Her shower had made her feel a bit better and now dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt with Gina’s emblazoned across the chest, she knew she had to go face the music. Pulling the bedroom door open she heard the deep resonance of Rin in Sonny’s room chatting and she decided she’d been granted a quick reprieve.
She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed the kettle and put it on. A cup of chamomile tea would help settle her and when she went to lay down at eight-thirty she would be able to rest. She touched the top of the pastries and decided they were cooled enough for her to fill while she waited for the kettle.
When she had the two dozen pastries completed, she packed a few into a container to take to her father and the rest she carefully placed into plastic ware and covered them up. The kettle whistled and she poured the hot water over her tea in the cup and sat down at the island and lifted her phone to check her emails and messages while
Sasha slowly surfaced from her sleep knowing it would only be a few minutes before her alarm would go off. Intuitively, most likely because she despised being woken with a start, she always woke before the timer went off.Yet this felt different as she lay there. Her bed was too warm and at first, she reminded herself she was at Sonny’s and her own bed was in storage. Then the scent of pine and warm spices filled her nostrils and the heavy weight of an arm over her waist held her firmly to the mattress. Evened breathing told her she wasn’t the only one sleeping in her bed.Feeling like damn Goldilocks, she knew instantly who was asleep in her bed and wondered if this man understood what a boundary was. She opened her eyes blinking slowly and found herself nose to chest with a dark thatch of hair, golden skin, and an intense desire to snuggle right into it all. She reached her arm behind her to the nightstand and fumbled for her phone, shutting the alarm off
Sasha entered her parent’s home with a strong sense of hesitation. Her mother was the queen of seeing through Sasha’s every emotion. While she may have been a young mother and Sasha may have grown up in a rough and dangerous world where her mother had to be tougher than most on her, she had been a damn good mother and paid attention to every nuance of Sasha’s personality. It was why when the lady who had accused her of stealing when she was thirteen had only taken a partial beating from Avery for her words. Even though Sasha had denied it outright, Avery had known with a simple look at her daughter she had stolen the woman’s rings. Avery had punished Sasha later for lying to her when nobody else was around but then she’d split the proceeds of the sale of the diamond and wedding band. Now she was going into the lioness’ den and while she knew she was cleaned up, no scent of Rin on her anywhere, she knew the woman would know what she’d been up to. With luck, her pregnan
Sasha made her way back into Sonny’s house after waving Achilles off and found Rin watching her with narrowed eyes as she pushed the door into the foyer open. He was in a pair of dark-washed denim jeans and a white t shirt, and the casual look on him was a stark contrast to the rigid expression he held. “What?” “Who dropped you off?” “Security from the club.” “You went to the club?” he looked her up and down and she pondered if the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing were going to melt off her skin. “No. My father is leaving the country. Our compromise to having a full team while he’s gone is for our head of security at Gina’s to escort me to and from work. I was at my parent’s home when we negotiated.” “This man can’t just be back and forth to this house,” Rin protested. “It’s a security risk.” “Who do you think brings Sonny home every night?” she lifted an eyebrow. “Do you think we would trust his safety with anyone else?” He held his ha
The office door was slightly ajar, and he heard the single knock from Sasha. He lifted his head way from the computer screen, “come in, Sasha.” She pushed the door open and stepped into the doorway, “I just wanted to let you know Sonny said he has thirty minutes left of his movie and then he’ll want to come in.” “Okay. Come in. Close the door.” He folded his glasses onto the desk in front of him and leaned back when she hesitated. “Sasha, come here.” His command was quiet and authoritative, and he knew if he spoke like this to anyone in or out of his organization, they would be on their knees in front of him without hesitation. Yet, this girl stood there pondering whether she was going to obey him or not. “I have work I need to do,” she said suddenly and rubbed her forehead. “I neglected it by going to my parent’s house. Now I’m behind.” “Come here. I want to kiss you. You can go do whatever it is you do for the club when I’m done with you.” He watched her cheeks blush at his word
A perfect match. The words rebounded in her head while she sat on the bed in the room she was occupying, reviewing her emails and reports. She was unfocused and scatter brained as his words floated in her mind. She was in over her head. Way over her head. She looked at the clock. Five thirty. She called Chastity knowing the choreography class should be done by now. “Hi. Did you fuck him?” Chastity’s voice was giggly and laughing. “I’m in so much trouble, Chas. He’s a sex god and I’m a mere mortal.” Chastity’s cheer made her pull the phone away from her ear. “You’re not a mere mortal, you’re Sasha Fucking Smith!” Chas corrected her with sass. “You run a conglomerate of businesses and you’re a multi-millionaire in your own right. You’re a shrewd businesswoman and smarter than most. If you want to fuck around with Rin Allegretti, fuck around with him.” “He and my father are friends.” Chastity went immediately silent. “Exactly, Chas. I found
He let a piercing whistle escape his lips and both women turned to face him. “What the hell is going on? You woke Sonny from his nap.” Sasha plunked down at the counter and watched without any shame as both women started shrieking about how lazy the other was. They were in each other’s faces and Sasha was hopeful the hair pulling, and scratching Chastity mentioned would start momentarily. Then Rin would be all dominant mafia boss and sexy as hell. She wished she had snacks to watch him in action. Yum. “Enough,” Rin’s deep voice cut through the yelling. “You’ve spent more time barking at each other than it would have taken to clean up.” “Mom told her to clean up!” Viv snapped back and glowered at her sister. “I had to clean up after breakfast, she has to do it this time.” “Rin, we need a housekeeper here.” Angie sputtered, “I just had a manicure this morning. I can’t touch this stuff.” “Or you could go home,” he waved at them. “You have a condo right in
Orion’s cheerful voice carried through her mostly closed door, and she exhaled. She was a showgirl, and she could keep her face happy for the masses so when she went out there, she would keep her smile on for the boy but inside she was shaking. It had been stupid to strike Angie, but she’d had it coming and nobody disrespected a Volkov and got away with it. It was evident Sonny’s family didn’t take seriously the warning Sonny and Rin had given them earlier in the day. They were still trying to push her out and it worked. She was officially done. She wiped a single tear off her cheek as she collected her belongings from the ensuite bathroom, standing in the shower stall to take her shampoo and bodywash. She had the memory of Rin pushing her against the tiles just this morning while she was getting cleaned up from finding him in her bed.It was the fastest and hottest love affair she’d ever had. They were too much at odds and with a family like his, they were never destined to be anyth
Rin helped his grandfather into his office after the nurse and her nephew left and motioned for him to sit in the chair behind the desk, but Sonny refused and took a seat in a wingback chair near the sofas. “Sit, all of you.” Sonny ordered them. Rin perched on the edge of the desk and watched as his father and mother fussed over Ang’s bruised jaw. Watching Sasha land the right hook had been surprising to say the least. He’d not anticipated it, and he would have considered it had been a thing of beauty, if it hadn’t been his sister, she’d put out cold. He was torn between throttling her and applauding. “I got a text from Sasha’s grandfather. It seems when she left here, she called him and let him know what happened.” “Bitch,” Angie said. “I’d like a couple minutes with her, and she ran with her tail between her legs.” Sonny sat up in his chair and eyed her, “shut up Angelina. You wouldn’t last ten seconds with her. She’s a fucking Russian mafia princess
“This is bullshit,” Chastity complained as she wiped sweat off her forehead. “Who the hell thought it was a good idea to do this?”Sonny laughed at the woman’s misery as he patted the head of the dog who had just returned with the ball, he had tossed for her. “It’s not so bad. Could be worse.”“It’s hotter than the sun here,” Chas lifted a glass of sweet tea to her lips and chugged it like it was a beer. “I literally just took a cold shower and I’m sweaty again. Texas is too hot.”Sasha opened one eye from where she lay in the hammock and stretched, “he’s right. It could be worse. They could have brought you along on their little cattle drive and then the campout last night. Rin made them eat beans and hotdogs off a campfire.”“How do you know? Did he message you?” Chas sat up and glowered at her. “They said they weren’t bringing p
Sasha curled up next to Rin in bed, the excitement of the last forty-eight hours dissipating and exhaustion taking over. He was holding her tight, her head resting on his bare chest and his fingers playing with the silky strands of her hair as they cuddled.“You won my mother over tonight,” he said suddenly.“I did?” she was surprised.“You had dad at manicotti but the minute you put leather on and rocked out to Janet Jackson she was hooked. It seems it was one of her favorite songs as a teenager.” He chuckled, “also, she said something about being terrified of the way you command the attention of every evil person she’s ever seen. She recognized one of the men in the club as a man she and Dad ran across once in Sicily on a vacation. It seems they pissed the man off and he threatened to end them.”“Really? Who?”“Saul –”Before he could finish speaking Sasha
Sasha stood still while Rin helped peel the almost painted on leather from her body. The entire day she had waited for him to call her and demand she come home. Then she expected text messages of the same. Instead, he’d given her radio silence and she had considered maybe he had just become fed up with her wild temper and stomping out on him.Most of her day she had dreaded coming to the floor and him not showing up. Even when his application and the corresponding fee had come through, she had thought perhaps he was doing it because Sonny had asked him to. This was a place where Sonny had conducted a lot of business in his heyday. It only made sense Rin did the same.Now he was here behind her, sliding the garment over her hips and his lips pressed to her shoulder and she closed her eyes at the myriad of feelings she had. “I thought I might have pushed my luck one time too many. You didn’t call even once today and I knew you were angry about me smacking up your guy.”“Are you kidding?
The house lights lowered around the booths and seating areas and tables surrounding the main stage. They must be nearing show time, Rin considered as the crowd were making their way to tables or inching up to the bar.Rin noted the stage was massive, the big black curtains likely made of velvet were shut. While there were absolutely poles which ran from fixtures, the set-up was definitely more of a Vegas show than what he expected. It was high-end and now he understood where his million-dollar membership fee was going. When he’d balked at the fee, Sonny had laughed at him telling him it was a one-time fee and the best money he’d ever spend.He felt Marcello’s hand on his shoulder warningly and he looked up and then followed the man’s gaze. Edik Volkov was heading straight in his direction. He got off the bar stool and accepted the man’s hand but the older man pulled him into a tight hug.“Rin, I just left Sasha backstage. What
Rin was working in his office and struggling to get through the day. Sleep had been near impossible for him without Sasha laying next to him. He considered sending her a message or calling her but he wasn’t sure what he would say. He missed her but something about Regal’s warning the night before had him pausing. Give her space. She’ll come to him when she’s ready.“What are you doing?” his grandfather asked as he entered the office without knocking. “You should be getting dressed!”“We have lots of time,” he looked up and then raised an eyebrow at his grandfather’s appearance. The man was dressed to the nines. “You’re going to a strip club.”“You can’t wear jeans and a t-shirt in Gina’s, Rin.” Sonny scoffed at him. “Even your father and mother are dressed up and your sister is wearing something scandalous, or it’s how she described it.”
Rin wiped his hands off on a towel and exited the cell and grimaced at Marcello. “What kind of fool believes he can come into my house, my house,” he repeated angrily, “and try to steal from me using the little devices in his pockets.”“He’s not going to use those little devices anymore,” Marcello said smugly.They both looked up as one of their security agents came down the stairs in a rush.“Now what?”“It’s Miss Smith, sir,” Eddie said scraping his finger over his forehead. “She got upset when Tiny tried to take her out of the lounge and away from Regal.”“Did she now?” Rin exchanged an annoyed look with Marcello. “Let me guess. She threw a fit, stomped her feet, and demanded you leave her alone?”“Um, well no.” Eddie appeared embarrassed. “She said she was going to leave and was going to call her security to come
Dinner was over and Sasha and Rin were sharing a quiet moment before heading back to the suite when Marcello poked his head into the room.“Aw, don’t you two look cute and cozy.”Rin held her hand up, “she said yes.”“She had no choice,” Marcello mocked him. “She’s making the best of a bad situation in being saddled with your cranky ass.” He winked at Sasha with a grin.Sasha gave a snort of laughter at his teasing.“Can I steal your fiancé away from you for a minute?” Marcello asked her curiously. “We have a situation I know you will want to weigh in on, Rin.”Rin frowned at him, “you cannot deal with it yourself?”“Our friend you personally banned is sitting at the blackjack table. I believe he thinks you were still out of the casino this week.” Marcello met his gaze directly.Sasha noted Rin’s posture imme
“You are like a cat with a canary,” Rin laughed at her as he sat down. “You knew it would nettle him to know he had to have permission to come in with me to the club.”“I did and he does.”“You can just grant the permission or did Sonny put his name on the application?”“No. I don’t think Sonny even considered him to be truthful. I can grant the permission. I am the one who processes the applications and completes the vetting process.” She met his surprised glance with a cocky smirk.“Are you suggesting you could have let me in all along?”“Yes, but I know Sonny has been the one who wants to show off Gina’s to you and I wasn’t taking it from him. As I’ve said before, it’s not your run of the mill strip club, not that it matters. However, I know he wants to be the one to introduce you. Chas finally gave him permission to return so when he come
Sasha ground her hips against Rin’s as she straddled him on the sofa and dug her fingers into his thick hair. He tasted of alcohol and smelled undeniably of his signature body wash she had become accustomed to. He was getting hard under her movements and his moan of approval as she took the kiss from him was exhilarating.This was a make-up kiss and she knew it. He had actually apologized for his behavior and said she was his world. She felt as if she were wielding power over the raw masculine energy of the man who was kissing her back as if she were the most precious thing in the universe.His hands were kneading her ass beneath the hemline of her skirt and he was grinding her on him roughly.“Topolina, if we don’t stop,” he broke the kiss, “I fear we will be even later to dinner.”“It’s not like they’ll cancel the reservation,” she whispered against his lips, “you do own the entire place