Cruel Paradise - A Mafia Romance Chapter 160

“Does it involve seducing me between meetings? Because I could get on board with that idea.”

His hands slide down to my ass. I grab them and pull them back up. “Concentrate, Mr. Oryolov. That is not what I came here for. This is serious business.”

“Then you should have scheduled an appointment. Although that dolt out there probably would have fucked that up, too.”

I shake my head in amusement. “You know… I could always come back here and be your assistant.”

His eyebrows knit together but there’s a definitive smile on his face. “Hmm… I could offer you added benefits…”

“If you’re talking about the benefits I’m thinking of, then it’s a done deal.” His hands are wandering again so I twist out of his arms and put some distance between us. “But that’ll have to wait. You’re not paying attention.”

“If you wanted me to pay attention, you should have worn a different blouse.” I look down at my white silk blouse which I used to think was quite conservative. The way Ruslan is looking at me right now suggests otherwise, though. “Now, come here and—”

“This is about Adrik.”

That gets his attention. “Adrik?”

Suddenly, I feel nervous. Should I be butting in this way? Do I have the right to get involved in Bratva matters? When it comes to the family, demanding an equal voice is one thing. But Bratva business is a totally different ball game.

“Emma?”

Ruslan doesn’t sound annoyed or pissed. He sounds… curious?

I clear my throat. “It’s just an idea,” I say softly. “It’s yours to take or leave. I just thought it might help.”

He grows instantly serious. “Hold on. Let me get Kirill in here, too.” He rounds his desk to call in Kirill and I feel a thrill of excitement race down my back.

Not only is he prepared to hear me out, but he’s taking me seriously. I don’t say a word… but it means everything to me. Mostly, it means that we have a chance at a real future together. One based on mutual respect. Understanding. Love.

He will always be the alpha.

But I get to be his queen.

43

EMMA

“You don’t have to do this.”

I sigh. It’s probably the hundredth time he’s told me that in the last week. Okay, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But we’ve entered the high double digits for sure.

“Ruslan…”

He shakes his head in exasperation. “I know. I fucking know. But what I don’t know is why I agreed to this crazy plan in the first place.”

“You thought this plan was brilliant when you first heard it.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I don’t think I used the word ‘brilliant.’”

I put my hand under my chin cartoonishly. “No? Must’ve been ‘inspired’ then.”

“Not even close.”

“I’m positive I heard ‘bold.’”

He lets out a weary sigh. “I’ll cop to that. But that was before…”

“Before what?”

His eyes scan up and down my body. “Before I saw you in that dress.”

I catch a glimpse of myself in the window of the Audi as it rolls to a stop in front of us. Speaking of “brilliant,” “bold,” and “inspired,” the dress I’m wearing does a brilliant, bold, and inspirational job of hiding my baby bump. The corset stops just above my stomach and the skirt flares out over it. It’s enough to hoodwink even me.

I maneuver into the back of the car in my dangerously high platform heels and reach for Ruslan’s hand the moment he joins me.

“You have nothing to worry about, okay? I got this.”

“It doesn’t have to be you.” His jaw is clenched tight. So much so that I can see a muscle I never knew existed twitching along his left cheekbone.

“Of course it does. He won’t be interested in anyone else.” Even still, I can hear his teeth grind together. “Exhale, Ruslan. You’re gonna chip a tooth.”

His gaze glides over my dress again. The combination of the short skirt and the high heels make my legs look miles long. Gotta be honest—I’m not mad about that.

Ruslan seems to be, though.

“You should have worn a different dress. This one’s too short. And too tight. And too…”

“Go on,” I tease, whirling my hand toward him. “I’m all ears.”

He glowers. “Couldn’t you have picked something with long sleeves and a grandma collar?”

I suppress a laugh. This possessive little freakout of his is actually helping calm me down a little. It’s not like I can admit to feeling nervous now anyway. Not when Ruslan is fully prepared to yank me out of this mission before it’s even begun.

“I’m gonna be fine. I can handle this, Ruslan. You just have to trust me.”

His eyes snap to mine, incandescent with anger. “Of course I trust you. It’s that rat bastard I don’t trust.”

I squeeze his hand as we approach the nightclub. The music pulses down the road towards us. Feels like the red carpet is being rolled out. “It’s gonna be a good night.”

I’m not even sure Ruslan hears me. When we stop, he gets out of the Audi and, a few moments later, he opens my door and helps me out of the car. There’s a slight chill in the air but I feel immune to it. Turns out, adrenaline is quite warming.

He holds my hand tight as we make our way through the club and into the VIP section. I hoist myself onto one of the high barstools while Ruslan orders me a seltzer water. He leans an elbow on the bar and turns to me, his face roiling with emotional thunder.

“Ruslan, we’re at a nightclub,” I whisper to him. “You need to lighten up. At least pretend you know how to have fun.”

The same glare he’s worn all night keeps burning in my direction. “Are you sure about this?”

“It was my idea, remember?” I place my hand against his wrist. “You gonna give this plan a fair shake or what?” It takes him a moment but he finally nods. “Good. Then kiss me and get outta here.”

He bends down and drops a kiss on my lips. I’m expecting something quick, gentle, businesslike. But what I get instead is the kind of open-mouthed, tongue-flickering kiss that has my head spinning and my panties feeling extremely unnecessary.

“My Lord,” I gasp when he breaks the kiss. “What was that?”

“Balm for the soul,” is all he says before he walks away.

I’m still trying to get my head screwed on straight when I feel another presence at my back. Wow, that took much less time than I’d anticipated. Thank God for predictable men.

“Well, well—fancy running into you here.”