Everything except give her up.
These last two months weren’t just for Mary, they were for me as well. I hadn’t just thrown away my proverbial little black book. I had torn it to pieces and set it on fire. My past and any other women in it had been laid to rest. I had also done my best to place safeguards and buffers between my personal life and the dangers of my business.
I may be a selfish bastard, but I wasn’t a coldhearted one. I knew the chaos and upheaval I would bring into Mary’s life. It wouldn’t be fair to do that and just walk away after I had my fill. She was practically a sister to my best friend’s now wife. She deserved better. So I needed to make damn sure that I was in it for the long haul. After two months apart, I was certain. There was no one in this world I wanted in my bed and in my life more than her.
I grinned. “Hello, beautiful.”
She tossed her purse onto the hallway table and placed her fists on her hips. “Don’t you fucking dare hello, beautiful me! You broke into my apartment!”
We had both been on our best behavior during Dimitri and Emma’s wedding, but it felt good to get back to our true nature as a couple. The type who loved to fight and then fuck. “I had a key—and the security code.”
“You stole all my stuff.”
“Not true, I simply arranged to have it relocated. It’s all right here, present and accounted for.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, which only served to push up her breasts. I, of course, wasn’t going to apprise her of that. Why deprive myself of such a glorious view?
Her eyes flashed. In this light they looked even more purple than usual. Fuck, she was beautiful, especially when she was royally pissed off at me. I would have to make her angry more often, which judging by our relationship so far, shouldn’t be a problem.
She pushed her chin out. “I’m not moving in with you.”
“Technically, you already have.”
She threw her arms up in the air and paced. “Do you have any idea how insane this is? You moved my stuff without my permission. Who does something like that?”
I smirked. “Off the top of my head, I would say a very powerful man with lots of money, low morals, and a loose definition of what is and is not considered legal.”
Her head swiveled sharply from side to side.
My brow furrowed. “What are you doing?”
“Looking for something to throw at you to wipe that arrogant smirk off your face.”
As she stepped toward the massive floral arrangement in the center of the entryway table, I blocked her path. Her lips opened on a gasp as her gaze scanned my chest. I moved closer. I grasped one silky curl and ran it over my palm, tugging gently on the end. “How long are you going to keep this up?”
She stared at my mouth, then her cute pink tongue slipped out to lick her own lips. “Keep what up?” she asked, slightly breathless.
Leaning down, I stopped only a few inches from her mouth. I felt as well as heard her sharp inhale as I watched her pupils dilate. I knew if I reached for her wrist, I would feel her elevated pulse. “This pretense that you’re angry with me.”
She swallowed. I watched the gentle movement of her throat. “I… I am angry with you.”
I pulled her against me and claimed her mouth. The need to taste her was like a physical pain deep in my chest. I stepped forward, forcing her backwards till her body slammed against the wall. Releasing my grip on her face, I reached for her arms. Caressing their soft length, I snatched each of her wrists and pulled them high over her head. I transferred both wrists into my left hand and lowered my right to cup one full breast as my tongue swirled and played with hers.
Twisting her head to the side, she broke our kiss and pulled her hands free. “Wait. This is a mistake.”
With my gaze locked on hers, I again reached for the silver chain around her neck.
She huffed. “It means nothing.”
We both knew that wasn’t true. A woman didn’t wear a man’s ring close to her heart unless he meant something to her. The tip of my tongue traced her full lower lip. My lips skimmed hers as I rasped, “Liar.”
I captured her mouth again and rubbed my hips against her stomach, needing to feel some contact to ease the ache in my already hard cock.
She pulled on my grasp around her wrists as she struggled in my embrace. “Vaska, I can’t.”
I reached up to wrap my other hand around her throat under her jaw. I slipped the tip of my tongue along the delicate whorl of her ear before threatening, “Don’t make me force you, Mary. Give in to me.”
Her body stilled. It was enough of an answer for me and I dropped my shoulder against her stomach. Slinging her over my shoulder, I lifted her high and carried her to the bedroom. She renewed her protests, but by now it was way too late. I spanked her ass to quiet her struggles as I kicked open the bedroom double doors and strolled inside. I dropped her in the center of the bed.
She bounced a few times, then sprang up onto her knees. Her eyes were bright and alert as she scanned the room, familiarizing herself with the layout no doubt, and searching for exits. There were none. Her only way out was through me, and I wasn’t budging.
I nodded toward her dress. “Is that sentimental?”
She covered her bodice protectively with her hands. “Why?”
“Because in about two seconds, I’m tearing it off your body.”
Her eyes widened. “I love this dress.”
“I’ll buy you a new one. Hell, I’ll buy you a hundred new ones. Now take it off.”
“But… wait… I am not having sex with you. We need to talk about this… about us… about what you did.”
“We’ll talk later.”
“Vaska…”
I unbuttoned the top button of my jeans. “One second.”
She huffed. “You are the most insufferable, brutish, stubb—”
Ignoring her practiced rant, I smirked. “Time’s up.”
Chapter 22
Mary
There are no words in the English language to describe what it feels like to have a six-foot-plus, heavily muscled and tattooed man suddenly pounce on you.
I screamed and tried to scurry off the bed. He was too quick. His hands wrapped around my waist and forced me onto my back. He straddled my hips as he reached up to untie the knot in the halter around my neck. I clawed at his wrists. With a growl, he instead tore the halter straps at the seams where they attached to the bodice. As he whipped the strip of fabric from around my neck, he held it up between his hands.
He quirked one eyebrow as he looked at the knot in the center of the long strip of black fabric. He then looked down at my mouth. “I think I know how to put this to good use.”
My mouth fell open before I snapped it shut. I seethed through clenched teeth, “You wouldn’t dare.”
He placed a hand on either side of my head and leaned down. The movement pushed his hard cock against my stomach. “Haven’t you learned by now I will dare whatever the fuck I please?”
He kissed me hard on the lips before leaning back. He once again held up the fabric. “Are you going to be a good girl?”
My eyes narrowed as I bucked my hips, trying to dislodge him. “Fuck you.”