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“It’s…There are more people here. It’s better.”
“With us is where you’re safest. We need to find out what exactly went down here and why Andrei is interested in bothering you.”
“He didn’t bother me. He was just being typical Andrei. He thinks women are second-class citizens.”
Zin gripped her arms and gave her a slight shake. “Goddamn it, Aspen, he had you by the fucking throat and pinned against the fucking balcony.” Zin kept his teeth clenched and Aspen just stared up at him in shock. Her sage green eyes sparkled and he couldn’t resist. Her scent, the feel of being this close to her, knowing that some dick tried to hurt her and he needed to step in along with Storm sent any patience he had out the window. He was mad with possessiveness and need.
“Aspen,” he whispered right before he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
* * * *
Aspen didn’t know what had come over Zin or her, but the moment Zin kissed her, nothing else seemed to matter. The man was every woman’s fantasy come true.
He held her tight and explored her mouth with passion and need. She found herself giving in to his quest to take whatever he wanted from her. It was magical, different, overwhelming to say the least. She felt his hands move along her arms to her ass, and pull her snugger against his chest. She gripped his back, rocked her body against him as they both moaned.
“Zin. Zin!”
The sound of Storm’s commanding tone, his order penetrated their dazed state and Zin pulled slowly from her mouth.
She stared up at him and his dark blue eyes that stood out in contrast to his onyx hair.
“What the fuck are you thinking? She’s Porter’s sister. Get the fucking car. I’ll get her downstairs to the garage,” Storm ordered.
Aspen looked to Zin but his face showed no expression as he took his order and disappeared, leaving her standing there feeling like an easy target for any man tonight.
Storm stared at her, looked her over and then spoke into the cell phone she hadn’t even realized he was holding.
“Affirmative. Get to the penthouse pronto. Zin will update you any moment.”
He disconnected the call and grabbed her upper arm.
“Let’s move. Smile, so no one thinks anything is going on.”
She was annoyed, and even angry at his tone, and his treatment of her. She was still trying to recover from Zin’s kiss, and the encounter with Andrei. She didn’t need Storm’s help or for him to go blabbing to her brother and his friends about what happened. As soon as they got into the elevator along with one of Storm’s newly appointed guards, she pulled from his hold.
He glared at her and stepped into her space causing her back to wedge up against the wall. Damn it, she hadn’t expected the surge of attraction she felt to Storm. His big muscles, the way the tux hugged his gorgeous body and his incredible good looks. The man was so breathtaking, even with that bit of gruff that always seemed to appear late in the evenings.
She knew more about Storm and his team members than she could ever let on. They had been somewhat of an obsession for her. Something she could never entertain, never show her attraction to but only admire from afar. She couldn’t face the fact that Zin kissed her the way he did.
“I’m not messing around with you, Aspen. Andrei is not a man to underestimate.”
She wanted to tell Storm that Andrei shouldn’t underestimate her, but that was her anger talking. She knew this wasn’t going to be the end of this situation with Andrei. He was pissed that she secured that construction deal for Dmitri when he felt that it was his. Andrei assumed he had Clarence convinced about the numbers, but he was being pompous and overcharging when there was already plenty of money to make. It also gave her a nice hefty bonus. But she was also securing the existence of Pro-Tech Industries so that Storm, Winter, Zin, York, and Weston wouldn’t have it stolen out from underneath them.
Didn’t they know that Sotoro was working with Andrei, Demyan, and Iakov? As much as she felt on edge with Dmitri, he had given her a lot of inside information on Storm and his crew. Did Storm think she was so stupid she wouldn’t know he was a made man? It insulted her intelligence and what little connection if any they had. But now Andrei threatened their lives and Porter’s. She would need to talk to her brother and get him to take the necessary precautions.
She turned away and Storm stared at her. She felt his gaze upon her, and inhaled his cologne, his manliness. Everything about Storm was mysterious and dark. Men feared him. Hell, even Dmitri somewhat did. Andrei didn’t, but being made a fool wasn’t going to win any points. Andrei could harass Storm and Zin for interfering in his affair and getting him removed from the venue tonight.
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved. You or Zin,” she said without thinking.
“Are you out of your mind? He had you by the throat.” He slammed his palm against the wall. His guard kept his face forward as she looked from him back to Storm.
“That’s Andrei’s MO. To him women are good for only a few things. The respect isn’t there and he was pissed off.”
The elevator doors opened and the guard who accompanied them looked out first and then headed to the awaiting car. Storm looked around and then guided Aspen toward the car. He had a tight hold on her hip and she wondered if he would manhandle her, he was so enraged. Her heels clicked and clacked on the concrete flooring as she tried to keep up with his long strides. She got inside and he slid along the seat next to her.
“Why was Andrei pissed off at you?” he asked her as the car began to roll through the parking garage and onto the busy city streets.
She kept her face straight ahead. She knew that Storm and his team would know by now that she was the one to secure the deal. What did she expect? A thank-you for landing them the job of their lives?
