“Ow!” I objected even as the sting only heightened my pleasure.
He winked and snapped the other garter. Then his body dipped low as he placed his left forearm near my head and pressed his hips between my legs.
He nuzzled my neck. “I dreamed of sinking my cock into your tight heat every night we were apart.”
He reached between our bodies and lodged the head of his shaft at my entrance. I held my breath as I braced for the painful pleasure I knew was coming. He thrust in deep, tearing me apart and filling me all at once.
My fingernails dug into his shoulders.
He shifted his hips and thrust again and again. I raised my legs to wrap them around his hips, pulling him closer, asking for the pain as my body adjusted to his hard, thick intrusion.
He cupped my right breast as he leaned down to take my left nipple between his teeth, alternating between biting and licking the sensitive bud. He increased his pace, pounding into me with the same rhythm as my rapid heartbeat.
He leaned up to gaze down into my eyes. He was slightly breathless when he said, “I’m never letting you go, krasotka.”
Two months ago my heart and mind would have dismissed his heated declaration as just the type of lie a man like him knew a woman wanted to hear. I now knew better. He wasn’t lying. He really wanted to be with me. Hell, he’d literally moved me into his home. What further proof did I need of his intentions?
Curling his hands into fists, he rested them just above my shoulders and straightened his arms, leaning back. His thrusts stilled with him deep inside of me.
His eyes narrowed as he breathed heavily through clenched teeth. A fine sheen of sweat glistened over his chest. His arms shook as he restrained himself from thrusting. “Tell me you love me,” he growled.
My mouth opened in shock. “What?”
He ground his hips against my core but didn’t thrust. “Tell me you love me,” he repeated.
There was a big difference between finally accepting you love someone you know could potentially shatter your heart into a million pieces and actually saying it out loud. Saying it out loud made it real. Saying it out loud would force me to accept the truth of it. Worse, saying it out loud would forever seal my submission to his dominance.
“Vaska—” I pleaded, not ready for what he was asking of me.
“Now, Mary,” he roared.
Shocked, I blurted out, “I love you.”
He closed his eyes as if savoring the sound. When he opened them, his sapphire gaze pinned me to the bed with a dark intent that seared my soul. With a growl, he pulled his cock almost free. The wide head pushed at my entrance from the inside before he surged forward. He pounded into my body with such violence I was certain we would break the bed. My legs ached from straining to stay open for the repeated thrust of his hips. I could feel every inch of his thick cock as he speared into me. Reaching between us, I swirled the tips of my fingers over my still-sensitive clit, feeling another climax build.
Just as my pleasure crested, Vaska’s body stiffened. He threw his head back as his back bowed. With a guttural roar, he filled me with his seed. After a few heavy breaths, his body jerked, then he fell forward. His heavy weight pressed me into the mattress for a moment before he rolled onto his back, taking me with him. He pressed me against his side as he kissed the top of my head. Both of us were out of breath and dazed from the intense experience.
After several minutes, Vaska shifted the covers out from beneath us and tucked me under the blanket, but not before he unfastened my corset and pulled it off my body. I was now left in only my garters and stockings. I thought I should probably take them off, but I didn’t want to move. He spooned me from behind.
Eventually his breathing became steady and even. “You’re staying with me.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue. Snuggling closer against his warmth, I said, “We’ll talk about it later.”
His grasp on my breast tightened. “There is nothing to discuss, Mary. My decision is final.”
Icy fingers of dread gripped my heart. Perhaps I was overreacting. It had been a long, emotional day. I would try to reason with him later when we weren’t lying naked in bed.
His hand shifted to cover my stomach. “And I want you off birth control starting now.”
I swallowed as fear closed my throat. Before my eyes, I had a vision of gleaming gold bars slamming into place. One by one they surrounded me, caging me in… for life.
Chapter 23
Mary
I awoke to the smell of bacon. I crawled out of bed and snatched up the robe that Vaska had left slung over a nearby chair. Wrapping myself in its cozy warmth, I inhaled his spicy cologne scent, which still clung to the fabric. Tightening the belt, I padded barefoot down the hallway toward the kitchen and the scent of breakfast.
Vaska was standing over the stovetop dressed in only a pair of jeans. His entire back was covered in colorful tattoos. I tried not to focus on the specific images, but just the splashes of color. If I focused on the images, I would remember what I’d learned from Emma’s Russian prison tattoo book. I had enough on my plate without dealing with a Pictionary story of Vaska’s violent past. Past? Probably present as well. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Without turning around, he said, “There’s coffee.”
My gaze scanned the kitchen counter till I saw the expensive-looking espresso/coffee machine with the fresh pot. Picking up an empty mug, I poured myself a cup and dumped in several spoonfuls of sugar.
Again, without even turning around, Vaska offered, “There’s chocolate sauce in the fridge.”
I scrunched up my face. I hated the fact that he knew me so well after so short of an acquaintance. Out of spite, I stuck my tongue out at his turned back.
“I saw that,” he chuckled, still without turning around.
No wonder he didn’t like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was clear the man was part demon with eyes in the back of his head, so obviously he wouldn’t like seeing his kind die in a hail of dirty dust episode after episode.
With an annoyed huff, I pulled the heavy stainless steel refrigerator door open and found the Hershey’s syrup. I had to remove the clear plastic wrap. My heart lurched. He had bought this just for me. Dammit. Why did he have to be so thoughtful and considerate and yet such an arrogant bully at the same time?
I poured a generous amount of syrup into my mug and stirred as I grabbed one of the leather-topped stools positioned around the white marble kitchen island. Out of curiosity, I looked at the stack of magazines casually tossed in the center. Vaska didn’t really strike me as the magazine type, except for maybe Guns and Ammo. Casting a quick glance at his back, I pulled the stack toward me. Sliding one magazine after another off the top, I saw they were all decor magazines.
He turned to face me, placing a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me.
“I thought you might like to look those over before the decorator gets here later today,” he offered as he turned away to grab utensils.
“Decorator?”
He placed a fork and knife in front of me. “Eat.”
I picked up a slice of bacon—because bacon—but I wrinkled my nose at the rest. “I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
“I know. It’s one of the things that is going to change about your life. From now on, no more vending machine crap for my girl.”