42. Vadim
42
VADIM
"You were incredible, zvyozdochka ." My hand finds the small of Lacey's back as we walk through the foyer to Pankration. "The way you turned Caroline's accusations back on her..." I shake my head in admiration. "Even I couldn't have done it better."
"I had a good teacher." Lacey's lips curve into a smile that makes my heart race. "You taught me that sometimes the most effective weapon isn't force, but truth."
"Is that what I taught you?" I pull her closer, drinking in her scent of citrus and lavender.
"Among other things." Her fingers trail up my chest. "You taught me that power isn't about making threats, but about knowing which ones to make. And when to make them."
I capture her wandering hand in mine, bringing it to my lips. "You've become quite the pakhan's wife."
"I learned from the best." She rises on her tiptoes to kiss me. "But I have to admit, hearing Caroline confess how long she'd been with Nathan still hurt."
" Zvyozdochka ..." I start, but she silences me with another kiss.
"Don't. The past can't be changed. What matters is our future together." Her hand drifts to her swollen belly. "All three of us."
I feel Larina kick against my palm as I place my hand over hers. The fierce protectiveness I feel for them both nearly overwhelms me. "You really have learned well, haven't you?"
"Well enough to know exactly what you're thinking right now." Her amber-flecked eyes sparkle with mischief. "And to know that you're impressed by how naturally manipulation comes to me now."
I laugh, the sound echoing through Pankration's halls. "Should I be worried?"
"Never." She presses herself closer. "After all, I only use my powers for good."
"I need a shower," I tell Lacey as we head upstairs. "Booking isn't exactly known for their amenities."
Her hand tightens in mine. "I was wondering what that smell was."
"Careful, zvyozdochka . I may need to punish you for that." The familiar banter feels right after the tension of the past day.
"Promise?" Her eyes sparkle with that dangerous gleam I've come to love.
We enter our bathroom and I start unbuttoning my shirt. Lacey settles against the counter, watching me intently. The weight of her gaze sends heat coursing through me.
"See something you like?" I shrug off my shirt, letting it fall.
"Maybe." Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. "I'm just glad you're back. Orange isn't your color."
I step closer, caging her against the counter. "I thought we agreed—you were going to be good."
"Did we?" Her fingers trace the tattoos on my chest. "I must have forgotten."
"Clearly." I capture her wandering hands. "Would you like to join me? Help me wash away the stench of jail?"
Her smile turns wicked. "I thought you'd never ask."
"Strip for me, zvyozdochka ," I command softly. "Slowly."
With that wicked smile still on her face, Lacey's fingers move to the buttons of her blouse and undo them one by one. My breath catches at each new inch of skin revealed. Her breasts have grown fuller, straining against her bra in a way that makes my mouth water.
Her hands move to her skirt next, sliding it down her hips. Those too have grown wider, more womanly. The swell of her belly makes my heart race.
"You're staring," she whispers, standing before me in only her underwear.
"How could I not?" I step closer, running my hands over her curves. "You're glowing. Radiant." My fingers trace the new roundness of her breasts, trail down to cup her belly. "Every change makes you more stunning."
Her breath hitches as I explore her body. "What about the shower?"
"In a moment." I press closer, letting her feel my arousal through my pants. "I want to savor this first. A little preview of what's to come."
My hands roam her soft skin, memorizing every new curve, every change that marks her as carrying my child. Her body arches into my touch, seeking more.
I capture her lips in a searing kiss while my fingers make quick work of her bra clasp. Her breasts spill free into my hands, fuller and more sensitive than ever. When my thumb grazes her nipple, she gasps into my mouth.
My hand slides lower, tracing the curve of her belly before dipping between her thighs. Even through her panties, I can feel how ready she is. The fabric is soaked through.
"So wet for me already, zvyozdochka ?" I break our kiss to murmur against her lips.
Her eyes are dark with desire as she looks up at me. "I've been wet all day, thinking about this moment. About having you back home. About having you inside me."
"Such a dirty girl." My fingers push aside the damp fabric to stroke her directly. She moans and arches into my touch.
"Your dirty girl," she whispers, her hands clutching my shoulders. "Always and only."
The possessiveness in her words makes my cock throb. I slide a finger inside her welcoming heat while my thumb circles her clit. Her walls clench around me instantly, drawing me deeper.
I break our kiss and spin Lacey to face the mirror, pulling her back against my chest. Her amber-flecked eyes lock with mine in the reflection as my hands roam her curves. One hand cups her breast while the other traces lower, teasing between her thighs.
"Look at yourself, zvyozdochka ," I whisper against her ear. "So beautiful. So perfect." My fingers circle slowly, making her gasp. "I'm going to worship every inch of you. Make you forget everything but my name."
She arches into my touch. "Big words from someone who just got out of lockup."
I nip her earlobe, drawing a soft moan from her lips.
"Now." Her eyes sparkle with challenge in the mirror. "What's a hardened criminal like you going to do to an innocent girl like me?"
My laugh rumbles against her neck as my fingers splay open her wet folds. "Innocent? Is that what you're calling yourself now?"
"Compared to you?" She pushes back against me deliberately. "I'm practically an angel."
"Angels don't get this wet from a few touches," I murmur, increasing the pressure of my fingers. Her breath catches. "Angels don't beg for cock like you do."
"I haven't begged for anything yet." But her voice trembles as my thumb finds her sensitive spot.
"You will." I capture her gaze in the mirror again. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for mercy."
My hand wraps around Lacey's throat, applying the gentlest pressure. She trembles against me, her breath catching. With my foot, I nudge her legs wider apart. She responds by pressing back, her wetness sliding along my length.
"Ready to beg for me, zvyozdochka ?" My voice is rough with desire.
Instead of answering, she rolls her hips in a deliberate motion that makes my jaw clench. "Are you?"
My free hand slides between her thighs, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves. Her head falls back against my shoulder as I begin slow, torturous circles. She continues grinding against me, each movement perfectly timed to drive me wild.
I bring my other fingers to her lips. Without hesitation, she takes them into her warm mouth, her tongue swirling around them in a way that makes my cock throb. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror, full of wicked promise.
My lips trail down Lacey's neck, savoring the taste of her skin. She shivers when I reach that sensitive spot behind her ear, her body pressing back against my hardness. Each graze of my teeth draws a soft gasp from her lips.
"Still not ready to beg?" I murmur against her skin, nipping at the crook of her neck.
Her only response is to rock harder against me, her wetness coating my length. The sight of her in the mirror—flushed and wanting but still defiant—makes my cock throb.
"What will it take, zvyozdochka ?" My fingers continue their torturous circles on her clit. "What do I need to do to hear those pretty words?"
She meets my eyes in the mirror, that familiar spark of challenge lighting them from within. "You already know exactly what it takes." Her voice is breathy but still controlled. "You're just too scared to do it."
My hand stills against her. Then, without warning, I pull back and bring my palm down hard on her ass. The sharp crack echoes through the bathroom.
The sound of my palm striking her flesh is almost as satisfying as her sharp yelp of pleasure. Her skin flushes pink under my touch.
"Again," she gasps, pressing back against me. "Harder."
I oblige, bringing my hand down with more force. The impact makes her whole body shudder. Her wetness coats my thighs where she grinds against me.
"Harder," she demands, her voice thick with need.
The third strike leaves a perfect red handprint on her ass. She moans, deep and guttural, her fingers gripping the counter's edge until her knuckles turn white.
"One more time," I growl against her ear. "Ask nicely."
"Make it hurt," she whispers, meeting my eyes in the mirror with that defiant spark I love so much.
My palm cracks against her flesh one final time, the hardest yet. Her whole body jerks forward, and a single word falls from her lips:
"Please..."
The desperation in that single syllable makes my cock throb. I've been waiting to hear that word all night.
"Please what?" I ask, my palm hovering over the reddened flesh. "Tell me exactly what you want."
Lacey's eyes meet mine in the mirror, her pupils blown wide with desire. "Please spank me again." Her voice trembles. "And then fuck me until I can't remember my own name."
The raw need in her voice sends fire through my veins. I bring my hand down one final time, harder than before, savoring the perfect red imprint I leave on her flesh. Her gasp of pleasure turns into a moan as I finally thrust inside her.
"Is this what you wanted, zvyozdochka ?" I growl against her ear.
"Yes," she pants, pushing back against me. "You feel so good inside me. So big. So perfect."
Her words spur me on as I set a steady rhythm. Her fingers grip the counter edge while her other hand reaches back to tangle in my hair.
"More," she demands. "Harder. Make me feel it. Make me yours."
I comply, increasing my pace as she continues whispering filthy encouragements. Each thrust draws a new gasp or moan from her lips.
"That's it," she breathes. "Just like that. Show me who I belong to."
"I already showed you who you belong to," I growl against her ear, tightening my grip on her hair. "Now it's your turn to tell me ."
"I belong to you," Lacey gasps, her walls clenching around me. "Only you, Vadim."
"Again." I punctuate the command with a sharp thrust that makes her cry out.
"Yours," she pants. "I'm yours."
I reward her with another hard smack to her already reddened ass. Her whole body shudders in response, her inner walls gripping me tighter.
"My what?" I demand, yanking her head back by her hair to meet my eyes in the mirror.
"Your wife," she moans. "Your queen." Her breath catches as I increase my pace. "Your little star and filthy whore."
Each declaration earns her another strike, another deep thrust that makes her gasp and writhe. Her skin flushes pink with arousal, her pupils blown wide with desire.
"Please," she whimpers, pressing back against me. "I'm so close."
I tangle my fingers deeper in her hair, using the leverage to drive into her harder. My other hand finds her clit, circling in time with my thrusts.
"Oh god," she pants. "I'm going to come. Please don't stop."
Her words dissolve into incoherent moans as I maintain my relentless pace. Her fingers clutch desperately at the counter edge, her knuckles white with tension.
"Vadim," she gasps. "I'm... I'm..."
The words die in her throat as Lacey shatters around me, her release triggering my own. My vision goes white as pleasure courses through my body. Her walls flutter to milk every last drop from me as I empty myself inside her.
When I finally pull out, I watch transfixed as evidence of our passion trickles down her inner thigh. She stays braced against the counter, catching her breath, while I reach over to turn on the shower.
Steam quickly fills the bathroom, fogging the mirrors that just witnessed our reunion. I sweep Lacey into my arms, cradling her close to my chest. Her head nestles against my shoulder, completely spent and trusting.
I carry her into the shower, letting the hot water cascade over us both. She sighs contentedly as I hold her under the spray, washing away the traces of our lovemaking.
"I missed you," she whispers against my chest.
"I missed you too, zvyozdochka ." I press a kiss to her temple. "But don't worry, we're just getting started."