Once again, my stomach acted up as I rode the elevator to Mr. Hail’s condo. Sorry, Adrik. I had to remember he wanted me to call him Adrik, since he’d reminded me many times last time as we played chess. A game, to his shock from the quick flash of wide eyes, I’d won. But of course, he didn’t let the shock show long. All he did was look at me and nod.
This time around, I was alone. His security stayed on the main floor and hadn’t even patted me down before I got on the elevator with my basket of baked goods.
I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to make some muffins for Adrik, but I just did it when the thought dropped into my mind. Now I felt like I was Little Red Riding Hood heading into the woods where I knew the wolf would be waiting.
I’d been surprised when Country had told me Adrik had booked me in for every second weekend. Shocked, but also pleased. It meant I didn’t fuck up. It meant he didn’t mind my rambling. It also meant he liked my company. Knowing that blasted my stomach with those swirly flying bugs that I couldn’t think of the name of. My mind and eyes were too focused on the doors right in front of me as a ding sounded before they slid open slowly.
I expected Adrik to be waiting, but he wasn’t. Then I heard sounds coming from the kitchen, so I made my way through his house and called, “Adrik?”
“Da, kitchen,” he said gruffly back. A shiver ran over my body at his voice, and my dick gave off a small throb. He’d be disappointed when he realized he wasn’t getting any action.
And why I was talking about my dick like it had its own mind, I didn’t know. Though sometimes he did have his own mind—like the constant hardness he got when I imagined Adrik while alone in my apartment. However, I refused to masturbate over the thought of him. I had to remind myself repeatedly that this was work and Adrik was a client.
Even though it was late again, I could smell something cooking. Didn’t Adrik eat dinner at a normal hour? I gripped the basket in front of me and walked into the kitchen to see Adrik standing at the stove with his back to me, stirring something.
A man in the kitchen cooking for you was sexy.
Scratch that. A hot man in the kitchen cooking for you was beyond sexy.
His broad shoulders tapered down to a slim waist, and all of it was covered in another tee. Did this one have a band on it? I’d googled his last one, and it was a rock band from Russia.
“Hi,” I called.
Adrik glanced over his shoulder. His eyes slowly grazed over me, and I had the sudden urge to thrust my hips out while my dick shouted, “Look at me. Pay me attention, dammit.”
“Jeans,” he commented before turning back to the pot.
“Yes.” I stepped further in and placed the basket of muffins on the counter. “You said I didn’t have to wear a suit, right?” After all, he was in jeans as well. Slightly darker than mine.
“Da.” He faced me and eyed the basket, tilting his head to the side before he nodded at it. “What is it?”
“Chocolate muffins. I told you I liked to bake, and I love chocolate muffins. They’re my favorite. Maybe it’s because my mom never used to make sweet things when I was young, and now that I can, I like to treat myself to these every week. I mean, they’ll never be the best in the world, but I think I do all right.” I leaned in as if I was about to tell him a secret. “I like to add chocolate sauce to the mix to make them extra gooey.” I hummed under my breath. “Then again, not everyone likes gooey like I do.” I shrugged. “We’ll see if you like them, but after dinner, which smells amazing again. What is it?”
Why did his stare make my blood boil, but in a good way? I felt like a damn teenager with a crush, especially since none of my other clients had brought such a reaction out of me.
Then again, none of them had appealed to me like Adrik did. And I wouldn’t say my other clients had been bad-looking either. One was a veterinarian, another a graphic designer, and the other was a lawyer. They weren’t old or boring. I had fun with them, but I didn’t get fluttery when around them. The nerves were still there, but nothing like I had when I knew I was going back to Adrik’s.
Why was he different?
Why couldn’t I get him off my mind?
It had to be the accent. It had to be. There was no other reason. He hardly spoke to me. He was gruff, almost looked like he could kill with one look, and was obviously important in the world. Shit, he could even be in the mob, and I wouldn’t have a clue.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and silently snorted. I was getting lost in my thoughts too much.
“Zharkoye,” he said roughly.
I dropped my hand. “Sorry?” What had we been talking about?
“In the pot. Zharkoye. It is like beef stew.”
It sounded good, especially coming out of his mouth. Dang it, I had to stop. I had to pretend he sounded disgusting.
“Well, I’m looking forward to it. Is it nearly ready?”
“Da. Take seat.”
“Will do, captain,” I teased, and then regretted it when he paused halfway turned back to the stove. Did I apologize? Did he not like people messing with him? Not that it was really messing, I was just trying to be cute.
Note to self: do not be cute with Adrik.
Shifting over to the table, I quickly took my seat. I anxiously bounced my knee up and down and jumped when Adrik set a bowl in front of me.
“Thank you,” I told the table.
“Welcome.” He took the seat at the head of the table with his own bowl, and we ate in silence. My arch-nemesis.
On the first taste, my mouth orgasmed. At least a part of me was getting action. The stew was melt-in-my-mouth delicious and the meat so tender. “You need to be a chef. Tell me you’re a chef. Your meals are amazing, and they can’t be just wasted on you and me. Do you cook for your family? Friends? They must rave about how incredible it is.”
I clamped my lips closed when I took in his stormy look.
If nut-punching myself wasn’t weird, I would do it.
“Sorry,” I said softly. “You may have noticed I tend to ramble sometimes. Just… I don’t know, shove something in my mouth when I say something you don’t like.” My eyes bulged out of my head when I realized what I’d said. “I mean a sock or a rag or a towel. Shove something like that in my mouth.” Why did I explain that? Now he knew my mind went to the gutter. I could tell he knew. The stormy look faded, and his lips twitched.
“My family is in Russia.”
Fuck me in the dark. That was a sentence. I wanted to pat him on the back and say, “Good boy,” but I knew it wouldn’t go over.
I didn’t ask about friends. I already presumed Adrik didn’t like to make them. It seemed he kept his private life very private.
I cleared my throat. “That sucks. Well, at least I get to enjoy your cooking.” I grinned and went back to eating, ignoring his stare.
We finished dinner, and after I cleared away, I plated two chocolate muffins. Adrik still sat at the table. He’d been watching me the whole time while I talked about my favorite movies. I dropped a plate in front of him and then sat with my own.
I couldn’t help it. I started laughing from his almost fearful look at the dessert. “It’s okay. It won’t attack.” Shaking my head, I smiled. “I’m sure your perfect physique could take a hit for one night. Maybe you could do an extra sit-up for it.”
His gaze lifted, along with one brow. “Perfect?”
Shit.
I waved a hand around and pulled my muffin close. “Doesn’t matter. Try the muffin. Please?”
He grumbled something but tore off a little from the top and popped it into his mouth. He sucked, chewed, and his eyes lit with something I hadn’t seen.
“Good?” I asked, totally searching for compliments.
“Da, perfect.”
I didn’t care he was teasing by using the word “perfect.” I was happy he liked it, and he even went back for more.
After we’d emptied our plates, I stood and went for his plate, but his hand snapped around my wrist, stilling me. My heart went haywire. My eyes drifted to his slightly larger hand on my skin—the skin that warmed from his touch.
“You cooked. I take plates,” he explained.
“Right… um, okay.” I nodded and swooned on the inside. I plonked back down on my seat, and I couldn’t help but notice Adrik slowly drew his hand away. All right, I was hyperaware of his movements, and when he walked by, I—like the stalker I was—took in a deep breath to take in his scent.
Fuck a blender, I had to stop obsessing over this man.
I stood. “Chess?” I yelled and winced.
“Da.” His da sounded lighter than usual.
“Right, meet you in the living room.” I bolted out of the room like my underwear was on fire. I wished this client, Adrik, was more than just company, and that wasn’t good. To busy myself, I went to his bookshelf and took a look at the type of books he liked to read. Only to curse under my breath because they were in Russian. Still, I searched for something I recognized.
“Oooh,” I mumbled to myself. “What do we have here?” I took a book off the shelf, and my mouth dropped open. It was a popular vampire book. A paranormal romance book. One I had read billions of times over. I glanced back to the bookcase, but the one in my hand was the only one I could find. Maybe he hadn’t enjoyed it as much as I had. That would be tragic, because it was in my top five books of all time. Ones I reread when I was down, and they always brought a smile to my face.
“You have read?”
I screamed from the sound of his voice behind me, dropped the book, and clutched my heart like some damsel in distress. Facing him, I quickly cleared my throat, dropped my hands, and picked up his book.
“Um, yes, I’ve read it. I’ve read the whole series; it’s one of my favorites. Have you read them all?”
“Nyet, just that.”
“Did you like it?”
He shrugged. “It was okay.”
I liked this night more than the first because he seemed more talkative. Yet, I still enjoyed being around him when he was silent.
Wait. No, I don’t. He’s quiet, ugly, and horrible.
Turning back to the bookcase, I replaced the book. While I ran a finger down its spine, I told him, “I’m sure you’d love the other ones. They only get better and better.” Stepping back, I smiled at the bookcase. “So many books. Since I’m a lover of reading, of course I checked out a few titles.” I laughed, grinning over my shoulder at him. “I didn’t understand any of them since they are in Russian.”
“Most are. Some are in Spanish.”
Wide-eyed, I spun back to him. “You speak Spanish also?”
“Da, and Chinese.”
“Holy shit, that’s amazing. The only language I know besides English is French, and it’s not much.” I moved over to sit on the floor near the chess game. “I can count to ten.”
“That it?”
Chuckling, I nodded. “Yes. Somehow that stuck with me when I was taught in elementary school.”
Adrik sat opposite me again on the couch. He made the first move and then asked, “You want to know some Russian?”
“Yes,” I cried a little too enthusiastically.
His lips twitched and he nodded. “What?”
Cocking my head to the side in confusion, I asked as I made my move, “What would I want to know? Do you mean what sayings or words?”
“Da.” He nodded, moving his piece.
“Well, I already know da means yes and nyet means no…. Hmm… okay, how do you say, ‘I love chocolate’?” I smiled.
He grinned.
Adrik grinned, and my breath caught in my throat. If I thought he was handsome before, it was nothing when he smiled. Even my stomach tingled at it.
“Ya lyublyu shokolad.”
“Fuck,” I whispered. He sounded like a wet dream.
“Blyad'.”
I slapped a hand over my mouth and laughed. I hadn’t thought Adrik had heard me, but obviously, he had. “Seriously?”
“Da.” He glanced down and moved. Only, the game was forgotten on my part. I just wanted to lie back and listen to him speak his own language over and over.
“You lose,” he stated with a smug smirk an hour later. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but something had changed in Adrik, and I liked it a lot. Especially with him smiling and smirking. His eyes even seemed lighter than usual.
“Wait, what?” I looked down and noticed I’d made terrible moves while he distracted me. “That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t paying attention,” I told him with a mock scowl.
“You always need to pay attention,” he replied lightly.
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll let you have that one. Do we have time for another game?”
His face shut down. The smile vanished. His eyes darkened at the reminder I was there on his money and time. I hated myself for saying anything.
Money was already exchanged before the date even started, so we didn’t have to take cash from the client and make them, or us, feel cheap. But I had a feeling I’d just done it.
He ground his teeth together as he looked down at his watch.
“Nyet,” he clipped.
Had the hour and a half already gone by? It was too soon. I didn’t want to leave, especially now he was in a mood and it was all my fault.
Adrik stood. “I walk you to lift.”
Cry me a damn river. I wanted to cry. It was pathetic… but maybe I could offer to stay on my time?
Grinding my teeth together, I shook my head as I stood. That would be crossing the line. He was a job, after all, and I had to remember it.
Why couldn’t I have met him outside of this? Because fucking Sam had been more of a priority than anything or anyone else. Stupid cock-sucking cheating ex. We’d been together only six months, and I’d thought I loved him. Only I knew I didn’t since his cheating cut me but didn’t gut me. I was only pissed now because I’d wasted those six months on him.
I could have used that time to find Adrik. I snorted silently. Who was I kidding? I wouldn’t have met him before now anyway. We obviously ran in different circles. Hell, I still didn’t know what he did for a living.
Please don’t be a killer or anything illegal.
I lifted my gaze when we reached the elevator. Adrik pressed the button and shifted to the side with his hand tucked into his jeans.
I went with my urge and reached out, lightly resting my fingers on his forearm. His eyes shot up to mine. I opened my mouth, closed it, and finally said softly, “I really liked dinner. Thank you.”
He grunted and nodded. His gaze dropped to my fingers. Even though I was sweating and just about shitting bricks, I left them there. “Next time.” I hoped there was a next time. “I’ll pay more attention to the game.”
The doors to the elevator opened with a ding. I jolted, and my fingers slipped away from his warm skin. I didn’t look away from his burning eyes.
“Next time” was all he said before he looked into the elevator.
Next time.
My heart and gut sang “Yay.”
“Okay.” I stepped away and waved lamely at him. I didn’t care that I looked like an idiot, since I saw his lips twitch. “Bye. Have fun. Sleep well,” I called as the doors closed.
“Spokoynoy nochi, Ben.”
“What does that mean?” I yelled, but it was too late; the doors had fully closed. And I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard a deep chuckle. I really needed to learn Russian. I also wanted to press the button to the penthouse again and go back up to ask him to call me by my real name.
Dangerous.
Being around Adrik was more than dangerous because I… I really didn’t want him as my client. I wanted to know everything about him outside of work. Again, I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but I craved his attention. Nothing like I had before. Shit, I hardly knew the guy, and the conversations we’d had that night were the longest we’d shared.
I was going crazy.
Or I just needed to get laid.
Maybe I could talk to Lucas about it. We’d become close in the last few months, and I knew with not only Lucas but our new friend Kylo, I could share anything I wanted. However, Lucas was in a new relationship, and I didn’t want him to worry about me and my stupid thoughts. It would have to be Kylo I spoke with, and since he also worked for Polished, he might know where I was coming from. Still, it would have to wait. I had another client tomorrow, and I needed to study my ass off for class.
I would push Adrik to the back of my mind.
I would treat him like any other client—friendly, but keep my distance.
There’d be no more talking about myself. My real personal life. I would have to think of a story for Ben's new life and stick to it. Since I’d already shared I was studying medicine, I couldn’t go back on that.
As the doors opened, the guards looked over, both scowling. I pasted a smile on my face and made my way to the doors with a cheerful “Goodnight.” Of course they didn’t reply. I exited out the doors and into the cool night.
Death appeared out of nowhere, and I hate to admit it, but I squealed like a girl, causing him to laugh.
“No issues?” he asked, smirking.
“Nope, smooth sailing like last time.”
“Good. You got another tonight? I couldn’t remember, and my fuckin’ phone went flat while the goddamn charger is broken. Well, now it is.”
I shook my head. “Sounds like it’s not your night, and yes, it’s only this one. I’m heading home.”
“I’ll follow you.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “You don’t—”
“I’m following.”
“Okay. Thank you, and see you next time.”
He tipped his chin up to me, and apparently, that was his reply. He turned and stalked to his car. Smiling, I suddenly felt more comfortable from my little pep talk earlier.
I would put Adrik in the client bubble, and that was it.
As soon as I googled what he’d said in Russian.