Stay With Me (A BWWM Russian Billionaire Romance Novel) (Imani's Russian Billionaire Series Book 1) (3 page)

G
od
, those eyes…

Thania shook her head, annoyed at herself for yet again thinking about Vladislav. He had been in her thoughts, and unfortunately, in her dreams as well. She had woken up a little sweaty and a lot turned on, and she couldn’t believe the effect one man was having on her.

While taking a shower, she wondered whether she should tell her best friends about him. She was meeting them for lunch in a little while. Daya would be excited but Asha would be reserved and most likely, a little concerned.

Especially if you tell them how you have basically been obsessed with him since first laying eyes on him yesterday.

She went to her closet and pulled out a pair of high waist black gaucho pants and a simple pink silk tank. The outfit emphasized her bust and her narrow waist, while camouflaging what she wanted hidden. The effect, especially after she wrapped a wide, fabric, multi-colored belt around her waist and knotted it, was an hourglass figure.
What woman doesn’t want that
, she thought with a smile.

As she was putting on her makeup in the bathroom, she scolded herself yet again for thinking of Vladislav. She had far too much to do for her career to be daydreaming of happily-ever-after with a man she didn’t even know. She had twenty minutes to get to the restaurant where she was meeting Asha and Daya, so she spritzed on her favorite perfume, put her gold bangles on her wrist, hung some chunky gold earrings from her ears, and added a few gold rings to her fingers. She grabbed her Valentino bag, slipped on her ballet flats, and was just about to open the door when the doorbell rang.

She looked through the peephole only to see two hands holding an enormous bouquet of red roses. Her heart pounded as she opened the door.

“Are you Thania Walter?” The young teenager looked like he could barely carry the bouquet—there had to be at least five dozen red roses in the vase.

“Yes, yes,” she said as she waved the teenager inside and gestured toward a table for him to deposit it.

She grabbed some money out of her bag and tipped the boy before he left. All the while though, her sight was on the roses. She felt like her eyes were as big as saucers as she stared at it. She’d noticed almost immediately that there was a note peaking out from the beautiful stems, and she circled the table warily, hoping beyond hope that they were from Vladislav, but almost afraid to find out that they weren’t.

Finally, she grabbed the thick envelope with her name, ‘Thania’, written in bold, masculine script on the front. She tore it open, only barely noticing the richness of the stationery. It read:

Thania read the note twice, stunned. She sat down with the piece of paper in her lap, touching the soft as silk red rose petals with her fingertips as she looked at the blank wall across her apartment.

He calls himself Vlad. I like that. Oh my God, I have never had a man write such amazing words to me in my entire life. He’s dangerous to my heart and my body, but right now I don’t much care. I can’t believe he went through the trouble of finding me!

She put the note in her bag and ran out the door, realizing that at that point she was going to be late to meet Asha and Daya.

But what a story I have to tell them
…

“
W
ait a minute
! Vladislav Sakharov asked you out?” Daya leaned across the table as she asked, her eyes lit up with excitement.

“Yes,” Thania replied with a small laugh. “That’s what I have been trying to tell you both.”

The three best girlfriends were eating brunch at their favorite downtown hotel-bar, the Hotelliere de Luxe. Asha ate her smoked salmon with avocado in silence; she’d barely said a word since Thania started to describe her interactions with Vlad.

“Where’s the note?” Daya asked, still leaning forward, her spinach salad with cranberry vinaigrette forgotten.

“It’s right here,” Thania said, taking it carefully out of her bag.

Daya reached over and plucked it right out of her hand.

“Hey!” Thania objected, but soon gave up as Daya completely ignored her and read the note.

“Oh Lord, this man has some sexy handwriting,” Daya murmured as she continued to look it over as if it held the secret nuclear codes or something.

“Can I have it back, please?” Thania asked with her hand out, and Daya reluctantly gave it to her.

“So, what do you think I should do?”

Both women looked back at her in silence.

“Girls!” she said with a laugh. “Come on, help me out!”

“Well, if he wants to take you somewhere, just be careful,” Asha said, worry lines between her eyebrows.

“He
does
want to take her somewhere, Asha. He’s asked her to go to a gala with him!” Daya responded, annoyance clear in her voice.

“Then just be careful when you go, Thania. I’m sure it will be fine,” Asha said, her face devoid of any of the excitement that Daya’s displayed.

Daya snorted and turned her back on Asha. “Forget her,” she said to Thania, while Thania looked at Asha with concern. She definitely was not herself lately.

“What do
you
want to do?” Daya asked.

“I want to go, of course, but I don’t know if I should.”

“Let me get this straight. A gorgeous gazillionaire wants to take
you
, Thania Walter, to an A-list gala as his date, and you aren’t sure if you
should
?” Daya was so worked up that she flagged down the waiter for another basket of bread.

“Well, that’s exactly the problem. He
is
gorgeous, and he
is
rich, and he is
famous
,” Thania said, making the word ‘famous’ sound dirty.

“So what?”

“I don’t know if I’ll fit in at that type of event.”

“Of course, you will,” Asha piped up, then went back to seemingly listen with just one ear.

The two other friends paused for a moment and looked at her, but that was all she wanted to say, apparently, so they turned toward each other again.

“You should go,” Daya said bluntly. Then she just looked at Thania while she took a small bite of a roll.

“That’s it? I should go?”

Thania was expecting more discussion, more dissection of every word in Vlad’s note, more…something. It was as if her friends didn’t really want to discuss it at all.

Something was going on with Asha that had nothing to do with Thania’s dating life, this Thania knew. So, she was able to look past Asha’s seeming disinterest because she was worried about her.

But Daya, she was acting a little envious. Not overtly so, just kind of annoyed that Thania would even think twice about whether to go to the gala with Vlad. It was as if Daya wasn’t altogether happy for her. Thania knew that Daya’s career and social life were not what she had envisioned for herself, but Thania also knew that both of those things would eventually work themselves out for Daya. She was gorgeous and kind, and those two attributes did not go together very often, so Thania was confident about Daya’s future happiness. It seemed that Daya didn’t feel that confident herself, though.

Deciding that the topic was now dead, Thania changed the subject. She asked about her friends’ lives, getting caught up in the minutia that best friends share with each other. And if
she
listened with just one ear and responded enthusiastically at the right times, she couldn’t really be faulted for daydreaming about the gala that night, could she?

L
ater that afternoon
, Thania spent a lot of time getting ready for the gala. She wondered how she would find Vlad when she arrived; his note had said that he would send a car for her. The thought of seeing him again, and actually speaking to him this time, made her so nervous that she needed to sit down.

This is ridiculous. I might not even like him.

But somehow, Thania knew that would not be the case. She took a long bath, using some outrageously expensive exfoliating cleanser and body butter that she had received as a gift. Her skin was glowing like amber in the sun when she was finished. She didn’t mess with her hair too much; she liked a natural look. She spent a lot more time on her makeup than she normally did.

She tried to remember Len’s instructions from the photo shoot, and after a half an hour she sat back and smiled at the results. Her eyes looked bigger, her cheekbones more pronounced, and her lips were a gorgeous shade of burgundy that she had never worn before.

She slipped on a tiny pair of panties and walked to her closet. She knew exactly what she was going to wear. The dress was part of her own design collection—the finale in her next fashion show, to be exact. She had never had an opportunity to wear it before but she had been dying to. As soon as she read Vlad’s note, she had thought of the dress. She pulled it from the back of her closet and hung it on a hook in her bedroom.

She unzipped the bag and pushed the sides apart. It was just as beautiful as she remembered. The dress looked deceptively simple. It was a dark navy silk, cut on the bias. It had one shoulder and from there it flowed down her body like an ocean hugs the sand. The bias cut started at the shoulder, and accentuated her breasts and hips while pulling in at her waist, giving her that hourglass figure she always sought out in her clothing. The hem reached the floor. But the real surprise was the tiny Swarovski crystals sewn here and there all over the dress, catching the light and creating a glow that surrounded the lucky woman that wore it.

And tonight, that would be me
.

Thania could not wear a bra with the dress—the back was cut so low on one side that the very top of her hip showed. It was simple but sexy as hell.

Before she slipped it on, she rubbed her entire body with her favorite scented lotion and spritzed her perfume liberally. It was a musky scent, and it combined with her skin to create a lovely fragrance unique to her. She loved it. She left off the gold bangles, but put on a simple thin Swarovski bracelet and matching stud earrings. The dress was the star of the show tonight.

At last, she was ready to slip on the dress. It was a quarter before seven o’clock, and she was so nervous that she needed to sit down again. She breathed deeply and looked at the dress where it still hung.

I can do this. Even if there is no attraction anymore, or he turns out to be a jerk, I can fake it for one evening.

Feeling more in control, she put the dress on and slipped on the custom made high heeled sandals that she had designed, as well. She had just tossed her phone, her slim wallet, and her lipstick into her clutch when the doorbell rang.

This is it. At least I’ll have a few more minutes to gather myself before I see Vlad at the gala.

Of course, the last thing she was expecting was to see Vlad himself at the door.

V
lad could barely think
after she opened the door. She took his breath away, quite literally.

She can’t be real
.

Even though he knew it was incredibly rude, he said nothing and let his eyes wander slowly down from her face to her pretty toes peeking out from her dress. By the time he had wandered back up again, she was smiling shyly at him.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I did not mean to be rude. It’s just…your beauty is beyond words. I can’t believe you’re real,” he admitted to her.

Her smile widened as she moved back to let him inside her apartment. He walked in slowly, surreptitiously glancing around as she closed the door behind him.

Roses aren’t good enough for this woman.

He took some deep breaths to gather his composure. He carried a single flower with him, and should have already given it to her before he had stepped over the threshold. This was new territory for him, being swept away by a woman. He didn’t know what to do or how to act.

“Would you like a drink?” she asked, and her voice hit his ears like the smooth taste of his favorite vodka sliding down his throat.

It was the first time he had heard it, and it fit her well. It was sexy, without trying. He turned toward her and stopped, stunned once more. He watched her back as she walked into her kitchen, separated from the living room by an island. He started to walk toward her—he did not think first before moving. He was behind her in the small kitchen after taking about six steps, and now it was her turn to stop what she was doing. She did not turn around, but he could hear her uneven breathing as he stood behind her in the small space.

His heart pounded as he stared at her back. The dress plunged from one shoulder all the way to her hip, exposing her entire back and hinting at the swell of her ass. Her skin was absolutely perfect. It looked so soft that he ached to touch it. But he didn’t trust himself. So he lifted the single white orchid that he had brought for her, and touched the nape of her neck with it.

“What are you—”

“Shhh…” he said softly as he slowly, and very gently, dragged the flower down the bare skin of her back. He saw goose bumps break out on her arms, and his dick swelled.

“Vlad,” she breathed when he reached the small of her back, and the sound of her voice saying his name made it almost impossible to stop from turning her around.

Take it easy. Don’t scare her
.

So he said nothing, but continued the orchid’s descent, finally skimming the flower over the forbidden skin she had exposed. By then, her voice, the smell of her skin, the look of her luscious body in that dress had all combined so that he was rock hard and extremely uncomfortable. But he was a gentleman. He would wait for her.

“A flower for you, Thania,” he said in his gritty voice, and she finally turned around.

They were so close now that he could see her eyes were not as dark as he had originally thought; they were caramel with flecks of gold. He handed her the orchid.

“You are the most exquisite woman I have ever seen,” he told her seriously, and she stared up at him, seemingly as enamored of him as he was of her.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Vlad was unclear if she was thanking him for the flower or the compliment. It did not matter, he thought, as he continued to stare at her.

“Shall we go?” she asked, and he stepped back immediately.

There would be time alone later.

“
E
dward
, have you met Thania Walter?”

Vlad watched as Thania turned and smiled at the man he introduced to her, answering gracefully ‘fashion designer’ when Edward asked her profession.

“Well, if you are here with Vlad, then you must be a great designer,” Edward replied, and he handed her his business card. Surprised, she glanced down at it. It read:
Edward Bancroft III, President, Bancroft Department Stores
.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Edward,” she replied with a smile.

Vlad didn’t plan to introduce her to the head of the country’s largest, and most posh, department store chain, but when Edward walked by, he figured it was a great idea.

“Send some samples of your work to the address on the card,” Edward instructed her.

“Of course, of course,” she said.

“Just send a note that it is from you. I’ll make sure it gets to the right people,” he said kindly, and then he shook her hand and then Vlad’s, before stepping away.

“Thank you so much,” she belatedly said to his back.

Vlad had watched the entire exchange from beside her, and could not help but be impressed with her composure.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, as soon as Edward was out of earshot. She placed the business card in her clutch, and then pressed a hand to her burning cheeks. Vlad laughed and handed her a glass of Cristal champagne.

“I cannot believe you introduced him to me like he was your neighbor or something!” She said, and he laughed again. She took a sip of her champagne and looked around at the glitz and glamour of the gala.

“Well, actually, he is…”

“…your neighbor,” she interrupted him, her voice dry. And then she laughed out loud, a deep, rich laugh that made him smile just from hearing it.

She is so beautiful. And the way she handled Edward just now…

Vlad was amazed at the way Thania had handled all of the introductions he’d thrown at her in the last two hours. She was a consummate professional, a smart businesswoman, and he was surprised that he was even more intrigued by her after he had watched her interact with the dignitaries, diplomats, and captains of industry that had attended the gala. To him, they were all just regular people. But to every woman he had dated in the past, those same people had been ways to get themselves in the society pages.

At the last event he had brought his ex Irina to, she had spent the entire night in front of the camera. Tonight, Thania had rejected any opportunity to be in a photo, and with the press in attendance, the chances were myriad. But she had wanted nothing to do with that, and had concentrated on him instead.

Thania was definitely impressed with the people he had introduced her to. Who wouldn’t be? But she treated the wait staff with the same respect that she had spoken to an oil magnate, and it was wonderful for Vlad to witness. The women in his past, especially Irina, all had treated the wait staff as second class citizens. Thania was different than any woman he had ever taken out before—she was intelligent, business savvy, confident, and respectful to everyone.

As far as he could tell, she was perfect.

“
T
he orchid looks lovely
in your hair,” he said as they stood in a corner of the gala and drank champagne.

“Thank you,” Thania replied softly, as she looked into his eyes.

Tension was there between them suddenly, thick and pulsing with awareness of each other. Since they had left her apartment three hours earlier, they had been surrounded by crowds and unable to talk alone. He had watched people, men and women, regard her with frank interest, and he was proud to have her on his arm. But if he’d had a choice, he would have been right there in the corner with her for the entire three hours.

Thania touched the flower behind her left ear. Before they had left her apartment, she had cut the stem and tucked it into her hair. Vlad felt almost overwhelmed by the sweetness of the gesture, and he couldn’t believe how sentimental he had become. He wasn’t a sentimental man. But he had realized earlier that he was when it came to Thania, and it did not scare him. He only felt anticipation when he thought of learning more about her, and spending more time with her.

“Thank you for asking me to come with you,” she said, their gazes locked.

“Of course, of course,” he replied, gently mimicking her response to Edward Bancroft earlier, and they both laughed. He reached out and brushed his fingers against her neck, and she shivered.

I want her
.

“I’ve had such a wonderful time with you tonight, Thania. I am so glad you came with me.”

“This has been the strangest experience,” she said after a pause.

“How so?”

“We met in a very odd way. Well, we didn’t even
meet
, really. And now here we are, and the night has been so memorable, and I’m just…happy.”

“I’m happy too, Thania,” he replied.

The gala had started to wind down; they could slip out and no one would notice.

I wonder if she will come to my home if I ask her. I need to touch her, feel her underneath me.

He moved closer to her, and their bodies brushed together. Liquid fire raced straight to his dick. The smell of her skin enveloped him like a delicious fog, and he inhaled deeply. He glanced down and noticed that her nipples were hard through her dress and he just barely stopped himself from reaching for them.

“Vlad,” she whispered against his neck, and he gently pushed her into the corner so that his body caged her in.

“I want to be alone with you,” he told her softly, his stiff erection brushing against her stomach.

She moaned so low that he could barely hear her, but even so, it was like a siren’s song to him. He wanted to hear her moan again. He wanted to
make
her moan.

“Come home with me,” he said, his mouth against her hair.

“Yes,” she whispered, and he immediately took her hand in order to turn around and leave.

“You cheating pig!” a woman screamed from behind them, and people from all over the gala stopped to stare.

He turned around to face the woman, knowing before he did so that it was Irina. He would recognize that angry screech anywhere. Thania attempted to pull her hand free, but he held firm.

“Stop it, Irina,” he said loudly, annoyed beyond words that she had interrupted his time with Thania.

“Who is this whore that you’re with?” Irina sneered, and Thania gasped beside him.

Curiosity had caused a crowd to form, and he pushed Thania behind him.

“Don’t
ever
call her that word again!” he thundered, and it was clear that Irina did not expect that reaction from him.

Thania hung back behind him, but he knew she must be mortified.

“You and I are
not
together anymore, Irina,” he said slowly, as if he spoke to a child.

“That’s not—”

“Yes, it
is
true,” he interrupted loudly. “We broke up six months ago.” He felt Thania relax slightly against his back, but this conversation wasn’t ending quickly enough for him. “It has been over for a long time, Irina. Stop calling me. Stop harassing me. And stop embarrassing yourself in public,” he said as he noticed her swaying slightly.

She was drunk again
.

He turned back to Thania and grasped her hand gently. She looked up at him with humiliation in her eyes, and he hated that Irina had caused it. He turned and started to walk through the mass of people that gathered, pulling Thania’s hand, and they parted to let them through. Just as they got to the edge of the crowd, Irina was there again, and before he knew it, she had tossed her full glass of scotch at Thania’s dress.

“Oops,” Irina said as she smiled and swayed.

The crowd murmured all around them, but Thania said nothing. She just looked down at her gown as if in a trance.

“Get out!” he yelled at Irina, and just like that, security guards were there to escort her away.

She could be heard laughing and singing as she got closer to the exit.

“Thania,” he said gently, hoping that she would look at him.

But when she did look up, he almost wished that she hadn’t; the only thing in her eyes was devastation.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he gathered up some linen napkins from the surrounding tables in an attempt to help her clean up.

“It’s ruined,” she whispered, and he stopped. “It’s my design. It’s a one of a kind, and it’s supposed to be the finale in my show next month.”

He crumpled the napkins in his hands and swore. “I am so sorry, Thania,” he said, horrified at what Irina had done. “Irina, she just…is having trouble moving on. It’s nothing, I swear,” he pleaded, worried that Thania would no longer want to date him. “I’m sure we’ll never see her again after this public display. She will never be invited anywhere again.”