Ruthless Daddies (Reverse Harem Daddies)

13. Alice

13

ALICE

T he garden is quiet, the kind of quiet that feels heavy, almost alive, as dusk begins to settle over the mansion grounds. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts—first the fact that I slept with Nikolai, and then let Dmitri finish me off in the hallway where anyone could have found us. What am I even doing? I wince at the memory, but at the same time, something inside me flares.

I wander through the garden, the familiar scent of roses and freshly trimmed hedges filling the air. The shadows are long now, the sun barely a sliver on the horizon. As I round a corner, I see him.

Ivan.

He’s in his usual spot, shirtless, his body gleaming with sweat in the faint light as he moves through his workout. His muscles ripple with each pull-up, his arms flexing with raw power, his focus unshakable. I stop in my tracks, my breath catching as I watch him.

There’s something magnetic about Ivan, something that draws me in no matter how much I try to resist. He’s intense, commanding, a force of nature, and seeing him like this—unrestrained, raw—makes my chest tighten in a way that has nothing to do with fear.

I know I shouldn’t be here. I should leave, go back inside, and pretend I didn’t see him. But my feet don’t move. Instead, I find myself stepping closer, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. The trees and hedges provide cover, but I’m too close. Too exposed.

The leaves rustle beneath my feet as I shift, trying to get a better view, and Ivan freezes. He looks up sharply, his eyes scanning the garden, his posture tense, alert.

My heart leaps into my throat, panic setting in as I realize I’ve been caught. Oh no.

I take a step back, hoping to slip away before he sees me, but the movement is too sudden. His gaze locks onto me, sharp and unrelenting, and I know there’s no escaping now. I turn and run, the adrenaline kicking in as I dart through the garden, my breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.

But Ivan is faster.

Before I can make it far, his weight slams into me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he tackles me to the ground. The impact knocks the air out of my lungs, and I gasp, the world spinning as I feel his body pinning mine, solid and unyielding.

I gasp, the world tilting as I land on the cool grass, my body pinned beneath his.

“Who the hell—” Ivan growls, his voice low and dangerous as he leans over me, his hands braced on either side of my head. It’s darker now, the shadows of the garden masking my face, and for a moment, he doesn’t realize it’s me.

But I do.

His scent—clean, musky, unmistakable—fills my senses, and his weight presses down on me. My breath comes in short, frantic pants, my body hyperaware of every point of contact—his hands near my shoulders, his chest brushing against mine, the heat radiating off him.

“Ivan,” I manage to gasp, my voice breathless.

He freezes, his body going rigid. “Alice? What the hell are you doing out here?” he demands. His voice is rough, but his tone lacks its usual harshness.

“I…” I falter, my thoughts scattered, the weight of him making it impossible to think clearly. “I didn’t mean to…I was just walking, and then?—”

“Watching me?” he cuts in, his voice quieter now, almost teasing, though there’s a dangerous edge to it.

I swallow hard, my cheeks burning. “No—I mean, I wasn’t?—”

“You weren’t?” he repeats, his eyes flicking down to my lips before meeting my gaze again. His voice drops lower, a deep rumble that sends a shiver through me. “Because it sure felt like you were.”

“I…” I trail off, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can feel it.

He shifts again, his body pressing against mine in a way that makes my breath hitch. His chest is solid against me, his hands caging me in, and the heat between us is almost unbearable. I can feel every inch of him, the tension in his muscles, the way his breathing deepens as he stares down at me.

“Ivan,” I whisper, my voice trembling, though I’m not sure if it’s from fear or something else entirely.

His jaw tightens, his gaze flickering as if he’s fighting something within himself. For a moment, I think he’s going to pull back, to let me go.

But he doesn’t.

Heat floods my cheeks, and I turn my head, breaking his gaze, but that only makes me more aware of his proximity, of the way his body presses against mine. His hands are still on my wrists, firm but not painful, and the weight of him feels…intoxicating.

“Ivan,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “Let me go.”

But he doesn’t move. His grip tightens just slightly, his body pressing closer, and I can feel his breath against my cheek.

“Are you afraid?”

I turn my head back to meet his gaze, my chest heaving as I try to find the words, but they catch in my throat. His eyes are dark, searching, and I can’t tell if it’s anger or something else that burns there.

“I’m not afraid,” I manage, though the quiver in my voice betrays me.

He leans in slightly, his face so close now that I can feel the heat radiating off him, the tension between us crackling like a live wire. “Then why are you shaking?”

I swallow hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. The air between us feels heavy, charged, and I can’t tell if it’s fear or something darker that’s coursing through me.

“I…” My voice trails off, my body frozen beneath his.

Ivan shifts slightly, his weight pressing down on me more fully, and I let out a soft gasp, my body reacting in ways I can’t control. His gaze drops to my lips, and I know he feels it too—the tension, the pull, the undeniable heat between us.

I don’t know who moves first. Maybe it’s him, maybe it’s me. But before I can stop myself, I tilt my head, my lips brushing his in the faintest, most hesitant of touches.

For a moment, I think Ivan might pull back, that this tension will break and reality will rush in. But instead, his grip on my wrists tightens, and he leans in, his lips capturing mine fully.

The kiss is anything but gentle. It’s demanding, consuming, a clash of heat and desperation that steals the breath from my lungs. His weight presses down on me, pinning me to the ground.

I moan softly against his lips, and that seems to spur him on. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, tangling with mine, and I arch beneath him, my body responding instinctively to his. His hands release my wrists, and before I can even think, they’re on me—gripping my waist, sliding up my sides, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.

“Ivan,” I gasp, breaking the kiss for just a moment, my chest heaving. His name tumbles from my lips before I can stop it, and the sound seems to snap something in him.

“Damn it, Alice,” he growls, his voice low and rough as his lips find my neck, his teeth grazing my skin before sucking gently. The sensation sends a jolt of heat straight through me, and I clutch at his shoulders, my fingers digging into the hard muscle there.

He presses against me, his hips grinding into mine, and I gasp again, my body jolting at the contact. I can feel him—hard, insistent, his arousal undeniable even through the layers of clothing that separate us. My legs fall open slightly, giving him more access, and he takes it, his movements deliberate, his hips rolling against me in a way that makes my breath catch.

“Oh God,” I whisper, my hands sliding down his back, clutching at him as he grinds against me again, the friction almost too much, almost not enough. The roughness of his joggers against the thin fabric of my jeans sends sparks of pleasure through me, and I can’t stop the soft moans that spill from my lips.

“You feel this?” he murmurs against my skin, his voice a low, gravelly whisper that sends shivers down my spine. “Tell me you feel this, Alice.”

“Yes,” I breathe, my voice trembling as my hips move against his, matching his rhythm.

“Look at me,” he demands, his voice rough, commanding.

I open my eyes, my gaze meeting his, and the intensity there steals the breath from my lungs. His face is close, his lips swollen from our kisses, his blue eyes dark with desire. He looks at me like he wants to consume me, and the thought sends a thrill through me that I can’t suppress.

“You drive me insane,” he mutters, his hips pressing harder into mine, drawing a sharp gasp from me. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me, Alice.”

I can’t answer. My body is trembling, my breaths coming in short, desperate gasps as the pleasure builds, coiling tighter and tighter with every grind of his hips. My nails scrape against his back, and he groans, his head falling to my shoulder as his movements grow more frantic, more desperate.

The heat between us is overwhelming, a fire that threatens to consume us both, and I can feel myself slipping, teetering on the edge of something I can’t control.

“Ivan,” I whisper again, my voice breaking as his name falls from my lips like a plea.

Ivan’s lips leave mine, trailing down my jaw, my neck, and lower still. His hands slide under the thin straps of my top, pushing them down until one side slips off completely, baring my breast to the cool evening air. I gasp softly, the sensation sending shivers across my skin, but the cold is quickly replaced by the heat of his mouth.

His lips close around my nipple, his tongue swirling, and my back arches off the ground, a moan spilling from my lips before I can stop it. His hand kneads the other breast, firm and deliberate, and I can feel his teeth grazing against my sensitive skin, teasing me until I’m trembling beneath him.

“God, Ivan,” I whisper, my fingers tangling in his hair, clutching him closer. His movements are rough, possessive, his mouth devouring me in a way that makes my head spin.

He sucks harder, leaving a mark that I know will linger, and the thought sends a strange thrill through me. His teeth scrape lightly against my skin, his lips trailing down the curve of my breast, and I can’t stop the way my hips press up against him, seeking more of the delicious friction between us.

His hips grind into mine again, the hard press of him against me drawing another sharp gasp. I move with him, my body desperate for the release that’s building between us, every movement pushing me closer to the edge.

But then, just as suddenly as it started, he stops.

I feel the loss of his warmth first, the sudden absence of his weight as he pulls back, rolling off me and rising to his feet in one swift motion. For a moment, I can only lie there, dazed and trembling, my top still pushed down, my body still humming with the heat of him.

When I finally sit up, pulling the straps of my top back into place with shaking hands, I glance up at him. He’s standing a few feet away, his back to me, one hand raking through his hair as his chest rises and falls with heavy breaths.

“Ivan?” I whisper, my voice small, hesitant.

He doesn’t turn around, doesn’t look at me. “Go,” he says finally, his voice rough, strained.

I stare at him, my cheeks flushing with humiliation as I fumble to fix my clothes, my hands trembling as I smooth the fabric back into place. He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t offer an explanation, and the silence feels louder than anything he could say.

My throat tightens, a lump forming as I rise to my feet, brushing dirt and leaves off my dress. I take a step toward him, my heart pounding, but he still doesn’t look at me.

“Was it—” My voice cracks, and I stop, swallowing hard before trying again. “Was it something I did?”

“No,” he says quickly, but his voice is clipped, his tone leaving no room for further questions. “Just…go, Alice. Now.”

The finality in his voice stings, and I feel my chest tighten even more. Without another word, I turn and walk away.

By the time I reach the door, I’m trembling for an entirely different reason, and the memory of his touch feels like a cruel reminder of something I shouldn’t have let happen. Something I’ll never let happen again.