Chapter 3: Friday morning: Reunited

Shifting my position on the seat, I subtly tried to ease the pressure from my cock. The semi I was sporting didn’t want to go down, no matter what. I’d been trying to think of anything other than Sonia for the last few minutes, but it wasn’t working. I was hyper-aware of her sitting so close to me. It was making me bloody grumpy, and I knew I must be coming across as broody as hell right now. I didn’t know what to do though. I never usually had a problem controlling my libido, and yet suddenly, I couldn’t help myself.

Shit! If I didn’t get a grip, I was never going to be able to hide the fact that I secretly lusted after her. I knew having her so close to me was going to be difficult; I just didn’t realise it was going to be quite so hard. I snorted to myself over the unintended pun.

From the second Sonia smiled at me, looking radiant, I was completely awestruck. All I could do was stand and stare like a teenager. When she started walking towards me, I felt like I could burst from the excitement. My fantasy girl was headed my way. Having her grin and then run into my arms so enthusiastically had been thrilling. I’d picked her up and swung her around, feeling like the hero in some stupid romantic movie greeting his girl after time apart, and I’d loved it. So had my cock, which promptly decided to make its presence known, pressing against her.

Sonia must have felt it because she jumped down and looked embarrassed. I’d nearly died on the spot, only managing to say, “Welcome home,” before quickly turning away. I’d avoided looking at Sonia while I chatted to my men. Thank God I was wearing a long enough jacket over my jeans, which mercifully hid the situation from everyone.

That wasn’t the only problem, however. When Sonia had hugged Rolan and Armen goodbye, I was almost overwhelmed by a possessiveness I had no right to feel, only barely managing to stop myself from tearing her away from them out of sheer jealousy. I stared ahead as I drove, clutching the wheel and willing my erection down. My muscles were bunched tight, and tension radiated off me in waves as I struggled to make myself calm down. I knew I should speak, but I couldn’t get any words out.

I badly needed to get my cock under control. If I couldn’t control my libido after spending just a few minutes with Sonia, how the hell was I going to survive being in her company for hours at a time over the next few weeks? I bit back a groan. This was going to be a fucking nightmare. I decided the best course of action would be to completely ignore her presence until I could cope with her closeness. However, I figured that was a lost cause because it seemed that every atom of my being was on high alert at her proximity.

Of course, Sonia wasn’t one for long bouts of silence, and I should have known she would break it sooner or later, forcing me to interact with her whether I wanted to or not.

“How have you been, Romi?” she asked.

Her sweet voice saying my name sent shivers down my spine, and my cock jerked, longing to break free and get to her. I imagined stopping the car, pulling her towards me and taking her until she screamed my name.

“Fine,” I forced the word out, then clamped my mouth shut, not willing to say anything else until I got my thoughts and my cock back under control. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I wasn’t going to survive this.

Sonia was silent while I quietly fumed at myself. I felt bad about the atmosphere I knew I’d created between us, but I was embarrassed, which was a very unfamiliar feeling for me, and my cock was just bloody uncomfortable. Had she felt it? Was that why she seemed embarrassed, or was it something else? I should say something. But what?

No, I decided, huffing out a breath. Whether Sonia had noticed it or not, it was probably best if we pretended it hadn’t happened. Otherwise, it would be even more awkward. I would get my libido under bloody control and then just act normally. I forced myself to think of the guys we’d tortured the other day and the things we did to them. I thought of every disgusting, horrible thing I could do, and eventually, it did the trick. Thank God!

I relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Is everything ready for the Glitz event?” she asked, breaking the silence again.

“Yes, everything is in place. Ash is meeting with Marcie Matthews this morning to discuss the final arrangements, but it all seems to be going according to plan,” I said, glad to be back in control of myself and able to speak to her again.

“That’s great! I can’t wait to see it!” she gushed.

I heard the smile in her voice, and it made me relax even more. Everything was going to be fine. I could do this.

“You enjoyed working on it?” I asked, feeling more confident in my ability to act like a grown-ass man instead of a lovestruck teenager.

“I loved it! I really enjoy creating something beautiful from scratch. You know?”

“Yes, I do,” I smiled, nodding in agreement.

“You like to create things?” she asked, sounding so shocked that I couldn’t help but laugh.

We had always been close, but this was something very few people knew about me.

“Yes, although not usually on such a grand scale,” I told her, smiling.

“What do you like to do?” she asked me, and the genuine interest in her voice made my grin widen.

I rarely ever talked about my side projects, but with her, I suddenly felt compelled to. I wanted her to know me more than anyone else. I knew I shouldn’t do anything that could bring us even closer than we already were, not considering the change in my feelings. Yet, I found myself opening my mouth and letting my secret pour out.

“I buy run-down properties, do them up, and then sell them for profit,” I said, glancing at her.

She was definitely shocked now.

“Is that so hard to believe?” I asked, with a chuckle as she turned in her seat to look at me better.

“Eh, no, it’s just a shock because I had no idea you were into that. Tell me about it?” Sonia replied, sounding very interested and a little excited by the idea.

Her interested gaze on me and the excitement in her eyes made me want to preen. I had her complete attention, and I liked it. I wanted more. So, I told her all about my latest project, a flat in London. The building work was complete, but I still needed to install a bathroom and decorate it. She seemed very impressed that I was doing most of the work myself, and I couldn’t help but bask in her admiration.

Sonia’s interest spurred me on to continue talking and I told her about the properties I had previously completed, too. I had been involved in this sideline for a few years now and had used the opportunity to learn all I could from the different tradesmen I employed. I really liked working with my hands and creating something beautiful from scratch, just like she did.

Sonia smiled at me, nodding encouragingly as I continued to talk. Her big eyes filled with awe as she hung on my every word, and I practically burst with pride. I loved how Sonia looked at me with renewed respect. I was thrilled when she peppered me with questions about my projects. It felt good to discuss them with someone who had a like-minded interest.

It wasn’t often that I told people about my sideline. I was a private person, and I liked to keep that side of me separate from the Bratva soldier I had been born. Also, I kept it to myself because I wanted it that way. This sideline, these little projects, were entirely my own and had nothing to do with the Bratva or my cousins and their legitimate businesses. I liked that. I enjoyed that I was my own boss and my own man with my own business, and nobody could tell me what to do or not do or how I needed to behave.

When I took on another project, I let myself get lost in the creative process where I could simply be myself without all the baggage that came with the other side of my life. It was also a way for me to establish my own identity beyond being a Rominov. I loved being a Rominov. Still, I was adopted into the family, and despite being totally accepted by them, I had never felt that I really deserved my position in the brotherhood or my share in the family business. I knew that I had worked hard to earn both, but regardless, at times, I still felt like things were handed to me because of who my adopted father was.

So, running my own property development business, however small, gave me a sense of self-worth, ownership, and achievement. It was mine and mine alone, and I enjoyed that. Nevertheless, discussing it with Sonia and seeing her excitement had me wishing it were something we could do together. If only!

Pulling into the driveway of the country Estate where we lived, I sighed. That was a pipe dream and something I shouldn’t even be thinking about, I reminded myself. Even so, I had thoroughly enjoyed our chat and was back to feeling more comfortable in Sonia’s presence. My cock was still sporting a semi, but it was bearable, and I was pleased to be in control again. Maybe things wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

Feeling calmer, I jumped out of the car and rushed around to open the door for Sonia. I offered her my hand to help her out, and as our hands touched, it was as if an electric current passed straight through both of us during the skin-on-skin contact. She gasped. My eyes jerked up to meet hers, and I dropped her hand like it was on fire. I gulped, feeling panicked but unable to move. It seemed neither of us could.

‘Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!’my inner voice was chanting at me. I had a feeling that things had just changed dramatically between us and would never be the same again. I wasn’t quite sure what to think about that, but I knew that if I hadn’t been in trouble before, I was now.

We stood there staring at each other for what felt like ages but were probably no more than a few seconds, unable to tear our gazes away. The air around us practically vibrated with the energy that zinged between us.

Sonia opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get any words out, she was interrupted.

“Sonia!” Nonna’s voice woke us from our trance.

As Nonna pulled Sonia into a tight hug, I took the opportunity to escape. I needed to get away, fast. I grabbed Sonia’s luggage and hurried into the house with it. Leaving the two women behind, I rushed up the stairs, dumped her suitcase in her room and then practically ran to my own room to hide.

As I shut the door and leaned against it, I couldn’t believe what I was doing. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breath, which was coming out in shallow pants. Oh hell! I was a grown man hiding out in his room to keep from facing the reality that my cousin and I just might have the chemistry I had been dreaming about. Shit!

Running my hands through my hair, I paced from one side of the room to the other. I had thought staying away from Sonia would be bad enough when I believed that my feelings were one-sided, but now, after the way our bodies practically sang from the briefest of touches, everything had become a whole lot worse. Dear God, what was I going to do?

I was,indeed, well and truly screwed.