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Chapter 6

THANE

Red stands on the edge of the sidewalk with her backpack on her shoulder, looking like the petite waif she is. She opens the door.

“I would have opened that.”

She beams at me as she settles into the passenger seat. “I know. Where are we going to lunch?”

Movement behind the SUV catches my eye. I can’t tell for sure that he walked Red to the curb. “Was someone with you?”

“A guy from my class walked me to the curb before he headed off.”

I smirk. “A guy, huh?”

“Yeah. He’s in a couple of my classes.”

“Are there a lot of guy nurses?”

“Um. Not a lot, but some. They’re coveted in the industry. They can pick up patients easier than some of the female nurses.”

I scoff. “But not as good to look at.”

She shakes her head. “You’re such a neanderthal.”

“You have no idea.”

We pull into the parking lot of my favorite burger place. Red sits across from me, and I’m taken aback by her youth and exuberance. Her fresh-faced peaches and cream complexion contrast with the long red braids laying on both sides of her chest. Men leer and women scold me with their eyes. Yes, I look like the big bad wolf ready to devour the little innocent Red. The image raises the corner of my mouth, and her forehead wrinkles.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You.”

She smiles as she ducks her head. “What about?”

“You’re stunning.”

Her gasp reminds me of her naivety. She is so unaware of her effect on everyone around her. She lights up any area she enters. If I were a good man, I’d pay her tuition for the next year and drop her sweet little ass at her grandmother’s, never to darken her door again. I grit my teeth. I’m not that man.

The server steps to our booth. “Have we decided what we are having for lunch?”

She turns her head to Red who smiles at me. “Are you ordering?”

The gesture catches me off guard. Not only does she know I need the control, she’s just handing it to me. My chest puffs out as I hand the server the menus. “We’ll each have a burger, pink with fries, a side of ranch, and put the lady’s condiments on the side.”

She collects the menus as Red smiles at me. “I’m getting to like this.” We’ve gone out a few times now, and I want to order for her, and she just lets me.

“That makes me happy, too.”

She sips her water as she rambles about her morning classes.

I’m honestly only pretending to listen until my ears hear her mention the male classmate again.

“He came into the university in mid-September. I mean isn’t that weird.”

My inner voice pokes at me. “Wait. This guy came in after the semester started?”

“Yeah.” The server drops off our orders and without even a slight pause, Red swipes her French fry through the ranch. “He just showed up in the middle of the week in September. Nobody knew him.” She shrugs.

“Does he talk to every student or just you?”

She dips the fry, and her hand stops moving. “He seems most comfortable talking to me.”

My blood pressure rises as I try to control my temper. “What’s his name, Red?”

Her eyes ping open. “What?”

“His name. We keep calling him the guy.”

“Oh.” She relaxes. “It’s Tony.”

I chew my burger that I can’t taste, trying not to explode. Dread creeps up my spine. Something’s wrong with this situation. “Does Tony have a last name or is he like Madonna?”

Her brows come together. I’m not as cool as I think I am.

“Are you okay?”

I nod. “Yes. I can’t say I love that there’s a guy sniffing around what’s mine.”

She sets her fork down on her plate. “He knows I have a boyfriend.”

I scoff. “Boyfriend?” We haven’t put labels on us, but I definitely fit the title.

She blushes. “Um.”

“I’m not a boy, and I’m not just a friend. You’re mine: body and soul.”

She squirms in her seat as I stare. “Then what do I call you?”

“Call me anything you want; just be aware boyfriends come and go. I won’t.”

Red’s lips curl into a sweet smile.

The server drops the check, noticing the change in atmosphere at our table. “Is there…”

I raise my head. “No. We’re good.”

We finish up and arrive at the hospital for her afternoon rotation. I help her out of the passenger seat. “What time are you done?”

“I can get an Uber.”

I kiss her cheek. “Why?”

“I don’t want to be a burden.” Her head ducks as she chews on her lower lip. “I know you say you want me with you, but that could change and I don’t to overstay my welcome.”

“No burden. What time?”

“I should be done around five.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up then.” I pull her into my arms and press my mouth to her lips kissing her gently at first and then taking her moans. “Be good, Red.”

“Yes sir.” She gives me a mock salute and my cock goes from awake to fully erect. “You’ll be using that phrase tonight.”

She smiles as she walks away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a dark-haired man on a bee-line to catch Red. I take out my phone and dial. “Hey Fingers?”

“Hello, Thane. What can I do for you?”

“Can you hack a university system?”

“Of course. Text me the who and what I’m looking for. I can get to it to you later, unless you need it sooner.”

“No. Tomorrow is fine. Just between us.”

“Of course.”

“Bye.” I climb back into my SUV. Back to the condo. I need a good workout.

SCARLET

Climbing out of Thane’s SUV after lunch, the hustle and bustle of students reminds me how different my life has become. I used to drive myself everywhere, and then I met Thane. Sighing, I step onto the path to the buildings. I shouldn’t have mentioned ‘boyfriend’ to Thane. I threw the word at Tony because he made me feel uncomfortable. Chewing my lip, I ponder. He didn’t seem unhappy at the prospect of being my boyfriend. He’s the one that seems to be moving us into a relationship.

A voice calls out and disrupts my thoughts. “Hey, wait up!”

I turn to see Tony running to catch up. “Hi.”

He flicks his head to the parking lot. “Was that your boyfriend?”

I smile remembering lunch. “Yeah.”

“He’s not a student.”

I break out in laughter. “No. Not at all.”

He looks back at the parking lot. “What’s he do for a living?”

“He’s a businessman.”

“Oh. What kind of business?”

I shrug. “He works for his family business.” We continue down the walkway. “Where are you from, Tony?”

He stiffens at my question, and I’m sorry I asked. I smile. “Forget I asked.” I guess he doesn’t want to share specifics any more than I do. I heard too much at the strip club, not going to offer any information to some guy in my class.

“Oh. No. I. Um…” He touches my arm. “I had a bad experience before I got here, so I don’t like to talk about it.”

I move my arm from his hand. “No worries. Say no more.” We enter the classroom and take our seats. Our favorite professor strolls into the room. “We’re going to mix things up today. Check the board. You all have new assignments.”

I take a deep breath. This is never a good thing. I approach the white board and spot my name. Yep. I’m with Tony. He gives me a thumbs up, and we move out of the room.

“So, we’re together.”

Why is it that he’s always with me? “Yeah. I’ve never worked in pediatrics.”

“Kids are just like adults, except smaller. You’ll do great. Come on.”

We walk down the ramp to the hospital’s pediatric department.

Five hours later, I’m ready to go. Tony’s casual friendliness has ramped up to stalker level. He pried about me and Thane the entire afternoon. I grit my teeth as I stand at the curb waiting for my ride. Tony chose not to follow me when I mentioned my ‘boyfriend’ was picking me up. A part of me wants to mention Tony’s interest to Thane, but he’d probably gut him, and I’d feel bad.

His SUV sidles up to me. I reach for the door handle, and Thane shakes his head. I smile. “I’m tired. Can we just go?”

He nods. “Of course. Something wrong?”

“No. Just a long afternoon.”

“Okay. Out or takeout?”

My stomach rumbles on cue. “Would takeout be okay?”

“Of course. Did something happen?”

“No. Just tired.”

“Okay.”

My conscience is nudging me. If I tell him about Tony’s behavior, would he just find him and kill him? I mean, he’s Bratva. I’ve always kept my head down at the club, but men talk. I had no idea what the mafia was or a Russian bratva, for that matter. I got a full tutorial about what was going on from the more experienced dancers at the club. It was like living in a Friday night “Goodfellas” kind of drama. They were always bragging about killing some guy or giving him a beat down. I’m lost in thought as we pull up to the restaurant as some guy walks out our food. I guess Thane ordered before I got into the car. Should his need to control bug me more than it does? I close my eyes. I’m so scattered right now.

We arrive at Thane’s penthouse with a bag full of my favorite Chinese food. He set plates down on the counter, and I vaguely hear him snap his fingers.

“Red? Where are you?”

I jerk my head up. “I’m sorry, distracted. I’m here. I was just thinking about family.”

He pours some of each of the white cartons onto my plate. “Where is your family?”

I chew my lip. I don’t talk about them. “Um.”

He kisses the side of my head. “You don’t have to tell me.”

I should. Maybe if I share with him, he’ll open up with me?

Thane runs his hand down my neck and my arm. “I’ll listen.”

“Um. I don’t remember my family, well, except for my grandmother. I remember when I found out in high school that my parents and brothers were killed in a drive by shooting, not in the car accident my grandmother always said.” Taking a deep breath, I blow it out. “The mean girl in my chemistry class threw a piece of paper on my desk. It was an article describing the incident. Four family members executed in their SUV as they stopped at a stoplight after a night out at the movies for the twelve-year-old son’s birthday.” I looked into his piercing gray eyes. “My other brother was nine.” My heart hurts from the memories.

“Keep going Red. I’m here.”

I focus on his face. Our food’s getting cold, but he’s just sitting there. I take another cleansing breath. “I didn’t finish the school day. It was like, fifth period, but I couldn’t help myself. I rushed home, and I tried to talk to her about what I was told, but she forbade me from finding out anything else. The week after high school graduation, Mrs. Abashin found me passed out on the front lawn and took pity on me when I rambled about needing to know more about my family’s deaths. She filled in some details and told me the alcohol I was drinking to numb the pain wasn’t worth it. I needed to put my sadness and bitterness to a better cause. Her honesty made the biggest difference.” I chew on my lip. “My grandmother screamed when she found out I knew.”

Thane nods and picks up his chopsticks. “Adults don’t want kids to know things, not that you were a kid then, but you understand what I mean.”

I open my chopsticks and pick up a piece of teriyaki chicken. “She did a good job secluding me from the truth. I regret that I didn’t know what happened to them earlier, though. As though the truth would have been worth something to their memory.”

“I get it. But there’s a kindness in being oblivious to adult things.”

His words hang in the air. His gaze softens as I ask. “When did you realize there was evil in the world?”

His hand stops moving, leaving his chopsticks holding the dumpling in the air. “I think I always knew. There was a shootout at my ninth birthday party.”

I gasp. “Oh. That’s horrible. Who would do that?” Another shooting. His life has always been violent.

He nods. “It wasn’t fun.” He moves the dumpling to his mouth and chews. “I think it was the last day of my childhood. My mother tried to shield me, but death and violence hovered around our family. That’s the nature of the beast when you live the life of the bratva.”

I swallow. Should I ask? “Um. What does that mean?”

He chuckles. “My father is the head of our family and his bratva. He runs all the organization and all the men. Cynric will take over for him when he dies or decides to quit.”

I graze my fingers over his arm. “And what does that mean to you?”

He sits up taller. “I will be my brother’s second in command. Well, once I get out of stupid jail.”

I can’t help the smile that creeps up my lips. “Stupid jail?”

“Yeah. I was stupid, and now I’m ostracized by my family.” His eyes move to watch my fingers rub his arm. “You need to finish eating.”

I look up through my lashes, knowing it makes me look innocent. “Why?”

“Because I plan to bring you to the sweetest heights tonight as I make you mine again and again.”

The words hover over my tongue, but I can’t ask. Am I? I don’t think I’d believe it if he said I was his when we weren’t talking about sex. I concentrate on eating some more of the fragrant Chinese food as he devours his portion.

Twenty minutes later, he’s carrying me to his bed. The room smells like Thane. It’s a heady combination of man, musk, and sandalwood. He stands me on my feet, running his hands from my hips, pushing down my pants and panties. Within moments, we’re both gloriously naked with his massive erection bobbing at his stomach.

“That is just so huge.” He makes it tap against his stomach as I smile. “Now that’s a cool trick.”

He scoops me up and lays me down on his bed, the bedding still in a mess at the bottom, and he whispers. “You’re mine, Red.” His voice drips with possession.

I reach for him, pulling him down to kiss his lips. I rub my hand down the smoothness of his cock. After the first night of using a condom, he confirmed I was on the pill, so no more condoms. I’d only had sex a few times and always used condoms, so having him bare was new to me.

He flicks my nipple to bring my attention back to him. He orders. “My way.”

Duh. It’s always your way. Every time he’s a little more dominant, more controlling. He reaches into the drawer next to the bed and pulls out a pair of fur-lined handcuffs. Grabbing the ring on the headboard, I place my wrists up close so he can snap on the cuffs and hook them to the bed. He slips his finger inside me. “You are so fucking wet.”

“Only for you.” I murmur. My fingers flex together with my wrists in the cuffs. He’ll work me into a lust-filled lather. He kneels between my legs and raises them, easing his face down to blow on my sex. “Oh, Thane.”

“That’s right. Beg me.”

“I want you.” I pull on the cuffs. “Put your cock inside me.”

“No. Not yet.” He shifts. “I’m going to taste you and make you come a few times first.”

“Please, I want you inside me.”

He slides his tongue between my folds, poking my heat with his tongue. The sensations build in my core. I moan as he glides his finger down and into my warmth. “Wet for me.” His finger bends and slides in and out as his mouth caresses my nub. Tingles sprout along my spine. The first spark of the climax is ready to ignite. He sucks my clit and adds a second finger as I explode. A detonation of sensations bombard me as I cascade off the precipice of pleasure.

He chuckles, licking his shiny lips. “The rest of your orgasms will have to be from my cock. I can’t wait.” He raises up, positioning himself between my legs, as his cock pushes against my sex. He enters me and it feels glorious until he pulls out again to the tip.

I’m so hot for him: impatient and horny. I yank against the restraints in anticipation as my legs wrap around his waist, eagerly welcoming him into my body again with one powerful thrust. The sensation of him filling me is pure bliss, leaving me breathless and craving more. He starts to increase speed, his long and deep strokes driving me wild. I yearn for him to go faster. I’m greedy and want to come again.

As our movements become more frantic, our bodies glisten with sweat, and we both struggle to catch our breath. A moment of reality breaks the moment as I realize despite being unable to say the words, I know that I love Thane. The words linger on the tip of my tongue, and I bite down on my lip to contain the words from spilling out.

He murmurs in a low voice. “You feel amazing. I can’t get enough of this.”

I moan in response, my body pressing into his as I hunger for more of his touch and all that he has to give. His fingers expertly massage my clit, sending continual shivers of pleasure through my body. Unable to handle the intensity of his thick cock inside me, and his fingers strumming, I reach a climax that leaves me gasping for air.

Thane’s body tenses. He’s following me into the abyss. He trembles with ecstasy as he reaches his own peak.

“Fuck.” I cry out.

He chuckles softly. “I think we just did.” He leans up to undo my hands and showers me with angel kisses all over my neck and chest. “That was perfect.”

“It was.” I have an image of my brain standing next to my heart with a stern face, reminding me that what we did was just sex. He wants me here to make sure we keep having sex. He loves my body and the things we do, but that’s not love. My head reminds my heart. Occasional meals out and sex at his place doesn’t make this a relationship, no matter how much I want it to be or how much he says it.

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