by J Q Anderson
“Answer me,” he said against my neck. The heat radiating from him blinded me. I couldn’t focus on anything except the incredible feeling of that hard body pressed against mine. “Camila,” he growled in my ear.
“N-no…I don’t…know…”
“Let me show you.” His hand slid into my yoga pants, and his thumb skimmed me gently over my panties. I gasped, my blood soaring as the urge between my legs intensified. I closed my eyes. The feeling was divine. I shivered and his arm tightened around me, holding me in place while his intrepid fingers slipped into my underwear. God. It was so hard to restrain all the sounds that wanted to come out of me.
“Fuck. You are so wet, baby,” he whispered while his fingers stroked me back and forth. His voice was husky, making my skin sizzle. He slipped a finger inside me, and I bit my lip hard, my breaths coming out in shallow spasms. I blushed everywhere. This was…so forbidden, naughty, and hot as fuck. His finger moved around and around, raising me to a holy place. He held me tighter and slipped another finger in. I arched my back, stifling a moan. Jesus. His fingers moved faster, and I squeezed my eyes while I ground against his hand. A sweet, overwhelming sensation invaded me.
“That’s right, baby. Feel me. Feel me inside you.” His burning breath on my neck, the torturing assault of those skilled fingers, his sweet, dirty words in my ear. It was suddenly too much, and I exploded in a blinding orgasm. God. His arm tightened around my waist as my legs melted like hot butter.
Turning me around, he lifted me, and I straddled him while he claimed my mouth. I moaned when his hard cock pressed between my legs. I was spent but I wanted more, so much more. We had made plans for a date on Thursday, but I didn’t think I could wait till then to have more of this.
“I don’t know if I can wait until Thursday,” he said against my mouth, articulating my thought.
So, our first time would be on his desk. Not the most romantic first, but my hormones didn’t give a crap. On the desk it is.
His cell phone startled me when it vibrated in his shirt pocket. He ignored it at first, and it eventually stopped. Then it started again.
I growled against his mouth, “Get it.”
He reluctantly pulled away and frowned when he looked at the screen, then picked up.
“Yes?” he said without hiding his exasperation. “Alejandro, I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.” He lifted up is index, letting me know he needed a minute. I detangled from him. In a way, I was relieved. My self-restraint was apparently on vacation, and an office building in the middle of the day was hardly the place to explore my sexuality.
“You said you would be here for this,” he snarled. “Julián is still in Germany, and the studio is swamped.” He listened and sighed, following me with his eyes as I sat on a couch by the window, watching the bobbing sailboats in the distance. “Fine,” he barked, ending the call. “Sorry about that, Cami. It was my brother and I needed to talk to him.”
“No worries.”
He pushed a button on his intercom, and Romina appeared a second later with a tray of sushi rolls and seaweed salad. My stomach growled in appreciation.
“I figured this would be better, since you’re pressed for time. Hope it’s okay?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
The minutes flew by and it was time for me to go. Sebastián made a quick call, and within seconds Rafa appeared in the BMW and drove us back to the theater. It was the end of lunch break, and a few dancers were hurrying back to the door as we stepped out of the car. I quickly kissed Sebastián good-bye, but he pulled me into his arms and kissed me deeply. A familiar stab of longing sank in my chest, and my whole body complained when I pulled away. Up to that point, I had absolutely underestimated the power of hormones. He looked at me with wary eyes before wrapping his arms around me for one last kiss.
“I want you to meet my family,” he said.
My heart took off. Shit. What? The Sopranos? “Um…I don’t know. It’s a bit too soon.”
“It’s not too soon. I want them to meet you. And I want to meet your family too.”
At that, my heart rate tripled. I shifted in his arms so he wouldn’t notice the change in my pulse.
“What is it?” he said.
“What?”
“Earlier you practically flew in the car, and now you can’t wait for me to leave. What’s going on?” He frowned. “Are you embarrassed of me?”
“What? No! It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what?”
“It’s…I don’t know. My parents…”
“They don’t approve,” he murmured.
I glanced away.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he said, “or that I blame them.”
“They’ll come around. They have to. We just need to give them some time.”
He nodded, scanning the streets behind me.
“Look, I want you to meet my family, Camila. You’re important to me,” he said in a stern tone.
“What if they don’t approve either? The circles you and I move in are so different.” I looked down and he lifted my chin.
“I don’t need anyone’s approval. I want you in my life. Come on, say yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.” He caressed my temple. “Sooner or later you’ll have to meet them. Julián and Mercedes are a good place to start. She’s having a party for Julián’s and her birthday Friday night. Most of my family will come into town for it. We’ll have fun.”
“Mercedes?”
“Julián’s twin sister. They’re like siblings to me.”
Fuck. The dark ghost of Sebastián’s family was closing in on me. My plan to keep that part of his life separate was quickly evaporating.
“Um…okay.” I looked at my watch. “My rehearsal starts in less than ten minutes. Can we talk about this later?”
“Okay, but first say yes.”
“Yes, okay, yes. If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll meet them. And if I survive, you can meet my parents. Now I’ve got to go.” I gave him one last chaste kiss, and he let out a throaty laugh.
As he broke the embrace, he looked over my shoulder and tensed. Rafa leapt out of the car and rushed past Sebastián to stand behind me.
“What?” I frowned. Sebastián’s jaw was set. His arm wrapped around my waist and pressed me against him.
“Don’t those fuckers have anything else to do than hover around?”
My frown deepened as I turned. Sebastián loosened his grip but didn’t let go, holding me protectively in his arms. Relief washed through me when I saw it was just Alexei and one of Sergei’s friends standing by the theater entrance. Recognition etched their faces when they both saw me. Their bodies instinctively straightened, and they set off toward us, their hands closed into fists at their sides.
“It’s just Alexei,” I said, quickly freeing myself from his arms. “They’re always here. They wait for Nata.” I nodded a hello at Alexei, but his face looked like he was about to have a coronary. He regarded me with a mix of rage and confusion. Jesus, chill. He approached cautiously, his friend flanking him. Rafa stepped to the side, blocking us. Then he reached for something in his belt. Clutching the object, he lowered it to his side.
A gun.
Holy fuck. Sebastián gripped my waist and tugged me behind him.
Rafa stood immobile, a tiger about to pounce, shielding us from Alexei. I wrestled out of Sebastián’s arms, my eyes glued to Rafa’s gun.
“Sebastián, what the hell? What’s Rafa doing with a gun?”
“He’s my bodyguard,” he said in an even tone.
Of course, stupid. But I hadn’t seen it before. Even the night at the Roxy.
“Look,” I said, pushing away. “I know these guys. I need to go.”
“Camila,” he said. “Just stay put.”
“No, this is nuts. Listen, I—We’ll talk about this later, I’m going to be late.”
Alexei took another step forward, then stopped w
hen he spotted the gun in Rafa’s hand. He looked up at me, the veins bulging in his already reddened forehead. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. His hand moved to his belt where his own gun was concealed under the leather jacket. Fuck. Him too? Did he always carry it? No wonder he never took off that goddamned leather jacket.
“Hands still,” warned Rafa.
Alexei’s jaw tensed. “This is not open territory,” he said in a low, thick Russian growl. “This is Zchestakova territory.”
“Really? Since when?” Sebastián said calmly.
“Miss Zchestakova dances here. Our territory.”
The other guy took a step forward, but Alexei raised his thick hand, blocking him. Rafa tightened his grip on his gun.
“Miss Navarro dances here too. So fuck off and get lost before my finger slips,” spat Rafa.
What the hell. We were in broad daylight. This was insane. In all directions, people rushed past us, oblivious to the gun in Rafa’s hand. It was like a scene from Goodfellas.
“You first.” A slow, chilling smile spread on Alexei’s face, but it didn’t reach his sunken, dark eyes.
“Okay, listen. I need to go in.” I gripped Sebastián’s arm. “Get in your car and go. I’ll be fine.” I clutched Rafa’s arm and his bicep immediately tensed. He frowned at my hand. “Rafa, go, please. It’s okay.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Sebastián said.
I let out a heavy sigh. This was testosterone central. Nobody here was going to take a step back.
“Alexei,” I said, as calmly as I could manage. “Would you please mind stepping back so I can get to work? You know what it’s like when we’re late. Please? Then everyone can go back to what they were doing.” I smiled, even though inside I was shaking. What the fuck did I think I was doing? I guess in my mind I was more afraid to face Madame.
Alexei let a silent moment pass, then slowly took a few steps back, his eyes never leaving Rafa.
“Thank you.” I turned to Sebastián and pressed a quick kiss on his mouth. His jaw remained locked. “Please go. I’ll be late and that will cause me problems.”
“I’ll wait here till you go in.”
“Fine.” I bolted to the door. Before going in, I waved at Sebastián, gesturing for him to go car. He and Rafa reluctantly got back into the BMW. Alexei glared at me with a What the fuck? look on his face. Letting out the breath I was holding, I turned and rushed up the stairs.
Panting, I pushed past the dancers lingering at the door and scanned the studio for Nata. She was warming up at a portable barre across the room. She frowned when she saw me charging toward her.
“What the fuck?” I said. “Does Alexei always carry a gun?”
She studied my face for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“I mean a gun. Like…a real one. Does he always carry it? Is that why he never takes off that smelly leather jacket? Because he’s hiding a freaking gun?”
“Shhh. Lower your voice.” Nata’s expression didn’t change as she stretched a leg up, pressing it against her ear.
“So?” I hissed.
“It’s just for protection.”
“But he always has it on him?”
“Yes.” She looked at me skeptically.
The assistant entered the studio and announced Madame would be delayed a few minutes, but we should begin with the warm-ups. I didn’t move, fighting the storm in my head. Nata watched me with a careful expression.
“I can’t believe I never noticed before,” I said. “I hate guns, they make me nervous. Besides, it’s the middle of the day for fuck’s sake.”
She frowned. “You saw Alexei pull out his gun? Just now?” Her tone was suddenly alert.
Shit.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, I…I had lunch with Sebastián,” I said, unable to tell her any more lies. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Oh, your…errands. Right.”
“This is why I didn’t tell you. Nothing happened. Sebastián just dropped me off here. That’s all, but Alexei and that other skinny guy were like wild dogs, ready to let loose when they saw him.”
“He can’t come here, Camila. You’ll cause me problems,” she said. “Shit, when Sergei finds out—”
“He just dropped me off. Jesus. Will you all just chill?” I hurried into my pointe shoes and tightened the ribbons. She picked up a towel to dry her face, sighing heavily. For a moment, it felt as if she were a complete stranger. “Don’t you feel uncomfortable?” I said. “Having all these people around you carrying guns?”
She scanned the room filling up with dancers at the portable barres, then looked into my eyes. “My family does business with a lot of people. Not often, but a few times, things got out of hand. Sergei is just careful. Especially around the Palacios family.”
“Why especially?”
“My family’s business is imports. The Palacioses own the docks. Do the math, Cami,” she said in an impatient tone. “That’s how I know of them, and who they are. But you don’t want to hear any of that, so what’s the point?”
She left to take her spot, and I watched her, speechless and feeling like a complete idiot. I knew I lived in my own ballet bubble, but this…I was a suddenly a spectator in my own life. My best friend and the guy I was dating were surrounded by people who carried guns for protection. Surely that wasn’t the way it was for most people. What the fuck.
I hurried to my usual barre next to Nata’s, my head spinning.
“Save a few undivulged facts, my family and I are the same people you’ve always known,” Nata whispered from beside me. “I can’t speak for your boyfriend, but we are not thugs.”
I scowled. “Stop it. And I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re wondering. You’re not sure what to think, right?”
I didn’t respond and focused on my raised left leg, keeping it balanced as I stood en pointe. A slow, blazing pain expanded through my ankle. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on the pain to block Nata.
“Russia is not like here, Cami,” she continued in a lower voice. “Here, a lot of people don’t like us just because we are Russian.” I glanced at her and she cocked an eyebrow. “And there isn’t much we can do about that.”
The ambient noise suddenly ceased when Madame entered the class. People focused on their movements, and she began her walk-through. I switched feet so she wouldn’t see the pain in my expression. She ignored me as she passed and started her lecturing.
Glancing over at my best friend, it was as if I was looking at her for the first time. An oppressive heaviness filled me. I had never even imagined things for her in Buenos Aires could be difficult just for being a foreigner. I had always assumed she had it easy because she was a natural-born dancer. Russia is not like here, Cami. I let her words sink in while we followed the class in silence. Madame’s voice became background noise as we rehearsed the familiar movements in unison, like oiled machines. “And up and down and one and two. Pa, pa, pa. Carla, straighter. Like this, not like this, girl.”
I stared forward, at nothing. My head was filled with images of the Russians and what it must be like to have to constantly watch your back; the skepticism, the unwanted attention, and the usual stereotypes of criminal activities that were associated with them. I had heard things before, but I usually dismissed them as stupidity or ignorance. I never really thought about how that might affect their life as a family. Nata always looked so collected. Suddenly, some of those things I had always considered peculiar about her fell into place. The little knife she always carried, her mania about safety. That was the world she knew. She never complained, and even though it was a very real part of her life, she hadn’t dragged or burdened me with the hassle of it all. She just accepted me as the oblivious spaz that I was. To her, I was just her friend. I smiled at her even though her back was to me. And in that moment, I loved her a little more.
Chapter 19
Tonight was it. Thursday night. The night I was having sex with
Sebastián. Sex, sex, sex, sex. Finally!
I pushed away the uneasy current that buzzed through me. We hadn’t talked since the quarrel with Alexei at the theater the day before, and I needed to talk to Sebastián about the gun issue. I didn’t want them anywhere near me. I eased my mind, vowing to bring it up tonight, before we went any further.
Crisp evening air slapped my overheated cheeks when I pushed open the theater doors. I was panting as much from running down the stairs as from the knot in my gut.
“Evening, Camila.”
I snapped my head around at the hoarse grumble. Alexei was leaning on the wall in his trademark weathered, brown, leather jacket. My eyes went straight to his beltline but if he had his gun, it was concealed.
“Hi, Alexei. Nata was right behind me. She should be out in a sec.”
He nodded. “You ride back wit’ us?”
“No.”
A flash of realization crossed those sullen raven eyes, and his expression darkened. “You be careful,” he muttered.
I searched the street and spotted the black BMW a few steps ahead. My heart karate kicked my sternum. I vowed to find us a new meeting spot but grinned when Sebastián stepped out, opening his arms in welcome.
I jogged over and leapt into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, not caring that Alexei was watching. Sebastián squeezed me hard and my stomach whirled.
“Mmm, I’ve missed you.” he said, lowering his mouth to mine. He kissed me tenderly. “Ready?” As he slid me down, he glanced over my shoulder and winked at Alexei. I shook my head and thanked Rafa who had opened the back door for me. I kept my eyes down to avoid glancing at his belt.
Sebastián rounded the car and sat beside me in the back. He interlaced our fingers and kissed my wrist. “Did you have a good day? Are you tired?”
“Um, a little. I need a shower.”
“I have a big tub.” He winked, making my face burn. “Do you need to get anything?”
“Uhm, no. I have a change of clothes in my bag.”
