NOT LETTING HER GO

Mikhail's P.O.V

I stared at the wispy little vixen in front of me and I clenched my teeth to reign in the animal in me, in order not to rip the linen material off her slight curvy frame. She was so beautiful it hurt to breathe. My eyes had literally torn the cheap red gown off her as she stepped into the party hall, claiming half the attention of the men in the room. I had wanted to pounce on her just as the alpha male that I was but the idiot standing beside her made me took a step back. I watched through hooded eyes as Mark, my most useless employee, a thief and a liar placed a hand at the small of the sexy woman's back and lead her towards me. He kept whispering something in her ear and she looked uncomfortable, sad even. My fist tightened beside me in anger, 'how dare he make her sad.' I thought. I know I must sound as though I was crazed but this was more than love at first sight. Just a glance at the lady, I know she belongs to me.

As he brought her to my front, her soulful eyes, the color of a rain-washed slab, reminded me of a lamb offered at the altar. And my tongue became as heavy as lead and her sweet melodious voice when she shyly said "hi," felt like a punch was socked to my guts. She was otherworldly, too sweet for this fucked up earth and I wanted to protect her. Right then and there I knew she was the one, my brother's and mine. She was ours to love, to cherish and protect. But how we would make her see this was beyond me.

Her little movements didn't go unnoticed and also brought me back to the now. I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Dump him." I stated simply.

She looked at me as though she was shocked by my request, "Excuse me?"

A nerve ticked in my jaw in annoyance. "Just dump that thieving kid, you're clearly only still with him because it's comfortable." I shrugged like it was nothing and in all truth and simplicity, it was nothing.

"No I am not going to just dump him! You don't know anything about us! Or me!" she rolled her eyes and turned to leave. I chuckled deep and darkly and I sensed her shivering.

"When I kissed and almost fucked you on the balcony, you didn't have a boyfriend? I know you are attracted to me and I know you want me too, Cassandra." I said calmly. It was a low blow but it was all I have got and I swear to the gods I would play every card I have to make her mine.

Tears filled her beautiful eyes, "And I regret it, I will—"

She was saying but I couldn't hear the rest of her words, the statement she just made kept playing in my head like a broken record and I stalked towards her till her back was against the wall. Again, just as before, I am the predator and she, my sexy prey, I backed her onto the wall and I stilled myself in a bid not to devour her. "Miss wills, don't cry." My voice was thicker and I wiped the tear off her soft cheek. "I need you to repeat what you said just once more and I swear I would never come after you ever again."

She looked confused and disheartened, "What did I –I say?" her voice broke.

I held her jaw and peppered soft kisses on it, "You said you regret having my lips on yours. You said you regret our kiss. Say it again Miss Wills. And let me know this fire I feel burning between us is a mere figment of my imagination. Tell me I am crazy and I should let go of you!"

The tears fell freely from her eyes now and she turned away from my grip. She couldn't maintain eye contact as she said, "I love Mark, Mr. Vladimir and I have a future to build with him."

My teeth gritted together in hurt and anger and I made myself move away from her, I ran hand through my thick and unruly hair and cursed in Russian. I hardly used curse words but this woman made me lose control, "Blya, yebanyy mudak Mark!" (shit, fucking asshole mark)

She visibly flinched.

I breathed through my mouth to calm my nerves and then I smiled coldly at her.

I was a business man at heart and I wasn't above stooping low to play some cards.

"Your boyfriend, Mark is a thief Miss wills,' I paused dramatically as she gasped. "And I am going to press charges."

"You are lying Mr. Vladimir." She shook her head as though it would make it unreal.

"And why would I miss wills, what do I stand to achieve." I sniggered as I raised hard eyes to glare at her, "Mark is a fucking thief and a liar and he had being stealing from my company to his own pockets."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "And when did you discover this?"

I shrugged, "I had always had my suspicions but the team gathered my physical evidence few months ago."

"If you had known all about it few months ago, why didn't you get him arrested? Why now?"

"Because he has something that belongs to me, 'ty moy, miss wills. Nravitsya tebe ili net'." (You are mine, Miss wills. Whether you like it or not!)

"English Mr. Vladimir!" she actually snapped at me.

Feisty little thing huh?

The blood rushed into my groin, I was sure I would be nursing a severe case of blue balls later on.

I grinned cockily at her, flashing my one-cheeked dimple and a blush stained her cheeks. He-he, Miss Wills likes dimples, hmm. "Never mind about what I said." The stern expression returned to my face, "Just bear in mind that your boyfriend is going to face jail time."

She bit her lower lip nervously, seeing that she has lost the argument and I pushed back the dirty thoughts. I wished I was the one biting on that softness. "Please, Mr. Vladimir, you can't do that to him. He is all I got. Please." Her voice actually cracked and I could see her trying not to cry. Her pained and sorrowful expression tore at my heart and I wanted to make it all better. And what did she mean by he is all she's got, fucking hell! I want to be all she's got. I thought.

"But he has to pay for what he did." I persisted with a frown.

"I know Mr. Vladimir and I apologize on his behalf. Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind? Please, h-he can't go to jail."

I grinned impishly to myself. I had Miss Wills exactly where I wanted her, Tch.

"Ah well, now that you mention it, there's probably something you could do to stop me from pressing charges and wipe it all under the rug."

She looked hopeful and blinked back the tears swimming in her big grey eyes—eyes that were probably too big for her face—and she asked, "Really, Oh Mr. Vladimir, thank you. I would do anything!"

I chuckled, "Anything I say?"

She nodded optimistically.

"Miss Wills, I am offering you a proposition, if you stay with me for a week. Precisely I want to fuck you, I want you in my bed for seven days, if you do this, I won't get your boyfriend arrested and locked up."

Her eyes almost bugged out of her face and she stammered. "What—I—what—stay with you?"

"You heard me right Miss wills." My voice was hard and flat.

"I—I" she stuttered, "Can't I do anything else?

She was a perfect mixture of innocent and sexy.

"Miss wills if you hadn't notice, you have nothing to offer me except your body." I added deviously and she did what neither of us expected.

Smack!

She raised her palm and slapped me hard across the cheek! I had never been hit by a woman. I guess I was wrong about the Innocence.

An image of her tied on my bed as I whipped her over and over played behind my closed lids and I got so painfully hard that my tip seeped with precum. Blya!

"I might not be as rich as you are but that doesn't make me a whore!" she seethed through clenched teeth as she flushed all over with rage. She took my statement wrongly.

"Great decision you made Miss wills."

"I guess he could as well make friends in his new home. I'd make sure he is comfortable in Jail." With that I turned to leave. I played a fifty-fifty card and there is a possibility that she could ignore what I said. But instead she ran up to me and stopped me with a tender palm resting on my shoulders. I stopped and she walked to stand in front of me.

She fidgeted with her fingers, twining and entwining them, "Fine Mr. Vladimir, I would do it but I have a condition!"

I smiled indifferently, masking my excitement.

"Do you love Mark that much?" I found myself asking in distaste.

"My feelings for Mark don't concern you in any way!" she bit out in hostility.

"Your condition Miss wills?"

"There would be no prolonged stay, just for a week." She said coldly and crossed her arms over her chest.

I grinned at her, "Oh miss wills, at the end of the week, you would beg to stay."

"You wish!" she eyed me.

I stuck my hand out for a handshake but she eyed my outstretched hand it was diseased and she walked away and I stared at retreating back. Her pert ass swayed from side to side and my hands itched to cup a feel. Very soon.

I swept a finger on my bristled jaw and I remained on the balcony, my cell phone pinged in the front pocket of my suit and I brought it out. A text from DeLauro—our relationship isn't defined and it's quite dynamic but he is indispensable and serves a purpose—illuminated the screen of the phone I held and a wicked smile spread on my lips. "Alrighty bebe, let's see who you are.' My eyes landed on the picture attached to the mail.

Curly raven black hair with sparkling grey eyes and skin so pale it looked translucent stared back at me, she was even more stunning in person. Under the picture was the little information DeLauro gathered.

*CASSANDRA WILLS, lives on the 22nd street on cranberry street, works at the big kahuna restaurant as an assistant cook, Santiago de los caballeros.*

After going through her demographics, I found nothing else. Strange.

Where I was supposed to find information about her family, all I found was that her parents were estranged while her only sibling was dead.

"Now why would your parents not want to have anything to do with you, my Cassandra bebe?" I mused softly as I gazed at her picture through my phone screen. Considering the room was dark, I didn't really get a chance to see her eyes clearly plus the few times I stood close to her was spent kissing those sweet lips. To say this woman had eyes like schooner would be an understatement; I never knew grey eyes could glint and reflect with such intensity. And I couldn't wait to see her again so I could gaze into those eyes and be sucked into their depth.

My thumb scrolled down the phone expecting to see more information on her but all I met with was a blank screen which was weird. DeLauro ran the best background checks; I would have to check with him later.

However, I couldn't ignore the fact that her parents did not stay in touch with her, and there was no information that DeLauro could dig up that explained whatever had happened, somebody had gone to great lengths to bury it, and bury it really deep. But that wasn't going to stop me. I would unearth every secret that Miss Wills was keeping.

I texted my personal assistant and few minutes later, she came to join me at the balcony. "Hello sir…" she smiled expectantly.

"You look nice Ellen." I said politely and she murmured thanks.

"The party is a blast sir, best that has ever been thrown at Mirage." She complimented and I nodded absently, I made sure the best event planners were hired. But I didn't call her here to make small talks.

"Clear my schedule for the next two weeks, I would not be coming to work." I said shortly and she raised her brows in surprise.

"But sir, we have that meeting with the—"

"Did I stutter when I said you should clear my schedule?"

She swallowed, "You didn't sir?"

"Good! Now any important meetings find an excuse to tell them and reschedule till next two weeks."

She nodded, "You got it sir."

I turned back and looked down from the railings and I heard the 'click clacks' of her shoes. Good, she was the perfect personal assistant. Knows when she is dismissed.

'Cassandra, you are mine.' I drawled softly to the night sky.