The Professional

The Professional by Kresley Cole is a steamy contemporary romance novel that throws a small-town grad student into the glittering and lethal world of the Russian mafia. Natalie Porter has spent years quietly searching for her biological parents, balancing long hours of study with the hope that one day she will find answers about where she truly comes from. Her life changes overnight when Aleksandr “The Siberian” Sevastyan, a dark, enigmatic enforcer, appears in her world and reveals that her long-lost father is a powerful mafia boss who has finally decided to claim her.​

Whisked away from Nebraska and flown across the world, Natalie is thrust into a realm of private jets, guarded estates, and rules she barely understands, all while trying to process the truth about her heritage. Sevastyan, tasked with protecting her, becomes an irresistible and infuriating presence—dominant, controlled, and determined to keep his distance even as their chemistry becomes impossible to ignore. Their relationship evolves into a slow-burning, high-heat romance where power, control, and vulnerability collide in every charged interaction.​

The Professional explores themes of identity, desire, and the clash between a woman’s carefully planned future and the dangerous, intoxicating life she never expected to want. Natalie’s transformation from sheltered student to a woman claiming her place in an underworld empire is mirrored by Sevastyan’s struggle to reconcile his brutal profession with the intensity of his feelings for her. From lavish Russian estates to the decadent playgrounds of Paris, their journey is filled with sensual tension, emotional confessions, and the constant threat of rivals who would use Natalie as leverage.​

For readers who enjoy high-stakes romance with a blend of mafia intrigue and lavish settings, The Professional offers an addictive mix of passion, danger, and emotional conflict. The novel balances its explicit scenes with a storyline centered on trust, loyalty, and the risk of surrendering control to the one person most capable of breaking your heart. It also lays the foundation for the wider Game Maker series, where powerful men and the women who challenge them play for keeps in both business and love.​