8|Killer Of Raging Hard-Ons

If anyone said they didn't know Aero Towers, they'd be lying.

Surrounded by the headquarters of the big five banks, a smattering of investment companies and high-profile law firms, the high-tech, eco-friendly, forty-story all-glass structure stood tall and proud in the centre of Rock Castle.

Fuelled by old and new money, this side of town was the country's economic hub, the powerhouse of all financial dreams, and Aero Shipping was right at its centre.

From the vantage point of his top-floor office with panoramic views of the city, Andrei could see Anderson Logistics on one side and Van Holt Industries on the other. Every day, he took a moment or two to stare at his frenemies' headquarters. Fuck, that wasn't a word he would ever say out loud, but it was the only one that summed up his complicated relationship with Liam Anderson and Levi Van Holt. But yes, every day he made damn sure to take a moment and gaze at their nice-but-not-so-memorable buildings, and he'd smile smugly because when it was all said and done, he did have the best piece of real estate. He may not have had a joyful childhood and perfect upbringing like them, but in this urban jungle, he was the king.

Today, though, when Andrei glanced out the window, he barely noticed the over-the-top glass and chrome curved facade of Anderson Logistics' headquarters. His mind was still on his chat with his father the week before.

Turning back to his desk, he emailed Vivienne Lume for an appointment. Of course, he could have asked Monique to make it happen, but for something as sensitive and delicate as Dreams, an ultra-elite escort agency catering to the uber-wealthy, he preferred to handle it himself.

As expected, Vivienne emailed back a hard 'No can do!' 

Andrei smiled, linking his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his executive chair. He wouldn't have expected anything less from her. Handing Levi the file with enough evidence to sink Dreams and send her to prison for life was a violation of trust on so many levels. She was lucky she had powerful backers, his father included, who'd helped her avoid jail time. As justified as she was in her anger, though, Andrei didn't care. He needed a wife fast, and she'd make it happen. 

'I'll make it worth your while and double the buyout for the girlfriend contract,' he sent her another email and waited, convinced his offer would do the trick. But fifteen minutes later, when there was still radio silence from Vivienne, Andrei shut off his laptop and seriously contemplated the Hot Connexions idea, wishing he hadn't burned his bridges with Dreams. 

He was about to check if he had any connections when he realised he was logged out of the app. After setting up his profile, Ivan never gave him his access details. 

With no immediate access to Hot Connexions and no response from Vivienne, Andrei buzzed his assistant in.

Monique, a busty, long-haired brunette beauty, pranced in after her usual double tap on his office door. "You wanted to see me?"

He could marry her, Andrei thought, watching the gentle sway of her hips as she traipsed closer to his desk. If she wasn't engaged, he'd marry her. Monique gave good head. Something he could use right now after the rough day he'd had. 

"The Mozambican contract. How far are we with it?" he asked, raking his eyes appreciatively over her hourglass frame wrapped in a skintight red dress that did a stunning job of showing off her body and tempting all the men in the building. 

"They sent it through this morning," she replied. 

The loud sounds she made when she was in the throes of an orgasm, like a bitch on heat, sometimes made it hard for Andrei to believe Monique usually spoke in a calm, breathy voice.

"Legal is looking at it now as we speak," she added, pausing in front of the coffee station beside the bar. Without checking what he was in the mood for, she poured him an espresso. "And if all goes well, they'll be here in a day or two for a tour of our main hub." 

"Thanks," Andrei nodded, accepting the cup from her. Her fingers stayed a little too long on the back of his hand, caressing him. 

"You still didn't tell me what Papa Ivanov offered you to make you stay," Monique said, coming around his desk to rest behind his chair. 

Her subtle, floral fragrance was as disarming as her lips when she leaned over and nibbled his earlobe.

Damn it! Andrei closed his eyes, cursing silently. Monique always went for the damn earlobes because she knew they were his weak spot. When she got engaged two months ago, they decided their little arrangement would have to end. But good Lord, she was making it hard to resist her advances.

"So, did he give you all his shares or what?" Monique whispered, her breath gliding down the side of his face.

"That's none of your business," Andrei croaked, tilting away from her, his voice as thick as his growing erection. "And if there's nothing else to report, I suggest you return to work," he added, despite his cock screaming at him to forget all his barely-there morals, bend her over his desk and dick her hard. But the sparkly sapphire ring on her finger was enough to push common sense back in place.

"But—" Monique pouted prettily as she tried again to tempt him.

"No, Monique. We've talked about this and agreed, remember? Whatever we had is over. I don't think your fiancé would appreciate being cheated on!" 

"You had no issues fucking me before," Monique said as she pushed away from his desk, going from calm to outraged in seconds.

"That was before you got engaged," Andrei reminded her as he finished his espresso and dumped the cup on the table. 

"But I'm not married yet. We can still have our fun," she said, her fleshy lips twisting into an ugly sneer. 

Andrei threw his hands in the air in frustration. Was there no loyalty in the world anymore? 

"Monique, if you keep this up, I'll have to find your replacement," he said, walking over to his adjoining bathroom to take care of business.

"The flowers were returned; Holly didn't sign for them," Monique said, slipping back into her role as a highly competent assistant. 

Confused, Andrei asked, "What flowers?" 

"For her show last Sunday," Monique replied.

"And you only tell me this now?"

"Well, I'm sorry, I was preoccupied with more important issues, like making sure all your stuff doesn't get shipped to Moscow—"

"Why didn't she sign for them?" Andrei asked. Not because he cared. But Monique had that look in her eyes, like she wanted him to ask or at least pretend to be interested.

"Well—" She smiled her glee. She didn't like Holly. No one liked Holly. "Apparently, there was a God-awful accident at her show last weekend. She broke something, I guess—"

Andrei held up his hand to interrupt her, "I was there, and besides a tiny mishap, Holly was her usual flawless self."

Clearly unimpressed with his backhanded compliment of her arch-enemy, the smile on Monique's face dimmed a few watts as she continued, "Well, I don't know what to tell you. All I know is she didn't sign for the flowers. Word on the gram and the savage streets of X is her show has been put on hold, and it might get cancelled, but if it doesn't, one of the better ballerinas will be taking over from her. How embarrassing is that? But, I guess it's about time that prissy bitch got pegged down a notch."

"Oh?" It was all Andrei could say. He doubted there was a ballerina better than Holly. Not in the country, at least. He may dislike the spoiled princess, but when she was on that stage, it was like looking at a beautiful piece of art…a rare masterpiece…and he didn't even like ballet. 

"Thanks for letting me know," he said, shaking his head slightly, wondering what he was supposed to do with this information. 

Was he supposed to call Holly and check up on her? 

Should he call Liam? After all, they were business partners. 

"I'll hold all your calls for fifteen minutes," Monique said, smiling wickedly because she knew exactly what he was about to do. 

Without saying another word, Andrei stepped into the bathroom, a little perplexed to see his hard-on had mysteriously vanished. He suspected it had a lot to do with the news about Holly. The prima-donna wasn't just a pain in the ass, but she was also a killer of raging hard-ons, it seemed.

Andrei took a leak and jumped in the shower to prepare for his meeting at the old airstrip.