He rolled his eyes but grinned. “Very Gomez Addams of you, Sir.”
“Thank you.”
Ana shrugged. “Although, I’m not sure about the reception you’d get from that statement.”
I nudged him with my elbow. “Haven’t you seen the latest movies and books, Ana? Mob bosses are the in thing. Everyone wants one.”
“Until they realize danger comes with dating arealmob boss,” he grumbled, and it was difficult not to laugh. Anatoly had been protecting my ass since we’d joined my tato’s organization, and he was the reason I was still alive. The few guys I’d dated before had annoyed Ana. He’d liked pointing out howstupidthey were, and he’d been right.
The men who’d caught my attention were airheads, but I had a feeling Augustine was different. There was something in his eyes—as though he’d experienced the harshness of the world and survived. I wanted that in my life. If I was lucky, I would find the same kind of relationship that Mama and Tato had before they’d died.
“This is not the first model you’ve been interested in,” Ana muttered as the elevator doors dinged and the soldiers went out first. We followed them and passed the reception desk in the lobby before heading outside to where our Audi was already waiting for us with the engine running.
Our driver opened the back door for me, and I nodded sharply in acknowledgement as Ana went around to the other side to get in. He fell onto the leather seat with a huff.
“This one is different. I can tell,” I said with a smirk as my door closed.
He laughed. “All models are the same. Nothing but looks. Considering what you want them for, that’s probably enough.” I didn’t miss that last part, even though it was muttered snidely and I didn’t think it was meant for me.
“How very judgmental of you, Ana.” I clicked my tongue at him, mimicking what his mother used to do when we were children after she’d lectured us for being rude, and he laughed again.
“How are you going to entice this one? You’ve never even met him.” He crossed his arms and gave me the expression he always used in private when he was critical of something I’d planned.
The driver got into the car, and I hit a button, sliding up the privacy screen so Ana and I could talk without him eavesdropping.
“Maybe I should start a fashion business.” I gave him a smug smile. “Everyone is doing it these days. I just need a nice face for the brand. Maybe it could even help my other businesses.”
He groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. “Ru, we already run twenty businesses. We just opened that string of boutique grocery stores last year. Why would we need a fashion line?”
“Kozlova Menswear. Sounds classy, doesn’t it? We can give some up-and-coming designers a place to feature their skills.” I grinned. “Let’s give Armani a run for their money. How difficult could it be? We hire a manager who knows the business and we’re set.”
“All because you have a crush on a model?” He lowered his hands and shook his head. “You do not do things half-cocked, do you?”
“Full cocked only.” I winked at him, and he groaned. “And make sure his agency falls all over themselves when they see the paycheck. I’ll give their model an exclusive contract and an irresistible amount of money to have him work for our line andonlyour line. I don’t want him doing another clothing brand for at least a year.”
“It will take months to set up. We’d need designers, business managers, photographers.” He listed off positions on his fingers and made a terrible face as he thought.
I leaned back in my seat, letting him formulate plans. Ana wasn’t only my second-in-command, but also my top businessman. He knew the ins and outs of the companies we ran and laundered money through, and if I wanted something, he got it done.
“Plus, we would have to let him finish any existing contracts. We would need four months at least to get it up and running. If you’re still... interested in this model, we can contact the agency and touch base now, then firm up everything after we have the designers on board.”
“Deal.” I crossed my legs and got comfy. We’d finished our chore of running after high-end buyers who owed us money, and now it was time to return to my Southampton home and relax.
“And what about the other investors in our conglomerate? They won’t enjoy the idea of starting a business so you can flirt, win, and then bed another model.”
It was true, but in the end, I was the boss; I held the controlling shares of the business, and my ideas and motivation gave them the big bucks. Tato had left me the seat of power for a reason. They would do anything I told them to for the extra dollars. “Those short-sighted assholes can suck on my big hairy balls.”
“Are they hairy, though?” Ana laughed when I flipped him the bird.
“No, I get them waxed. I like keeping everything down there very edible.” I waved at the general area of my crotch.
“Good to know.” He huffed and leaned back against his seat. It was a long ride from New York City to Southampton, but it was worth it for the big house, land, and privacy that came with it.
“But my esthetician, Poppy, has very delicate fingers. She’s a petite little thing. You’d like her. She’s your type. How about I give you her number?”
“I would appreciate that.” He flashed me a winning smile because even though I enjoyed pretty men, he was a sucker foranyonegorgeous. We were both in our midforties now, but we were still playing the field. I was tired of that. I wanted to find someone to spend the rest of my life with, to have children with and raise a family. Tato only had me before Mama died, so I had to keep the family going.
I didn’t know why, but something about that model called to me.
