A Very Russian Christmas (19 page)

He unlatched his seatbelt and pointed a finger at Vivian. “You sit here. I’ll be right back.”

Not giving Bianca a chance to protest, he grabbed the umbrella he kept tucked into the compartment on the door and slid out of his seat. He popped open the umbrella, walked around his vehicle and opened Bianca’s door. When he held out his hand, she stared at it for a few seconds before she finally placed her palm against his.

Like a jolt of electricity, her touch enlivened every nerve-ending in his body. Intensely aware of the lush woman next to him, Sergei ensured she was completely covered by the umbrella’s wide canopy on their trek down her sidewalk. Covered by the porch, he lowered the umbrella and waited for her to find her keys.

“Do you want me to go inside and check the house?”

She glanced back at him and frowned. “Why in the world would you need to check my house?”

“It’s late. It’s dark. You’re a woman who lives alone.” He ticked off the reasons why she would make an easy target.

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

“You should get a security system or a dog.” He didn’t like the thought of her living alone in such a big house. A neighborhood like this one was prime burglary territory. “Do you have a concealed handgun permit?”

“Are you crazy?” She pushed open her door and stepped inside, flicking on the entryway light. “Do I look like the sort of girl who packs a pistol in her purse?”

Seizing his opening, he said, “You look like the sort of girl I would like to take out sometime.”

Bianca blinked a few times and then laughed. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

Bristling at her rejection, he asked, “Why not?”

She leveled a stare at him. “You know why.”

“I don’t.”

“Um, okay, how about a guy named Nikolai Kalasnikov? That ring any bells?”

“You mean your best friend’s boss and guardian? That Nikolai?”

She pursed those berry-colored lips at the way he had so easily pointed out her hypocrisy. “That’s different.”

“Because?”

“Because Vivi doesn’t do the things you do.”

“And what is it that I do?”

She shrugged. “You know…illegal stuff.”

“Like?” He wondered what she thought he did all day.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“One date,” he said, lifting a thick finger. “Let me take you out once. You won’t be disappointed.”

She swallowed, almost as if wavering, and parted her lips to answer him. Before she got a word out, she clamped them shut, clearly changing her mind, and shook her head. “No. I’m flattered, Sergei, but I don’t date men like you.”

Her words slashed at him like a razor. She must have seen the flash of pain they caused because she reached out and brushed her fingertips along his hand. “I didn’t mean it to sound so ugly. From what I’ve seen, you’re a really nice man, Sergei. Honestly, I don’t get why you’re all mixed up in Nikolai’s family.”

“It’s a long story, sweetheart.”

One side of her mouth lifted with amusement at his pet name. He expected her to verbally smack him for calling her sweetheart, but she let it go. Giving his chest a gentle pat, she said, “Sergei, there are lines I don’t cross. The mob? That’s one of them.” She backed into the entryway. “Good night, Sergei. Thank you for bringing me home.”

“Anytime.” He gestured toward her house. “The next time you need some work done, get my number from Vivian. I can send a crew out here.”

She seemed surprised by his offer. “Thank you. I’ll think about it.”

She would think about it, but she wasn’t going to call. He sensed Bianca Bradshaw had a stubborn streak in her a mile wide.

“Night.” She pushed the door closed.

“Good night, Bianca.” He waited until he heard the locks engaging before returning to the idling SUV. Spotting Arty’s sedan halfway down the block, he slid behind the wheel and ignored Vivian’s curious stare. He didn’t want to talk about his interest in her friend. She would probably have a list ten pages long about why it wouldn’t work. He was already working on a list eleven pages long about how it would.

Not an easily discouraged man, Sergei thought of Bianca as he navigated the slick Houston streets. She might have shot him down, but he had seen the interest in her gorgeous eyes. He had also caught a glimpse of something else in them—fear. There was a story there, something that made her afraid of getting involved with him, and he meant to uncover it.

Certain that Bianca was a special woman, the kind who came into a man’s life once and only once, Sergei accepted the challenge of wooing her. It might take weeks or months, but he was determined to show her that he was worth more as a man than his criminal connections. She was worth the effort.

Turning down the street where Vivian’s studio was located, Sergei let himself feel a bit of excitement before that hard, harsh mask he wore on the job was forced back into place. He had something new and wonderful in his life now, something clean and pure and not of this dark underworld he was forced to inhabit. He had a reason to fight his way out now, a woman who deserved a man she could be proud of on her arm.

Yes. Sergei suspected the coming year was going to be very interesting indeed.

You can read all about Sergei and Bianca in SERGEI (Her Russian Protector #5) available now in ebook and print. A sequel to their novel, SERGEI, Volume 2, will be released in Spring 2014.

Author’s Closing Note

Thanks so much for reading
A Very Russian Christmas
. I hope you enjoyed revisiting old couples and discovering new ones. The next books in the series will release in 2014 and include two sequels—
NIKOLAI
, Volume 2 (
Her Russian Protector #6
) and
SERGEI,
Volume 2 (
Her Russian Protector #5.5
)—and
KOSTYA
(
Her Russian Protector #7
),
ALEXEI
(
Her Russian Protector #8
) and
DANILA
(
Her Russian Protecor #9
.)

You can check out my
website
,
Facebook
page or sign up for my
newsletter
for updates and notices on upcoming releases. I also offer
Free Reads
featuring couples from my books on my website.

About the Author

When I’m not chasing after my wild preschooler, I like to write super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas with a husband who could easily snag a job as an extra on History Channel’s new
Viking
series and a sweet but rowdy four-year-old.

I also have another dirty-book writing alter ego,
Lolita Lopez
, who writes deliciously steamy tales for Ellora’s Cave, Forever Yours/Grand Central, Mischief/Harper Collins UK, Siren Publishing and Cleis Press.

You can find me online at
www.roxierivera.com
or
www.roxieriverawriter.com
.

Roxie’s Backlist

Her Russian Protector Series

Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)

Dimitri (Her Russian Protector #2)

Yuri (Her Russian Protector #3)

A Very Russian Christmas (Her Russian Protector #3.5)

Nikolai (Her Russian Protector #4)

Sergei (Her Russian Protector #5)

Sergei, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #5.5) – Coming Spring 2014

Nikolai, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #6) – Coming Spring 2014

Kostya (Her Russian Protector #7) – Coming Summer 2014

Alexei (Her Russian Protector #8) – Coming Summer 2014

Danila (Her Russian Protector #9) – Coming Fall 2014

The Fighting Connollys Series

In Kelly’s Corner (Fighting Connollys #1)

In Jack’s Arms (Fighting Connollys #2)—Coming January 2013!

In Finn’s Heart (Fighting Connollys #3)—Coming April 2014!

Seduced By…

Seduced by the Loan Shark

Seduced by the Loan Shark 2—Coming Soon!

Seduced by the Congressman

Seduced by the Congressman 2

Erotica

Chance’s Bad, Bad Girl

Halftime With Craig

Tease

Eddie’s Cuffs 1

Eddie’s Cuffs 2

Eddie’s Cuffs 3

Disturbing the Peace

Quid Pro Quo

Search and Seizure

Copyright © 2013 by Roxie Rivera.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

Roxie Rivera/Night Works Books

3515-B Longmire Drive, #103

College Station, TX 77845

www.roxierivera.com

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

A Very Russian Christmas (Her Russian Protector, Book 3.5)/ Roxie Rivera. — 1st ed.

ISBN
978-1-63042-004-8