Page 6 of Claimed By The Russian

“I promise I’ll get a job as soon as I land, and pay you back as soon as possible. I’ll do any job for money.”

“You will not do any job for money. As a matter of fact, how much did that position online offer you?”

“The one that flew me here?”

I nod.

“It was all-inclusive, meaning I would stay with the family I cleaned for, eat for free and everything like that, and have two thousand dollars a month in salary.” She pauses. “Looking back now, I see it was too good to be true.”

“It’s not your fault,” I say, finally lowering my hand. “And Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world, even more so than places like New York. Two thousand free and clear doesn’t go as far as you might think it would, at least not here.”

“I should have researched it better.”

“You did all you could based on the time you had and the fact that you needed a job quickly.”

She nods, looking up at me with those unintentional puppy dog eyes and I damn near melt.

“I’ll pay you double.”

“Double? I’m not skilled enough to deserve that kind of cash.”

“Then you’ll work more hours so you feel the money is deserved,” I lie through my teeth. I’m not going to make my woman work hard, only give her a sense of purpose and for word to spread that she’s part of our team now, so as I move her up the ranks, quickly, she’ll have the needed respect of the other members of my staff. As much as I could just appoint her to an even better position and demand she be treated with respect, I know human nature. I need her to have that respect from the others because I must be twenty years older than her, and one day when I’m dead and gone, all of this will be hers.

Granted, our sons will be here to protect her and watch over her, but I have even bigger plans for her. It’s time to turn this empire that I’ve created into a modern day kingdom, with her as my queen.

“Only if I’m being paid the least, because I’m the lowest on the totem pole. I want to earn my keep.” She pauses. “And just long enough until I have enough money to get a ticket and pay a deposit on a place back in the States. Then I’ll be gone.”

“I think you’ll find Russia very much to your liking…but we can discuss that later.”

“Deal,” she says, jettisoning her hand.

I reach my hand out, the moment my hand absolutely engulfs hers, a bolt of electricity shoots through me as the skin of her tiny palm meets mine.

I freeze and so does she, until finally I snap out of it and shake our hands, her arm still frozen.

“What will my job be?” she asks, my hand not ready to let hers go.

“A maid…just as you signed up for when you got on that flight.”

“Good. That’s what I want. Plus it will be interesting to work in a casino.”

“Oh, you’re not going to be working in the casino,” I say to the point it’s almost threatening. Calm down, Kirill. Calm down.

“Where will I be working then?”

“You’ll be working…for me.”

CHAPTER 4

Kennedy

This is insane. I should run. I should turn around and run to the airport. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.

But run to where? And with what money?

There’s just something about Kirill that pulls me in. His big frame. His wide shoulders. That bulge in his suit pants that he didn’t think I noticed.

Oh I noticed all right. How could I miss it?

And what was up with the way he brought his hand to my hair, stopping just short and then leaving it there only to pull back much, much later?

It was almost as if he was deciding if he wanted to stroke me like a cat, or devour me like a lion.

We walk through the casino floor towards the employee area. It wasn’t an hour ago that he offered me the position and now here I am, showered and ready to start my first day, but not here at the casino. He just needs me to get a uniform and apparently then it’s back up to his place.

As we walk through the casino all I can see is one scantily clad woman with gravity defying breasts and impossible waistline after another.

They all bat their eyes at Kirill, and don’t even think to notice me, let alone greet me.

One of the women literally jumps in front of us as we walk, stopping to say what appears to be hello to Kirill, as she runs her hands over his lapels.

“You are not to touch me,” he says in English.

But she doesn’t give up that easily.

Her chin drops and she replies submissively, but it doesn’t take knowing the Russian language to read her body language. She’s trying to seduce him.

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