Bratva Boss’ Baby by Winter Sloane

Chapter Three

“Why don’t you let me buy you a drink, beautiful?” the handsome dark-haired guy in the tailored suit asked.

He looked at Ava, then focused on Gina. What a dick. It was like he couldn’t decide if he wanted Ava or Gina. Gina and she traded knowing looks.

“Sorry, pal. You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Gina said. She put her arm around Ava’s shoulders. “Me and my girlfriend here want some time alone.”

Ava prevented a giggle. This wasn’t the first time Gina and she pretended to be a couple to fend off assholes who didn’t know how to take a hint. The guy looked surprised. Ava thought they’d finally get rid of him, but he flashed them both a creepy smile.

“Then why don’t you and your girlfriend come over to my place? We can have some fun.” The guy winked at them suggestively, as if that would persuade them to consider his ridiculous proposition.

“No thanks,” Ava said firmly.

She’d had it with this asshole. He was ruining her night. Ava wanted to have some fun. To drink and dance. She didn’t want to think about losing her job and eventually losing everything else—like her apartment, tonight. “There are plenty of fish in the pool. Why don’t you try using those cheesy lines on someone else?”

The guy’s face turned red as a tomato. He balled his hands into fists. “Who the hell do you fat bitches think you are?”

Ava froze and desperately looked for the bartender. They knew Eric, the bartender and owner of the Rum and Monkey. Eric was ex-military, and they could rely on him to throw out jerks like this one. Too bad Eric was busy making drinks. Shit.

“The ladies said they weren’t interested,” said a deep, unfamiliar voice.

Ava blinked. It was the huge, quiet, and dark-haired Russian sitting in the corner. Ava thought he was Russian because she heard him talking to another guy. She’d taken a beginner class in Russian but eventually dropped the course.

Gina said the guy had been checking her out all evening, but she didn’t quite believe her. Gina kept pushing her to go up to him, but her shyness got in the way. Ava never approached guys. She was terrified she’d say the wrong thing. Besides, he intimidated her a little. Standing a few feet from her, Gina, and the annoying prick, the new stranger towered over everyone else.

Ava would’ve called him a bruiser, except he looked like a cross between an escaped convict and a billionaire. He had miles and miles of muscle. Black ink peeked from his neck and hands. The suit he wore looked tailored to fit his ridiculously massive frame.

“Hey buddy, I got here—” The prick harassing them took one look at the stranger and paled.

“Leave now,” the stranger said. His black eyes bore into the prick’s.

“Okay, I don’t want a fight.” The guy finally slunk away.

“Thanks for that,” Ava said. “We weren’t sure how to get rid of him.”

“My pleasure.” The guy’s deep and sexy voice sent shivers down her spine. “You look rattled. Maybe a drink would calm you down?”

This guy was definitely looking at her and her alone. It was like Ava was the only thing he could see, like the rest of the people in the bar didn’t matter.

She was about to refuse him, to tell him she wasn’t interested, but Gina cut her off.

“Ava would like a drink. You also haven’t introduced yourself,” Gina said.

“Viktor,” he said, emphasizing the hard k.

Viktor offered his hand to Ava. She hesitated, then shook it. Every inch of Viktor screamed danger. Her mother always told Ava to avoid bad boys when she was growing up. She’d always dated boring vanilla guys. Viktor wasn’t her type at all, but something about Viktor drew her to him.

“Nice to meet you, Viktor,” she said.

“Ava, I forgot I had an emergency at home.” Gina winked at her.

Ava shot her a wide-eyed stare. Gina gave her a thumbs-up sign before leaving her alone with Viktor.

“More beer?” he asked, taking the stool Gina had occupied.

“Sure.” Ava nervously twiddled her thumbs as Viktor ordered her and himself more beers. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to meet anyone. I just wanted to go somewhere where I can forget my problems for a little.”

Viktor seemed so big and intimidating, and yet she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if he kissed her. Took her home. She bet a man like Viktor wouldn’t, couldn’t be gentle. Would he be able to give her the kind of sex she secretly craved?

Ava always harbored dark desires. She’d always been too shy, too busy to act on them. She pictured Viktor pinning her wrists to the wall, ripping her dress off her, and putting that mouth to her most intimate places.

She could feel her cheeks heating up and hoped Viktor wouldn’t make a comment about her blushing. Ava sipped her beer.

“What happened?” he asked.

“You want to hear about my problems?” she asked.

That was strange. The men and women who wandered in here only wanted one thing. To hook up with complete strangers.

“I’m not having a good day either.” Viktor paused, took a pull of his beer. “I’m having a problem with one of my employees.”

“What do you do?” she asked, curious.

Now that Gina was gone, she had no one to talk to. Maybe Viktor wasn’t interested in sex. Maybe he only needed a friend, or at the very least, someone to listen to his problems.

“I run a couple of businesses,” he replied rather cryptically. “What about you?”

What the hell? It wasn’t like she would see this guy again. “I thought I was being promoted, but I ended up being let go instead.”

“You were fired?”

She turned to him, a little ticked off. “Being fired implied I did something wrong.”

He looked intrigued by her little outburst.

Ava coughed and continued, “I did everything right. They said the company had to do some budget cuts, but in the end, they told me the real reason. It was because I didn’t fit in with the company culture.”

“Huh? What the hell does that mean?”

“I know, right? It’s because I came from a different background than anyone else. I didn’t graduate from a good university like my other colleagues.”

Viktor scoffed. “What a stupid reason to let someone go. I don’t know the details, but it sounds like someone had a hard-on for you.”

“What?” Ava admittedly had also considered that option.

She just didn’t voice her concerns to Gina, and they didn’t hide secrets from each other. Ava was pretty sure Gina would just laugh and tell her she was imagining things.

“Anyway.” She stared gloomily at her bottle. “Who was I kidding? Maybe they were right. I worked harder than everyone else to prove I was just like them. In the end, where did that get me? I lost my job. I lost everything.”

Viktor laughed, and that definitely got on her nerves.

Seeing her expression, he sighed. “It’s not the end of the world. There are other jobs.”

“But Green and Hills Accounting is the best firm in the city,” she said. “Without my generous salary, I won’t be able to pay for my apartment or keep sending money to my mom.”

Viktor said nothing for a few moments. Then Ava realized she just told her life story to a complete stranger she just met. God. How embarrassing. She must be really off her game.

Viktor probably thought she was a mess. A screwup. Ava should’ve stayed at home and buried herself in her blankets. Feeling sorry for herself in front of the TV while stroking her cat seemed a lot better than embarrassing herself.

“I’m so sorry,” she blurted. “I didn’t mean to rant.”

“You’re an accountant?” His question completely threw her off.

“Uh. Yeah.”

“And you’re good at your job?” he pressed. Viktor closed his big hand over her wrist. Her pulse leaped. His fingers were warm, covered in calluses. This was a man who wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty.

Damn it. It had been so long for her. She wasn’t a virgin, but she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been intimate with a man. She distrusted the way her body reacted to Viktor. Her nipples were already tightening beneath her dress. And her panties—no.

Ava seriously needed to get her mind out of the gutter. Viktor might not even be interested in her that way, but if he was, she’d definitely hit that. Him.

Viktor was seriously hot. Who cared if he looked like some kind of gangster? He said he ran his own business. Businesses. Plural. Not that she cared about what he did or if he was rich. She wasn’t her mom.

“Ava?” Viktor gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

He let her go, probably realizing it was inappropriate. What did he ask her? Everything about him was so intriguing. Distracting might be a better adjective.

“Are you a good accountant?”

“Oh. I guess I’m all right.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Fine.” She straightened her spine and looked him in the eye. “I’m freaking amazing. There was even this one project I practically did all on my own. A senior accountant was supposed to be in charge, but he was just plain lazy. I did everything. The assessment. The reports. I even dealt with the clients.”

Tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was crying in front of a stranger. Viktor must think her weak. He took her by surprise when he reached out and used his thumb to rub her tears away. She stilled, slightly unsure of the unexpectedly tender gesture.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Hush.” He put two fingers under her chin, making her look up at him. Her heart hammered as Viktor leaned in close and took her lips. He didn’t kiss. Viktor plundered like a thirsty man in the desert.

Heat pooled between her legs. Her sensitive nipples grazed the fabric of her dress. Ava bet Viktor could see the buds. When he pulled away, she panted. She wanted so much more and almost begged him not to stop.

This was insane. Ava had never been the kind of girl who frequented bars and let strangers take her home. Right now, she would’ve let him do anything to her. It should frighten her how easily this stranger could play her body like a familiar instrument, but she wasn’t afraid.

“Come with me, and I’ll help you forget all your troubles tonight,” Viktor said.

His eyes gleamed like black obsidian under the dim bar lights. They were full of ravenous hunger. A shiver of anticipation crawled down her spine.

For all she knew, Viktor might be a serial killer. Then again, Gina took men back to her apartment all the time. Worst-case scenario, Ava could use the old pepper spray in her bag.

“Trust me,” he said, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. His breath was warm, the stubble on his jaw harsh against her skin. “You won’t regret a night with me.”

“I just met you,” she said with a laugh. “One night?”

“I don’t do seconds.”

She stiffened. At least he didn’t mince his words. A blunt man felt like a cool and refreshing drink of water compared to a liar. She made up her mind.

“Good. I’m not looking for anything long-term either,” she replied.

Viktor grinned. That gesture momentarily softened the harsh lines of his face. Amusement lingered in his eyes. “Let’s get out of here.”