I do as he says, scooting to the middle of the bed. My back has barely hit the mattress before he’s crawling over me again, his cock brushing over my inner thigh. Reverently, he kisses my belly and trails soft kisses on the undersides and upper curves of my breasts, working his way to my nipples. The reward for my patience is a sweet kiss on my left nipple. He circles the tip with his tongue before sucking on it with the same gentle treatment he gave my clit, while bringing a hand to my other breast to roll the nipple between his fingers.
I moan when he sucks a little harder. As if I haven’t just had two orgasms, my folds swell with arousal. My sex clenches around nothing, begging to be filled, but Alex isn’t to be hurried. He moves to the other breast, kissing and grazing my nipple with his teeth while laying a hand over the abandoned one. With his tongue and fingers, he works me into a frenzy, preparing me to take him.
He lifts his head to look at my face as he fists the base of his cock and aligns it with my entrance. Needing to hold onto him, I grip his shoulders.
“Tell me,” he says hoarsely, parting my folds with the broad head of his cock. “Tell me if it’s too much.”
My answer is to wrap my legs around his ass. We’ve waited two days, and now that I’ve decided to take this step, I want all of him. He advances cautiously, driving an inch into me. My inner muscles clench involuntarily around the intrusion, but I make a conscious effort to relax and let him inside.
He moves with excruciating gentleness, giving me a few seconds to adapt after every inch he claims. Holding back takes its toll on him. It’s evident in the sheen of sweat on his forehead and in the utter concentration etched on his features. When he’s finally so deep inside me that our groins are flush together, he cups my face and kisses my lips. The kiss is sweet. It’s both a tender compensation for and a subtle warning of what’s to follow.
Even two days apart was too long. Alex is too virile, his appetite for sex too insatiable. Framing my face between his palms, he holds my gaze as he pulls out until only the head of his cock is wedged between my folds. He holds still for a second before sliding back in. In spite of his size, my body accommodates him without difficulty. My arousal is slick, aiding his movement. Plus, he took the time to prime me. The stretch is intense enough to be just a little scary. If he’s not careful, he can tear me. The tinge of apprehension fuels me with adrenaline, increasing my tolerance threshold, and when his control finally slips, I’m ready.
As if sensing my final surrender, he pulls out and thrusts back. My skin tingles as his cock slides over ultra-sensitive nerve endings. Oral sex with Alex is great, but nothing beats the feeling of him filling me inside. Perspiration beads on his skin as he gives a few softer strokes. His hips fall into a rhythmic pattern, rocking our bodies together. The coarseness of his pubic hair brushes over my clit. The pressure of his groin on the bundle of nerves quickly makes my need climb again. I’ve never wanted to come so badly.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I roll my hips to urge him on. He clenches his teeth, trying to hold still when I pull him deeper with my inner muscles.
“Katerina,” he warns.
I lift my hips, taking him faster and breaking his pace.
He lets loose with a growl. Pinning my waist to the mattress with his large hands, he keeps me still and pounds into me with a harsher rhythm. With every thrust, the breath leaves my lungs. The roughness is delicious, taking me to the crescendo I crave.
He punches his hips until his face contorts into a mask of tormented pleasure. Raggedly, he orders, “Come for me one more time, kiska.”
The sensual sound of his accent washes over my ears. The musky smell of man and sex intoxicates my senses. The connection between us is more than a joining of our bodies. It goes deeper than the heat that coils through my insides, but the pleasure momentarily overpowers all else as my body erupts into flames. The fire incinerates everything, burning away the barriers and protection around my heart, leaving me open, vulnerable, and susceptible to Alex Volkov’s loving.
Because it is love, but only on a physical level. Even in the midst of mind-blowing sex, I’m lucid enough to understand how this works. I told him I was falling in love with him. He never reciprocated the words. His declaration is to empty his seed in my body, pumping until he’s dry and I’m dripping with his release. It’s a stamp of possession in the most primitive of ways, an instinctive act of a male leaving his mark.
Panting, I internalize the thoughts that take over as the sensations subside. I’m falling for him a little more every day. The web draws tighter, and like a trapped fly, I’m stuck here with nowhere to go. I have no way to protect myself from being consumed. Alex, on the other hand, doesn’t have to suffer that sensation of slow suffocation. He already owns me wholly. He has me right where he wants me.
In his bed.
In Russia.
Pushing up onto one arm, he brushes the hair from my face. His voice is soft. “You’re quiet.”
“Exhausted,” I reply honestly.
He searches my eyes. “What are you thinking?”
“That we didn’t use protection.”
“You’re on the pill.”
“Yes, but still.”
“We’re both clean.”
I blow out a breath. “I know.” It just seems more intimate and risky. It’s a commitment without the safety net of love.
He gives me a surprised look. “You want to go off the pill?”
“No,” I exclaim. “Of course not.”
“Because if that’s what you want—”
“It’s hardly a subject up for discussion.”
His eyes narrow minutely. “You’re right. This isn’t the moment. We should wait until after I’ve dealt with Stefanov.”
What? Does he seriously think my refusal is only about the threat on our lives? Pushing away from him, I sit up. “I need a shower.”
“Later.” He catches me around the waist and drags my back to his chest. “I’ll wash you myself, I promise. Stay like this for a while.”
“I’ll soil the sheets.”
“Fuck the sheets. I like the idea of my cum inside you.” Pressing a kiss to my ear, he whispers, “Way too much.”
The implications of his words make me tense. I’m already a prisoner, not only of Alex but also of my own heart. I won’t become a prisoner in blood too.
He curves his body around mine, trapping me in a comfortable but dangerous cocoon. We breathe in tandem while our hearts beat with different tunes. The darkness envelops us as he reaches over and closes the bed curtains.
We lie like that for a long time, awake and slumbering, at peace and at war. We’re on the same side but at opposite ends of the spectrum. Even the arms he folds around me are a contradiction in terms. Depending on the perspective I choose, he’s either imprisoning me or keeping me safe.
In truth, it’s both.
He tightens his hold, pulling me closer, and I lay my hand over his where he cups my breast. Neither of us says the words the other wants to hear.
13
Alex
The gnawing worry is always present in the back of my mind, even in my sleep, but I wake feeling a little more at ease. The reason is the woman I’m spooning from behind, the woman I’ll give my life to protect. Her close proximity calms me. As long as her slender body is pliant and warm against mine, no one can touch her. In the circle of my arms, no one can harm her.