“Who said I was jealous?”
He scoffs. “You were totally jealous, which means you like me. You really like me.”
I laugh, almost falling off the rock. “Yeah, I like you. I really, really like you.”
Pulling me closer, he presses his lips to my temple. “I’m sorry. I should have prepared you.”
“Can I ask you something?” I place my hand on his leg, and he nods. “Have you talked to anyone about Armen’s death?”
His smile dims and he releases me, jumping down off the rock. “I don’t need therapy. He died, it sucks, life moves on. I’ll see him someday when it’s my time.”
I follow him down off the rock toward the water’s edge. “I think it’s the reason you try so hard to protect Ford, Aiden, Tweetie, on the ice. I think it’s the reason for your misplaced anger.”
He looks at me over his shoulder. “Do you think I don’t know that? I’m fully aware. And I’m damn good at it. No one will ever get hurt on my watch again.”
“Your watch?” My heart aches over the fact that he sees everyone’s well-being as his responsibility.
“Yes. But that’s not what we’re talking about.” He smiles and winds his arms around my waist. “I want to go back to your place and ravish you. I feel like I didn’t get well enough acquainted with your tits last night.”
I’m a therapist, I understand distraction. He doesn’t want to talk about it and there’s no way I can continue to see him as a patient—as much of a farce as that was—now that we have a relationship. But it’s affecting his job, and in order to move ahead emotionally, he needs to get it all off his chest and have someone help sort through the trauma with him. Sadly, that person can no longer be me.
“I have a great colleague—”
He shakes his head and tugs me, closing the last bit of distance between us. “I want you, kotik. Take me home and take advantage of me.”
Of course, he’s using humor to pretend nothing is the matter. People push their issues to the side all the time and some manage to live happy lives. Surely, it can wait… maybe until the season is over? We’re just starting out and I don’t want to be the nag girlfriend.
So I let it go. What can it hurt for him to go a little longer without getting the clarity he needs? I ignore the voice in my head telling me that I’m lying to myself.
“Okay.” I nod.
His blue eyes widen as though he’s surprised by my answer, then he picks me up bridal style and walks us back to his car.
We barely make it back to my apartment with all of our clothes intact. Just after we pass through the door, he tosses the yogurt bars in the freezer, even though I’m sure they’re probably totally melted by now, then places me on the kitchen table and falls to his knees. Since I don’t cook or have many people over, it’s the most action my kitchen table has ever seen.
If only the knot in my stomach wasn’t still there, telling me that one day, Maksim’s issues with the past are going to come to a head.
Paisley allows me to distract her from the issue of therapy, for which I’m thankful. I’ve been this way since Armen died and nothing is going to change. The sooner she realizes I don’t need fixing, the faster we can move on from that.
Later that week, I knock on her office door and hear her say, “Come in.”
“How’s my favorite doctor?” I say, shutting the door and resting my hand on the lock.
She glances up from papers she’s reading. “Do not lock that door.”
The lock clicks as I turn it, and she gives me a stern teacher look.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I say in an innocent voice.
“Why do I think you want me to spank you?” She raises an eyebrow.
I turn around and push out my ass. “Have at it. Although I don’t think I’m the one who likes to be spanked.”
She rolls her eyes, but she can’t fight the smile breaking through. I discovered two nights ago that Paisley Pearce likes it when I spank her. Likes when her ass is red with my handprint. How fucking lucky am I? Never in all the years I’ve been fucking has a woman surprised me like she has, but she treats missionary like a death sentence. She’s kinky as fuck and I love it.
“Do you have a reason you’re here? Shouldn’t you be, oh, I don’t know, practicing?”
“I’ll have you know I came to deliver a gift.”
“Let me guess.” She abandons her papers and walks around her desk. “It’s long and thick and its favorite direction is north?”
“Ding. Ding. Dick, tell the lady what she’s won?”
Her laughter fills the office. “I think I won dick.”
I break the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her small frame and pulling her toward me. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she says back and looks up at me. “Why are you really here?”
“I’m here to invite you to dinner. Nadiya wants to get to know you. Are you game? If not, I’ll totally lie for you.”
I try to tamp down my expectations. This Nadiya thing is still new to her, but my parents are coming to America for Nadiya’s graduation in a month, and it would be nice if Paisley feels comfortable with more than just me. Especially since they’ll probably speak Russian the entire time.
“Okay, when?”
A smile splits my face. I’m surprised but pleased that she agreed so easily. “As soon as we get back from Nashville. The next night.”
She nods. “I’ll be there. What can I bring?”
“Nothing. I’m going to make you dinner. And bring your swimsuit, because Nadiya is going out after with friends and we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
“So…” She places her hand on my chest. “Let me get this straight, your roommate is leaving for the night, and you want me to bring my swimsuit?”
I laugh. “Blyat, what am I thinking? Bring the swimsuit and I’ll punish you.”
“With spankings?” she asks coyly.
“Maybe I’ll tie you up.”
“No objections here.” Her hands fall to my track pants.
I’m freshly showered after practice and had planned on heading home before I realized I could play a little doctor and patient before leaving.
Her hand slides down the front and her mouth makes an O when she realizes I’m going commando. “Surprise, surprise.”
“Lucky you,” I say. “One day I hope to find the same surprise.”
“I guess you’ll have to keep checking.” She pushes me down into her desk chair and falls to her knees. She rubs my length over my pants, squeezing while my fingers grip the armrests of her chair. “I think my gift wants to be unwrapped.” Her voice is sultry.
“You have no idea how much,” I manage to say through clenched teeth.
She takes the waistband of my pants and pulls it up and over my cock. Her eyes are glued to mine and my dick weighs heavy in her right hand as she licks the length of me.
My hands weave into her long curly strands. “Fuck, kotik, that feels incredible.”
All I get is a “mmm.”
Her eyes never stray as she wraps her lips around the head of my cock and sucks. My hands tighten in her hair. Her tongue twirls over the head and her other hand wraps around the base, pumping as I thrust into her mouth, wanting to get as deep as possible but knowing she can’t take all of me.