Obeying the Russian Mafia Boss: A Mob Romance (8 page)

“Hi Mom,” she said brightly. “I’m on break and I wanted to see how you were feeling.”

She heard her mother shifting around in her bed. “I’m the same as always. Today they had green gelatin for lunch. How is the new job? What exactly are you doing?”

Ella hated lying to her mother, but she couldn’t tell her Mom that she was working as a maid. It would make her feel horrible. “I’m just helping a business owner. My new boss owns a club, and I’m helping him with whatever he needs.”

“A club owner?” Ella could hear the uncertainty in her mother’s voice. “Ella, you can do so much better than that!”

“It’s okay, Mom. The job is only for a year, and it pays really well. Afterwards, if he gives me a glowing recommendation, I might be able to get a better job. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

There was a moment of silence. “If you say so,” she finally said. “I’ll call you later this evening. My soap is about to come on.”

“I love you, Mom,” Ella said sadly. She hated leaving her mother alone for this long. As she hung up the phone, she stared out the window. On the ground below, two armed men slowly paced the area. She grabbed her book and opened it, but a question still nagged her. What did Dina really mean when she asked if Ella
thought
Erik was a club owner?

Chapter Eight

Usually on Thursdays, Erik tried to stay away from the club. Fridays and Saturdays always tested his patience, but with the club now open for lunch, he decided to pop in and see how things were going.

Only the tables directly around the main three dance platforms were open. As business grew, Erik would expand that, but he didn’t want to overload his kitchen staff. Word spread, and more and more powerful clientele were showing up. Many were just there for lunch, but they glanced at the back room curiously. That was fine. Erik knew that it would take time to build trust. These men couldn’t afford to do anything that might damage their reputation.

After checking on the floor and the kitchen, he walked back to the dressing rooms. His cocktail waitresses were joking around with his escorts.

“Ladies,” he said in a low voice as he walked in. “Everything okay?”

“Mr. Chesnovak!” they squealed.

One by one, he chatted with them about the lunch crowd. Each of them was trained in the art of seduction interrogation, and they passed along any information he might find relevant.

When the time came, this was how he would control the city. Hold the rich by the balls, and everyone would bow down to him.

Assured that everything was going according to plan, he went back home and stopped by the security office.

Knowing that he would be spending time in his office, Erik had assigned Ella some of the rooms on the first floor. Danil had informed him yesterday about what had happened on the patio, and now that his men knew that she worked there, many went out of their way to watch her work.

And why wouldn’t they? Today she wore a pair of shorts that showed off her gorgeous legs and a halter top that plunged low. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was sex personified.

He didn’t need audio to know just what the men were saying to each other. They wanted her, and it made Erik hard just thinking about it. She would belong only to him. The guards were still in the living room with Ella when Erik approached the room. He heard snatches of their low conversation.

“I would sink my cock so deeply in her.”

“Fuck her until she didn’t know which way was up.”

“Plow her in every hole.”

Although Ella gave them a few curious looks, she clearly didn’t understand a word of Russian. Unnoticed, Erik watched from the doorway as one of the guards approached her.

“You new girl?” he asked in broken English.

Ella straightened from her polishing and smiled warmly at him. “Yes, I’m Ella,” she said as she held out her hand.

“Pavel,” the guard said as he shook her hand. Erik noticed that his touch lingered a little too long. “You have husband?”

Ella didn’t pull away. Did she enjoy his touch? Pavel was quite the ladies’ man. “No, no husband or boyfriend. Single. Are you married?”

“No. Single. You are beautiful.”

Blushing, Ella finally pulled out of his reach. “That’s very nice of you to say, thank you.”

Before Pavel could make his move, Erik walked in and cleared his throat. “I wasn’t aware this room needed guarding,” he said dryly in Russian.

“Sorry, sir,” Pavel said as he stepped away from Ella and stood at attention.

“She is off limits,” Erik said succinctly. “You may look, but there will be no touching. Get back to work.”

Ella frowned as the men left the room. “What did you say to them? I didn’t mean to get them in trouble.”

“I simply reminded them that I don’t pay them to talk to pretty women,” Erik lied. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to offend her delicate sensibilities. It was mostly that he didn’t want her to know what his guards really thought of her.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t mind. I know I don’t speak Russian, but it would be nice to make some friends. Maybe I could learn the language.”

Erik’s face hardened. “When you’re finished here, I want you to clean in my office.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. Her bewilderment was written all over her face, but he was done talking about this. His guards were ruthless mercenaries. He would not have her befriending them.

Leaving her to finish the living room, he headed toward the office. Dina stood directly in his path and looked unwilling to move. He stopped.

“Something bothering you, Dina?” he asked softly. Although he was ten years her senior, they’d practically grown up with each other. Despite the difference in their stations, Dina sometimes took too many liberties with their relationship.

“Are you replacing me? You’ve never hinted that you were unhappy with my work.”

Erik smiled indulgently. It hadn’t occurred to him that Dina would take offense. “You do an excellent job here, Dina. Ella’s position is only temporary. You shouldn’t be unhappy. You have to do less work for the same pay.”

“Huh.” Dina carefully considered his words. “I can handle that. She seems really nice which means she stands out, like coal in snow. Add the fact that she’s pretty, and you’re just asking for trouble. Do you have any idea what your guards have been saying about her?”

“I can imagine. Keep an eye on her when I’m not here. Let me know if anyone is inappropriate or harsh with her,” he said mildly as he tried to sidestep her.

She quickly moved to block him again. “I don’t know what’s going on here, Erik, but I know this is not the time for you to show any weakness. Taking in a wounded stray is not great for your reputation.”

“You speak out of turn,” Erik said sharply. “I don’t have to explain my choices to anyone, but believe me when I tell you that my intentions toward Ella are anything but weak.”

Dina’s eyes widened, and she stepped back quickly. “You are constantly surrounded by beautiful and well-trained women, but you have your eye on her? You don’t surprise me very often.”

“Get back to work, Dina,” Erik said shortly as he walked past her. Turning the corner, he entered his office and sat down behind the large oak desk. He was still checking his e-mail from his family and contacts in Russia when Ella walked in.

Upon seeing him, her eyes widened and she froze like a deer in headlights. “I’m so sorry. I can come back when you’re not in here.”

“If I didn’t want you in here, I wouldn’t have told you to clean the office. Close the door.”

“Are you really that upset that I wanted to talk to your guards?” she asked nervously.

“Ella, I didn’t ask you in here because I was upset. You’re welcome to start your work,” he said dryly.

Confused, she stared at him. “With you in here?”

“Yes. I want the baseboards, windows, and shelves cleaned. And I want the ceiling fan dusted.”

Her smile shook a little bit, and she nodded. Erik turned his attention back to his computer and returned a few e-mails. The sound of him working must have put her at ease because she didn’t hesitate anymore. In his peripheral vision, he watched as she grabbed her polish and cloth and dropped to her knees. As she pushed her round ass into the air, Erik hardened and lost himself in a fantasy.

In his mind, he got up and walked over to her and slowly slid his fingers up her shorts. She’d be wet and dewy for him as he stroked the folds of her sex.

Fuck.
Erik took a deep breath and tried to push the image out of his mind. He was the kind of man who had complete control over his body and emotions. It wasn’t like him to be distracted so easily by one oblivious woman.

As she moved around the room, she kept her back to him. Had she turned around, he would no doubt be able to see straight down her shirt, but he didn’t mind the view from behind.

When Ella finally stood up from the floor, he was so hard he ached. It was his own damn fault. She switched out the wood polish for the window cleaner and sprayed the glass.

“Newspaper is supposed to be good,” she said suddenly.

Flitting his eyes her way, he saw that she still had her back to him. He could still look his fill, and she wouldn’t know. “Excuse me?”

She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a sweet, bashful smile. “Newspaper. It’s supposed to be good for cleaning glass. I’ve never used it, but I always thought it was a funny fact.”

“Right,” he muttered in annoyance. He didn’t want to talk about window cleaning techniques. He wanted her naked and straddling him so he could feast on her delicate skin.

As she stretched to reach up higher, her shirt rose and showed off her bare midriff. She had that fantastic hour glass figure, and he wanted to run his fingers along her curves and press hot and wet open kisses to her abdomen.

Trying to hold in a groan, he focused almost desperately on his computer. At this rate, he would have to take an ice cold shower as soon as she left.

“Do you have a step-stool so I can reach the fan?” Ella bent down and grabbed the feather duster.

Seeing an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up, he pushed back his chair and rolled it over towards her. “You can use this.”

She frowned and stared at it. “It swivels and has wheels. It’s not the most stable thing I can use. I’ll grab a chair from the kitchen.”

“I’ll hold you,” he said in a low voice. Her gaze flew up to his, and her pupils dilated.

She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her.

“Okay,” she said quietly. He grabbed her hands and held her steady as she climbed onto the chair. The chair turned just a bit, and he wrapped his hands around her waist to hold her still. Now that she was a head taller than him, his face was inches from her cleavage.

She cleared her throat, and her breasts heaved with every breath. “Are you sure you’re okay? Any dust that doesn’t get trapped in the duster might fall on you.”

“I’m not worried about dust. Do your job, Ella,” he said hoarsely. His cock strained against his pants, and it took every ounce of discipline not to skim his lips just above the neckline of her shirt.

She stretched her arms up to reach the fan, and he lightly brushed the pad of thumb across her bare skin. All of her muscles tensed and she inhaled sharply, but she didn’t stop.

Was it his imagination, or was she taking her sweet time with the fan? The silence between them stretched on, and the tension grew. He knew she could feel his breath on her skin. Mere inches separated them. When she finally lowered her arms, his control was hanging by a thread.

“I’m done,” she whispered. For a moment, she just stared at him. Her lips parted, and he was lost. As she dropped the feather duster, she put her hands on his shoulders to brace herself to step down.

Erik had something else in mind. Keeping his hands on her hips, he picked her up gently and forced her body to slide down his. A little moan escaped her, and she wrapped her legs around him. He could only think of sliding into her as he swung her around and set her on the desk.

Her head rolled back, and he pressed his lips to the curve of her neck. “Erik,” she gasped and arched against him.

Encouraged, he tangled his hands in her hair and pulled the hair tie out. As her fiery strands spilled down her back, he finally kissed her. Ella opened up and returned the kiss with fervor.

He stroked his other hand over the curve of her breast and down her hips as he fulfilled his earlier fantasy. Sliding his finger under her shorts, he rubbed up against the crotch of her panties.

She was soaking wet and almost violently responsive to his touch. Her moan was unmistakable as she thrust her sex against his seeking fingers. Tearing his mouth from hers, he watched her expression as he continued to stroke her. Her bruised lips were open, and she didn’t say anything as she twisted under him.

When he removed his hand from her sex, she whimpered. Erik’s hands shook with desire as he traced his thumb over her bottom lip. Ella never broke eye contact as she lowered her head and caught his thumb between her teeth.

His control snapped, and he grunted. Pushing her down hard on the desk, he shoved her shirt up. Kissing and sucking on her skin, he’d started to undo his pants when there was a sharp knock on the door.

Erik raised his head to tell whomever it was to get the hell away, but the spell was broken. Blushing furiously, Ella pulled away from him and stood up.

“Wait,” he muttered, but she fled from him and opened the door. Danil stood wide eyed on the other side, and she pushed past him and disappeared.

Danil looked at the mess on the desk and twisted his lips into a wry smile. “Bad time?”

“Fuck you,” Erik snapped in a low voice. His arousal didn’t even begin to ease up. He’d had a taste of her, and he knew he wasn’t going to be happy until he had all of her.

“It’s none of my business,” Danil said softly, “but you have a very sensitive deal in the works. Valeria might not be very happy if you start bedding the staff.”

Annoyed, Erik ran his thumb over his bottom lip. He could still taste her. “I haven’t made any promises to Valeria, and I doubt very seriously that I’m going to agree to anything that family wants. And you’re right. It isn’t any of your business.”