Russian’s Innocent Lover
(Drobilka Crime Family Series #1)
By: Leona Lee
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2015 Leona Lee
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Chapter 1
A screeching voice shouting, “Wake up! Wake up!” over and over sent Bethany to the floor as she
fumbled in her jeans for her phone. Finding it, she quickly turned off her alarm as she leaned back
against her bed and took a deep breath. She looked around and simultaneously thought that she was
too old to sleep on a futon, but was glad it was so close to the floor, as she didn’t relish bruising her
tailbone.
Rubbing her temples, she went over the list of things she needed to do:
1. Get her ass up off the floor.
2. Take some acetaminophen.
3. Get in the shower.
4. Consume more caffeine than humanly possible.
5. Get to her graduation.
Taking a deep breath, she started with step one as she pushed herself up from the floor and stumbled
into the bathroom. Halfway through the night, she had known that she had too much to drink, but they
were celebrating their graduation from the FBI Academy and they needed to blow off some steam.
She took small comfort in knowing she wouldn’t be the only one with a hangover at the ceremony.
Turning on the shower, she slipped out of her t-shirt and panties before padding under the hot stream.
She closed her eyes and allowed the hot spray to wash away the night’s events. What started as a
friendly game of pool at Tucker’s Bar had devolved into a competition that ended in far too much
drinking and not enough playing. She vaguely remembered the heavily tattooed guys hitting on her and
her roommate, Elise. She only hoped that neither of them had done anything stupid.
She stepped out of the shower, wiping the steam off the mirror before drying herself off. Looking at
herself in the mirror, she grimaced at the scars left by her stepfather. Who was she kidding, one look
at her and even big, bad, and macho would have turned and run.
Not that she was bad looking. At five feet, nine inches, Bethany was taller than most of her female
classmates. Being of a generic Anglo descent, or what her brother would have called Heinz 57 sauce,
she had typical features – long brown hair that she preferred to wear in a ponytail, pale skin that
broke out in a sea of freckles whenever she spent any time in the sun, high cheekbones, small lips, and
blue eyes. All in all, so long as she was clothed, she wasn’t half bad.
But on the rare occasion that she managed to get anywhere with a guy, once they saw her with her
clothes off, they were finding an excuse to leave. Okay, granted, it had been a couple years since she
had last tried having sex, but the look on his face was enough that she decided that maybe sex and
dating wasn’t for her.
So, she immersed herself in her studies and graduated in the top five at the academy. She couldn’t do
better than that, and once she got her badge, she could put her past behind her. At least, after she
passed the remaining background checks. Biting at her lower lip as she dressed, Bethany worried that
the problems with her stepfather would affect her chances at securing a good position within the
organization.
She flinched at the sudden pounding on the bathroom door as she realized that she had forgotten to
take anything for her headache.
“Hurry up!” her roommate yelled. “I got Starbucks.”
Brushing her hair out, she pulled it into a ponytail before joining Elise in the living room. As she
walked out, she stopped short when she saw the condition of the room, which looked as though a
party had taken place. Grabbing the proffered latte, she sipped noisily.
“Please tell me we didn’t take those guys home last night?” she asked.
“Wish I could, but we did,” came the laughing response.
“Um, I woke up alone, did anything happen?”
“Not with you, girlfriend. You passed out in the car. Tall, blond, and yummy carried you upstairs and
put you to bed. I offered to have him stay because, well, you know I’m always up for a threesome, but
he declined,” Elise said with a grin.
“So, um, how did I lose my pants?”
Snorting, “Oh you did that in the car. Said something about absinthe making the heart grow fonder and
the pants come off.”
“Oh damn, did you happen to catch their names?”
“Heck no, wasn’t planning on ever seeing them again, so didn’t see the point.”
“Well, crap, I hope this doesn’t affect my background check.”
“You need to quit fretting about background checks. I passed mine just fine.”
“Yes, but you don’t have a stepfather doing time or was raised by an aunt who grows marijuana for
compassionate care.”
“Since you like lists so much, here’s one for you. One, have you ever smoked any of this mara-jah-
wanna? Two, have you, yourself, ever committed or been convicted of a crime? And three, you are
not responsible for the actions of others – especially since you were a minor at the time. So get over
it. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Nodding her head, Bethany rubbed absently at a scar from a cigarette burn on her wrist. Her
stepfather was a cruel man when he was drunk and beat both her and her twin, Davis, regularly. When
she was twelve, he had decided to up the activities from physical abuse to rape. She had managed to
get away and run to her mother for help, but she was taking sleeping pills and wouldn’t wake up.
Davis had come to his sister’s defense and took a beating that ended his life. If it wasn’t for the
neighbor who heard their screams and called 9-1-1, there’s no telling what might have happened to
her.
Five years ago, her stepfather contacted them and asked to come see him in prison. Evidently, he had
been attending AA classes and wanted to make amends. She refused to go, but her mother did, and
after quickly forgiving him, had welcomed him back with open arms and was regularly attending
conjugal visits. Bethany shook her head. Her mother was always weak that way. Despite the evidence
and the police, she had refused to believe that her husband would hurt the twins, let alone attempt
rape, which was why her Aunt Melissa stepped up and sued for custody. The only living relative on
her dad’s side, she readily welcomed Bethany into her home.
“Hey! Snap out of it.” Bethany looked up startled to see her roommate waving her hand in her face.
“Wow, were you someplace else. Come on, we have to get ready.”
Nodding her head, “Sorry, was thinking about my past.”
“No good is going to come from that. Hurry up and get dressed, we leave in an hour.”
Chapter 2
The ceremony was going to be one of the longest ones in academy history with more than three
hundred graduates making the walk across the stage, and while Bethany was eager to receive her
badge, she still had a hangover and wasn’t looking forward to sitting for the next several hours while
name after name was called out. And given her placement in line, she didn’t think that she could duck
out unnoticed.
Sighing, she settled down in her seat and kept her sunglasses on. She had almost dozed off when she
felt people in her row stand. Quickly rising to her feet, she shuffled forward with the rest of them to
await her name.
Bethany Michaels rang out as she walked across the stage to shake the director’s hand.
“Come to my office after,” he told her as he handed her an empty diploma case and moved on to the
next student. Nodding her head, she walked off the stage and returned to her seat.
It took another two hours before the ceremony was over as she waited in another line to receive her
actual diploma. She was surprised to find out that it wasn’t there before remembering that the director
had asked to see her. Excusing herself from the cluster of students she had grown to consider friends,
she mounted the stairs to the executive level and knocked on his door.
When she walked into Director Williams’ office, she was surprised to see the director with two other
suits she didn’t recognize. Motioning for her to sit down, she joined the men as introductions were
made.
“Bethany Michaels, this is Miles Turner, Director of our Southwest region and Jacob Sanderson,
agent in charge out of our Dallas-Fort Worth office.” Nodding her head at the two men, she turned
back as the director continued to talk. “As I understand it, you have indicated interest in working with
one of our regional offices in the trafficking division.”
“Given your outstanding test scores and less than exemplary background check,” Turner continued as
Bethany fisted her hands in agitation, “we would like you to come out to Texas to work on a new team
I’m putting together, headed by Sanderson.”
“And what will I be doing?” Bethany managed to ask. Texas? I thought I was done with Texas.
At her question, Sanderson spoke up, “We’ve been having problems with large-scale smuggling. As
you are well aware, given the recent crack downs at both the New York and New Jersey Port
Authorities, much of the dealings have shifted to smaller operations out of Maine, Florida, Louisiana,
and now, Texas. We need someone with your language skills and background to assist us in not only
catching these people, but in mounting a case to give us the leverage we need to shut it down for
good.
“What sort of smuggling are we talking about?” Bethany asked as she contemplated returning to
Texas.
“Everything from alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, to drugs and humans,” Sanderson replied.
“But, I have no field experience,” Bethany ventured.
“We are well aware of your experience,” Turner interjected. “However, based on your background,
we think that you will be an ideal candidate for some of our planned undercover operations. Given
that your stepfather is in prison on murder one charges and that your aunt is still a marijuana
grower…” As Bethany was about to comment, Turner held up his hand to silence her. “We aren’t
holding it against you. In fact, we want to use it to get you closer to these people than we’ve been able
to do thus far.”
“So, what exactly will I be doing?”
“We have you enrolled at the University of Texas in the graduate languages department where you
will meet regularly with your handler,” Sanderson replied.
“And how, exactly, will I be helping if I’m back in school?”
“In your off time, you will need to start frequenting the clubs and other businesses run by the Drobilka
cartel,” Sanderson answered with a grin. “Oh, and, in case you haven’t figured it out from your empty
diploma case, you won’t be listed as a graduate of the academy or a part of the FBI until all this is
over. Welcome to covert operations, graduate.”
“What!”
“It’s imperative that no one knows that you work for us. As far as the university is concerned, you are
there on a special fellowship scholarship. Your pay will come through them. Your assignment will be
to get close to the cartel and find out whatever you can about how the shipments are making it past
customs, and there’s no way that will happen if someone decides to run a background check on you.”
“But what about the other students?”
“As far as they’re concerned, you didn’t pass the background check. No one will question it.”
Looking down at her hands, Bethany stared absently at the half-moon shaped marks she had left in the
palms. Texas!
Chapter 3
Walking out of the air-conditioned building, Bethany pulled off her sunglasses to wipe the steam off
them for what would be a continual activity for her given future, as the Texas humidity made her
sweat. She had just checked in with her handler, who also happened to be her graduate school
advisor. Sighing, she went over the plan in her head.
Since arriving in Dallas, she had found a furnished apartment in a not so nice area of town and set up
house, stocking it with some basic necessities and finding a hiding place for anything that she wanted
to keep away from prying eyes. Her handler, Professor Marci Chase, would serve as the go between
for anything she needed. As one of her students, Bethany had relative free rein coming and going on
campus and any research she needed to do or files to view had to be done at her office.
Unsure what to do with the rest of her day, Bethany stopped at a grocery store. As she was leaving,
she happened to see a bulletin board with an assortment of job listings and items for sale. One of the
listings was for a server in club owned by the Drobilka cartel. There weren’t any more paper tags to
grab, so she pulled the whole flyer down. As she sat in the car, waiting for the air conditioning to kick
on, she tossed the idea around in her head. They had told her that she had to find a way to get close
and since she wasn’t one to drink, she couldn’t see spending her time flashing her breasts in clubs and
pretending to be drunk. And well, the thought of having to dance filled her with dread.
She jumped when she heard someone rapping on her window. Looking up, two blondes were hopping
up and down and waving at her. Even though it had been five years, she recognized them immediately.
She climbed out of the car and was grabbed into a group hug as squeals of joy bounced back and
forth. Stepping back, she smiled at her old high school friends, Susan and Charlotte.
“What are you doing back in town? We thought you moved to New York?”
“Do you have a boyfriend? Are you married?”
“How is your aunt? Is she still growing pot?”
“What happened with your dad, er step-dad? How’s your mom?”
As questions shot out of their mouths, Bethany started laughing as she put up her hand to stop them. “I
decided to come back to UT for graduate school. No boyfriend or husband, too busy studying. Last I
heard, my relatives were still alive and fine.”
As the girls continued to chatter, Bethany couldn’t help but notice neither woman appeared to be
sweating. How was that even possible in this heat?
Leaning heavily against her car, she called a halt to all the talking and made plans to meet up with
them later for dinner and drinks. Well, they could drink.
As she got back into the car, she realized that so long as no one knew that she was a graduate of the
FBI Academy, hooking up with some of her old friends might be good for her cover. That is, assuming
no one was placed in any danger. Sighing, she put the car in gear and headed back to her apartment to
decide what to wear to apply for a job at a strip club.
Chapter 4
Later that afternoon, Bethany stood outside the Rubicon, second-guessing her decision to seek
employment at a business owned by the Drobilka cartel. If they found out who she was, she was dead.
Or worse. Sighing, she looked down at her too tight jeans and V-necked t-shirt that exaggerated her
cleavage and headed toward the entrance hoping that the club would be more like the reign of
Augustus Caesar and less like Caligula.
As she walked inside, she took note of the lounge areas scattered around the room framed in floor to
ceiling curtains. There were dancers on various platforms swaying to music that was more sensual
than sexual. A bouncer stepped up to check her ID and she took the opportunity to ask about
employment. Pointed to a group of men sitting together, she swallowed hard before walking over to
them.
They seemed to turn in sequence as each one became aware of her.
“Did you want something?” a heavily-accented man, dressed in a suit, demanded.
Holding up the flyer, “I saw this-” she started.
Before she could finish, the same man interrupted her, “We don’t need anyone else,” he shot back
before turning back to the table. As the other men started to resume their conversation, Bethany turned
to leave.
“Wait!”
Turning back, one of the men stood up from the table and walked toward her. Dressed in black slacks
and a white dress shirt, he had the sleeves rolled up and the shirt partially unbuttoned revealing a
scarily muscled body heavily covered in tattoos. Lifting her head, she caught her breath at his storm-
colored eyes, surrounded by a face that appeared cut from stone. His hair was shorn in a typical crew
cut, and he wore a day or twos worth of beard growth that was begging to be touched.
She took a step back as he stopped in front of her, looking every inch a predator in wolf’s clothing.
She wasn’t sure if that clenching she felt in her stomach was fear or arousal, as she had to lift her
head to look him in the eyes. Why are women attracted to bad boys, she asked herself. Taking the
flyer from her, he looked down at it.
“This is written in Cyrillic. How do you know what it says?”
Remembering her cover, “I’m a language major at UT,” she answered, unsure what else to say.
“So you speak Russian?” he asked her in Russian.
“Dah,” she answered.
“Where did you learn it?”
“Rosetta Stone,” she answered as he gave her a skeptical look. Holding her hand up, she smiled. “It’s
true. They had them at the library near where I lived.”
Suddenly of interest to the other men at the table, the first man asked her, “What other languages do
you speak?”
Not willing to give them any more information than necessary, she answered, “I’m presently learning
Spanish.”
The conversation picked up as the men began discussing the benefits of having an American who
understands Russian. Turning back to her, the first man asked, “And what were you looking to do
here?”
Pointing to the flyer that was no longer in her hands, she replied, “It says that you are looking for
servers.” As the men continued to talk, Bethany began to fume, as she listened to them discuss her too
thin body, too tall height, and the relative merits of her breasts. As she crossed her arms and stared at
them in agitation, she realized that the second guy was still standing in front of her. Shifting her gaze,
she blushed when she saw him staring at her. “Um, is there something I can help you with?” she
asked, unsure what else to say.
“Have we met before?”
Shaking her head, “I don’t think so, I haven’t been here that long,” she answered and then inwardly
winced at giving too much away.
“Oh? Where were you before?”
Deciding that it was best to be honest, but not too honest, she answered, “I got my bachelor’s degree
from Barnard, in New York.”
“Isn’t that a women’s college?”
“What difference does that make?” she demanded as she stared at him.
Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to the men at the table. “She’s hired. We’ll see how she
does.” As the men nodded in immediate agreement, he turned back to her, “You’ll start Friday. Be
here at seven to be fitted for a uniform and training. If you don’t work out, you won’t be back.”
Realizing that she was dismissed, Bethany turned toward the exit. As she passed the same bouncer,
she stopped to ask him about filling out an application, but he started to laugh.
“They do not care about such things,” he told her, as he continued to laugh as though he’d been told a
grand joke.
“Um, don’t they even want to know my name?”
“You’ll get a new name when you start,” he told her before walking away.
Walking out into the late afternoon sun, Bethany stopped to wipe the steam off her sunglasses. She
swore that she would never again get used to this humidity.
Chapter 5
When Friday rolled around, Bethany was filled with dread at the prospect of working at the Rubicon.
She had checked out the uniforms while she was in there and while they were skimpy, she should be
able to keep most of her torso covered. Having been given the go-ahead from Marci, excitedly so, to
take the job, she had managed to talk her out of wiring her up until she had worked there for a while.
They agreed to meet again to go through the photos on the different members of the cartel the
following Monday.
As she drove into the parking lot, she saw a separate lot off to the side marked “employees only.”
Parking her car, she took a quick inventory of the cars before walking inside. She was met by a
woman who introduced herself as Sasha and proceeded to give her a quick tour of the place. As she
walked through the main area, Sasha pointed out the various VIP sections, where she would pick up
her drink and food orders, as well as gave her a quick rundown of their limited food offering, which
comprised mostly fried finger food.
“Have you ever worked as a server before?”
Bethany nodded. “I worked as a waitress at a small restaurant when I was in high school, and I
volunteered at a soup kitchen.”
Rolling her eyes, Sasha turned around to look at her. “Well, expect to be groped regularly, so never
carry too much on your tray at any one time. If someone becomes too pushy, flag down one of the
bouncers and let him take care of it. Never, ever try to handle it on your own. And don’t ever drop
anything on a customer’s lap. Some of these people are danger…. Well, let’s just say that you don’t
want to piss them off. Smile politely and get out of there. The dancers will take care of the men when
they aren’t on stage; that is NOT your job,” Sasha finished, as they ended up in back. Pointing to a
series of tables and lounge areas to the left. “That will be your station. Come, let’s get you a
uniform.”
Entering the employee area, Sasha pointed out the break room along with a large dressing area that
was for the dancers only. Walking past, she entered a room that looked more like a gym locker room.
Along one wall were racks of costumes ranging from togas to slave costumes. She sized Bethany up
and pulled a simple slave costume off the rack.
“That should fit you. Go get changed and put your things in an empty locker. Be sure to take the key.”
As Bethany found an empty locker, she quickly shed her clothes and slipped the uniform over her
head. Stepping in front of the floor-length mirror, she adjusted the simple sheath to accentuate her
waist and what curves she had without showing too much skin. Sweeping her hair up into a cascading
ponytail, she finger-curled her hair.
She jumped when a deep male voice interrupted her thoughts. “You will get more tips if you show
more skin.” The man who hired her was standing at the end of the aisle looking at her.
“How…how long were you standing there?”
“Not long,” he answered with a smile. He reached to adjust her costume as he stepped forward.
Bethany froze when his hand brushed across her, as his touch seemed scorching. Looking up at him
startled, she could see that he wasn’t unaffected. As he parted the costume along her belly, her hand
popped up to cover his. Swallowing her now dry mouth, she stepped back to adjust the dress, but not
before he caught sight of her skin beneath. He readjusted the costume so that all her skin was covered
again.
“We all bear some sort of scars,” he murmured as he stepped back to make sure that nothing was
showing. “But some are worse than others.” Looking up at him, Bethany wasn’t sure how to respond
as she suddenly felt more vulnerable than she had in years. She nodded her head in assent, not sure
she could speak.
“You need a name.”
“Bethany.”
He shook his head. “Not here it isn’t. Something else.”
Closing her eyes, she began to offer names, “Sapphire, Seneca, Sheila…”
Grasping her chin, he tilted her head up as she opened her eyes. “Your eyes aren’t blue enough to go
by Sapphire. Seneca doesn’t suit you. Sheila it is.” Bethany kept staring at him, still too shocked to
move. As he continued to look at her, she suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss him, but he
dropped his hand, stepped back and started to leave.
“And you?” she asked.
Turning around, “What?”
“Your name…what should I call you?”
“My name is Vadim, and I will see you out on the floor.” And with that, he was gone. After he left,
Bethany sat back down on the bench, too flustered to move. Never in her life had she ever been
affected by a man like that. Let alone from him barely touching her. Closing her eyes, she went through
the list of known cartel members, but she couldn’t recall anyone by the name of Vadim. If that was his
real name.
Gathering herself together, she looked at herself in the mirror one more time before heading out.
When she got out on the floor, Sasha was waiting for her. Handing her a mini tablet, she showed her
how to use the point of sale system to take orders and where to wear it on the belt to avoid dropping
it.
Customers were starting to arrive and from the looks of it, there was a bachelor party already in full
swing. Bethany was glad they weren’t in her section as she spotted a table with two older men sitting
in hers. Turning, she went to greet them. As she walked up, she could hear them talking as she greeted
them in Russian. Taking their orders, she stopped to speak with customers at another table before
going to retrieve her order.
Her first night was uneventful, as she made a point of learning everyone’s names and spending some
time with the customers, which the older men seemed to eat up. Everyone in her section was
respectful, unlike some of the customers in other sections, and they seemed to appreciate it when she
spoke to them in Russian, although the conversations often ground to a halt when she walked over to
check on them.
As she changed back into her street clothes in the locker room, she rubbed her sore feet, wishing that
athletic shoes would be acceptable footwear instead of the high-heeled gladiator sandals. As she
headed toward the employees’ exit, Vadim was waiting for her in the hall. He handed her an envelope
with her night’s pay along with her work schedule. The club was dark Sundays and Mondays, so other
than a private party, she would be expected to work Wednesday through Saturday from seven until
close.
Nodding her head, she quickly sidestepped him before practically running out the door. Once outside,
she took several ragged breaths. That man is hotter than a Texas summer day, she thought as she
rushed to her car. Once inside, she turned on the air conditioning to max before driving out of the lot
to head home. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the car tailing her.
Chapter 6
Vadim couldn’t explain his decision to hire the young woman, as she didn’t fit the profile of their
usual servers. For one thing, she was far too smart. If it wasn’t for her mastery of the Russian
language, he would not have even considered her. Yet, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. He
was sure he had seen her someplace before, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. She had
said that she hadn’t been in town long; perhaps he had seen her in a club in New York.
He didn’t anticipate his response to her when he attempted to adjust her uniform. He hadn’t even
touched her skin, but it felt as though she had scorched his very being. That look of surprise she gave
him, clearly she had been affected, too. But those scars…that, too, he did not anticipate, as it was all
he could do to keep from demanding the name of the bastard who did that to her.
She would have to be more comfortable in her own skin if she was going to handle working at the
Rubicon. Shaking his head, he watched as she headed to her car, motioning to one of his men to
follow her. This one wanted to know more about.
###
Bethany woke to the insistent ringing of her phone. Reaching groggily for it, she answered, “Hello?”
“It’s after ten, why are you still sleeping?” demanded a male voice.
Looking at the blocked ID, she asked, “Who the hell is this?”
“Sanderson.”
“I worked until four and I’m not due to see my handler until Monday.”
“Go to your window.” Curious, Bethany did as she was told as she flipped the curtains to look out.
“What am I looking at?”
“Across the street, blue car, pile of cigarette butts.” Tapping her camera app, she took a few pictures
of the car, driver, and butts before getting back to her boss.
“One of ours?”
“Nope. Thought you should know that you have generated some interest. Keep up the good work.”
Bethany stared at the phone before rubbing her head to wake herself up. Making up her mind, she
slipped on her flip-flops and headed downstairs. When she got to the entrance to her building, she
peeked out to see if the car was still there. Sure enough, there was smoke coming from yet another
cigarette. She took a few more pictures before opening the door and storming outside. She waved
madly at the driver and started yelling at him as he quickly started the car and drove away. Getting a
wild idea, she grabbed an errant grocery bag lying tucked against a car and scooped up all the butts.
Tying the bag in a knot, she turned to go back into her apartment.
Later that evening, on her way into work, she stopped at a drug store to use their photo booth. Printing
out the photos of the car and driver, she went into the club. The same group of men was sitting at the
same table as she walked by. Dropping the photos and bag of cigarette butts on the table in front of
Vadim, “The next time you have someone follow me, tell him to clean up his own damn trash,” she
demanded as she kept walking to the locker room.
Bethany wasn’t sure what to expect when she pulled that stunt, but she wasn’t expecting the men at the
table to roar with laughter as she pushed the door open. As she grabbed her uniform and prepared to
get dressed, she was surprised to see Vadim standing there.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? Having me followed or that you got caught?”
Smiling at her response, “For offending you,” he answered. “He wasn’t supposed to be seen.”
“Do you regularly have your employees followed?
“Nyet,” he replied as he enjoyed her outrage. “But you aren’t a typical employee.” Bethany was about
to respond, but he turned and left the locker room as the other girls came walking in. Shaking her
head, she continued to fume as she got dressed, although she had to admit that it was a good thing that
there was no evidence of her real job anywhere accessible. At least she hoped.
Since she would have the next two days off, Bethany redoubled her efforts to get to know everyone
who sat in her station. While it was mostly the same men from last night, there was a new party. When
she attempted to speak Russian with them, they told her they preferred English, although she could
detect Russian when she walked up to check on them. Smiling brightly, she tried not to be too
intrusive while sticking close by, but they seemed continually aware of where she was at all times.
Deciding that it was best to back off, she spent more of her time with other customers.
As she was leaving that night, she saw Vadim standing in the hall handing out envelopes as the girls
were all leaving. Stopping in front of him, she crossed her arms and looked up at him, “I’m heading
straight home and am going out tomorrow night, in case you have plans to follow me again.”
“Duly noted,” he replied, as he smirked at her.
Vadim watched as she exited the building. A search of her locker, two days in a row, produced
nothing out of the ordinary, and her cell phone only seemed to have personal contacts and pictures.
Nothing to call attention to herself as anything other than a graduate student. And he had to admit that
he liked it when she was pissed off.
Her eyes lit up, and he imagined what she might be like in bed when aroused. But judging from the
way she covered her body and acted around him, he doubted if she had any experience around men.
Scars had a way of isolating people.
Chapter 7
Bethany woke the next morning to a bunch of text messages from Charlotte reminding her that they had
plans to meet tonight. She groaned, rolled over, and pulled the blanket back over her head, glad that
was several hours away. Realizing that she couldn’t sleep, she rolled over onto her back and thought
about Vadim.
She would have to check the database of known members of the cartel, but she didn’t recall seeing his
face in any of the files, and his name wasn’t familiar. Perhaps he was new or maybe he used an alias.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
As she thought about him, she blushed. Why did he have to be so good looking? While her
experience with men was, well, non-existent, he was her male fantasy. From his chiseled looks to his,
oh so touchable, body, Vadim Sannikoff, had already been the subject of at least two fantasies. Well,
three, if she counted the one she was about to have.
Closing her eyes, she pictured him leaning over her, his hands freely roaming over her body as she
writhed beneath him. As his warm hand slid up her leg, he reached for the hem of her t-shirt and
began to raise it up as she arched her back up to help. As she waited for him to touch her, she stole a
glance up at him, only to see that look of horror on his face when he saw the scars marring her body.
Sitting up, Bethany pulled her shirt over her knees as she hugged herself. Why can’t I at least be scar
free in my own damn fantasies? Sighing, she got up to take a shower. Not even in her fantasies could
she seem to get laid. Would she always be a virgin?
###
Arriving at the bar, Bethany was surprised that the parking lot was already full. Glad she had arrived
early, she circled around, hoping to find a parking space not too far away. While it wasn’t a terrible
neighborhood, there were enough alleys and dark areas that she wished she at least had pepper spray
with her. Finding a spot two blocks away, she parked under a streetlight and hopped out. When she
got to the bar, Susan and Charlotte were already waiting for her, and they squealed in delight before
dragging her inside.
“You are going to love this place,” Charlotte declared as they settled at a pub table. “It is
quintessential Texas.” Looking around, Bethany had to agree, at least on a stereotypical level. From
the large dance floor to the rodeo motifs – this was definitely a cowboy bar. As the waitress came
around to take their order, the girls ordered margaritas while Bethany chose orange juice. She had not
had a drink since that night she had celebrated her graduation, and she didn’t want a repeat of her
actions because it was clear that she couldn’t hold her alcohol.
Once their drinks were delivered, Susan looked around the bar before elbowing Bethany. “Check out
those yummy morsels,” she told her as she indicated a group of college guys staring at them.
“You did not just call them yummy morsels,” Bethany replied as she peeked at the guys. “Okay, so
maybe they are good looking, but I don’t have time to date.”
“Who doesn’t have time to date?” Charlotte interjected. “Heck, it’s cheaper than buying our own
drinks and a good way to take the edge off, if you know what I mean.”
Twisting the glass in her hands, Bethany sighed, “Between school and work, and those hours, I…I just
don’t have time. Besides, I work in a strip club. I see the worst side of men, which doesn’t exactly
endear the rest of the population to me,” she added as the girls laughed.
“Fair point,” Susan replied, “But you really should give it a try. Not every guy is an asshole.”
Nodding her head, Bethany swallowed hard. She wasn’t going to that place in her head. Not now. Not
tonight. While logically, she knew that not every male was cruel or abusive, it didn’t help that the few
times she did get close to someone, they would find a reason to end the relationship. In high school,
she had gone to great lengths to hide her scars from her classmates, but some girls from gym class
saw them and rumors spread quickly that she was damaged goods.
None of the boys would look at her after that. She concentrated on her studies and was able to get a
scholarship that covered most of her education, so she got the hell out of Texas as quickly as possible.
She wasn’t thrilled about returning as it dredged up a lot of bad memories for her, even if it was to
work undercover.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when a waitress dropped off drinks at their table. “Um, we
didn’t order these,” she told her.
Pointing to the table with the college guys, “Nope, they did.”
Staring at the drinks, “Maybe we should send them back,” Bethany began.
“Not on your life,” Charlotte answered. “If you don’t want yours, I’ll drink it,” she told her as she
lifted her new drink up. “Come on, girls, a toast to renewed friendships.” As Bethany lifted her
almost empty glass, she clinked glasses before setting it down.
“So, do you drink at all?” Susan asked.
“Sometimes, but it always seems to end in disaster, and since I have class tomorrow…hey, I can have
a good time without alcohol.”
Susan got up from her stool and grabbed the empty glass. Sniffing at it, “What is this? OJ?” At
Bethany’s nod, “Let me go get you another, and I’ll let the bartender know that if any other drinks are
ordered for us not to make yours with alcohol.” As Bethany smiled in appreciation, Susan headed to
the bar.
While she was gone, Charlotte asked, “So, have you called your folks to tell them that you’re in
town?”
Bethany shook her head, “I have nothing to say to my mother, and my aunt moved to New Mexico
where she could grow marijuana somewhat legally.”
Bursting out laughing, Charlotte replied, “You know, you would have been far more popular in high
school if you shared your aunt’s stash.”
“No way. She guarded every plant.”
“And your mom? Is she still here?”
“Last I heard, she had found a place closer to the prison where she could visit her husband. Given
everything that’s happened, she chose her side and it wasn’t me or Davis.” Before she could finish,
Susan returned to the table and set a fruity drink in front of her decorated with a mini umbrella and a
piece of pineapple. “What’s this?”
“Fruit juice that doesn’t look like fruit juice,” Susan replied as she slid back into her seat.
Sniffing at it, Bethany took a careful sip before nodding her head, “It’s good.” But she completely
missed the look Charlotte gave Susan.
As the evening progressed, the girls continued to talk and laugh as various men came up to ask them to
dance. While Bethany had always shied away from dancing, she found herself out on the dance floor
more than once as she attempted some of the simpler line dances. When a slow dance began, she was
about to leave when her partner grabbed her hand and swung her in close.
“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked as he pulled her into an embrace and began to
move her around the dance floor.
Stumbling, Bethany giggled, “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good at this.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart, just let Jack take care of you.”
Giggling, Bethany leaned heavily against him. “I don’t know why I’m so lightheaded; I’ve only been
drinking fruit juice. And who is Jack?”
“I’m Jack,” he replied as he swung her around the dance floor before leaning in to sniff her breath.
“And from the way you smell, I’d say you’ve been drinking rum.”
“What? No. It was only fruit juice.” As realization hit her, she tried to pull away from Jack, but he
had maneuvered her to a quieter area and was attempting to pull her into a section for employees only.
“Hey!” Bethany called out as she tried to pull out of his grasp. “Let me go, you big oaf.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. The way you’ve been tossing drinks back and flirting all evening, it’s time for
you to pay up.”
Struggling, Bethany tried to pull away. “I said, no!” As she looked frantically around, she realized
that no one was paying attention to her and she couldn’t be heard over the music. Jack was dragging
her down the hall when he stopped.
“Get out of my way, man. This one is mine.”
“But the lady said no,” came a silky reply.
“They always say no when they mean yes. Now move.”
“Or what?” As Bethany looked up, she was relieved to see Vadim standing there with his arms
crossed. He was dressed in his typical dress slacks and white shirt, and she once again noticed how
good looking he was. And big. He easily outweighed Jack by fifty or more pounds and it was pure
muscle. As she tried to pull her arm free, Jack tightened his grip, and she cried out in pain.
“That’s it!” Vadim stepped forward, and suddenly Jack was dangling from his hand as his feet fought
to touch the floor. Slamming him up against the wall, his head made a sickening sound before he slid
to the floor.
“Is he…”
“He’s alive. Now, come on, we’re leaving.”
“But my friends…”
“Those are NOT your friends,” Vadim answered through clenched teeth. “Who the hell do you think
has been giving you alcohol all night?” As Bethany stared at him in disbelief, he grabbed her hand
and pulled her to the exit. Walking out into the night air, her head began to clear as she realized that
she had traded one male for another.
Pulling her arm free, he stopped to look at her impatiently, “Where are you taking me?”
“My place.”
“What? No! My car is that way, I’ll just go home-”
“You are in no condition to drive!”
“Well, I’m NOT going anywhere with you!”
As they continued to argue, Vadim lost patience with her, and he shoved her into an alley. Pushing her
up against the wall, he leaned heavily against her, as her eyes opened in sudden awareness of his
erection as he ground it against her. “Is THIS what you want? Because if that’s the case, you only had
to ask.”
He felt her nipples harden against his chest as he pressed against her. Sliding his knee between her
legs, he lifted her slightly, forcing her to grab his arms for support. All fight left her as she felt her
insides turn to liquid fire.
A slow smile crept across his face as he watched her shift from fight to arousal. “It looks like this
was exactly what you wanted, malyutka.”
“I am NOT your little one,” Bethany managed to answer, but her eyes were rapidly becoming
unfocused for an entirely different reason.
His hand slid behind her head, he held her still as he looked down at her. “You are whatever I say you
are,” he told her as he dipped his head down.
Gasping in surprise, Bethany was unprepared for the gentle assault he laid to her mouth as he
plundered it with his tongue. He held her head as he explored her mouth, encouraging her to respond.
Her hands tightened on his arms, and she moaned as she kissed him back. Groaning, he captured her
tongue as he sucked on it, causing her to squirm against his knee as pleasure shot through her body.
She was completely lost to the sensations until she felt his hand on her side, lifting her shirt.She shook
her head as she managed to push her shirt back down. Stepping back, he pulled his shirt open to
reveal scars buried under tattoos.
“I told you before, malyutka, you aren’t the only one who bears scars.” Staring at them transfixed, she
tentatively reached out her hand to trace what looked to be a severe burn from a cigar. “Car cigarette
lighter,” he said simply as she looked up at him. She dropped her gaze as she leaned in and traced it
with her tongue. He sucked in his breath.
Holding her head, he tangled his fingers in her hair as he encouraged her to keep going. Normally, he
was like her and didn’t want anyone touching him, but her fingers were magical as they lit up long-
dead thoughts of tenderness and the potential for incredible passion. While he knew he shouldn’t get
close to her, he found that he couldn’t get her out of his mind, and since she was currently so willing,
what harm would it cause.
Bethany’s hands slid under his dress shirt as she freely touched his chest. She had never met anyone
else like him, and she found his responses to her touch intoxicating as she wondered if she would feel
the same way. As his hand went back to the hem of her shirt, her self-doubts crept in and she managed
to push away from him. Staggering slightly, she touched her lips as she looked at him.
“Th…thanks for walking me to my car,” she mumbled as she turned quickly and trotted across the
street to her car. She slid into the driver’s seat, shutting and locking the door behind her. Putting the
key in the ignition, she did one of the things she swore that she would never do, drive drunk.
Out the side window, she saw Vadim leaning against the wall watching her. His shirt was still open,
and he was completely unconcerned. Shaking her head, she knew that she would never be that
comfortable with her body, as she started the car and drove away.
Chapter 8
Bethany walked into her handler’s office at nine the next morning. While she had been up since six,
she spent most of the time berating herself for her conduct the night before and for not figuring out that
there was alcohol in her drinks. How could she have been so stupid?
She smiled thinly at Marci’s graduate student, who pointed her to Professor Chase’s inner sanctum.
Sitting down at her desk, she flipped open the files on the Drobilka cartel and began checking off the
names of those she had met. So far, only five out of the fifteen known associates, and Vadim was not
one of them. Bethany wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse as her interest in him had spiraled
beyond professional.
Voices alerted her to Marci’s arrival as she excused her student. Opening the door, she walked in
followed by Sanderson.
“What do you have to report?” Sanderson demanded without preamble. Flipping open the files,
Bethany pointed out those men that she could identify, but was unable to give much more information.
She knew that when the club was closed, there were often meetings there and sometimes they brought
in club workers to help. Her goal was to try to get one of those assignments and possibly gather more
intel on their smuggling operations.
“Anything else?” Marci asked, as she looked at her.
Taking a deep breath, Bethany vaguely filled them in on what happened the night before and that she
had kissed Vadim.
“Well, if you’re going to fuck one of them, the least you could do is choose a member of the cartel,”
Sanderson interjected sarcastically. As Bethany was about to protest, he held up his hand to silence
her. “Look, if I had my way, you wouldn’t even be here. You’re too green, and you should have never
passed the background checks, but it’s because of your background that Turner wants you here. So,
I’m stuck with you, and you’ve brought me nothing of value. And what’s worse, you’re ready to fuck
the first muscle-bound guy who caught your eye.”
As Sanderson took a breath to continue, Marci interrupted. “That’s enough, Jake. She’s only been on
the job for three days, and simply because Sannikoff isn’t on the list doesn’t mean he isn’t a person of
interest.” As he opened his mouth to protest, she held up her hand to silence him. “Why don’t you go
back to the office to push some papers around and leave the field work to us? I’ll let you know if we
need anything.”
After he left, she turned back to Bethany, “I wish I could tell you that he wasn’t always an asshole, but
I can’t. So, shake it off and let’s get to work.” For the next couple of hours, Bethany detailed as much
as she could about the club and they discussed potential options for her to get closer. Marci agreed
that it wasn’t a good idea for her to admit that she was fluent in Chinese as it might come in handy
should they come into the club. As Bethany was about to leave, Marci stopped her. “I know that it
might be hard, but don’t fall for this guy. He’s bad news, and since you’re only starting out, it could
end your career before you even started.”
As Bethany left campus, she couldn’t help but wonder how she wasn’t going to fall for what might
possibly be the only man who wouldn’t find her hideously unattractive. Sighing, she checked her text
messages as she got into her car. There were two from Charlotte; one asking how she was doing and
the other claiming that the alcohol was all Susan’s idea. Tossing her phone in her backpack, she drove
out of the parking lot wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her day.
Chapter 9
Wednesday rolled around faster than Bethany anticipated. She had managed to avoid calls from both
Charlotte and Susan, who seemed offended that she couldn’t see that no harm had occurred. But then
again, she didn’t bother to tell them about Jack.
Walking into the club, she nodded to the men who were sitting at their regular table and headed to the
locker room. Setting her stuff down, she jumped when Vadim came up behind her. How did someone
so big manage to walk so quietly, she thought as she looked at him, unsure what to say.
“About the other night,” he began before Bethany interrupted him.
“I should have called to thank you for saving my butt. If it wasn’t for you, I could have been raped. Or
worse. I’m not sure what you were doing there, but you were definitely in the right place at the right
time.”
“It’s my bar.”
“What?”
“The bar. I own it.”
Smiling at the irony, “Do people know that…”
“One of the most popular bars in Dallas is owned by a Russian immigrant? Nyet. I’m just the money
guy.” Turning, he was about to leave, but he paused, “I’m glad that you’re okay.”
“Thank you. Again,” she said to his back as he was already on his way out the door.
The club was busy for a Wednesday night, and they had placed more customers in her section.
Working the tables, Bethany put on a friendly face as she tried to keep track of the many different
discussions. Many of them seemed to be talking in some sort of code or they would stop talking when
she drew near. Pretending not to notice, she continued to hover and tried to maintain the attitude of
overzealous employee and not undercover agent.
As she was preparing to leave that night, Vadim was once again by the exit. “Are you available
tomorrow around lunch time?”
“I have class in the morning, but I’m out by eleven.”
“Khorosho. Be here before noon. We have a private party coming in.”
Nodding her head, Bethany thanked him before walking to her car, smiling. Finally!
###
When she met with Marci that morning, she couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice at the
prospect of starting to get some actual intel on this group. Her handler wanted her to wear a recording
device or take pictures, but Bethany refused. They were very strict about the uniforms and since she
didn’t wear glasses, the sudden addition of eyewear would call too much attention to herself. She
promised that she would be careful and would pay attention to what was going on.
When she got to the club, she quickly changed into her uniform. As she prepared to walk out, Vadim
met her holding something in his hand. “Turn around.” Raising an eyebrow, she did as she was told.
“Lift your hair.” She felt him attach something around her neck. Turning to look in the mirror, she
could see that it was a mother of pearl pendant.
“What’s this for?”
“Anyone who works a private party wears one. You’ll return it with your uniform before you leave.”
As she walked out onto the floor, she was surprised at the clusters of men sitting around different
tables. Several of the more popular dancers were already onstage, and she spotted Brandy taking
orders as she waved.
Squaring her shoulders, Bethany grabbed her tablet and headed to the first table. As she made the
initial rounds, she realized most of the customers were Chinese. Trying to keep the excitement from
showing, she introduced herself and pretended to practice saying “hello, how are you,” with some of
the men. As the afternoon progressed, she caught snippets of conversation, much of which had to do
with an upcoming shipment through Galveston. Slowing down to gather empty glasses, she was able
to pick up on an approximate date, but still had no idea what the cargo was. She was glad that no one
knew that she understood Chinese, otherwise they wouldn’t have been so open around her.
Around five, the groups broke up as the men began to leave. The other girls had already left as
Bethany tallied up her tips before heading to the locker room to change. Vadim caught her before she
went in so that he could retrieve the pendant. Handing her an envelope with her afternoon’s wages, he
told her she didn’t have to come in that night.
As she changed her clothes, she realized that the envelope seemed fatter than usual. Opening it, she
was surprised to see that she was paid twice what she normally was for half the time. Exiting the
locker room, she went to find Vadim thinking that he had made some sort of mistake.
She heard talking coming from the office and headed over there. Without thinking, she walked through
the open door and stopped short. Several men were clustered around a computer, as a young man was
translating the different conversations. Looking down at the desk, she saw that the pendants housed a
recording device. They had bugged her! About to back out of the room before they saw her, she
caught what the young man was translating. He was lying!
As she stepped back, Vadim picked up his head, “Sorry,” she stammered. “I had a question, but it can
wait.” Backing away quickly, Bethany didn’t get anywhere as Vadim put his hand on her arm stopping
her.
“What is it?”
“What?”
“Your question. What is it?”
“Oh, I, uh. I think you paid me too much,” she finally managed to answer.
Smiling, he explained, “Everyone is paid more for private parties. Was there anything else?”
She shook her head no and started to pull out of his grasp when she heard the young man speaking.
She tensed when she heard him give false information. Picking up on her tension, Vadim tightened his
grip on her arm and pulled her into the room. The others were intent on the translation as he stared at
her. Bethany attempted to pretend that she didn’t understand, but every time the young man lied, her
eyes gave her away.
“What. Is. It,” he demanded as she fought to pull her arm free. Finally managing to twist free, she
backed up quickly.
As she started to leave the room, she whispered, “On lzhet,” before she ran for the exit. Once outside,
she didn’t stop for a breath as she scurried to her car and jumped in. Oh shit! I told him he was lying.
I’ve killed him, she thought as she sped away.
As she drove, she called the university hoping to catch Marci still at the office. She was on her way
home, but agreed to meet with her. Speeding over, Bethany met her at her office and filled her in on
everything that happened – including the fact that Vadim now knows that she understands Chinese and
that she may have just killed someone.
Marci was excited as she recorded everything that Bethany told her and assured her that this might be
a good thing,. Instructing her to go home, she suggested that she relax and enjoy her evening. Nodding
her head absently, Bethany headed home.
Chapter 10
When Bethany got home, she paced the floor. She couldn’t believe that she had told Vadim that the guy
was lying. She would hate to see his dead body show up on the news. Sighing, she headed into the
bathroom and turned on the water to run a bath. Marci had said to relax and dammit, she was going to
do that. As the tub filled, she scavenged around for any bubble bath and found a partial bottle from
several birthdays ago. Dumping it in, she watched as the bubbles multiplied. Stripping off her clothes,
she slid into the too hot water with a gasp.
Okay, maybe this was a good idea. Putting her headphones on, she closed her eyes and relaxed into
the tub.
She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, the water was rapidly going from tepid
to cold. She debated about kicking the hot water back on when she looked at her now prunish skin.
Sighing, she pulled the plug and reached for the towel she had left on a chair. She yelped when her
hand brushed up against a knee.
Looking up, she found Vadim sitting comfortably in her bathroom. She dove for the plug to stop the
rapidly draining water as it was the only means to cover herself, but she was too late. Crossing her
arms across her body, she shivered as she looked up at him.
“How long have you been watching me?”
“Not long,” he replied as he smiled.
“Um, any chance I can have that towel that you’re sitting on?”
Nodding his head, he stood up and picked up the towel. He shook it out as he held it open for her.
Bethany took a deep breath before standing up. She reached for the towel, but he dangled it slightly
out of her way, forcing her to step out of the tub. Standing on the bathmat, she grabbed the towel from
him before turning her back to dry herself off. She didn’t realize that the mirror had picked up her
reflection as he watched her.
She really was quite beautiful in a classical sort of way and not at all like the typical vapid sorts
who usually found their way into his bed, he thought. The scars on her back looked like they had
come from a belt, but they had long since faded into thin, white lines, and while he didn’t get a good
look at her front, it was clear that she had more than one run-in with a burning cigarette.
Wrapping the now damp towel securely around herself, Bethany headed to her bedroom, calling over
her shoulder, “I’m presuming that you’ve already had a look around the place, so help yourself to
whatever is in the fridge and there’s tea in the cabinet. I’ll be out in a few.” She slammed her
bedroom door. Chuckling, Vadim made his way to the kitchen.
Bethany leaned heavily against the door as she debated about calling this in. Holy crap! How long
was he there? He could have killed her, easily drowning her in the tub, but he didn’t. So, he must
want something. Picturing Sanderson in her head, mocking her, she threw on a pair of shorts and a
tank top. Dragging the brush through her tangled hair, she managed not to pull most of it out before
sweeping it up into a ponytail.
She padded out to the kitchen where he had pulled out the ice cream and was happily munching on
Chunky Monkey. Grabbing a spoon, she snatched the ice cream from his hand before hopping up on
the counter and leaning against the cabinet.
“So, what brings you by, besides my taste in ice cream?” she asked, as nonchalantly as possible.
Grabbing the ice cream, he took another big spoonful before handing it back to her. “I think you know
why I’m here.” She shrugged and became deeply interested in the pint of ice cream. He took it and set
it on the counter. “Why didn’t you tell me that you speak Chinese?”
Twisting the spoon in her hand, she sighed as she closed her eyes. “There are many aspects about my
life that I would prefer remain private,” she began.
“And the languages you speak is one of them?”
“Not that, exactly, but why. I spent a lot of time at the library, growing up. It was an…escape. And the
language room was private. I could put the headphones on, turn out the lights, and not have to think
about what was going on at home.”
“I presume that you are referring to your father?”
Shaking her head, “Step-father. My dad died when I was very young, and my mother married not soon
after.”
“And he did those things to you?”
“Among other things, yes.” Jumping off the counter, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What do
you want, Vadim?”
“I want you, Malyutka.”
“I told you before that I’m not your little one.”
“You are whatever I tell you, you are,” he replied as he covered the short distance between them.
Before she could move, he had backed her up against the counter and cupped the side of her face.
Looking down at her, he murmured endearments to her in Russian before kissing her. Seemingly on
their own, Bethany’s arms found their way up his chest as she wrapped her hands around his neck.
His hands roamed her body before settling on her hips and pulling her tightly against him. She moaned
into his mouth, as she once again began grinding against him.
Her body seemed to push any rational thought out of her mind as he lit her up. Overwhelming feelings
of arousal and passion began to work their way around her body, and she pushed aside any thought of
how he got into her apartment or what he intended to do with her. Unless, of course, it had to do with
making mad, passionate love to her, because right now, that was all she could think about.
At twenty-three, she had long given up any chance of finding someone who wouldn’t be repulsed by
her, and suddenly, the subject of her darkest fantasies was doing strange things to her insides.
Vadim broke the kiss, and he put some distance between them. “We stop now, Malyutka, or there will
be no going back,” he warned. This time, it was her turn to close the distance between them, as she
kissed him lightly on the lips. Stepping back, she pulled her tank top over her head and watched his
eyes darken with arousal and no sign of revulsion. Smiling shyly, she shimmied out of her shorts
before turning and sprinting for the bedroom.
His expression changed from that of arousal to predator seeking prey as he stalked slowly after her.
Walking into her bedroom, he saw that she had pulled the covers back on the bed before turning to
look at him. Her eyes shifted from playfulness to wariness, as she recognized his look.
Swallowing hard, she started to take a step back when he was on her. He lifted her up, and she put her
hands on his shoulders to steady herself as he took possession of her lips. He delved into her mouth,
moaning at the onslaught, as he took without apology. Her legs wrapped around his waist while he
continued to plunder her mouth, as she matched his movements and their tongues danced together.
He dropped her onto the bed before reaching for the buttons on his shirt as he kicked his shoes off.
Vadim pulled his shirt free from his pants, he unclipped his belt as his pants quickly followed his
other clothes to the floor. Looking down at her, he watched her body flush as she rubbed her legs
together to quell the growing itch of what would be her first orgasm.
The bed creaked in protest as he joined her, breaking the intensity of the moment as she giggled in
response. Smiling down at her, he traced his finger lightly over her face before kissing her nose.
“I like how your eyes light up when you are genuinely happy,” he told her.
“What do you mean?”
“When you are at the club and you are laughing at something a customer says, your eyes don’t
change,” he answered as he kissed her nose again. “But here. Right now. They sparkle.”
Bethany felt as though her skin was sunburned, as she blushed. She was unsure how to respond other
than to say that he was absolutely right and what’s worse, if he is paying attention, he could easily tell
when she’s lying. Damn, Marci was right. I am going to get hurt. Or worse. And just as she was
about to ask him to stop, he kissed her.
Chapter 11
Moaning, Bethany reached up to touch his face as she rubbed her fingers along his beard growth.
Damn this man is sexy! As he smiled down at her, she looked up to see if his smile reached his eyes,
and it did. Is it possible to melt from a look? she wondered as she stared up at him. Growing
uncomfortable at the attention, she looked at his chest. Much like her, his body was covered in scars,
some of which looked like they went back decades. She reached out to touch one, but he caught her
hand and brought it to his lips. Kissing her fingers, he drew each one into his mouth, sucking on them
in turn as her eyes darkened in response.
He hovered over her as he leaned in to kiss her on the lips before raining light kisses all over her
face. Shifting down, he found a sensitive spot on her neck as she flinched at the sudden intense
sensation. He settled between her legs and continued to kiss her as he worked his way down her
body. Unsure what to do with her hands, she ran her fingers through his short hair before trailing light
touches along his shoulders.
Kissing the tops of her breasts, he watched as her nipples responded to the warm air he blew on them.
He placed his wet mouth over one and licked it before shifting to the other one. With each shift, he
would add new sensations. As he would lavish attention on one with his mouth, the other would
pucker up into a tight nub in response to his thumb.
As Bethany began to squirm under him, he adjusted his position, pushing her legs apart so she
couldn’t seek relief by rubbing them together. If she was going to experience the pleasures, he had
to offer, it was going to be at his hand. Continuing to work his way down her body, his hands freely
roamed over her, memorizing all her physical details. When he reached her stomach, he nibbled along
her pelvis as she practically bent in half in surprise. Panting, she tried to stop his descent, as pleasure
seemed to course through her blood.
He captured her hands and held them at her side as he kissed and licked his way down. He was
pleased to see she didn’t shave as he tugged lightly on her curls. When she stopped struggling, he
released her hands as he rubbed his own along the insides of her thighs. Sliding them up to her groin,
he drove her crazy as he continued to drive her arousal with his touch. As his thumbs rubbed up and
down her slit, he could smell her arousal, and he took a deep breath. Dipping his head down, his
tongue followed his thumbs, as she bucked beneath him. Vadim pushed against her hood, he watched
as her clit popped up, already swollen and hard with need.
Unable to resist, he licked her clit as she thrashed around, moaning. His hands slid over her hips, as
he cupped her ass and lifted her slightly. He sucked her clit into his mouth, he held her to him, as she
cried out in surprise. Realizing that she was close, he sucked harder as one finger slid between her
folds. He didn’t push farther when he encountered an obstruction as he continued to pleasure her. With
a cry, Bethany threw her arms over her head as she arched up. She had never experienced an orgasm
like this before as he continued to suck and lick at her juices.
When she calmed down, he shifted so that he was lying beside her. “Why didn’t you tell me that you
are a virgin?”
“Hmm?” Bethany was still having difficulty focusing after her first orgasm, and she reached out to
touch him as he captured her hands.
“Malyutka. Focus. I know that you are a virgin. Maybe this is a bad idea. Your first time should be
special.”
His erection had grown painful, but he was prepared to leave. He didn’t want her getting hurt. As she
opened her eyes, her hand bumped against it and he hissed in response. Turning on her side, she
reached out and ran her fingers over the smooth, taut skin. He took her hand and wrapped her fingers
around his cock as he showed her how to move her hand. Following his example, she worked her
hand up and down, as he closed his eyes in pleasure. While Vadim had been with countless women,
he hadn’t felt such intense pleasure at a woman’s touch in a great many years.
Grasping her chin in his hand, he tilted her head up to look at him, as he waited for her eyes to focus.
“I am concerned about hurting you, Malyutka,” he told her as he kissed her face.
Taking a shuddering breath, she replied, “Vadim, when you look at me, you see me – not my scars. I
want it to be you. Please.”
With a groan, he kissed her as she continued to stroke her cock. “It is going to hurt the first time. If you
will allow, I can ease that.”
At her nod, his lips found hers as his hand slid down her body. Lifting her leg over his hip, he
encouraged her to keep stroking him as he kissed her. His hand slipped between them, and he easily
found her clit and began to rub circles around it and on it while sliding his other fingers up and down
her slit. He could see her pulse speed up where it beat against her neck, as he dipped his middle
finger in while still playing with her clit. With one quick movement, he broke her hymen and flinched
when she squeezed his cock in response. He continued to kiss and fondle her until she began to pant
again.
Rolling onto his back, he brought her with him. She ended up lying across his chest. He told her to
straddle him when she looked at him questioningly. “I don’t want to hurt you, so you will decide how
deep I go,” he added, as she rose up on her knees.
Leaning to one side, Bethany braced her hands on his stomach as he helped her guide his cock toward
her. He held her hips while he showed her how to move up and down, slowly working his way in.
She is so tight!
The feel of his cock as it rubbed against her insides had her curling her feet as pleasure flowed
through her. Shifting her hips up and down, she worked it in as the intensity increased with each
downward push. One last push and his shaft was buried to the hilt. She groaned with lust. How did
she manage to go this long without experiencing this, she thought as she began to move up and
down. She found that if she adjusted her angle and speed, she could vary her pleasure points as she
closed her eyes.
She could feel tendrils of pleasure begin to wind tighter and tighter inside her as her muscles began to
spasm. Opening her eyes, she looked down at him as he watched her. She could tell that it wouldn’t
be enough for him, and she wanted him to experience what she was feeling.
Digging her nails into his sides, she panted as she looked at him. “Take over,” she managed to say as
she continued to bounce on top of him.
“What?”
“Take. Over. Take. Me. Do. It.”
Holding her back, he rolled her under him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He supported
himself on his arms and began to drive in and out of her.
“Faster,” she told him as felt her orgasm growing. Speeding up, he smacked into her as he repeatedly
buried himself deep inside her. As her body continued to react, each outward pull was met with
resistance as her own muscles clutched greedily at him. With a cry, she wrapped her arms around him
and dug her nails into his back. As the spasms from her orgasm continued to milk him, he couldn’t
hold out any longer and came with a roar that could have awakened the neighborhood. Continuing to
thrust into her, he began to slow as they slowly came down.
Rolling to his side, he held her to him as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her back. As she
cuddled against him, she pushed aside any wavering thoughts as she kissed his chest. Her fingers
absent-mindedly stroked one of his scars.
“Knife fight,” he said simply. She looked up at him questioningly. “The scar. It’s from a knife fight.”
Nodding her head, Bethany suddenly found herself curious as she began to touch each scar before
looking at him for a response. “Cigar burn. Switch.” The answers rolled off his tongue as if they were
no big deal.
She kissed each one in turn and said, “I don’t understand how you can be so casual about them. I’ve
never been able to talk about mine.” Flattening her inquisitive fingers against his chest, he stroked her
back.
“Have you ever tried it?”
She shook her head no, and he pushed her onto her back and gently began to touch each scar. Speaking
haltingly at first, she began to tell him where each scar came from. Soon they were switching off as
light touches of curiosity turned into something else and Bethany found herself on her hands and knees
as he took her from behind. Having always thought that was a humiliating position for sex, she
squirmed and quivered as he managed to rub up against her clit and her g-spot with each stroke. When
they both came, he collapsed on top of her as he rolled onto his side and pulled her into a spoon.
Kissing her shoulders, he continued to touch her back, as she sleepily answered where each scar
came from.
When Bethany awoke, it was dark and the bed was empty. Sitting up to turn on the light, she could
hear noises coming from the other room. Slipping on an over-sized t-shirt, she padded out to the
kitchen to find Vadim putting food together. Turning at her footsteps, he smiled as he set the food
down on the table.
“I was surprised that there was something in your kitchen other than ice cream, although your choice
in dishware is a bit odd,” he told her as he pointed to the child print on the plate.
“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s muggy here. I consider ice cream a requirement for survival, and
well, I rented this place furnished, so I’m using whatever was here already.”
“Well then you’re probably going to want to pick more up as I ate the last bit.” Glaring at him, she
snatched up a carrot and dipped it in some dressing.
“I won’t forget that, Mr. Sannikoff.”
“Well, I hope that you remember more than that,” he replied with a smug look as he watched her
blush.
“Oh, I think you know that I will,” she said wishing for the ice cream to help calm down her fevered
face.
He looked around the room with fresh eyes. “Why didn’t you move here with your possessions if
you’re going to be here for a while attending graduate school?”
“I brought everything I own, which happens to fit in two suitcases.”
“So, what, you’re one of those extreme minimalists?”
Bethany laughed. “No, I just didn’t know where I was going to be…” her voice trailed off before she
finished her sentence. Crap! I almost said assignment. Taking a deep breath she continued, “There
are studies that talk about how the things that happen to us in childhood can have a profound impact
on us as adults. And well, sometimes I go through phases where I feel like any minute now, my world
will be turned upside down and I’ll have to move quickly.”
“Did you learn that in college?”
“Psychology 210,” she answered with a tight smile. At least it wasn’t a complete lie. Changing the
subject, “So, um, why did you come by tonight? And while we’re at it, how the hell did you get into
my apartment?”
Taking a sip of his tea, Vadim appeared to think about his answer. “At first, when I figured out that
you understood Chinese, I was pissed at you for lying. But then, when you told me that the translator
was lying, I went back into the office and asked him to go back over something he had translated
earlier and when he gave me a different response, I knew you were right. And as to how I got into
your apartment,” Vadim said slowly as he sat back and looked at her, “your landlord is a drunk and
easily bribable.”
“Wh…what happened to the boy?”
“He left the club richer. Turns out, he has an uncle who’s a member of the Triads, and he was worried
that he would get into trouble, but when he found out that he wasn’t there and that there was more
money in it for him, he redid the translation. But, and this was why I came, I want you to listen to the
recordings and provide me with a translation so that I can compare it to the first one.”
“Do you have it with you? If you want to leave it, I can…”
“Nyet, it will be handled at the club. You have morning class again tomorrow, dah? Do you have
anything after?” Shaking her head, Bethany tried not to show her surprise that he knew her schedule.
She would have to be very careful around him. “Good. Come to the club when you are done and meet
me in the office. You can go over it then.” At her nod, he stood up. “I have to get to the club. I will see
you tomorrow.”
When she rose to see him to the door, he swept her up into his arms as he kissed her before setting her
back on her feet. “Until tomorrow, Malyutka.” As Bethany was about to protest, he silenced her with
another kiss. “Don’t be late.”
Shutting the door behind him, she sagged against it. This was the break they were looking for. She
couldn’t wait to talk to Marci. And maybe change the locks on her door.
Chapter 12
The next morning, Bethany was up early. She’d expected to sleep deeply, but her night had been
marred by bad dreams. Waking unrested, she showered and went to the nearest Starbucks where she
enjoyed a triple, espresso-shot latte and a blueberry scone as she looked through the New York Times.
She really missed New York. When she had been contemplating her future assignment, she was really
hoping that she could stay on the eastern seaboard. She had never anticipated returning to Texas.
Her phone beeped as a message came in. Looking down, she was surprised to see that it was from her
mother, as she wondered how she knew that she was in town. Hitting ignore, she threw her phone in
her backpack and went to order a second cup to go.
Arriving at the UT campus, she headed to the Liberal Arts building and climbed the stairs up to her
handler’s office. She cringed to see that Sanderson was already sitting in the office.
“You’re late,” he stated, as he took in the dark circles under her eyes. “Did you and your boy toy stay
up all night fucking?”
“Excuse me? What are you…”
“You think that the Russians are the only ones who have you under watch?” he sneered as he looked at
her. “Let’s hope that you finally have something worth reporting.”
Before Bethany could respond, Marci walked in and frowned at Sanderson. “We weren’t supposed to
meet until eleven. You’re early. Significantly so,” she told him as she looked at Bethany in apology.
“I’m here to see how our newest undercover agent is doing,” he replied as he glared at both of them.
“So, let’s get on with it.”
“As you wish,” Marci replied. Turning to Bethany she continued, “I see that you have coffee, would
you like anything else?” As she was about to shake her head no, Sanderson interrupted.
“Oh, for crissakes, can we get on with it? I have things to do today.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have crashed the meeting,” Marci shot back, as she sat down at her desk.
She motioned for Bethany to sit in the chair across from her that left Sanderson to stand or take a seat
farther away. Grunting in response, he settled on the credenza a few feet away.
As Bethany filled them in on the private party with the Chinese, even Sanderson shut up long enough
to hear what she had to say. When she told them that since Vadim now knew that she understood
Chinese, he wanted her to come to the club this afternoon to translate the recordings.
“What happened to the translator?” Sanderson asked.
“Vadim thinks that he was more truthful with his second translation, but he wants to be sure. My
thinking is that if I do a good job, he’ll use me for other private parties, as well. Particularly since he
doesn’t seem to want the Chinese to know that they were recorded. This may be the opportunity we
were looking for.”
Nodding her head in agreement, “Excellent work, Bethany,” Marci replied. “Although I’d like to get a
recording device of our own in there.”
“Well, I won’t be wearing my uniform this afternoon, so got anything I can take in with me?”
Marci opened a locked cabinet and looked through some boxes. Walking back with a couple pairs of
sunglasses, “Normally, these are used for video recording, but we can set it for audio only. When you
get inside, place the glasses close by while you translate, and we’ll pick up the recording.”
Taking the glasses, she compared them to her own; they were close enough that she didn’t think Vadim
would notice that she had a different pair. “How do I turn it off?”
“Just fold them. Now, shall we test them?”
Bethany spent a few minutes practicing turning the audio recording device on and off and determined
the best location for the glasses. They figured out if she was unable to set the glasses nearby that so
long as she didn’t move her head too much, she could leave them on her head without picking up too
much static.
As she left her handler’s office, she decided to take the back stairs and come down near the library.
Cutting across the lawn, she went inside and walked through the antique manuscripts section before
walking into the nearest bathroom. After a few minutes, she walked back out, picked up a couple
random books in Spanish and headed to the checkout counter. Flashing her student ID, she checked out
the two books and headed to her car.
When she got to the club, there were only two cars in the parking lot. Bethany assumed that one
belonged to Vadim and the other was probably the onsite security guard. Walking inside, she waved to
the guard before heading back to Vadim’s office.
She smiled shyly at him, not sure what to say, but it was evident that he was in work mode as he
patted the seat beside him without saying a word. Setting her backpack down on the floor, she placed
her sunglasses on his desk. As they sat together at his desk, he pulled the audio file up on his
computer. For the next two hours, she listened to the various conversations and translated as they
spoke. Vadim would interrupt her at times to ask questions, which she did her best to answer. When
they finished, he sat back with a grim look on his face.
She at him with concern. “Is there a problem?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “Nyet. But you caught things that he didn’t.”
Trying to avoid any physical pain for the guy, Bethany replied, “Well, those men were at one of my
tables, of course I remember what was going on.”
“So, are you one of those eye-det…”
“Eidetic? I wish. It would have made learning languages so much easier. No, I had to work at it like
everyone else, but I think that because I spent so much time at it, it has helped my memory.”
“What languages do you know?” Before Bethany could answer, one of the men from the usual
afternoon crowd came storming into the office, shouting in Russian. He stopped short when he saw
her.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” she said as she scooped up her
sunglasses and planted them on her head. Reaching for her backpack that she had intentionally left
open, one of the Spanish books fell out, and Vadim reached down to retrieve it. She smiled in thanks
as he handed it to her and she stuffed it in her pack. Smiling at the other guy who waited impatiently,
she left the office, but stopped short of going too far. She pretended to rearrange the contents of her
backpack, hoping to hear what was said, but they were speaking in low tones and she couldn’t make
anything out. Sighing, she slung the pack over her shoulder and headed out into the afternoon sun.
Before Bethany could make it to her car, Vadim caught up with her. “Have dinner with me. Sunday.”
“Where?”
“My place. I’ve seen how you live, let me cook for you.” Smiling, she nodded her head. “I will give
you the address later,” he told her before he returned to the club.
Chapter 13
The remainder of the week flew by quickly, and other than some brief interactions at work, Vadim
maintained his normal professional demeanor, which kept Bethany guessing as to how serious he was
about her.
As she was changing out of her costume Saturday night, Sasha walked in. Normally, she kept her
locker on the other side, but tonight, they were close together. Slipping on her shoes, Bethany grabbed
her backpack and prepared to leave, but Sasha stopped her.
“Have fun with the boss tomorrow night.”
“What?”
“You are seeing Vadim, right?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“You don’t know, do you?
“Know what?”
“Vadim is the man in charge.”
“Well, I know that. He gives us our pay at the end of the night.”
Sighing, Sasha walked up close to Bethany and lowered her voice, “No, I mean that he is the man in
charge. As in, in charge of everything. All those men that come and go around here, they report to
him.”
Bethany stared at her as comprehension began to dawn on her face, “But how can that be, he’s just
a…”
“Henchman? Muscle?” Chuckling, Sasha went back to her locker, “Yea, folks don’t seem to pay much
attention to you if they think that you’re only hired muscle. And he has a front man who deals with the
cops, so no one knows that he actually owns the club.”
Oh shit, Bethany thought as she considered what Sasha had just shared. He had told her that he owned
other businesses, or at least was the money behind it. Just how deep was he? Worried that she might
be in way over her head, if that was even possible, she made a mental note to check the files on the
Drobilka cartel from their time in Russia.
###
Bethany decided not to mention any of this to her handler until she was sure that the information was
true. And if she was being honest with herself, she was hoping to have sex with Vadim again before
she got yanked from the case.
As she got ready for her dinner date with him, she stared at her limited clothing options. It was still
blazing hot outside, and other than her typical shorts or jeans, she only had three dresses to choose
from. Reaching for her maxi dress, she slipped it on over her head and turned to look at herself in the
mirror.
The formfitting dress hugged what assets she had before cascading down her legs. A slit up one leg
made it easy to walk in as she slipped on her sandals. Dragging a brush through her hair, she decided
to wear it down, as it tumbled about her shoulders. With this humidity, her normally straight hair had
taken to curling, and she had to admit that she liked the look as it softened what she considered to be
her severe features.
Keys in hand, she walked downstairs and was surprised to see a Town car waiting for her. Raising
her eyebrow in surprise, the driver stepped out to open the door for her, “Mr. Sannikoff thought that if
you had decided to drink tonight, you might not want to drive.” Nodding her head in thanks, Bethany
got into the back as the driver walked around to get behind the wheel.
They didn’t have to go far, as the car headed into downtown Dallas toward one of the more affluent
neighborhoods comprised of high rises. They pulled into the garage of one of the more expensive
buildings, the driver stopped in front of an elevator and opened the door for her. Escorting her to the
elevator, he used a cardkey to access the top floor before stepping back. As the doors shut, Bethany
watched him walk back to the car.She looked at the elevator and realized that this was a private
penthouse car.
When the doors opened, she was surprised to see that Vadim had the entire floor. Stepping out, she
gasped at the wall-to-ceiling windows covering all the outer walls. She walked out into the living
area and turned around in a circle as she took in the understated furnishings that were designed for
comfort. Kicking off her sandals, her feet sank into the luxurious carpeting as she sighed.
“You like, Malyutka?” Vadim asked her as he looked at her in amusement. Opening her eyes, she
peered at him. Dressed in his usual dress slacks and white button down shirt, he looked like he
belonged here as he casually leaned against the doorframe.
“Oh yes,” Bethany replied, as she tried to force her pulse to stop racing in anticipation. “Especially
my feet.”
Chuckling at her response, “Make yourself at home, I won’t be long.” Turning, he returned to the
kitchen while Bethany walked around the main living space. The inside walls were covered in photos
and paintings, many of which were snow scenes. Walking closer, there were what appeared to be
family photos along with some from the military. Bethany tried to figure out which ones Vadim was in
when he joined her. She took a tentative sip of the glass of wine he handed her.
“Are you in any of these?” Nodding his head, he pointed to himself in many of the pictures, as
Bethany kept turning to look at him. “You look so different in these photos, I wouldn’t have
recognized you.” Turning to the paintings, these are beautiful. Are they all of Russia?
“Dah. I grew up in a small town near the Siberian border called Belaya Lisitsa. It always snowed.”
“It sounds lonely,” Bethany blurted out as he gave her an odd look. “Is that why one of your tattoos is
a white fox? After the town?”
“Something like that, yes,” he replied, although from his tone, he didn’t sound like he wanted to say
more, and he changed the subject. “You don’t have any photos in your apartment.”
Taking another sip of her wine, Bethany wandered over to the windows to look out over the city. “Do
you ever feel like you’re in a specimen jar with the world looking in on you?”
“The windows are tinted, so no one can see in. And you didn’t answer my question.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to look at him, as she leaned against the window. “I would prefer
that most of my life remain in my past, and the only way I could do that was to try to forget about it,”
she answered. “Besides, I’m making new memories now, and I do have some pictures, they’re just on
my phone,” she replied as she tried to smile.
“Our past is what shapes us. Either by following the same path or choosing a different one. But we
should never hide from it, we must learn from it.”
“Oh, I’ve learned from it,” Bethany replied. “But I also want to put it behind me.”
“By returning to Texas?”
Laughing, she said, “Yes, well, the university made me an offer too good to refuse, and well, maybe it
is time to confront some of my past. Just not yet.”
He nodded and held out his hand to her. “Come, join me in the kitchen while I finish dinner.” Taking
his hand, she followed him into the kitchen. She set her wine down and slid onto a chair as she
watched him move around the kitchen with ease. He had a cutting board filled with sliced vegetables
and set a large skillet on the stove to heat. As the pan began to heat, he added olive oil. Once it began
to bubble, he added onions and garlic and the whole kitchen began to smell, making Bethany’s mouth
water. She watched, fascinated, as he added the different vegetables and various spices while he
continued to sauté them.
Pouring in a can of diced tomatoes, he looked up at her, “I never asked. Do you like Italian?”
“I love Italian, but where did you learn to cook?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve always loved food, and it wasn’t always easy to come by and when
it was, most of it tasted terrible. My grandmother taught me to forage for roots and herbs to help make
food taste better and when I was in the military…” Vadim paused, realizing that he said too much.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke quickly, “Let’s just say, being raised where I was, I learned to hunt at
an early age, which meant that I didn’t go hungry when shipments didn’t make it out to us.”
Not wanting to press him, she prompted, “So that translated to a love of Italian cooking?”
“And Indian, Greek, Mexican, French…I’ve yet to find a type of food that I can’t appreciate, but I
also want to know how it’s made and if I can make it better,” he laughed as he added fresh pasta and
shrimp to the pan.
“Makes you sound competitive.”
He nodded his head as he dished the food out onto plates. “Oh, I am, but it also means that if I have a
taste for something and there isn’t a restaurant close by, I can make it myself,” he answered as he
carried the plates over to the table.
“Oh, you aren’t one of those people who carries travel spices do you?”
He lifted his head to look at her. “There are travel spices?”
Laughing, Bethany replied, “Oh yes, saw it in a catalog.”
“I must get some. Now, come, enjoy.”
Bethany sat down to eat with him, but was surprised they weren’t eating in the dining room. Reading
her expression, he responded, “The table out there tends to get used for work. I find that I enjoy
having my meals in here.”
She swirled some pasta onto her fork before skewering some red peppers and a shrimp. Popping it
into her mouth, she bit down and closed her eyes in delight. “Oh. This is good. This is really good,”
she told him, as she licked her lips. “So, um, how are you with breakfast food?”
“Maybe you should stick around and find out,” he responded with a glint in his eyes. Blushing, she
quickly dropped her gaze as she concentrated on eating. They continued to make small talk as they
enjoyed their meal and wine.
When dinner was over, he took the plates to the sink and quickly rinsed them before placing them in
the dishwasher. Rising to help him, he waved her back down as he added more wine to her glass.
“This won’t take long,” he told her with a smile, and it didn’t. In a matter of minutes, he was done and
taking her hand, they walked back into the living room where he turned on some music and they
settled on the leather couch.
Tucking her feet under her, Bethany sat sideways facing him as they chatted and Vadim was
continually impressed with her quick wit and intelligence. Not that he should be surprised, given the
number of languages she spoke, but from the look on her face, she seemed to be always processing
information, much like a computer. Although, he had to admit that he found her sexual naivety
endearing. So many women her age were already far more experienced than him sexually, and he was
more than ten years older than she was. Didn’t women understand that it wasn’t a badge of honor to
have so many notches on the proverbial bedpost?
He didn’t realize that Bethany had stopped talking until he caught her looking at him with a smile on
her face. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked.
“Apologies,” he answered as he looked at her. “I was thinking about how beautiful I find you, and I
got lost in my thoughts.” Bethany blushed and went to sip from her wine, but Vadim reached for her
glass and set it on the table next to his. Taking her hands, he looked at them before turning them over
and kissing her palms. “You are a beautiful woman, Bethany. All of you. I hope that someday you will
come to see that for yourself, but until then, I will have to tell you.”
Bethany closed her eyes to the sensations he was creating on her hands as he kissed her palms and
rubbed his thumbs along her wrists. When he says I’m beautiful, I almost believe it, she thought as
she gasped. How was it that such an innocent touch could arouse her, she wondered, as she opened
her eyes to his serious look. Sometimes, I feel like prey around him. I have to remember to be
careful.
Bethany yelped as she was lifted off the couch and landed on Vadim’s lap as he wrapped his arms
around her. “I meant what I said about your beauty.” Holding her face, he looked into her eyes as their
lips met. Her hands slid around his neck as she pulled him closer and their tongues danced together.
His hand found its way to her hair as he tangled his fingers in it. “It pleases me that you wore your
hair down tonight. It looks good on you.”
Unable to handle any more compliments, Bethany nibbled on his lower lip before sucking at it gently.
When he parted his mouth in surprise, it was her turn to kiss him as she tentatively explored his
mouth. Groaning, he leaned back, holding her tightly to him as they continued to kiss. His free hand
found the slit on her dress and he rubbed her thigh. Moving his way up, he rubbed her hip and ass as
she pushed against his hand.
Sitting up, he stood up while still holding her in his arms. Startled Bethany broke the kiss as she
realized that they were walking. He smiled as he kissed her nose. “What’s wrong?”
“Um, nothing, really. It’s just that I’ve always thought that I was too tall to carry like this.”
“Clearly, that isn’t the case,” he answered as he set her down in his bedroom. Walking to the bedside
table, he grabbed a remote to adjust the lighting as she took a quick look around. Like the front room,
the bedroom was surrounded by windows as the lights of Dallas blinked playfully outside.
Reaching for the buttons on his shirt, Bethany began to unbutton them one by one. As his shirt began to
part, she would kiss the skin beneath. His hands roamed freely over her body before hooking his
fingers on her dress and slowly drawing it up. When he had the hem in his hands, he lifted the dress
over her head and smiled in appreciation at her mint green lace bra and matching panties.
While he fumbled for the clasp on her bra, Bethany had finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it out
of his pants. He stepped back to remove his shirt before unclasping her bra. As it fell free, she
resisted the urge to cover herself. His hands boldly fondled her breasts as her nipples stiffened to
painful peaks, and she thought that her knees might give out. Spinning her around until her back was to
the bed, he gave her a light push, and she fell backwards onto it. She leaned up on her elbows as she
watched him pull his belt free and drop his pants.
She laughed as he playfully jumped on the bed, but then grew serious as he rolled on top of her. His
insistent erection made her acutely aware of how much she turned him on, and she had never
experienced anything like this before. Rubbing his chest, she began to touch him all over, mimicking
the same thing he was doing to her earlier. Her thumb brushed over his nipple and she was surprised
to see it tighten in response. Tilting her head, she lifted her head and licked it lightly as he sucked in a
breath.
Emboldened, she began to lick and suck at his nipples as he closed his eyes in pleasure. Unable to
handle much more, he stopped her by lavishing attention on her breasts as one hand found its way to
her mound. Tangling his fingers in her curls, he rubbed her slit before easily sliding one finger inside.
He couldn’t believe how wet she was as her muscles eagerly clutched at his finger.
Wanting to give her as much pleasure as possible, he continued to kiss and lick her as she began to
pant. Remembering how sensitive her stomach was last time, he licked her navel as she sucked in her
stomach, gasping.
Grabbing her leg, he lifted it over his hip, positioning himself to enter her. He slid in easily this time
as her body welcomed him. Lifting her slightly, he adjusted the angle as he began to plunge in and out
of her depths as they continued to kiss. Her hands continued to roam over his body before settling on
his ass as she tried to pull him tightly against her. Taking her cue, he shifted to longer, deeper strokes
as he moved rhythmically inside her. She moaned and scratched at his backside as he began to pick up
the pace.
Alternating between short and long strokes quickly brought Bethany to her first orgasm as her body
quivered with need. Not stopping, he continued to move in and out, as he felt her spasms increase.
Unsure how much longer he could hold out, he quickened his pace, shortening his thrusts. Several
more strokes and he slammed into her, groaning as her muscles milked him dry.
Rolling to his side, he pulled her with him as he held her. Snuggling against him, she pressed kisses to
his chest before falling asleep in his arms.
Chapter 14
Bethany woke the next morning to bright sun streaming in the window. She was surprised to see the
bed empty. Rising, she went to the bathroom and managed to clean herself up before coming back out.
She put her dress back on and padded out to the other room to find Vadim reading from a tablet.
“You’re up early,” she commented as she leaned in to kiss him. When he tilted his head, she ended up
kissing his cheek. Looking at him quizzically, she sat down across from him as he pushed the coffee
press toward her. She poured a cup and sipped from it as she waited for him to speak.
“I had an early call this morning, which is why I was up. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I’ve been
doing some research. I’m thinking of buying an absinthe fountain for the bar. What do you think?”
Looking at him over her cup, “I don’t know anything about it.”
“But you’ve had it?”
Sighing, “I don’t actually remember drinking it, no.”
“So, then, you don’t remember ‘Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder and the pants come off
faster?’”
Looking at him with wide eyes. “It was you! How long have you known?”
“I just found out.”
“Oh Vadim, I am so sorry for my behavior that night. I had way too much to drink.”
Nodding his head politely, “Would you like to see pictures of what I found?”
Presuming he still meant the fountain, “I suppose,” Bethany replied as she reached out her hand to
take the tablet from him. She gasped when she saw pictures of herself on campus, coming and going at
her apartment, work, the grocery store. As she flipped through the photos, there were a couple shots
of her in New York that looked like they were taken from a traffic camera. She also saw copies of
police reports involving her stepfather and mother, along with photos of her at twelve. As she
continued to flip through the file, she stopped when she saw the picture of her shaking Director
Williams’ hand at her graduation. Oh crap, think Bethany!
“Normally, my first response when someone betrays me is to kill them, but given that I’ve grown fond
of you, I’m going to give you one chance to explain yourself. How is it that a graduate of the FBI
Academy is working in my club?”
Setting the tablet back down, she looked at him. “I’m not a graduate.”
“Is that you standing on stage accepting a diploma?”
“I’m accepting an empty diploma case. I didn’t graduate. Not that I wouldn’t have wanted to, because
it was a dream of mine. That or to be able to work at the UN as a translator. But when your stepfather
is in prison for killing his stepson, the woman who raised me is a known marijuana grower, and your
body is riddled with scars from same stepfather’s drunken abuse, not only do you get a big fat no,
they’re not even polite about it.”
“Then what were you doing onstage?”
“They have a translation program that’s better than the one at Barnard, and I was able to take it. It was
the closest I ever got to the Academy,” she answered mournfully.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, that’s easily fixed.” Going to her bag, she pulled out her phone and looked up the main number
to the FBI. Clicking on it, she asked the operator to transfer her to Director Williams. When she
reached his secretary, she explained who she was and that there was some question as to the
translation program she participated in. Hoping that Williams would figure out what’s going on, she
put the phone on speaker and held her breath.
“This is Director Williams.”
“Hi, sir, this is Bethany Michaels. I’m not sure if you remember me, but…”
“I remember you, Ms. Michaels, what can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, but there was some question about the translation program I participated in,
and I was hoping to ask you how I would get copies of my transcripts.”
“In looking at your file, I see that you’re in graduate school at the University of Texas. The admissions
office would have all that information as you would have had to provide it for admission.”
“Of course, sir, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Thank you…” before she could finish, he hung
up. Disconnecting the call, she turned angry eyes toward Vadim. “Did you have any other questions?”
Vadim stared at her confused, unsure what to say. Standing up, she put her hands on her hips as she
stared down at him, “I told you the first time that you had me followed that I didn’t appreciate it, and
now you delve into my past when I specifically told you that I wanted it behind me. What kind of a
person dredges up a person’s past?”
“Bethany, I’m sorry. You have to understand that in my line of work, I have to be careful.”
“And what exactly IS your line of work, Mr. Sannikoff, because as far as I know, you own a bar and a
club.”
“It’s more than that, Malyutka. Much more. Please, sit down, let me explain.”
“I don’t think so. In fact, I’m leaving.” As she turned to retrieve her shoes, Vadim got up to follow her.
“My full name is Victor Vadimar Markman. My mother was Sannikoff, and I changed my name after
my father died. And I own more than a couple clubs. Much more. Please, Malyutka. Stay.”
Shaking her head, Bethany shakily grabbed her bag, stalked to the elevator, and pushed the button. As
the doors opened, she got on. Pushing the button for the lobby, she hoped to find a cab as there was no
way she would use his driver again. As the doors closed, she sagged against the elevator wall.
She was sleeping with the head of the Drobilka cartel!
Part 2 coming soon!
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Document Outline
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- To stay updated on my books, sign up below for my newsletter!
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