“I’m sorry,” he said. His body was a line of tension. He hadn’t gotten off yet.
“I’m sure you are,” I said with a little laugh I couldn’t hold back.
He pointed at me. “When I’m done, I’m going to be ready to destroy you.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” I bit my lip and slid my hand down to my crotch.
He came over to press a quick kiss to my mouth. “I really am sorry.”
I shrugged. “Don’t be. You’re already starting the process of stepping down from the illegal stuff.”
He quirked a grin at me. “Actually, this has nothing to do with that. There is a problem with the Kozlova Menswear advertising team. Apparently they’re fighting about which direction to take next year’s campaign.” He sighed. “If only it was as simple as shooting someone.”
I gasped at his terrible dark humor, then laughed.
Ruslan kissed me.
“I shouldn’t think that’s funny,” I mumbled.
“But you do, and I love you.”
I stilled and slid a hand behind his neck, dragging him in for another kiss. My heart soared as he ate at my lips. “I love you, too.”
11
RUSLAN
Ana smirked, nudging me with his elbow as he nodded at the men and women in front of me. Even though he’d taken over as boss of the illegal part of the business, he was adamant about helping me with the other side until we could find a suitable replacement. I’d found that it was nearly impossible to hire someone who was as qualified or dedicated as him. He’d always gone above and beyond for me, and now that I was going to be without him, I understood his true value.
“Don’t roll your eyes,” he said under his breath.
It was hard not to. I hadn’t realized that with menswear came an entirely new set of issues, or more specifically, pains in the ass that were my casting agents. Since Asa went to acting, the agents were floundering to find new talent they liked. We’d used Asa’s images to launch the line, but they needed to find a new face that could be front and center, which seemed to be an insurmountable task. Giselle was stubborn, and losing Asa had come with a creative tantrum from her. She’d loved him and she’d wanted to continue to run the line with him leading it. We had to find someone who satisfied her, too, which was a tall order.
“How hard is it to choose someone new?” I muttered, earning a laugh from Ana.
“This is fashion, Ru. They’re the experts.” He leaned back farther in the black office chair and crossed his legs, sighing. He looked every inch the mob boss he was, and I didn’t regret putting him in charge for a second. Over the last month, he’d thrived in the position and the men respected him. I’d stepped down, but the soldiers still treated me as a higher-up, even if I noticed a few felt betrayed by my choice. But no one could refute that the transition went seamlessly. Ana had practically done all the work before anyway.
“I’m bored.” I glanced at my watch and grumbled under my breath. I would rather be home with Asa. My helicopter should be taking him from New Jersey back to the mansion soon. Instead, I was stuck here listening to the agents bemoan the lack of decent models.
“We should demand Augustine Hart come back,” one of the men said, stamping his foot in frustration. He was the tallest of the agents and the man was skinny, with a narrow face and a wide mouth. A part of me thought he might’ve been a model at one point because he had a unique appearance that would attract people. “He was perfection and Giselle loved him.”
“His contract was fulfilled,” Miriam, the only agent I liked, said with what was very close to an eye roll of her own. She waved her hand in boredom and sighed, brushing her bright pink curls out of her eyes. The glasses she wore were the shape of cat’s eyes and the same neon color as her hair. “He’s acting now.”
“Why am I here?” I asked Ana. We sat at the opposite end of a long, glass table to the agents, nothing more than spectators to this disagreement.
“You’re the one who gets the final decision.” Ana gave me a smirk.
I groaned.
“He probably can’t act to save his life,” the ex-model agent sneered, and the room stilled immediately, five gazes shooting to me, Ana’s included. The agent froze. “I mean.... I didn’t mean it like that. They—they wouldn’t have hired him if he couldn’t act.”
“Stop while you’re ahead.” I stood and the agent gripped his hands together in front of himself, watching warily as I strode around the long table toward him. I paused when I was right in front of him. “Like Miriam said, Augustine fulfilled his contract and as talented as he was as a model, he’s now an actor. I’m tired of this bickering, so I will choose.” I pushed the agent out of my way with my body, and he stumbled backward.
I took a moment to stare down at the headshots strewn across the table, considering each face carefully. The photos included some of the prettiest men I had ever seen, but none had anything on Asa, and while looking at these models might once have done something for me, it was nothing more than a job now. I could appreciate beauty while not being attracted to it. What would suit Kozlova Menswear after we’d had someone as talented as Asa open the line?
I tapped the headshot of a blond man with big blue eyes and round silver glasses. He had a small mole on his right cheek and freckles splattered across a wide nose and high cheekbones. Below the headshot was his name: Zachary Harkell. “Him.”
Ana came up behind me and peered over my shoulder. He squinted, and something I hadn’t seen before passed across his face—interest. “He seems... perfect, sir.”
