Even after dropping Abby off, I can still taste her. I touch my lips, expecting to still feel her lip gloss or whatever there. Shaking my head, I step on the gas. Not only had her ex walked out, but I’d seen Misha. That asshole was talking with the cartel. The thought of that alone pisses me off. I want to turn around and take them out right now.
Why wait for my brother’s approval? He’ll approve after the fact. I glance in the passenger seat as I wait at a red light. I see the box of cupcakes that I need to deliver to Sienna, then I can talk to Lev or Vasily or whatever he wants to call himself today.
I arrive at the mansion and bang on the door until Karik opens the door. I sigh. “Are they fucking again?”
“Is that you, Edmon?” Sienna asks.
“No, why is Ed coming over?” I ask. “Is he having more problems with Lilah?”
“No, talk about Misha. Misha’s made more threats to your dad, I guess.”
“Things you’re not supposed to know,” Lev says as he kisses the top of Sienna’s head.
She rolls her eyes. “I can handle threats. That’s how we got together.”
I offer her the box of cupcakes. She looks at them, then narrows her eyes at me. “Did you hold that poor baker hostage for cupcakes?”
“No. I’m doing her a favor and she suggested giving you cupcakes,” I say.
During the meeting with Ed–once he shows up, with fresh hickeys on his neck–Lev, and our father, I can’t stop thinking about the threat to Abby. It’s not that I care about her, but she’s innocent. A civilian trying to put her life back together after a breakup. She doesn’t deserve more stress. When I mention seeing Misha with some cartel guys, the room goes silent.
“Where were you?” Vasily asks.
“Lugosi’s,” I answer. “On the border. I covered myself, so they didn’t see me,” I say, giving only the information they need, nothing else.
“They’re moving in closer,” our father says. “I don’t like this. They’re testing the waters.”
“Misha needs to lose more than his fingers,” Vasily agrees. “Ed?”
“Can do.”
“Danya, back him up. Make sure Misha’s off the map,” Vasily says as his fingers interlock and release again and again. Before Ed and I get to the door, he has us stop. “Figure out what he’s saying first.”
“You want us to bug him?” I groan. “We have to wait?”
“It’s better to make sure we’re taking out the right people,” Vasily says.
“Misha is the right person to take out. He’ll be leaking information if we don’t do something,” I argue.
The room is silent. Vasily stands, both hands on the desk. “We thought that when our father took out Gregor. Now look at this.”
“This is our life!” Edmon disagrees. “There will always be people who want us dead. That is our existence.”
Which is reason enough to fake out the rest of this time with Abby and be done with her. I pinch the bridge of my nose. I take a few deep breaths. “Fine, we’ll bug his house and car and then we’ll act. Only because you’re the boss. That’s the only reason I’m not cornering and killing him.”
Vasily tries to say something, but I walk out to my car and light a cigarette. Edmon walks out and stands near me. “You like being careful. What’s going on?”
“Every time we’ve hesitated since Sienna came back into our lives, it’s ended in disaster. There are shootouts, there are threats to us. The Volkovs took on every threat, they attacked head on and they own D.C. No one dares to challenge them.”
“They don’t have to deal with cartels like we do,” Ed argues. “It has nothing to do with Lev getting married.”
“Vasily,” I remind him.
“It’s Lev in the mafia. Let Sienna call him whatever she wants. He’s still Lev. What is the real issue?” Ed demands.
I exhale smoke, then crush the cigarette between my fingers. I’m too frustrated to be patient enough for the nicotine to work. I take a slow breath. “I’m fake dating the baker. I owed her after the whole ... her seeing the cartel rush into the party thing. Sienna dragged me in to apologize one day and I’m following through.”
Ed cocks his head to the side. “That hard to get dates?”
I flip him off. “It’s two weeks, but I don’t want some civilian getting stuck in the crossfire, especially knowing Sienna will turn Lev on me if I take away the woman she wants to make the wedding cake.”
“That’s true. She will kick your ass. She might do worse if Lev gives her a gun,” Ed chuckles.
I roll my eyes. “I’m also fucking tired, man. That siege had things getting ... uncomfortably real. I love a fight as much as you do, but having a knife digging into my throat and a bullet through my shoulder was a little too close.”
Ed nods. “Yeah. It wasn’t great.”
“I just want it done so we can enjoy a little more peace, you know? I can’t even get off when all this action is going on.”
“Liar.”
“Fine, I can jerk off whenever, but I’d like a vacation for a bit,” I huff.
He rolls his eyes.
I take myself home, to an apartment because I’m saving up for my eventual retirement, but after working out for thirty minutes, I know sleep isn’t going to come easily tonight. I’m not worried about Abby, not yet, but I don’t want to get to that point.
When I get through a shower and put myself in bed, I think about her again. The needy way she kissed me, how her body pressed to mine, how damn good she tasted. I was tempted to grab her ass, wanted to do a lot more than make out while waiting for my car, but didn’t.
Because I’m damn respectful of her rules. They have reasons behind them. Not that my cock cares, considering it’s hard when she’s around.
Sleep isn’t going to come with this tenting my sheets. Sighing, I squirt some warming lube into my hand, then close my eyes and stroke myself while thinking about Abby. In that damn pink dress. It was so tight around her tits, so short, showing off her thick thighs. It would have been so easy to slide my fingers up her legs in the car, to pull over, put her on the hood, and fuck her.
She wouldn’t complain about me breaking rules after I ripped the front of her dress and showed her how good my mouth would feel all over her body, how much she’d like my fingers inside her, my cock filling her sweet pussy.
Groaning, I thrust my hips into my hand, tightening my fingers around myself as I imagine her wet pussy squeezing around me. She’d moan for me, just like she did while kissing me. I can imagine her panting and whimpering like when I kissed over her neck, her perfect plush body pressed to mine, for me to lick, taste, touch, fuck
My toes curl and I grip my pillow with one hand as my hips lift off the bed. I finish into my palm and shudder. Naked, in my bed, the sheet barely covering me, and I’ve finished in record time. All thanks to the baker who refuses to explore the possibilities with me. Her and those damn rules.
She’s going to eat her words. I’ll prove I’m more than some angry asshole who’s willing to make her ex jealous. I’ll prove that her ex isn’t who she should be with. She should give a man like me a shot. Someone who can worship her and build her up all at the same time. The kind of man who won’t cheat on her, who will kill for her, who will burn down everything but her bakery and her little apartment if it means keeping her safe and happy.
That’s the wholesome, happy thought that helps me drift off to sleep.
—
Monday, after a long workout session and cleaning every gun and weapon I own, I head to the bakery. Considering Aaron the Asshole saw Abby and me over the weekend, I’m anticipating him causing a scene.
I’m not disappointed either. He’s in the store, yelling over the counter. Luckily, there’s only one other person in the shop and the woman is looking at Aaron like he’s a disappointment to the entire species.
I walk in, dinging the bell, but he doesn’t turn around. So I just stand behind him.
“If you would have kissed me like that more often, maybe we’d still be together! Maybe I would have felt loved!” Aaron yells. “But, let’s be honest, the other dude started it because that’s what you need. You never start anything yourself when it comes to physical stuff. You’re married to your damn pastries!”
“That’s enough,” Abby says, her voice stronger than I remember, but still soft. “This is a public space and you are disturbing the peace and ...”
Her eyes shift, meeting mine, and I smirk at her as she blushes. She cleans the counter.
“And what? Did you run out of words?” Aaron demands. “You don’t have anything to say to me, do you? I bet you were just with me because I agreed.”
I walk around Aaron and lean on the counter. “Hi, cupcake.”
She blushes deeper. “Danya.”
“Do better,” I murmur before raising my voice so Aaron hears. “How was work this weekend? We didn’t have much time to talk about it Sunday morning.”
Her lips part. “Don’t say that in public!”
I chuckle. It’s so much fun ruffling her feathers. A few lies will sell our relationship. “You’re so damn cute. I love that you play hard to get, you know? Salty and sweet at the same time.”
“Keep this up and I’ll .... I’ll-”
“Play fight with me again? I liked the wrestling part. You’ve got a hell of a right hook, though. You’ll have to be careful or you’re going to hurt spots on me I know you like,” I purr.
“You’re interrupting,” a voice from behind me says.
I wave my hand. “Yeah, I’m so sorry that your bitching has to wait. How about you save yourself the energy,” I say, refocusing on Abby. “So, cupcake, can I buy you dinner tonight? I promise I’ll leave by eight. I’ll even tuck you in.”
“No!” she gasps. “If you do that ...”
“I know, I know, we’ll be up too late,” I sigh as if we’ve lived that kind of night before. “You sleep better once you’re satisfied, though.”
“You asshole, this is a public place!” Aaron yells behind me.
“One second, Abby,” I mumble. I turn around and look over at Aaron. “Oh, just you. If you want to yell at something a little closer to your level, there’s a dumpster out back.”
His fists shake.
I arch an eyebrow at his silence. “I could show you the way. It’s easy to miss, just like you.”
“You-you-you..”
“I know. I tie tongues all the time. I’m less interested in yours, though. Shoo,” I motion for him to leave. “The adults are talking. If you’re not done with your temper tantrum, I can call your babysitter.”
He throws a punch and I catch it without a problem. I jerk him closer to me so I can whisper in his ear. “Show up here again and I’ll break your hand. Since my girlfriend is watching, I’m being nice. If you don’t want a hefty hospital bill, fucking scram.”
“You can’t-”
I pop one finger out of place, making him grunt, then draw back so he knows I’m serious. “Scram or scream.”