When I saw her standing in that restaurant with that handsome but brainless asshole who thought he could touch a woman against her will, I knew I had to approach her. I tried to mind my own fucking business, but the moment that fuckwit grabbed her, I was on my feet. I don’t put up with shit like that. Never. And certainly not with a woman I've set my sights on. She’s mine.
Natalie remained calm for most of this outburst but surprised me with her exuberance. The way her full lips pursed was sweet, and her eyes became fiery as she threw the water in his face.
I like my women with a bit of temper; it only adds to the challenge and passion.
“Franklin Street is long. If you don’t want to give me your address, I can always take you to my penthouse instead. You can stay in the guest room and leave in the morning.”
She crosses her toned legs at the ankles, the side slit of her dress falls open at the thigh. Fuck! I itch to run my fingers over her dewy, olive skin up to her middle. I want to wrap her legs around my waist, her shiny, long hair around my fist as I thrust into her, making her forget about every other man who has come before me.
Her hands rest in her lap. There is a blue stain of paint on her thumb. “A penthouse could be exciting. I have never been in one.”
She surprised me again; I still can’t figure her out. I’m intrigued. Who is this girl? She looks very elegant and innocent, but maybe she's older than I think. I don’t know what it is precisely about this woman—it’s not just her exotic beauty and stunning body—but I’m attracted to her.
“Alright.” I turn down another street, looping back in the opposite direction and heading toward the Upper East Side.
“So, Leon, that's a nice car.” She presses a button and rolls down the tinted window. She leans slightly to the side to look at the glowing lights as we drive up South Park Avenue. “What do you do for a living?”
“I own some businesses.”
That’s as close to the truth as she can be right now. She doesn’t need to know that my family is the Orlov Bratva and that we gained fame and fortune through nefarious means. We are well-known and respected in the world of organized crime.
“Do I know any?” She pulls out her phone and snaps a picture of one of the buildings we pass, taking a moment to study the columns and stone gargoyles as we stop at a red light.
“Depends. Do you spend time at clubs or gamble?”
“No.”
“Then no.” I wink at her as she looks at me, and her musical laughter echoes through the car. “Do you want to tell me why you were out with a schoolboy?”
Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t answer me, instead leaning back in her seat. The car speeds forward as I weave through the traffic, eager to get home. I want to see the blush on her neck and breasts as she whimpers and squirms beneath me.
“I saw you enter the restaurant. I was at the bar having a drink after a meeting. You caught the eyes of everyone in the room, solnyshko.”
She rolls her eyes, and her full lips pucker. “You don't need to flatter me, Leon. I’m already in your car, but I’m not that beautiful. I'd be a fool to believe I'd attract everyone’s attention.”
She’s intelligent and witty.
“If someone has made you feel you are not beautiful, they have done you a great disservice.” I turn down the soft classical music and focus on her as we halt at another red light. “What did you see in him? That douchebag.”
She shrugs. “What everyone sees in everyone else, I guess.”
Natalie is pretending to be mysterious. It only adds to the chase.
She thinks she is the one in control. I can see it in her sitting; she is never quite relaxed but acts like she is. Her body is slightly tilted toward me. The dress climbs higher, and I am getting uncomfortably warm in my lower region.
Soon, she’ll find out who is really in control.
From the moment I saw her, I knew she would be mine no matter the cost. I’m as protective as I’m possessive of my woman, and if I had to kill that boy to get to her, then I would’ve. That boy was lucky he got off so easily. Restraint is not one of my strongest traits.
“If you're looking for a charming man for a date, you should have sought me out earlier.”
The corner of her mauve-painted lips tilts upward. “I found you, didn’t I?”
My erection swells behind my zipper at her cocky confidence.
I chuckle, weaving through the bright yellow taxis. “That you did. You have impeccable taste.”
Natalie shakes her head, looking at the buildings outside as we turn onto Madison Avenue. “I heard that the Upper East Side was expensive, but I haven’t had time to come up here yet.”