Page 11

I’m really going to regret this. Anya is twenty minutes early, because of course she is, and I haven’t had enough coffee to cope with her level of enthusiasm, if such an amount even exists. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister, but she’s a lot, especially at eight-thirty in the morning after four hours of sleep.

“Wow, you have the best view,” she says, standing behind my desk. “Well, I guess Luka does. Why do you face that way?”

“So I can focus,” I reply, dropping my head into my hands. Focus is not something I’ve been great at lately. Not since Ella started working for me.

That woman has me completely off balance, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Except I slipped up last night, driving her home without even asking for her address. Luckily, she accepted my excuse that I’d seen it in her file. Which wasn’t strictly a lie, but I left out the part about having already driven to see it once or twice, and I didn’t feel good about keeping things from her when I was trying to get her to trust me. She wouldn’t have understood that I just wanted to make sure she was safe, and I didn’t want to scare her off.

Especially when she was already pissed at me for not spending any time with her at the event last night. It was a dick thing to do, so I couldn’t even argue, just had to hope she’d understand my hands were tied. But I had a feeling she was tallying it up in the column of reasons not to be with me, and I was losing my mind not having her. God, she’d looked so fucking hot in that dress. Even better when I had her up against the door, had her messy and panting for me.

“Earth to Anton,” Anya says, snapping her fingers next to my ear. “Did you have too much to drink last night? A little hungover this morning? Or maybe there’s something else on your mind?”

She says the last in a singsong voice and points energetically toward the door, where Ella’s office is. I glare at her, but unlike with most other people in my life, it has no effect. She just gives me a grin.

Speak of the devil. Ella appears in the doorway, her hand poised to knock on the frame, when I wave her in. Her hair is pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail, and she’s wearing a knit dress that fits her perfectly, as everything does. The woman has no flaws.

“Good morning, Mr. Milov,” she says, coming in with three coffees. “I got one for you, too, Anya.”

“Mr. Milov?” Anya says, wrinkling her nose. “You make her call you that? It’s just Anton. Don’t inflate his ego, he’ll start thinking he’s important .”

“Yes, Ella, why don’t you call me Anton?” I ask. “You wouldn’t want to inflate my ego.”

She shoots me a dirty look but gives Anya a smile. “It just doesn’t feel right. I’ve always called my bosses by their last names.”

Conveniently leaving out that she really just does it to spite me. Typical.

“How about I shadow you today?” Anya loops her arm through Ella’s, claiming her. “Give Mr. Grumpy over here a chance to chug some coffee and wake up. All he’s given me so far is about two grunts and frown, so I’m thinking I’ll learn more with you until after lunchtime at least.”

Ella answers before I can. “Perfect. I’m just getting started on some documentation and a second set of eyes is always handy.”

The two of them saunter out of my office and shut the door behind them. Guess I’m extraneous to both today. I’d wanted to call Ella in and have her working beside me today, but it would just look like I was being obstinate now. Every time there’s space between us, it seems to make trouble, but Anya is here doing exactly that.

I take my coffee back to my desk and get started on the day’s agenda. There are the numbers from Mrs. Kozlov to sort out, the daily operation of Luka’s casino, and, of course, my side gig of getting Ella’s apartment condemned. A top priority for me, but it’s been difficult getting hold of the landlord. No surprise there. Dodgy landlords have a way of not being where you need them to be.

It’s hard to concentrate when I can hear the two of them giggling together out there. Worse, it makes me feel jealous—jealous of my own little sister, which has to be the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard. Yet here I am because she’s the one making Ella laugh when it should be me.

Each time I go out to see if Ella is free to work with me, they insist they’re in the middle of something that absolutely can not wait and send me back to my office. I’m sulking. Hours are ticking by, and I’ve barely gotten anything done. Determined to make something of the day, I put my head down and focus on Mrs. Kozlov’s proposed investments, and by the time I look up, the sun is setting, and my office lights are coming on to compensate.

It’s half past five, and for once, I don’t hear those two out there. My phone rings, vibrating loudly on my desk. It's the security line for the casino.

“Sorry to interrupt, but there’s trouble on the floor, Boss. Have a minute?” One of the security guards on duty asks, and he sounds nervous enough that I get right to my feet and head for the door.

“Be right there.” I hang up and shove my phone in my pocket, noting that neither Ella nor Anya is in the office as I pass by. Maybe they’ve already left for the day.

I take the elevator down to the main floor, a long ride from the top, and wonder what could be amiss. Disgruntled customers aren’t the worst of what’s happened in the casino. We’ve had shootouts, kidnappings, drug deals. A place like this invites a certain amount of illicit activity, so I’ve got one hand ready to draw when the elevator doors open.

A bald, burly security guard greets me. There’s no immediate scene of turmoil, but I’m not ready to relax when I know Ella could still be in the building. Nothing is going to happen to her. Ever.

“It’s just over here, Sir, but your assistant appears to be managing it. Luckily, she was on the floor when it broke out. She probably didn’t even need to call you down.”

“Always call me down,” I say, following him past the slot machines. “Especially if she’s involved. Why did you let her step in?”

I’m trying not to panic because seriously, who the fuck lets a young woman like Ella step in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation? The entire security team is about to get fired.

By the blackjack tables, I spot her standing between two groups of angry-looking men, appearing calm and comfortable. Not at all frightened. There are no guns or knives drawn, so at least my security is good for something. I slow down and keep out of sight. Now that it doesn’t seem like danger is imminent, I’m curious to see how she’ll handle a situation like this. If I’m ever going to bring her into the darker parts of my life, I need to know how she deals with a tense situation.

I’m poised and ready if shit goes south. Rival gangs, I realize, are taking note of the faces of the men she’s scolding. This was just a wrong place, wrong time situation.

“You can either take it outside, gentlemen,” Ella lectures, pinning each man in place with her glare, “and I do mean well outside. Off the property by at least half a mile. Or you’ll find yourselves banned from the premises. Your choice.”

There’s some grumbling, but it seems like neither group is looking to get thrown out of one of their favorite haunts.

“Lovely. Will you please escort these gentlemen outside, boys?” She waves to two security guards who were standing by and to my surprise, the men allow themselves to be escorted out.

Impressive. Ella is a force to be reckoned with, and I feel foolish for ever doubting her. She might be innocent and may not have the street smarts needed to succeed in the Bratva world, but she possesses an iron will. And damn, it was hot watching her dress down those gangsters.

I turn to the security guard beside me. “Follow them out. Take two more guys and just make sure they make good on getting entirely off the premises. I don’t need a shoot-out in the parking lot, making the news in the morning.”

That done, I approach Ella, touching her shoulder to let her know I’m there.

“Mr. Milov,” she says, turning. “I was hoping to handle that without them needing to call you.”

“You did,” I reply. “I wasn’t needed at all, they’re just instructed to call me for any security issue, no matter how small or well handled. I need to be aware of it all. We should discuss them in my office.”

I take her by the arm and lead her toward the elevator, heading for my office. What I don’t tell her is that I’m so turned on from seeing her in assertive mode that my cock feels like it’s about to burst. Somehow, I make it to my office before pouncing on her. The second the door closes, I walk her backward until her legs hit my desk and she’s got nowhere to go.

“You drive me crazy,” I say, setting my hands on either side of her so we’re face to face. “Did you know that? I can’t even watch you work without getting turned on.”

Her eyes flare and her mouth parts, all the invitation I need to lean in and kiss her. She tastes as sweet as she smells and the soft little sighs she makes when I’m kissing her have me ready to take her right then and there in my office.

I break the kiss and move my to her neck, nipping and kissing the sensitive skin at her nape, all the way down to her collarbone. “I want you.”

She puts her hands in my hair and throws her head back as I mouth her breast over her dress, my hand sliding up her thigh. All I need is for her to admit it. Admit how badly she wants me, too. The intense heat between her legs is all the proof I need that the feeling is mutual, but I vowed to wait until she asked for it.

What will it take to get her there? I’m losing my mind every second I’m not inside of her, but she’s holding back. Frustration mounts, keeping pace with my arousal, and I’m the one who pulls back.

“Out,” I say, pointing at the door. It’s harsh, but in that moment, I can’t cushion my words, can’t think of anything other than having her and with the vow I made, and that’s trouble. She has to leave before I do something I regret. “Out, now.”

Ella’s eyes widen in surprise, and she rushes past me, throwing one last glance over her shoulder at me and the longing on her face is the last straw. I lock it behind her and pull my cock out of my pants. It’s so hard it aches.

I never do this, jerk off thinking about a woman I can’t have. It’s pathetic, but that’s what she’s done to me, turned me into this mindless beast. I palm my cock, using the ample precum to lube it up and think of how it should have gone. I’d have flipped her around so that round ass was in my face and fucked her right up against my desk.

Five strokes in and I’m already about to blow. No woman has ever done this to me before, and it pisses me off that she’s got so much control over me. Pisses me off more that it’s my hand and not her tight pussy wrapped around my cock right now. She should be moaning my name with her head pressed to the desk, should be hanging on to the edge as I give her every inch.

Buried to the hilt in Ella is where I want to cum but instead, I spill it all over the shining wood desktop. The release brings me back to Earth, and with every slowing heartbeat, I marvel at how out of control I am when it comes to Ella. I grab tissues and wipe up the mess I made, feeling like a complete fool, especially when I realize I need a file from her to get any more work done. If I can’t get my head on straight, I’m never going to survive this.