Little Tsaritsa

"All I ask is for a cup of coffee. And the pleasure of your company."

He did not miss the unspoken questions.

"No, not here. Perhaps a Starbucks?"

"You? At a Starbucks?" Nadezsha asked incredulously.

"I love Russian cuisine as much as I love Mother Russia, but the Starbucks mermaid does have her charms," he commented dryly, hoping some humor might help her relax.

She stared at him before she muttered several choice words in Russian, and he grinned.

"Nice Russian girls are not supposed to talk that way, but sometimes it can be thrilling to hear a woman talk dirty."

She snorted at that.

"I say yes to one cup of coffee. Just one, and you leave me alone?" She lifted her hand, one finger pointed outward. "Just one!"

"One cup," he agreed, grabbing her wrist and kissing her hand. "You truly don't know how much this means to me." He stared into her eyes, reaching out with his other hand to caress her cheek. After a moment, she pulled away, and he let her go. "Before you go back inside, I should return your phone to you. And of course, there's the matter of your tip." He pulled the device out of his pocket, and opened his wallet. For a moment, he considered giving her a twenty, which put the tip at over fifty percent. However, since she'd finally agreed to meet him, he pulled out another twenty, and saw her eyes widen in surprise as he held the two bills out in his hand.

"For all the hard work you do, have a treat. I hope you have a good night, and I look forward to our meeting."

"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Suvorin-"

"Arkady," he reminded her. Her chin lifted with a defiant tilt.

"One cup of coffee is not going to change things between us."

"This is going to sound terribly cliché, I know, but... never say never."

She scrunched up her nose at him before going back inside, and he chuckled softly to himself before he tugged at the collar of his jacket, retreating into the night.

o0o

Although much of Nadezsha's coursework was online, she still had a class that she had to attend twice a week. There was a Starbucks near campus that the students would hang out in. For a meeting that was supposed to be just one cup of coffee, Nadezsha had put a lot of thought into her outfit. She'd pulled on blue jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweatshirt, given that it was a chilly early spring morning.

The weight of her backpack was reassuring as she approached the building, seeing the familiar mermaid logo and recalling Arkady's comment. Some of the drinks here might be overpriced and/or diabetes-inducing, but Nadezsha had always been able to find a decent option amongst all the fancy drinks, and it was nice to do some reading with a coffee and pastry.

What the hell had she been thinking? She should have slapped him and told him no, but his very presence overwhelmed her, and to have him in such close proximity as he had been that night... oh, lord. Her nipples had tightened at the memory of that. And his scent... Something primal in her stirred at it, something that she was certain had been phased out in the long process of evolution.

She would be firm and polite. Thank you for the coffee, but no. She took a deep breath, and almost did a double take as she saw him rise from a bench in the park, just across the street from the Starbucks. He moved like a large cat, powerful and agile as he quickly looked both ways before striding across the street. At the restaurant, he generally wore suits, so she studied him for a moment, noting the black jeans that accentuated the muscle along his legs, and the expensive-looking jacket he wore. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he looked like a college student.

He was in front of her as she was registering these thoughts, and she looked up at him, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. She prayed he did not notice it, and turned toward the doors after mumbling a quick 'good morning'. He was agile, and practically pounced in front of her to open the door for her.

The heat of the Starbucks should have been welcome after the crisp air, but she suddenly felt too hot, and acutely aware of Arkady in her peripheral vision as she walked up to the end of the line. There were just two people in front of them, and the line moved quickly.

Nadezsha had already decided what she would have. "A vanilla chai cappuccino, please." It wasn't something she ordered often, but since it was his treat...

As she glanced towards the pastry case, she caught the envious glance of one of the baristas, and an appraising look of another one. She glanced back at Arkady, who seemed unaware of the scrutiny he was under as he casually ordered a strong black coffee with chicory. After paying, his hand slid to her back, guiding her to the side of the counter as they waited for their drinks. She swallowed thickly, but he remained silent. When she looked up, he glanced down at her before offering her a gentle smirk. She fixed her eyes forward, determined to resist his charm as she shifted half a step away from him. After their drinks came forward, he guided her to a corner in the back that was relatively clear of people. The table sat in front of a plate glass window, offering them a view of the park and passing cars.

She settled onto the stool, placing her cup on the table. His hand slid across the table, capturing her free hand before she could pull back.

"One cup of coffee, that's all I agreed to." His hand was heavy and warm, and she could feel the strength as the fingers gently squeezed around her own hand. "Then I'm going to go home, and study my Russian." She lifted the cup to her lips, inhaling the scent of the sweet chai.

"I am more than happy to help you study. I grew up speaking both languages, and you could almost pass for a Russian native, at least in the cities." He tightened his grip a bit before letting go, and sipping his own coffee.

"I'm fine, I have my Rosetta Stone program." Her father had come from Russia as a boy, and she'd spent much of her childhood around Russian-speaking relatives. Unlike her cousins and many members of the younger generation, Nadezsha used and studied Russian consistently instead of letting it fall in disuse. She considered being an interpreter or translator, but knew she'd need to study a few more languages for a better job.

"No, no, no." He spoke in Russian now. "The best teacher is a native speaker, which is what I am. You could also visit Russia with me, and enjoy the best that Moscow, Arkangelsk, and Vladivostok have to offer. I've also studied Mandarin, Polish and Ukrainian."

She blinked at him. He had effectively shifted himself into a position where she could not deny that he would be a great help. But what would he demand in exchange for that help?

"Damnit. This was just supposed to be one cup of coffee," she grumbled. He smirked at her, and she took several more sips of her chai, turning so her side was to him and fuming internally.

"There, I finished my cup. Now I need to go study." Lame excuse, she knew, but the Russian's steely gaze had her loins tingling, and she needed to remove herself from his presence and steady her nerves.

"Not so fast. I said we needed to have a talk. I thought I'd let you finish your cup, you looked like you were enjoying it."

She looked back at him. "Spit it out then."

"No need to be so rude, Nadezsha." He placed his hand over his heart in a mock dramatic gesture. "I am here to offer my help. You know how I feel about you. I want to take care of you."

"I don't need a sugar daddy!"

"A sugar what..." Arkady paused at that American expression.

"Sugar daddy," Nadezsha said in English before switching back to Russian, "a man who keeps a woman." And she would not be a kept woman.

"What if I were to pay for your college education?"

She opened her mouth, but could not speak.

"All of it, and books, whatever else you might need."

"That's a lot of money."

He smiled faintly and shrugged. "I am a man of considerable means. You suffered an extremely cruel twist of fate, your savings gambled away by a man who should have been protecting his daughter."

Her cheeks warmed in indignation, and she started to frown. "That really is none of your-"

"Hush and listen. I am trying to help you, damnit-"

"This does not come without strings attached." He wouldn't just hand her the money and be on his way out of the goodness of his heart. That only happened in fairy tales.

"This is one reason I like you. Not only are you hardworking but smart. And I think what I want... what you know I want... is not too much to ask for in exchange for such generosity."

"So I would be selling myself to you," she replied, deciding to not mince words.

"Not selling. Don't insult me by putting it in such sordid terms. Pride is a good thing to have, but you're too damn stubborn for your own good. You were robbed, and you would deny me a chance to make it right, and what's more, offer you my protection and further support?"

She stared at him, seeing a storm of emotions in his gaze. The muscles in his jaw tightened, and he tilted his head slightly. The face that she knew she would never forget for the rest of her life burned itself in her vision.

"What if you had a chance to walk away with the money?" he asked. She raised her eyebrow.

"Give me seven minutes to give you an orgasm. I succeed, and you become mine. You win, and I pay for your schooling... what is that expression, fair and square?"

She was glad the conversation had been in Russian. Had she just been offered a gamble which included him doing... whatever he could to make her cum? Damned if she wasn't actually getting aroused at the thought of him going down on her...

"So let me be sure I understand this. I give you seven minutes to make me orgasm. If I win, I get paid and you leave me alone. If I lose, I become your..." She paused as she tried to think of a suitable description for herself.

"Lyubovnik." Lover.

"Oh." The reality sat before her as she considered her options. Between tuition, insurance, and rent, she was fucking poor. And would be for a while with the way things were going. Dad really had left her fucking nothing, she was lucky that she hadn't been forced to pay what remained of his gambling debts after the house and life insurance had been claimed by his debtors. Uncle Boris had only had part of his loan to his younger brother recouped, and Nadezsha knew he was bitter over that.

"Seven minutes. I would spread you wide, and pleasure you. I would taste all of you, and your climax would be exquisite." His voice rumbled out along her spine, causing her stomach to twist in a knot.

It was as if a hot finger had slid up inside of her. Her pussy was throbbing now, and she looked down in her empty cup.

"Would you like another one? Or a pastry?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"No, I just need to be getting home."

"I can give you a ride home, if you like."

She looked back up at him. "Stop being so... nice!"

He grinned. "No." He sat back, regarding her with a more serious expression. "I know you're attracted to me. I see it in your blush and shy glances. I don't know why you won't give me a chance. I would treat you like a princess-"

"I am not a princess. I am a tsaritsa." Queen. She didn't know where that had come from, but ever since she was a little girl, she hadn't been as interested in princesses as other girls had been, including the Disney ones.

"You would be my queen, Nadezsha."

She crossed her arms and stared at him. He stared back at her calmly, and she could swear she saw a ghost of a smirk. "I think it's a fine gamble... you win something either way."

She knew she should get up and leave Starbucks in a huff. But it was clear to both of them that this was indeed a tempting proposition. To have her financial difficulties become a thing of the past...

"Come, tsaritsa. This has gone on long enough, hm? You've been through so much in your life, why not accept something good that comes your way?"

She studied his features. The strong jaw, the almost-aquiline nose, the slightly-curved lips... Her eyes moved down to his hands. They were large and strong, and she knew the palms would be thick with calluses, but his hands were still finely-formed, with well-kept nails. As he regarded her attention, his hand slowly slid across the table to her own. She regarded it silently, making no move to pull away as his fingers slid on top of her own.

He shifted their hands so that his own was face up, with her palm pressed against his. Despite Arkady's almost-impeccable grooming and wardrobe habits, the thick skin along his palm and fingers told her that he was no stranger to hard work. Almost without thinking, she lightly traced the lines of his hand with a fingernail, and he remained silent through this, stretching out his fingers to better allow this impromptu kindness.

o0o

God! Just the feel of her nail delicately sliding along his palm had him half-hard within his jeans. He fought the urge to tease or coax her, and simply basked in this unexpected attention. He imagined her nail tracing around his nipple... along his stomach... up and down his shaft, or lightly tickling his balls. He shifted around as his manhood pulsed.

After a minute, he brought his other hand on top of hers, squeezing it between his palms. "Your touch..." He paused, and she looked up at him. The somewhat harsh lighting of the Starbucks illuminated the pinkness of her cheeks. "Nadezsha." He stared into her eyes, adding velvet to his voice. "Come with me and we can settle this once and for all, hmm?"

Mutely, she nodded.

o0o

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