Page 1 of A Bride for the Bratva Boss
1
DANYL
The owners of the Meridian try too hard. The inside of the restaurant has glass walls, glass bar, glass staircase, with steel beams everywhere. It’s like the architect thought they wouldn’t get paid unless everything shimmered. On top of that, I guess because of the holidays, it looks like an elf threw up in here. The bar, the booths, the shimmery walls are covered in shiny baubles and glittery tinsel.
I’m in a corner booth with my back against the wall. The seat allows me to keep the room in full view and I watch the other diners, mostly men, who wear expensive watches and expertly tailored suits designed to hide their mid-life paunches.
Most of them pretend they don’t recognize me. A few do. They look away fast.
Smart.
Across from me sits a kid named Tyler Morgan. He’s a tech-bro, baby-faced, twenty-something kid who tries to appear confident. Every few minutes he pushes his glasses up his nose and checks his phone, as if he’ll look important because people text him.He’s wearing a Stanford hoodie under his tailored blazer. I smirk.
Tyler is a boy who thinks he’s a genius because three people told him so. He’s riding high on an app that “revolutionizes” secure data transfers. He uses that word every two minutes.Revolutionize.
Tyler would drown if he ever had to survive outside Wi-Fi range. And he’s talking so much. Endlessly rambling buzz words.
“…and if we push Series B by the end of quarter two, we’re looking at a three-point multiplier. Five if we get the right headlines. Your investment would allow us to move into the next phase of production much faster?—”
I refrain from rolling my eyes, but barely.I know, Tyler. That’s why I’m here.
A new start-up company with fast growth, inexperienced leadership, and messy books is a perfect opportunity for cleaning dirty money. The Kedrov family are expanding into tech and Rik, myPakhanand cousin, wants me to oversee these new investments that turn our cash funds into dividends.
I’m looking forward to the work. It’s smart. Bloodless.
And I’m ready to take on a larger project for the Family. Where I can show Rik my strengths aren’t just the kind that requires muscles. I should focus on what Tyler’s saying, but tonight, it’s hard to concentrate on business.
Becausesheglides past my table with a tray balanced on one hand.
Never has a woman distracted me from making money. Butshedoes.
The waitress. Curvy as sin with shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair that catches every light in this glass cage of a restaurant. Green eyes that are far too soft for this city. She glides her thick body between tables with the grace of a dancer. She’s young, probably twenty years my junior and I shouldn’t even be looking at her.
Her basic server’s uniform of black shirt, black trousers, with an apron tied at the waist is lose and reveals nothing. And yet, my imagination I fill in the full tits and luscious thighs I can’t see, but want to get my hands on.
Her deliciously wide hips sway when she walks. Nothing exaggerated, just the natural swing of a young woman. A motion that is unaware and innocent.
And yet ridiculously dangerous to a man who’s gone without softness for too damn long.
What would she do if I gripped those hips and pulled her against my hard cock?
What sound would she make if I pressed my mouth to her cleavage, to her pussy?
How wet would she get if I whispered what I want, what I could do to her?
A dangerous heat coils low in my gut and my dick presses against the zipper of my slacks. I shift in my seat.
Tyler rattles on, obliviously. “And the other angel investors are waiting for me to?—”
Trying to refocus, I drag my eyes from the delectable server and look at the boy across from me. “Mm.” I sip my whiskey. It tastestoo sweet. Everything in this place is too sweet for me. Includingher.
But as much as I try, I can’t not look at her.
She approaches with a tray for the table next to ours. A group of business men are having what seem to be a mostly liquid dinner. They’ve been bragging loudly about their investments and golf scores for a while.
My jaw tightens as one of them, a middle-aged asshole grabs the server’s wrist as she sets down a drink.
She startles and gives him a polite, nervous smile as she tries to pull away.
