Seducing the Badman (Russian Bratva #2) (25 page)

I make the short distance from the bedroom to the living area to find that Radimir is setting out Chinese food in containers. I cringe, because he hasn’t brought out plates; but then I take a deep breath and remember that with Radimir, things don’t have to be perfect. There is nobody who will be angry if I do not serve food, take-out or homemade, on china plates.

“Thank you,” I say, taking one of the containers along with a fork.

I will never understand how to eat with chopsticks. I have tried several times, but I cannot make it work. Radimir doesn’t respond with anything other than a grunt and I turn from him, going into the living room to sit on the sofa.

I wait for him to join me and am surprised when he actually does. He sits down next to me, still shirtless and still gorgeous. We eat in strained silence until I can’t take it anymore. I need to satisfy my curiosity. I need to know who the mysterious, dimpled, blonde man is.

“Who was that man?” I ask tentatively.

“A man you should never speak to again,” he grunts. I set my food down, turning to face him.

“Radimir, why must I not speak to him? Who is he?”

Radimir turns to face me. His eyes are ablaze and bright with emotion. I wish I could decipher the different meanings that run through them, but I cannot. I still don’t know him well enough to tell his moods.

“You will not keep me in the dark, Radimir. Not after everything I have been through. I need to know if I am safe,” I demand.

Radimir clenches his jaw and his nose flares before he finally resigns and speaks to me.

“That was FBI. He is watching Kirill, which means he is watching me now. He was flirting with you, and it pissed me off, so I went over to him. Then he announced that he was FBI. We are not here one hundred percent legally. He will deport us if we do not apply for American Citizenship. He was just giving me a warning, veiled in a threat, covered with concern,” he says. If I wasn’t confused about this man before, I surely am now.

“He is police, then?” I ask.

“Yes. Federal police for all of United States. I talked to Kirill while you were showering, and he informed me that the citizenship would not be a problem. Unfortunately, he cannot keep the man from watching us. You do not talk to him, do you understand me?” His blue eyes are drilling into mine, and I nod my agreement. I would not anger Radimir. Not purposely, anyway. It isn’t in me. Plus, I like his smile too much to cause him anger.

“Yes, okay, Radimir. I will stay away from him,” I agree, chewing on my bottom lip. I’m afraid to ask my next question, afraid I’ll anger him further.

“What is it,
kotik
?” he murmurs, taking his thumb and pushing my lip down away from my teeth.

“I should not ask,” I say, looking to the side.

“You should and you will,” he says, his voice gentler than a few moments ago.

I look back to him and notice that his eyes are no longer alight with swirling emotions; but instead, they are calm and filled with ease. This is not like when we were in Russia and he left me his credit card. I have nothing to my name here, and even my name means nothing here.

“I need some clothes. Everything I have is too hot,” I confess. He throws his head back with laughter.

“Let me get dressed. I take my little
kotik
shopping. I have heard that
Rodeo Drive
is where the best shops are. We’ll go,” he offers.

I jump into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck before I pepper his face with kisses.

“Does my
kotik
approve of my shopping trip suggestion?” he chuckles.

I nod once before sliding off of his lap and quickly walking to the bedroom. Radimir follows me, but doesn’t go straight into the bedroom. Instead, he pulls my back into his front and wraps his arms around my middle, pressing his lips against the skin of my neck.

“I only want you to be happy here, Emiliya,” he murmurs. “I want you to forget the horrors you have seen. I want nothing bad to ever touch you again, except for me.” His voice is deep and husky.

I can’t control the way my nipples pebble as his breath caresses my neck. I can’t stop my panties from growing wet, and I don’t keep my sigh in, either. But Radimir does not touch me further, and I wonder why he has not truly even attempted to touch me.

Perhaps he is just waiting for me to recover from my abduction. Perhaps he does not desire me anymore. He hasn’t asked me what truly happened while Dimitri had me. He doesn’t know the extent of my violations. I don’t want him to be disgusted by me. I wish for him to always desire me, as I desire him.

I dress in my coolest outfit to go shopping. It is a three-quarter sleeve wrap dress, royal blue. It is fitted down to just above my knee, and I pair it with a set of nude, lace, high heels. I put my hair up in a very high bun on top of my head, hoping that it will keep me even cooler. I take my jewelry out of my bag, and I am putting diamond studs in my ears when Radimir appears from the shower, dressed casually in a pair of dark washed jeans and a soft looking, blue, v-neck t-shirt.

“Where did you get those?” I ask, looking him up and down.

I have never seen the man in anything aside from suits. Today was a first with his swim trunks, and now jeans with a cotton t-shirt?
It surprises me.

“I don’t get many days off of work,
kotik
, so you have never seen me in casual clothes,” he says with a smile. He slides a pair of sandals on his feet –
sandals
– I don’t understand.

“Shall we, my beautiful?” he asks, holding his hand out for me to take. I slide my hand inside of his warm grasp and together we walk out of the apartment.

The smell of the ocean water hits me immediately, and I suddenly feel a calm wash over me. I love this feeling. The serenity of the ocean waves, the scent, and then the way Radimir is holding me. I follow my
badman
down the stairs to a very sleek, black sedan. It is one hundred percent Rad.

“You do not have a license, correct?” he asks after he has started the vehicle and punches our destination in the GPS.

“No, I have never needed one,” I confess shyly.

“Not to worry, my pussycat. Unless you are with me, you will always have a guard, so he will take you where you need to be,” he says.

I close my eyes as the car moves down the freeway and I think about my friend, Haleigh. I miss her. I miss our conversations and my English lessons. I miss Maksimilyan and his incessant chatter. I wonder how she is doing with her new daughter, little Maryia. I only held her for a brief moment, but I already know that she is special.

Then thoughts of a child of my own suddenly enter my mind. Will Radimir and I have them? Could I already be pregnant? Would a newly formed child survive what I went through last week? There are so many unanswered questions, so many things I want to avoid, and so many things I don’t wish to talk about out loud.

“We are here,” Radimir says, gently shaking me.

I blink once before looking around. The streets are lined with works of art and shops. It looks classy and fantastic. I cannot wait to find some lovely summer pieces.

Radimir places a gentle kiss on my cheek before he gets out and walks around the car to open the door for me. He informs me of some phone calls he needs to make, so he will be outside talking while I shop.

I walk right past the
Jimmy Choo
shoe store and immediately stop in my tracks. Rows of beautiful high heels practically glitter inside. I must go. Though, I do not necessarily need shoes, I must at least peruse. I make my way inside. I buy four pairs of gorgeous high heels that I do not need before leaving to go in search of my whole reason for venturing out—clothes.

I happen upon a small boutique and spy a few cute shorts and dresses in the window so I wander inside. I am greeted by a very tall, painfully thin woman. Her long bleached blonde hair is fried from too much processing, and her makeup is too heavy for the day. I try not to hold those things against her. She has a kind smile and asks me if I need help immediately.

“I have just moved here and I fear all of my clothes are too warm for the weather,” I inform her.

“Where are you from?” she asks, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. It makes me on edge, but I answer her.

“Russia,” I inform. She grins.

“Are you one of those mail-order brides?” she asks while thumbing through some pretty, short dresses.

“I do not know what this means,” I say with confusion.

“You know. Some guy can’t get what he wants here so he orders a bride. A woman usually from a poor country who will do anything for him, plus suck his dick for citizenship,” she announces. I gasp in surprise. Never has a person spoken to me this way in all of my life.

Never has a person had the audacity to do so.

“My husband is also Russian born,” I inform her, trying to stay calm. She is nothing but a young girl, a stupid young girl.

“Oh, okay then,” she shrugs, handing me a pile of clothes. She shows me where I can try them on and I am grateful for the reprieve from her terrible personality.

I try on the clothes and am thankful that they fit. They are cool, and they are also very sturdily made. I decide to keep two short dresses and a pair of shorts. I still need so much more. I hope that Radimir does not become annoyed with me today.

I walk out of the room to find the skinny girl leaning over the counter, batting her eyelashes at none other than Radimir. I cannot control the jealous rage that spikes through my body at the sight of her hand resting on his bare forearm, her face tilted up, smiling at him.

“Radimir, I am finished,” I announce as I walk toward him. He turns to me, blinking once and then grinning at me. He knows. He knows this little girl is pissing me off.

“Whatever you like,
kotik
,” he murmurs, wrapping his arm around my side and pulling me into his body. The girl stares at us with round eyes before she shakes her head and begins to calculate our total.

“
This
is your husband?” she says in disbelief as she takes his credit card.

“Yes,” I grind out. Radimir chuckles softly beside me.

After we walk out of the store, he wraps me in his arms and pulls me so that my chest is pressed against his. I have to crane my neck all the way back to look into his blue eyes.

“My
kotik
has claws. I like jealousy on you, Emiliya.” He smiles widely.

“I was not jealous,” I try to say. His smile makes me blush and I end up laughing.
I was terribly jealous
. “I didn’t like her touching you,” I admit, sliding my hand up his chest to wrap around the side of his neck.

“No other woman touches me the way that my beautiful wife does. You own me,
moy chernovolosyy koroleva
,” he murmurs before his head bends slightly and his lips press against mine.

I accept his kiss with a sigh and then gasp when his tongue traces the seam of my lips. Radimir groans as his tongue fills my mouth, sweeping through me warm and perfect. I feel his hand wrap around mine before he breaks away from our kiss. I’m mesmerized by his eyes until I feel something cool slip onto my finger.

I look down and gasp, shocked and awed at what he’s given me. A wedding ring. It is a five carat, black diamond, emerald cut, surrounded by blue diamonds, encased in a platinum band and setting. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen.

“
Hush
, let us go,” he murmurs. I do as he asks.

A moment later, I step away from him reluctantly. Radimir informs me that we must shop some more, knowing these few items will not be enough. He also tells me that there will be parties we will have to attend, so I must get a few cocktail dresses. I smile widely
.

I love sexy little dresses.

I have missed the parties my father always had. They were a time for me to play dress up and to escape reality, if only for a moment.

I find that I no longer feel the need to escape reality; but instead, I relish in the fact that I want my husband to show me off to his colleagues. I want him to be proud of the wife that is by his side.

I sit across from Emiliya at some fancy steakhouse,
Mastro’s
in
Beverly Hills.
I could give a fuck where we are, but my Emiliya is used to fine dining and I have not had many moments to give her what she deserves. So, tonight, we eat expensive steaks.

She is breathtaking, my
kotik
. Her black hair is long and straight, her makeup perfect, even if she does not need it. Her dress made my cock ache at the sight. It is strapless and dark pink, skin tight, showing off her curves. I am lucky we are not sitting next to each other, or I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of her perfect body.

You would think that after an entire day of shopping I would be ready to be done with the evening, but I find that it was not too taxing. Any time at all spent with my Emiliya is a treasure. She is nothing as I imagined she would be; it still surprises me. She is shy and sweet, unsure of herself and very conscious of others around her.

“How are you, Emiliya,” I ask, breaking our silence.