Close Up: Exposure Book Three (14 page)

I
thought
I wanted to kill Asher at first. I should have known that he wasn’t going to force me into sex if I didn’t want it. But I couldn’t think of anything else.

Then when he told me what he told me…it confirmed my suspicions that there was some explanation for his supposed paternity of Sophie’s child. And he did it to save me. He threw himself on the sword for my benefit, and I loved him more than ever for that.

Now we were here in the woods, completely naked. And I had to admit that I wanted him more than I ever wanted him, right at that moment. I now knew that Asher loved me enough to do something like this for me.

I laid down on the ground, and he laid down on top of me. There was something about the danger that we were in that made me even more turned on. His scent was driving me wild. I spread my legs, wanting to receive him as soon as possible.

He kissed me slowly as he laid on top of me. I wrapped my legs around him tightly, and I took his manhood in my fist and stroked it up and down. His lips were on my breasts and then his fingers slowly made their way down my belly and onto my clit.

“You’re so wet for me, CJ,” he said, in between kisses. “Goddamn, I want to fuck you so bad. I want to be inside of you for a long, long time.”

“I want that too, Asher, so bad.” And I did. I knew that this moment was all we had. When we got back to reality, we were going to have to do something dangerous. We were going to have to try to outwit Sophie, somehow, someway, so that his father would approve of Asher and I getting married.

Then he got between my legs, and I felt his tongue gently, yet forcefully, glide in and out of my pussy. I bucked up and my legs wrapped around his back even tighter.

He kissed his way up my stomach and then wrapped his warm lips around my own as he entered me slowly. I felt him root inside of me, filling me up, and I gasped. I started to moan and scream, louder and louder, as he glided in and out of me.

“Oh, Asher, I love this. I love this so much. But don’t come inside of me.” I was still scared that his father would be in our children’s lives. I needed to know that there wasn’t going to be a chance that our children could be corrupted by Sergei Pushkin.

He shook his head. “I need this, CJ. I need this insurance. It’s the only way.”

I felt severe misgivings about it, but I knew that he was right. I would have to worry about his father’s possible control over our family’s lives later. Right now, I knew that I had to try to get pregnant.

As he came inside of me, I screamed out in ecstasy. I was also terrified of what was going to come next.

After we were finished, we walked back to where our clothes were and we got dressed. Then we went to Asher’s car, which was parked on the grass.

I tightly gripped Asher’s hand, as we drove along the road. We were going to have to go to the hotel, have it swept for bugs, and then we were going to have to talk, long and hard, about what we were going to do. We needed to outsmart Sophie, and we needed to get Sergei, Asher’s father, on board.

It seemed impossible, but we were going to do it.

We had to find a way.

We just had to.

A
fter Asher
and I made love in the woods, it was time to get to business. We both knew what we needed, and we both knew that there was little time to get it. Sophie had already done her damage with Asher’s father. She basically blocked me before I had ever gotten a chance to say word one to Sergei Pushkin. She was wily and cunning and, because she had apparent power in the underworld, she was also quite dangerous.

Asher and I said nothing on the way to the hotel room. We couldn’t talk about our plans, because neither of us were entirely sure that Sophie didn’t bug the car. Asher thought that she probably didn’t, as he knew the man who lent him the car, and he trusted him. “But you can’t be too careful,” he had told me in the woods.

I didn’t feel like making small talk, at all, so I was silent in the car. Asher was squeezing my hand, and I smiled at him weakly. My insides were turning, inside and out, and I was screaming inside. I so wanted to talk to Asher about all of it. I wanted the two of us to really get together and brainstorm the whole sorry affair, so, hopefully, we could come up with a plan to combat the current situation. It was frustrating that I couldn’t even talk to him about it right at that moment.

Finally, we got to the hotel room. Asher had told me earlier in the woods that the chances were slim that Sophie was able to bug the hotel room, just because she couldn’t have known where he was going to stay, let alone the room that he was going to be staying in, but, he also said that he didn’t trust her not to know. “Sophie has her ways,” he said to me.

“What, is she psychic or something?”

Asher had chuckled. “Sometimes I think that she is. At any rate, I’m going to have the hotel room swept. I’m going to use a security agency that has no allegiance to Sophie, and they’ll be able to tell me, after sweeping our clothes and the hotel room, that we’re safe.”

Asher used the hotel phone and called somebody. I saw him talking, and then he nodded to me. “Okay, CJ, let’s go.”

At that, we went up to the hotel suite, which was a beautiful space that was bigger than most apartments back home. Much bigger than most apartments. Asher ordered me to get undressed and to get dressed into something else in the closet. I went into the closet, which had a dresser in it, and I chose jeans and a top in the dresser. Asher also changed his clothes, and then he took both of our clothing and went downstairs.

When he got back, he explained to me why we just did what we did. “The security team swept everything, including the clothes that are in this hotel room. They did a very thorough job, and they didn’t find anything. I really didn’t think that they would. But the clothes that we were just wearing haven’t yet been swept, which is why I needed you and I to change into something that has been examined.”

“And the car?”

“They’re coming back and they’re sweeping the car and the clothes that we were wearing.”

I nodded. “Okay, then, I guess we’re safe to talk then. Thank god, because I felt like bursting in the car just now.”

“I know, I felt the same way.” Then he went over to a couch, and patted the space next to him. I tentatively sat down and took a deep breath.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s talk.”

He nodded. “Here’s what we know. After we talk that out again, we’ll have to brainstorm some solutions.” He paused. “Sophie is pregnant with Viktor Kazakov’s child, so she’s in danger if Viktor’s wife, Oksana, finds out. She has me by the balls, because she’s well-connected enough to put your life in danger if I ever breathe a word about the real paternity source for her child. She’s told my father about the baby, and now he’s determined that I’m going to marry Sophie.” He sighed. “Am I leaving anything out?”

“No,” I said. “So, what can we do?”

“I’ve thought about this and thought about it. Now, I’m just going to throw ideas out there, and maybe something I say might spark your interest.”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay. Well, one obvious solution would be to take care of Sophie for good. I have some connections that could put a hit on her, and she’ll be gone for good.”

I suppressed a smile. That sounded like a great idea, but I didn’t want to admit to that. I didn’t even know this woman, yet I wouldn’t shed a tear if she were somehow iced. Then I shook my head.
She’s a human being, for the love of god. Why would Asher’s mind go there first?

Then I looked at his face, and I knew that he wasn’t really serious about that option. “That sounds good, Asher, at first. But, come on, you left that kind of work behind when you left the mob. You doing that would mean that you’re back into getting blood on your hands, and I don’t think that you could live with yourself. Besides, there’s an innocent baby to think about, too. How far along is she by now?”

“About four months,” he said. “And you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I couldn’t do that and look at myself in the mirror. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. Not to mention the fact that wiping her out might start something with some other families that I need to be prepared to finish. The biggest thing that my father warned me about when I came to America was starting a war with other families. If I start a war, he won’t be there to back me up. That’s another reason why putting a hit on Sophie wouldn’t be feasible. I just wanted to throw that out there so that we could knock it down.”

“Well, good, then,” I said. Then I got up and got a piece of paper and a pen. I wrote down “Ice Sophie,” and then crossed it out. “There. That’s not an option.” Then I asked him the next question. “What about money? You have a lot of money to play with. Could you pay her off somehow to go away?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. She’s independently wealthy. Her job pays her very well, and she also gets a lot of underworld money for some of the things that she does for them. She’s worth millions, and she doesn’t need the money. And there’s not any amount of money that would make her give up on the idea of she and I together. She’s very persistent and determined that she’s going to do everything in her power to make sure that I one day become her husband.”

I took a deep breath, and wrote down “pay off Sophie.” Then I put a question mark beside it. I wasn’t going to give on that idea, even if Asher was relatively sure that Sophie couldn’t be bought.

Asher saw that I didn’t cross it out and gave me a look. Then he shrugged. “Yes, keep that option open. I think that it’s a long shot, but one worth looking at if we can’t figure out something else.”

“I understand her position,” I said. “Money doesn’t buy everything, and some things are definitely worth more than all the money in the world. I would imagine the idea of being with somebody that you really want to be with would be much more important than having a lot of money.” I didn’t say that Sophie loved Asher, because I doubted that was true. From everything he told me about her, it seemed as if she wasn’t in love with Asher as much as she wanted to win him at any costs. She sounded like the kind of person who was incapable of loving anyone.

“That’s true,” he said. “Which is why paying her off probably wouldn’t work. But keep it open. We might have to return to that idea in the future.”

I tapped the pen against my forehead and sighed. “Okay. Now, let’s return to something. When you and I first got together, you paid me to pose as your fiancee. You thought that would somehow dissuade her from pursuing you. You thought that she didn’t want to lose face by going after a man who was taken. Can we work that angle?”

Asher was quiet, and he made a triangle with his hands. He looked into his hands, and put them up to his face. Then he hung his head, and put his hands behind his neck. It looked to me that he was thinking about that very angle. “Okay,” he finally said. “What are you thinking about?”

“Calling her out on her bullshit. Telling her friends what she’s up to.”

He shook his head. “That won’t work, of course it won’t work. I’m sworn to secrecy about the actual paternity of her child, remember? If I called her out, I would have to tell her friends that I’m not the father of her child, and that would break my word. And you know the consequences for that.”

“Okay. So, you call her out by telling her friends that Sophie’s manipulating your father into giving his blessing to her. Tell her friends that you’d rather be with me, and that she’s making a fool of herself by doing what she’s doing. Humiliate her. It sounds like she really cares what people think of her, so that might work.”

Asher looked unconvinced. “That has about as much chance of working as the idea about paying her off. I was naïve when I hired you to play my fiancee. I thought, at that time, that it was good idea, because you’re right – she does care what people think about her. I thought it would have really made her run the other way if she was made to look like an idiot for pursuing an engaged man. But I didn’t know just how desperate she was to snag me. I should have known that she wouldn’t back off just because I was off the market. I should have figured out that she would simply try to get rid of you, and her problems are solved. And I do think that’s what would have happened if she weren’t pregnant with Viktor’s child. When she got pregnant, she needed me too much, so that’s the only reason why she allowed you to be found. If her pregnancy wasn’t a factor, you probably would be dead right now, or in the clutches of an overseas master.”

I wrote down “call out Sophie,” and put another question mark by that. Again, it didn’t seem like a very good option, but was something that probably shouldn’t be ruled out.

Asher was suddenly very quiet. It looked like he wanted to say something to me that he probably shouldn’t. I sat there and just looked at him quietly. I didn’t want to rush him into making the confession that obviously was so difficult for him.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he started to talk. “There’s another option, but it’s risky and dangerous and I don’t at all know if it would work. And, if it goes south, you’re going to be in serious danger.”

I took a deep breath. “But it’s our only hope. Is that right? Is that what you’re thinking?”

He nodded his head. “Yes. But I just don’t know if I should take the risk. I’m risking your life, not mine.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Go ahead and tell me your idea. Maybe we can figure out a way to minimize the risk.” My blood was chilled, of course, just saying those words. I had no idea if the risk could be minimized. But if there were no other options, there were no other options.

“Well, my idea is simple, really. I tell my father the truth about Sophie. I tell him everything.”

“That sounds like a revolutionary idea, Asher. Telling the truth. No games, no lying. It’s so crazy it just might work.”

“You’re making light of it,” he said. “You aren’t considering the downsides of doing things this way.”

“What’s the downside? You’re family, she’s not. He’ll probably believe you over her. Right? What am I missing here?” I braced myself for him to tell me something new about his father. Some reason why his father would take Sophie’s word over his.

“I told you before, I think that he loves Sophie more than he loves me. Sophie has certainly been closer to him in recent years. I’ve tried to shut him out of my life, and I think that he resents it. He understands it, though. He’s told me that he doesn’t blame me for it. That if he were in my position, he would do the same. But that doesn’t mean that he likes it. Sophie kisses his ass any chance she gets, and she always has. She’s very charming, too. She generally gets what she wants just because of the way that she looks and the way that she can turn on the charm when she really wants to. Don’t underestimate her.”

“I can see the risk, then. And…”

“If he doesn’t believe me, then he might go to her and tell her what I said. And that will be that.”

I bit my lip. It wasn’t looking good. “What about Natalia? How is her relationship with your father?”

“Better than mine, just because she’s been loyal to him. To my knowledge, she’s never done anything to cross him, and she’s done a lot for him in the slave trader business. But I don’t talk to her anymore, and I haven’t for years. Why do you ask?”

I shook my head. An idea was starting to formulate in my mind, and I wanted to see if it would fly. “Well, let’s just say for the sake of argument that you’re able to recruit her to your side on this. Would your father believe her if she told him the truth about Sophie? For that matter, what is her relationship with Sophie? Is it good, bad or indifferent?”

“Indifferent. I don’t think that she hates Sophie, but she certainly doesn’t like her. Nor does she trust her. She’s always been able to see through Sophie in a way that my father hasn’t.”

“Okay. So, maybe we work on her. Get her on our side, and then she can tell your father the truth about Sophie. Perhaps he would believe her.”

Asher made a face, but didn’t say anything. “Well, let’s see what the downside would be for this.” He seemed to really think about it. “Let me first tell you what the upside would be. The main upside would be that I doubt that Natalia would go to Sophie and tell her that she knows the truth about her. She’s not close to her, so…”

I wanted to interject, because perhaps Natalia had no love for Sophie, but if she had an active problem with Asher, then that would be reason enough for her to double-cross him. “Yes, but even if she doesn’t have a problem with Sophie, she does have a problem with you. Might she tell Sophie just to get back at you?”

He nodded. “That would be the downside. She and I haven’t had a relationship for many years. I’ve shut her out because I’ve been disgusted by her role in my father’s organization. She feels that I judge her, and I have to admit that she’s not wrong about that. Besides, after all these years of my not talking to her, I don’t think that she’ll jump at the chance to help me out. It would be shitty of me to do that, anyhow. I don’t talk to her for years, and when I finally do, it’s because I want something from her. That’s always a shitty thing that people do in life, and I don’t want to be that guy.”

“Okay. So, she doesn’t necessarily like you anymore. Did she ever? Can you bring some good memories back to her, memories that might make her remember a time when you and she were close?”