The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(123)
Maria could feel Vadim's stark blue eyes lingering over her body. She wasn't sure whether he was sizing her up, checking her out, or both. Not one to back down from anyone Maria met his gaze and allowed herself to take in the stunning view that was Vadim Kopsov. His skin was pale and his startling blue eyes would have been enough to undo most women. His strong Salvic features looked as if they had been chiseled from stone. It gave him a rough look aided only by his intense gave.
Vadim wore a suit, but Maria couldn't place the brand. It fit him well enough that she wondered if it were tailor fitted just for him. His broad chest and shoulders filled out the suit's jacket and made Maria want to run her arms over his muscles. Quietly, she gave herself a mental shake. This wasn't the time to finally loosen her inhibitions. She wasn't here for a date. She needed a bodyguard and fast.
Vadim stood to greet her with his hand extended. Without a curt nod, she shook her hand and hoped he didn't notice who a light brush spread across her ebony cheeks when their flesh met.
“It is good to meet you, Mrs. Hall.”
“Miss Hall,” she corrected him, “I'm not married.”
“I should say not,” he said motioning for her to sit, “if you were, you'd not have need of my services. Any man would be a fool to let you walk around in danger.”
“And you think you're the man to remedy that?” Maria asked arching a sleek brow.
“I am a bodyguard. In fact, in a lot of circles I am considered the best. I have connections and I have tools.”
“What are your rates?”
“They are covered by the publishing agency,” Vadim said.
“They never told me that.”
“I am sure there are many things they've never told you.”
“Okay, so how do we work this out?”
“First,” Vadim said reclining in his tall backed leather chair, “I will be a security team on your residence. Then my company will conduct a thorough investigation into Robert Edmond and anyone else who stands to lose from Fast Corps going under.”
“And what do I do in the mean time? To be frank, Mr. Kopsov, I was attacked two nights ago and would rather not repeat the incident.”
“I start working now.”
“Do I need to wait here until the security team is in place?”
“No,” he shook his head, “I'm going with you. My business is protecting my clients and I have always been a hands on man, Miss Hall.”
His words made her shiver as she imagined his hands roaming her body and pulling her into a passionate kiss. Giving herself another mental shake, Maria forced her mind back to the matter at hand.
“You'll be staying with me?”
“Yes,” he nodded, “attacks normally do not occur during the nine to five workday. I'm afraid you won't be rid of me until either the authorities do their job or Robert Edmond and those in his employ meet God. The latter is something that I do not discuss with clients. I assure you that you are only paying for protection, Miss Hall, not murder for hire.”
“Call me Maria,” she said. “It sounds like we're going to be spending a lot of time together so maybe we should cut the formalities. If I have to hear 'Miss Hall' over the breakfast table, I think I'd be sick to my stomach.”
“Maria, there are many things I'd like to call you over the breakfast table, but Miss Hall isn't one of them.”
Chapter 2
The Next Notch In His Headboard
Vadim sent Maria to wait in the reception area while he made several business calls. Robert Edmond were on several people's blacklists so it wouldn't be too hard to find someone to take care of the issue if the authorities proved once again to be lazy. He popped his knuckles while he waited for the head of his security team to pick up. The man answered in Russian and Vadim relaxed under the lull of his native tongue. He gave him Maria's address.
“And see that we aren't disturbed.”
“Is she one of your lovers?”
“If luck is on my side, she will be,” Vadim said.
“May luck be a lady.”
“I prefer it when she's a dirty whore,” Vadim laughed and ended the call.
Vadim checked his hand gun. The cold metal felt good against his warm skin as he checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber. As always there was. He slipped it into the harness on the small of his back, picked up his briefcase, and exited his office. Vadim paused for a moment in the hallway to watch Maria flipping through a magazine. Her eyes darted around the room, but never settled on him. Her instincts were good, but she neglected to watch the layout of her surroundings.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Vadim slowly made his way to the mouth of the hallway and leaned against the wall. He watched the rise and fall of her breasts and smirked to himself. How gorgeous would her full, perky, and natural breasts be rising and falling with the hitched breathing of lovemaking? Too many women these days got silicone implants in their breasts. Vadim had never liked them. In the ten years since coming of age, he'd learned that he didn't like the cosmetic procedure that took so much of the bounce and sway from a woman's breasts. He liked real women and real breasts.
“Ready?” Maria said catching him off guard for a mere second.
“Yes, let us be off,” he said walking into full view of the reception area. He pushed open the glass door to his office for her and nodded to his receptionist over his should. Mrs. Franklin was a good woman who had remained in his employ longer than any other. Her loyalty extended beyond looking the other way if she overheard something that might be questionable and to the keeping her thinning lips closed about the lovers he kept. He could only imagine the moral dilemma it created for the married woman, but gathered that the pay was good enough to ease her mind at night. For time to time, she would tease him about finding him a wife, but they both knew he'd never endanger a woman by bringing her into his world. Besides, he'd yet to taste all the variety God had blessed the Earth with. Why should a man only taste of one fruit for the rest of his life?