When I Love (Vassi & Seri 3: Russian Stepbrother Romance) (3 page)

E
ntering
the recording studio thirty minutes before call time, Seri was about to take a sip of her latte when she saw that she wasn’t the first one to arrive. Seated on the solitary couch was---

“Hello, little sister,” Vassi drawled.

Seri almost spewed her coffee out. What was he doing here? And was it just her imagination, or did his Russian accent seem thicker
and
sexier than usual?

Vassi watched Seri slowly come through the doorway, looking everywhere but him.
Which was a good thing
, he thought grimly, since it allowed him to stare his fill of her.

Her hair was slightly wet, and his jaw clenched at the thought of her taking a bath in Maximilian Rockford’s home.

As Seri nervously took her place behind the first of a long line of microphone stands, she suddenly sensed someone coming to stand beside her---

D’err mo.

How could she stop loving him when he kept getting close to her?

“Nothing to say, Seri?”

She tensed.
It’s a trap, Seri
, she warned herself.
So don’t talk, don’t even look at him.

But with Vassi just standing there silently, the solid, throbbing heat of his body seducing her, tempting her,
breaking
her---

Oh God, those two months in Tokyo clearly did nothing
, Seri realized in despair.

She still loved him.

So much.

Too much than what was right or safe.

And now, she couldn’t help herself, raising her head to meet his gaze---

B’lyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Those silver eyes that could still make her do anything---

That beautiful face which she so loved to stare at---

Seri finally managed to tear her gaze away from him. “What do you want, Vassi?” This time, to play it safe she fixed her gaze on his chest, its sculpted form accentuated by his knitted gray V-necked shirt---

Wrong move.

She hastily lowered her gaze past his chest and ended up staring at the way his tight – really tight – denims mold to the shape of his dick---

Worst move.

And oh God, was she imagining things again or did Vassi’s dick seem enormously, rigidly---

Her gaze flew to him in shock.

“
What can I say?” he asked blandly. “Even though I already know you’re a mercenary bitch---”

She paled.

“I still want to---”

The sound of the door opening cut him off, but both of them knew she didn’t have to hear him finish his sentence to understand his meaning.

Welcoming the distraction as their co-actors joined them inside the studio, Seri scowled hard at the floor.

Vassi had called her a bitch.

That should make her angry.

But---

He also wanted to fuck her.
Still.

Why was she concentrating on that fact? And why did it make her want to grin so badly---

The door opened again, and this time she heard a familiar but unwelcome voice call out to the entire cast.

“Morning, everyone.”

Daniela Martin came sailing in, looking the epitome of street chic with her gel-styled hair, loose floral top, and ripped jeans. She came to stand beside Vassi and fist-bumped with Seri’s stepbrother.

If Seri had wanted to grin a second earlier, right now she just wanted to puke.

“I’m nervous, Grachyov,” she heard Daniela confess.

“Man up, D.”

How so very cute
, Seri thought, teeth gnashing. They had nicknames for each other. Not one of his girlfriends had ever gotten Vassi to call them by a nickname, but this girl had succeeded where others had failed.

Daniela suddenly looked at her, and Seri quickly rearranged her teeth gnashing into a teeth-baring smile.

Vassi’s gaze narrowed. That to be the ugliest-looking smile he had ever seen on Seri’s face.

“Hi.” Daniela flashed her a friendly smile and offered her hand, saying, “We weren’t properly introduced before.”

“Hi back.” She forced herself to shake the other girl’s hand.

“Are you nervous, too?” Daniela asked just before making a cute face right after, saying, “Stupid question, right? You must be so used to this.”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that,” Seri protested. “I’m always nervous---”

“It’s so sweet of you to lie for my sake,” Daniela interrupted her with a laugh.

But I wasn’t lying, you little bi---

Seri quickly cut the thought off and tried not to turn red in shame. Holy Mother of Russia, but this girl was bad for her.

“I just hope I don’t mess up,” Daniela was saying.

“I’ll be happy to let you know when you do,” Vassi answered easily.

“You are seriously
not
helping, dude.”

“Excuse me,” Seri mumbled. “I have to go to the washroom.”

Seeing the uneasy look on Seri’s face, Vassi’s first instinct was to follow Seri out and ask what was wrong. But he managed to resist the effort, reminding himself that the two of them were only stepsiblings by name.

As far as Fyodor Grachyov was concerned, Seri Devereux no longer existed.

And for as long as he loved and respected the man who had raised him despite not being his biological father, it had to be the same for him.

“You’re looking at her again
that way
,” Daniela murmured under her breath.

His face became expressionless. “You keep telling me things that make no sense.”

Ignoring that, Daniela continued, “I think you’re going about it the wrong way. If you want her attention, you should stop running after her and make her jealous instead.”

He didn’t answer.

As Seri came back inside, Daniela tiptoed and whispered into his ear, “You do it like this.”

He stiffened.

Across the room, he saw Seri stiffen as well.

Daniela pulled away and winked at him, mouthing, “Told ya.”

“You okay?” Vassi asked when Seri returned to her spot beside him.

“Never better.” She smiled up at him. “I just had to take a call from Max.”

Ah.

His jaw clenched. If this was how she wanted to play it---

Then by all means
, he thought grimly. Turning to Daniela, he gave her his most charming smile, saying gallantly, “If you’ve got any questions, just ask me.”

Daniela snorted. “You’re a newbie like I am.”

“In that case---” He placed an arm around Seri’s shoulders. “My little sister will be glad to help you out.” He looked down at Seri. “Right,
solnishka moya
?”

Before Seri could answer, Daniela gushed, “Those words sound so pretty. What does it mean?”

When she saw Vassi start to answer, she didn’t even think. She just slapped her hand over his mouth. Two pairs of eyes settled on hers, and she stammered, “It’s embarrassing, so let’s just keep that a secret?” She knew it was a lame excuse. Anyone could Google the words for a translation. But she didn’t care. She just didn’t want to share those words with
her
.

Daniela looked at her sympathetically. “That bad, huh?”

“Yes, it’s that---aaah---” Vassi’s tongue had darted out to lick her palm, and fire spread all over her body. “It’s t-that bad.” She tried not to be so obvious as she retracted her hand from his face.

D’err mo.

What did he think was he doing?

And why was her body feel like it was about to melt any second---
against him?

Unable to help it, she stole a look at Vassi, wanting to see if he was similarly affected.

He wasn’t.

Instead, his attention had switched back to Daniela, and hurt made Seri’s heart twinge as she listened to Vassi talk in the kindest tone she had ever heard from him. Even when they were kids, he had always been tough with her. Why was he being the opposite with Daniela?

And then she heard Daniela ask, “What about Mr. Roberts? Is he going to oversee rehearsals?”

Seri’s teeth started gnashing again.

Classic,
she thought. That was pure classic right there, the play-dumb-act to make a man feel more important, and now she was starting to realize why her gut reaction to Daniela was to hate her.

Everybody knew that art directors like Mr. Roberts had
nothing
to do with rehearsals. Instead, this was the sound director’s domain---

Almost on cue, she heard Marshall, the sound director, say through the speakers, “Ready in five, please. And we’ll be starting with page 20, everyone.”

Seri forced her mind back on her job and mentally enumerated the things she needed to remember about her character.
Shy was number one,
she thought. Aya, her character, was very shy, but she was also exceedingly smart, and that was her character’s second most important trait.

Papers rustled as some readied their scripts while others tapped on their microphones for a sound check. Marshall had chosen a scene involving the main cast, even if it was one of the middle episodes. It wasn’t a usual thing to do, but Seri had gone through it several times in the past, so it was no surprise for her.

It was, however, for
that girl.

As soon as Daniela spoke her line, Marshall said through the speakers, “Cut. Let’s start with the top.”

Unfortunately, it happened two more times, forcing the sound director to call for a timeout.

Vassi looked at Daniela in amazement. “You are
seriously
bad at this.”

“Shut up,” Daniela snapped.

“I’m not kidding. You are
crazy bad at this. How you even got this job is beyond me.”

While I’m just plain crazy
, Seri thought. She knew she should be happy that Vassi was insulting the other girl, but she wasn’t. If it had been Misha, she would have understood. It would have been normal. But this Vassi, and the Vassi she knew was the type to always wear a mask with other people.

That
Vassi was charming to everyone and only annoying as hell to her and the other boys.

But
this
Vassi?

Either Vassi was different, or it was Daniela Martin who was different from all the other girls in his life.

It’s working,
Daniela mouthed at him.

Even as he ignored Daniela, he couldn’t stop himself from slightly turning his gaze towards Seri.

She had a glassy look in her eyes, the kind she usually did whenever she wanted to cry.

His fists clenched.

Two months ago, nothing would have stopped him from taking her to his arms upon seeing that look.

But now—

Now, he could no longer trust himself when it came to her.

Rehearsals resumed, and Vassi made himself concentrate on the job. Daniela had somewhat improved, but her voice was still so damn bad Vassi had to wonder if she was faking it.

But for what purpose
, he wondered.

It was a question worth considering, but not now. As soon as rehearsals ended, Seri mumbled an excuse before rushing out of the studio, leaving everyone to stare at him in askance.

He said without hesitation, “It’s her boyfriend. They’re having problems.”

“Maximilian Rockford, right?” one of the minor role actresses asked.

About to leave the room himself, he stopped and turned at the question. “You know him?”

Sandy rolled her eyes. “You mean, who in the world
doesn’t
know him? Someone secretly took a photo of him when he picked Seri up yesterday, and it just went viral. People refer to him as the hottest aspiring scientist on the globe.”

“Is that so?” Vassi managed to keep his tone casual even as he wanted to smash his fist into the face of the hottest aspiring scientist on the globe.

“Your little sister has good taste,” Daniela said slyly.

Smiling down at her, he said pleasantly, “Shut up.”

Daniela’s laughter trailed after him as he went out. After asking a guard about the direction Seri took, he went straight to her dressing room, knowing that it was the only place she could be.

He knocked on the door. “I’m coming in.”

Panicking at the sound of Vassi’s voice, she hissed at Davey on the phone, “Just play along, okay?”

“Play with what?” Davey asked blankly.

Vassi came in, and Seri laughed. “Oh, Max, you’re
so
funny.”

Vassi slammed the door shut, a look of indescribable rage on his handsome face.

Good,
she thought even as her heart thundered against her chest in a mixture of fear and not a little excitement.

“Yes,” she told Davey in a sugary sweet voice. “I promise, I’m coming straight home. I miss you---what?” She pretended to blush.

Over the phone, Davey said, “You’re scaring me.”

“See you soon, babylicious.”

Davey sighed. “Visit a doctor first, please.”

She managed to end the call just as Vassi reached her. He snatched her phone from her hand---

“Vassi!”

Oh my God, if he saw the most recent name on her call list, it was all over.

---before throwing it against the wall, causing the phone to smash into pieces.

Thank…God?

“I clearly expected more from you,” Vassi hissed at her. “The way you pander to Rockford is fucking disgusting---”

Anger flared inside her at how unfair he was. “
Oh please.
Like you weren’t doing the same thing with your Daniela---” Unable to help it, she mimicked the way Vassi and the other girl talked. “
I’m nervous, Grachyov. Man up, D.
”

“And I suppose you calling your lover something as asinine as
babylicious
is better?”

“At least it’s true,” she snapped. “Because Rockford
is
a delicious babe---”

Outraged at her ability to say such words to him, Vassi did the only thing he could think of to shut her up.

If he was honest, it was also what he had planned all along the moment he decided to follow her.

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he pulled her towards him and slammed his mouth down on hers.

Seri froze.

Oh God, the feel of his lips---

But she managed to recover her senses a moment later, and she tried to struggle, opening her mouth to scream---

Big mistake.

The moment her lips parted, Vassi’s tongue slipped inside her mouth, and the kiss turned carnal.