Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
Sofia
S ofia wet her lips as he let go of her and turned his back. “You should head back to the party. It’s cold out here.” His voice was firm.
She nodded, waiting until he disappeared before exhaling sharply. She wasn’t tired exactly, but his absence left a sharp, hollow ache in her chest. If she inhaled deeply, she could still catch a trace of his scent lingering in the cold air. He’d touched her, but she hadn’t dared touch him back.
Coward.
The word echoed in her mind as she walked back into the club, scanning the crowd for him without even realizing it.
It didn’t take long for Konstantin to find her, Nina trailing behind him like an obedient shadow. From behind her father’s broad shoulders, Nina gave her a pointed look—a mix of warning and curiosity. Sofia pretended not to notice, summoning a bright smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Dad, I?—”
“You know how it looks when I show up with my daughter only for her to disappear?” His tone was even, but the weight of his displeasure pressed down on her.
“I’m here now,” she said lightly, hoping it would be enough to defuse him.
He stared at her for a moment, his jaw tightening, but he let it drop. For the sake of peace, no doubt. Taking her by the hand, he led her to a table surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Sofia smiled and nodded her way through introductions, but she couldn’t focus. Their names blurred together, and none of them managed to hold her interest.
Her thoughts were miles away—or rather, just a few feet outside.
Excusing herself with a polite smile, Sofia made her way to the entrance. The sight of Viktor’s unmistakable figure made her pulse skip. Even without the tailored suit and the meticulously combed hair, he stood out. His messy hair and disheveled appearance only made him look more untouchable. Dangerous.
And then she saw the knife.
And the guns.
Her breath hitched.
Her father had always told her it was foolish to bring a knife to a gunfight. But watching Viktor, she wondered if he might be the exception to that rule.
The knife twirled in his hand like it was an extension of him, the blade catching the dim light as he moved. His stance was relaxed but coiled, like a predator toying with prey.
One of the men barked something in Russian, his words sharp and angry. Viktor didn’t flinch. His calm, quiet menace filled the space like static electricity before a storm.
Then everything erupted.
The man lunged, firing a shot. Viktor moved faster than her eyes could follow. In one fluid motion, he sidestepped the bullet, grabbed the shooter, and used him as a shield. The knife was at the man’s throat before anyone could react.
The cut wasn’t deep enough to kill, but the blood told a different story.
Viktor’s voice was low, almost conversational, but it cut through the chaos like a blade. “Here’s how this works. You tell your boss to back off, or next time, I won’t stop with a warning. I’ll gut him like a fish. And you? You’ll be next. Understand?”
The man stammered something unintelligible. The other lowered his gun, his hands trembling.
Viktor shoved his bleeding hostage aside and laughed—a cold, sharp sound that made the hair on Sofia’s arms stand on end.
Her father was right. Viktor had the power to make her feel like the only person in the world, but he was dangerous. Too dangerous.
When his eyes met hers, his laughter stopped.
He stalked toward her, his gaze hard. “I told you to go inside,” he said, his words deliberate and cutting.
“And I don’t take orders,” she fired back, her voice steadier than the rapid thrum of her heart.
Viktor’s lips curved—not quite a smile, but a dangerous approximation of one. Before she could process it, he pulled her into his arms, the movement swift and commanding.
“You really shouldn't defy me, Sofia, I've killed men for less,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, brushing against her skin like the edge of a blade. The intensity of it sent a shiver straight down her spine, igniting something primal and undeniable.
The air between them was sharp and crackling, a taut wire ready to snap. For one breathless moment, she thought he might kiss her. His gaze lingered on her lips, his grip firm but not cruel.
But then, just as quickly, he let her go.
The absence of his warmth hit her like a sudden chill. Stunned and furious, she stumbled back a step as he turned and disappeared into the crowd without a word.
Sofia clenched her fists, the ache in her chest building with every second he walked away. But instead of retreating, she pushed forward, her determination outweighing her trembling knees.
She stopped directly in his line of vision, her voice cutting through the noise. “What the hell was that?”
Viktor turned to her, his expression maddeningly calm. “An example,” he said simply as if the answer explained everything.
“An example of what?” she demanded, quickening her steps to keep up with him. “Your god complex?”
He halted abruptly, and she nearly collided with his back. The room seemed to tilt for a second, her anger evaporating into something more potent as he turned, his eyes locking onto hers.
Viktor stepped closer, and Sofia instinctively moved back—until the cold, unyielding wall met her spine.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she realized her mistake. He closed the distance with deliberate slowness, his dark, unreadable eyes fixed on her. She tried to hold her ground, but the intensity of his presence made her breath hitch, her pulse a chaotic drumbeat in her ears.
“Sofia,” he drawled, his voice low and husky, his breath warm against her cheek.
The sound of her name from his lips sent a tremor through her. He leaned in, his thighs brushing against hers, and the heat radiating from his body made her knees feel like jelly. His gaze traced the curve of her jaw, the delicate line of her neck, before landing back on her lips.
Her resolve crumbled under his touch, her hands twitching at her sides as if caught between pushing him away and pulling him closer.
The world around them seemed to fade, the hum of the crowd and the music muffled by the sound of her own shallow breaths.
Sofia’s eyes darted around for anyone—anything—that might interrupt them. But even as she prayed for a distraction, a small, traitorous part of her hoped no one would.
The war inside her raged, the push and pull of logic and desire making her head spin.
“You like to push, don’t you?” Viktor’s voice broke through the silence, smooth but edged with something sharp.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her ear. “Be careful, Sofia. If you push too far...” His voice dropped lower, sending a shiver through her. “You might find out just how far I’ll go.”
“Maybe I want to find out.”
“Sofia,” he drawled, his tone sounding husky as he grew closer, trapping her in there without a means of escape. His thighs pressed against hers as his dark eyes caressed her pale skin, burning her up in the heat of the moment.
She fought hard against it, tried to push back with all the strength she possessed. But her resolution was quickly fading in front of him, leaving her with mere whispers and a raging pulse. It seemed everyone exploring that part of the space had suddenly vanished into thin air, as Sofia prayed, someone walked past them, but at the same time, she didn’t want that to happen. It was a constant warning in her, and it made her head pound.
Viktor’s lips raised in smirk, as his hand hovered near her face, a mere breath away from brushing her skin, igniting a trail of sparks along her nerves. He leaned in, allowing his long lashes to fan his face as his eyes moved from her lips to her eyes then back to her lips.
“I have never had to explain myself before, but I will do this for you since you seem to want to know badly.”
“I don’t…”
“Shhhh!” He placed a long finger on her lips and shook his head slowly. “Perhaps, you weren’t told this, but I have quite an obsession for my domain, and anyone who tries to fuck with it ends up in trouble, like that man over there.”
His tone was like a silken thread, leaving Sofia in shivers. Her back arched on its own accord, pushing herself into him. Sofia should have known her little dress was the wrong choice of clothing for the night because now, her nipples were visible through the flimsy fabric, hard and perky, as if waiting for him to brush his fingers through it.
Sofia blinked to clear the thought away, but her foggy mind wouldn’t permit her, leaving her plagued with it.
“Viktor…” It was meant to come out as a warning, yet Sofia couldn’t bite back the moan that escaped her lips. She wanted everything to fade into oblivion as his eyes shot back at hers.
She could see them darken, the thoughts forming in his head even before she could stop him. Sofia didn’t even think it was possible to.
“See?” Viktor continued, having the right ammunition in his hands. “Even your body doesn’t want to go against me. I can see every inch of you, Sofia, craving my touch. Your eyes flutter close when my fingers graze your nape. I see the shudders that overtake you when my breath hovers around your face and ears. You should tread more wisely with me, Sofia.”
Despite feeling every movement he made, matching his every turn, Sofia’s spirit blazed like a fiery flame against the one he ignited within her. “Your world holds no fear for me. I’m not scared of you,” she declared, though a whisper betrayed her defiance, her voice trembling just above a murmur. The tension between her needs and her willpower was palpable.
A smile played at the corners of Viktor's mouth, cold and calculating. “You don’t understand, Sofia. I don’t want you to be scared of me. You can’t be scared, not with the thoughts swirling in my head right now. Fear needs to vanish so you can truly crave me.” He raised his hands slowly, deliberately, his fingers splaying on the side of her face.
His thumb brushed her lower lip, and Sofia watched him with a racing heart, terrified he might hear it pounding and uncover how desperately her body wanted him. She had never felt like this in her life, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. But at that moment, all she wanted was more.
It took every ounce of willpower not to throw herself at him, defying any consequences. Yet, Sofia had always been too proud, too defiant to stray from her beliefs. Perhaps she had met the person who would break her completely—or maybe not. “The last thing I want is to crave someone like you, a chauvinistic jerk.”
“I told you, Sofia. You don’t have to fight it. I can see it in your eyes, the way you desperately try to act like this doesn’t make you wonder what being with me would feel like.”
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “You want me. I can practically see your body betraying you, straining against that dress. They’re begging for a real man to touch you, to get you wet and on your knees.”
Sofia felt her heart race, beating violently against her rib cage. “The last thing I’m going to let you do is touch me!”
Viktor chuckled lowly, a sound that reverberated through her. “You’ll take that back, baby girl,” he whispered, his breath a tantalizing tease. The way he spoke held a dark allure, wrapping her in a web of conflicting emotions. She struggled, her hands pressing against his chest, seeking distance yet craving closeness.
“Because I know you’ve thought about it. You’ve imagined what it would feel like—my hands teasing you, grazing your skin, pinching your hardened nipples. It’s going to be such a blend of pain and pleasure that your moans will echo through the room, your nails digging into my flesh as you lose yourself in it. I’ll kiss my way from your lips to your neck, until your dress becomes an obstacle—something that won’t stop me. Those pretty ties will make it easy to pull, exposing your soft skin for me.”
Sofia’s breath hitched. She needed water; her mind spun as her toes curled in reaction to his words. They sent a jolt of pleasure straight through her, almost pushing her to plead for more.
“I told you,” he murmured, his eyes locking onto the lust flooding her face, the wild desire aching to be released. “You can’t fight me, Sofia. Your body craves me. Your whole being is craving me.”
“Viktor…” she protested weakly, her voice trembling. “Let me go.”
“I will,” he drawled, nodding. “But I need you to admit that you want me to. It doesn’t have to be now, but when I leave, I want you to think about me so much that it makes you wet. I want you to touch yourself, wondering how it would feel if it was my finger inside you. You do touch yourself, don’t you?”
“You’re such an ass, Viktor. I have to say, this is the most inappropriate conversation to have with someone you just met.”
“What would you have me talk about then?” he questioned, his gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. “Or would rather we don’t talk, and I do something then? Is that it? Does your body expect something?”
Sofia shook her head, but her eyes betrayed her, roaming over his face as her breath quickened. She couldn’t help but glance at his lips—hot and inviting—and closed her eyes, willing her racing heart to calm down. But as Viktor pressed against her, her nipples brushed against his chest, and her senses spun into a frenzy. He hooked a thumb under her jaw, lifting her face to meet his, sending a thrill coursing down her body.
She trembled, torn between resistance and submission.
He hovered near her face for a moment, intentionally driving her wild with desire before angling his head and claiming her lips. Sofia gasped into his mouth, an overwhelming rush of sensations flooding her like a dam had burst. No matter how hard she tried to regain control, her resolve faltered.
One hand cradled the back of her head, pulling her impossibly closer as she melted into the kiss. As he tugged at her bottom lip and nibbled gently, she found herself kissing him back, forgetting why she had tried to resist him in the first place.
Her hands, once fists of defiance, softened as they glided over his chest, gripping his shirt as she surrendered. The flames of passion consumed her, erasing the boundaries she had fought so hard to maintain.
Her body ached for his touch, and she instinctively pressed against him. He chuckled against her lips, but as swiftly as the kiss began, he pulled away, leaving Sofia adrift in a sea of sensations. Her lips tingled, aching for his return, but clarity hit her like a cold splash of water, and she glared at him, frustration burning bright.
“Why—why did you stop?” she grumbled, an avalanche of unanswered questions weighing heavily on her.
Viktor’s expression remained unreadable, his dark eyes holding a hint of amusement. “Because you’re not ready for this,” he murmured.
She blinked, the truth of his words sinking in. He was right. No matter how much she craved him, she wasn’t ready—and that realization stung more than she was willing to admit.
Fury bubbled up, drowning the confusion and desire he had ignited. She shot him a glare that could melt steel. “You arrogant bastard,” she spat, pushing against his chest with enough force to make him stagger back.
He didn’t resist; instead, he simply watched her, his expression impassive, though the slight lift of his brow hinted at some hidden satisfaction.
Sofia withdrew, trying to compose herself. Her hands shook slightly, but she clenched them into fists, nails digging into her palms as she struggled to steady herself. “Don’t ever do that again,” she warned, her voice steady despite the tremor beneath it.
Viktor didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer. “You’re too emotional right now. Maybe you’ll see things more clearly later.”
“Later?” She laughed, but it sounded brittle, edged with disbelief. “There is no later, Viktor. I won’t let you manipulate me like this.”
“I’m not manipulating you,” he said quietly. “I’m just giving you the space and time to prepare for me. But make no mistake, Sofia,” he added, “this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, anger coursing through her veins, but beneath it lay something else—something unspoken and elusive.
He was right. This was far from over.