and we’re cramped next to each other. Might as well go informal. Is it Nate for short?”

  “If it makes you happy.”

  “Nate,” I lift my hand and push a strand of dark hair off his face, “that one is driving me crazy.”

  “Is that so?” He shakes his head and his hair falls forward again.

  I groan. “You mean man.”

  He holds my gaze. “Oh yes.”

  I can’t tear my eyes off his.

  “Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows,” he says.

  “No. Now you start.”

  His eyes are still locked with mine. “Fair enough. I like cooking. Naked, with just an apron on, on a lazy Sunday morning.”

  I nearly choke.

  “How do you like your eggs, hon?” he continues, deadpan.

  “Scrambled,” I retort. Then neither of us can hold it together and we burst out laughing. “You’re… special,” I say.

  “Yup. I’m extra everything. Your turn.”

  “I was a virgin until I was twenty-four,” I blurt out, then snap my mouth shut. That was over the top personal, but what the hell.

  He doesn’t even blink. “So what happened at twenty-four? Found Mr. Right?”

  “Nope. I decided I wasn’t gonna save myself for a husband anymore.”

  “What made you come to that decision? Lost your faith in God?”

  “Heavens no. I was never religious.”

  “Oh, thank God,” he replies quickly.

  I laugh. “I realized it was what my parents wanted and not me.”

  “Parents.” He scoffs. “Why were you even listening to them? That’s a little outdated, saving yourself.”

  I wince. “Yeah. My parents were… pretty strict. I was their little princess. I think I tried to live up to that for much too long. Mom was very overprotective. It took me a while to find myself, I think. My own will, if you know what I mean?”

  “How did you go about it, then? Night on the town with lots of drinks?”

  “More or less…” I think back on Michael, the guy in question. He was a friend of one of Jayna’s many lovers. She picked him out for a double date. He was handsome and funny, but way too sweet, if there is such a thing. Not my type at all, but I just needed it out of the way by then. It worked out well enough.

  “So, night on the town, lots of drinks. Sounds familiar. If you’d been a virgin when we met, would you have gone with me then?”

  “Hell no.” My heart shoots to my throat again, my whole body screaming that I’m lying. At least I would have wanted to go with him, no matter how insane.

  “Come on. I’m hurt. Why is that?”

  I swallow hard and try to clear my head from the dizziness that threatens to take over. I wonder what it would have been like if I had actually taken him up on his offer. My pussy tingles at the thought. Suddenly it doesn’t sound so horrible.

  “I think—You seemed a bit... dangerous,” I stutter, my cheeks heating up. Why the hell did I say that? Oh my God, my mouth has a will of its own.

  Something wicked passes through his eyes, something that makes my stomach clench. “Really?”

  “Never mind. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

  “Maybe I am?”

  My heart pounds harder. Why does it make me so damn curious?

  Nathan twists his lips into a half-smile. “I’m making you uncomfortable. So, did you tell him?”

  I shake my head to rid myself of the spell. “Who? Oh, the guy? No. Abs
olutely not.”

  “But you told me.” He tilts his head and regards me quizzically.

  “I guess I did.”

  “Why?”

  Yeah, why did I tell him? What’s different with Nathan? “Stranger on a plane maybe?”

  “Stranger? Come on! I thought we were friends. I get to call you Syd, and all.”

  “Maybe because—” I lower my voice to a whisper, “because we’re not—” I gesture between us.

  “Not what?”

  He’s teasing me now. I know it. I slap him on the shoulder. “Now you’re being mean again.”

  He laughs. “I told you it’s who I am. How come you didn’t tell him?”

  “Well. I didn’t want it to be a thing. The virginity. I just followed my instincts.”

  “Really now? Do you have good instincts?” he purrs.

  I narrow my eyes as I hold back the answer, letting the moment stretch. “I’d say yes.”

  He leans closer and lowers his voice. “So, Sydney Lewis, what do your good instincts tell you about me?”

  The gaze he gives me shoots a shockwave straight down to between my legs. That I want your hands on me. “That I need a drink. Or five.” I swallow hard.

  He presses the call button. “Miss, a bottle of wine, please,” he says when the stewardess shows up. “Red.” He turns his head to me again with a half-smile on his lips. “Nice save.”

  I grimace. “I know, right?”

  “I’ll get back to that, though.”

  “My instincts tell me you will, yes. See? They’re great.”

  He raises his eyebrows and pushes a hand through his hair to get it out of his face. “Or wait, did you wanna do that?”

  “Oh, I’m good, thank you.” But I’m not. My fingers positively itch to touch him.

  We’re interrupted by the stewardess arriving with our wine. Nathan fills our glasses and raises his.

  “To instincts.”

  “To instincts,” I reply. I gulp down the contents in one go, and get an immediate refill.

  “To new friends… Syd.” He taps his plastic glass to mine.

  “Friends,” I echo faintly.

  “So what does your instinct tell you about me?”

  “Umm…” I squirm and chew on my lower lip as I think of an answer. Sexy as hell? “You’re… a little scary,” I blurt out and immediately wish I could snatch the words back. But they’re out. And they’re a little bit true.

  He looks taken aback for a moment. “Is that so?”

  I wince. Maybe I should ease up on the drinking? “I’m sorry. You seem like a nice guy.”

  “So… which is it? Scary or nice?” His blazing blue eyes makes my gut clench.

  “Nice?” I look questioningly at him.

  He laughs. “Nice? Your instincts suck, Syd.”

  “Come on. That’s not fair. Then you need to tell me how you’re not nice. Because I haven’t seen anything else. Well, except for at the club. You were a dick there.”

  “It’s because I’m being nice with you. And I was nice at the club. Just a little direct. And can you please use another word than the lamest in the vocabulary?”

  Hot?

  “Pleasant? Enjoyable? Fun?”

  “That’s all you can come up with? It’s like you quoted a fucking thesaurus.”

  “It’s what I’m seeing. You distracted me at take-off. Provided me with this.” I hold up the cup with the wine.

  He holds my gaze, and something flickers through his eyes. “Maybe I have ulterior motives?”

  I think my heart stops beating for a moment. “That’s not… nice,” I croak.

  “No? It can be very… nice. Want to see for yourself?”

  Do I? I gulp down the rest of the wine. “Possibly.”

  “I can work with that.” He winks, his eyes intent on mine.

  “So, why are you being nice to me, if you aren’t a nice person otherwise?”

  “You’re enjoyable, pleasant, and fun.”

  “That’s not fair,” I say, exasperated.

  “So you can be lame, but not me?” he asks, mock despair in his voice.

  “Yes.”

  “All right. Well, Sydney Lewis, I find you sweet, intelligent, adorably shy, a bit of an enigma. I’d love to get under your surface and find the gem I think is hiding there.” He leans in, lowering his voice, his mouth close to my ear. “And you’re really fucking pleasant to look at. I’m just a man, and you’ve hit my every fucking button.”

  All air rushes out of me as a syrupy feeling settles between my legs. The skin on my hand burns hotter from the memory of his touch, and the not so subtle hints that it was not a one-time occasion. “Nathan,” I croak. “I need more wine.”

  “Too much?”

  “Mm-hmm, maybe.” He pours more into my glass and I take a big gulp, starting to feel pleasantly dizzy. I squirm and fight to get my body back in order. “Is ‘I’ll fuck you’ your usual pick-up line?” I say lightly.

  “No. It’s ‘haven’t I seen you here before’.”

  I laugh. “Why don’t I believe you?” I glance around us in the half-empty cabin. The few I can even see are sleeping, a few are talking, or reading a book. I don’t see anyone caught in a bubble of intense flirting with a stranger. I try to stifle a yawn. We’ve been on our way for an hour and a half. The early morning is getting the better of me. And the wine. And the lack of sleep last night.

  “Tired?” he asks.

  “No,” I answer. Then I yawn again. “Okay, maybe a bit.”

  “Am I boring you?”

  “I’m—”

  “I’m just kidding. You should sleep. It’ll make time pass faster. It’s a long flight.”

  “Tell me about it. I’m feeling a bit stiff already.” I stretch and rearrange my limbs. “Mmm, yeah. I might nap a little.” I lean against the wall and try to find a position that is the least uncomfortable.

  “Go for it. I’ll poke you when I get bored.”

  I stick out my tongue at him and his eyes darken as they dart to my mouth, a hungry look on his face. “You’re a brave one. Or naughty. I can’t decide on which.”

  “I’m not myself,” I say and swallow hard.

  Nathan throws me a devilish grin, then pushes the button to call for the stewardess. When she arrives, he asks for a blanket and a pillow ‘for the lovely lady’ before he turns back to me. “Not yourself, huh? And why is that?”

  “You already know why.” My voice shakes. I’m not sure I’m all that tired anymore.

  “Sleep, love. We’ll talk about what I know when you wake.”

  Chapter 5

  Nathan

  The pillow and blanket arrive. I hand them to her, and she leans against the wall, trying to find a comfortable position. Her cheeks are flushed and her breathing is erratic. I have to hide the smug smile that wants to break through. Covering her up, I tuck the blanket around her and cop a feel of her curves while I try to appear gentlemanly. Her eyes dart up and narrow a bit as she glances at me. So, she caught that, but doesn’t object? Nice. A bolt of excitement shoots through me. She closes her eyes and arranges the pillow, but it keeps wanting to slide. She sighs and squirms.

  I follow her struggles and an idea forms in my head. An idea that sets my body on fire. “Syd.”

  She opens her eyes and turns to me. “Mmm?”

  “You can lean on me. Put your pillow on my lap and curl up.” I push the armrest out of the way and hold up my arm. I see her internal struggle. Her eyes dart between me, my lap and my arm. Then she nods, giving in, unaware of how she just doomed herself.

  “Okay. Thanks.” She curls up on her seat like a little cat, arranges her pillow and lies down.

  My heart beats hard when I wrap the blanket around her and tuck her in. I lean closer and whisper in her ear, “See? I can be nice. Sleep now, gorgeous.”

  She scoffs. “Smooth talker.” Then she yawns again, giving out a little moan that shoots straight to my core.

  “Don’t make noises l
ike that,” I whisper, “or I won’t take responsibility for my actions.”

  “That’s not nice,” she mumbles and closes her eyes.

  “I told you I’m not a nice man.”

  “You said you were nice to me.”

  “I said I have ulterior motives.

  I hold my breath. I’m bating her. I know she knows it.

  Sydney smiles, her eyes still closed, her body relaxing. “Bastard.”

  Triumph surges through me and the hair on my nape rises. She’s mine. I caress a strand of hair off her temple and put it behind her ear, thankful for the pillow, or she’d have been pretty fucking uncomfortable against my rock-hard cock.

  The warmth from her neck against my thigh scorches me. I want to stroke her head, but I’ll let her get her sleep. I sense the change in her breathing after a while, her chest slowly rising and falling. I’ve held my arm very lightly on her waist, but now I relax and let it sink down on her curves. I stroke through the blanket, feeling her hip, wishing I could do much more. But I’m not that much of a pig, so this will have to do. For now. I do caress her hair, though, my fingers slowly threading through her locks. I fight the urge to grab it, force her head back and kiss her. I inhale and try to relax.

  Work. Focus on work. I have never been this distracted on my way to a mission before. Since I was twelve and Dad got murdered, forcing my mom to take over his business and involving those of us kids who were enough of age, I’ve worked with a machine’s efficiency. It’s just that everything has felt like shit lately, pointless. Every day is more of the same and I feel a shift in me, I just don’t know what to make of it.

  I look down at the trustingly sleeping Sydney in my lap and my chest tightens a little. Who in the world would trust me like this? Probably my sister. My brothers, sure, but we’re hardly cuddly, none of us.

  My hand hovers over her head and my cock stirs. There is so much I want to explore with this girl. She has awoken a curiosity in me, a lust for life that I haven’t felt in a long time.

  Sydney

  Fingers thread through my hair.

  I don’t move, my heart speeds up. In an instant, I remember where I am. What I have done. I slept on his lap, knowing it was an open invitation. I fight to control my breathing and try not to stir, because I don’t want him to know I’m awake. I want to see where he takes this.