49. Surrender
Jolie hugged a pillow, facing the phone propped against the blankets. She watched her mother tend to a flower bed, and she mindlessly talked about the bugs and what fertilizer worked and what didn”t. The stress in her voice brought peace to Jolie. Something as silly as bugs on her mother”s flowers. It brought reality back. This was normal. Not shootouts on a thirty-million-dollar yacht. Not shivering in a safe room as someone drilled a hole in the wall.
And though it was boring and uneventful, Jolie yearned for it now.
All her life, she always wanted more than what her parents had. She wanted to buy gifts for Christmas without worrying if she could afford to eat. But more importantly, she wanted to reach the lives of children and ensure that poverty and misery weren”t all they were made for. It was possible to get out of the tar of life and find something worth living for.
If she had never been deterred from that desire, she”d be in school, teaching children full of hope, and she wouldn”t be here, regretting every day Adrik came into her life.
She sniffed and rubbed the tear off her nose.
Why, then, did she yearn for him? She hated herself for it. She hated that all she wanted was for him to knock on her door, tell her how sorry he was, and beg her to stay.
But his pride was more significant than that. Nothing would get him to stoop so low. This relationship was doomed from the start. Jolie knew it, yet she still wanted to try because she believed it would have been a fantastic adventure if they could make it work.
Jolie popped her head up. She swore she heard a soft, barely there knock from Helina”s door. The cats verified it, approaching the door, meowing with the hope someone else would give them attention. Jolie said goodbye to her mother, clicking it off before getting to her feet. Her heart pounded, but she didn”t want to hope. It was probably Alexei again, once more replacing the spot where Adrik should be.
Jolie rubbed her face and approached. ”The door”s locked,” she told whoever was behind it.
There was a latch undone from the other side. Jolie unlocked her side and pulled the door open.
A gasp escaped her.
Adrik stood in front of her, covered in blood. There wasn”t a spot on him that was clean. It had dried on his skin, stiffened his shirt, and squished in his shoes. He kept his blue eyes on the floor, unresponsive as she called his name.
Jolie tentatively reached for his hand. She didn”t want to touch him, but she couldn”t let him remain in case Helina returned. She pulled Adrik through the door and locked it behind him. ”What happened?”
No response. Jolie leaned down to get his eyes, but Adrik avoided her. At least she knew there was something inside him left.
Words she never thought she”d say came out of her mouth. ”Who”s dead, Adrik?”
Was it his father? Why did she hope it was?
”Zinof,” he whispered.
Her brows knitted. ”I thought you couldn”t kill him.”
The silence sunk into her. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. What had he done? This was irrefutable evidence that he was a murderer. A wave of nausea went through her, and she just stood there for a moment. Jolie wanted to leave, return to her parents’ house, sink into her mother”s warmth, and live in mediocrity. She wasn”t meant for this type of lifestyle. Everyone knew it, and they all warned her.
But there was something else there that she acknowledged.
Despite being covered in blood, it hadn”t changed the way she felt about him. Jolie had, at some point, come to terms with what he did for a living. And she decided what he did wasn”t who he was.
I”m choosing him,Jolie realized.
Jolie ran to the bathroom and twisted the knob for the shower. She took out towels and put one out on the floor. Then she went back to him. Jolie wanted nothing more than to care for him, to ease his pain. ”You need to wash off; you”ll feel better.”
Adrik didn”t move. He couldn”t force any action as he stared at the floor. His arms were heavy, and he could still feel the clench of his fingers around the leather of his belt.
Jolie touched his wrist and pulled, guiding him into the bathroom. She observed the emptiness in his face and the lack of emotion, as if he couldn”t allow himself to feel. She took hold of his shirt and lifted it above his head. His eyes came to hers at that moment. She smiled as she saw the light ignite in his eyes. ”You”re okay,” she assured.
Under Adrik”s scrutiny, Jolie removed his shoes and helped him with his pants. She squirmed and sneered at every piece covered in blood, tossing it on a towel. What had he done to make it splash on him? The question seeped into her consciousness, but she forced it away. It wasn”t that she was ignoring his actions. Instead, she found herself excusing them. Like he had reasons to do what he did.
Jolie opened the shower door and directed him inside. But he wouldn”t let go of her hand.
If she turned him away, Adrik would know that they were finished. He”d accept it, and though it would kill him, he”d take whatever pity was forcing her to help him.
But if she stepped into the shower with him, the small flame of hope burning inside him would become an inferno. His desire for her would devour him, and he wouldn”t hold himself back.
They stood in silence as the water poured over his chest. Adrik made his position clear. He wanted her here, but he wouldn”t force her to stay.
Jolie lifted her shirt over her head, and Adrik released the stress on his shoulders.
Her breasts were free, her nipples hard and perfect. Adrik didn”t care how embarrassed she got under his gaze. He traveled along her tight stomach as she pushed down her pajamas and panties. She kept a hand over her privates, trying to twist out of his stare. He held out his hand and pulled her in, flushed against him.
The water rained over both of them. It was a light pink as the blood washed away. He leaned in to kiss her, but Jolie pulled back. Adrik flicked his gaze over her face, trying to figure out why until she grabbed the body wash and held it up. He didn”t reach for it. He wanted her care. He needed it, so he surrendered to her ministrations, hoping she could fix what had come undone inside him.
Jolie poured the soap over him and ran her hands along every limp, scrubbing the stains away. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, enjoying her touch and compassion. Being vulnerable had become an impossibility over the years. He never trusted anyone. Not because he was afraid to but because none of them had proven faithful. Everyone he’d ever known had an agenda. They talked to him for their own gain. They spoke to him for status, money, and opportunities to improve their lives.
With Jolie, the good in her shined like the sun. He trusted himself with her. She wouldn”t betray him or hurt him. She would never cheat on him or lie to him. There was nothing for her to gain. She was not selfish or self-centered.
The urge to ask her to marry him clogged the back of his throat. He knew how ridiculous it sounded to want to marry a woman he just met. And if he believed she”d say yes, he might have asked. But Jolie was more logical than he was. She”d say no only because it was expected of her.
As he watched the water drip off her lips, Adrik couldn”t hold himself back any further. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, capturing them like a bucking dragonfly. She surrendered, falling into him with her hands buried in his hair. He parted from her to kiss her jaw and neck, lowering still till he took a nipple into his mouth. She moaned, holding his head to her.
Adrik turned her to the wall, pressing her against it. All the hours he spent thinking about this moment, and it was here. He was eager to devour her but knew she wasn”t ready. He needed to go slow.
Adrik took her hands in one of his, pinning them above her head as she wiggled beneath his lips. His tongue flicked her nipple till she was whimpering. His other hand drifted down her side, past her hip, and landed in the center of her pelvis. She had shaved, leaving a smooth vagina for his fingers. He slid them along her lips, touching her clit, and she bucked against him, gasping, her legs widening on their own.
”Adrik,” Jolie whimpered.
Adrik slipped his middle finger inside her, curling it, and she broke from his lips to moan. He clenched his teeth to keep his own moans at bay. She was tight, warm, and wet around his finger. He could only imagine what it would feel like around his cock. He watched her, her mouth open, her eyes clenched shut. Every bit of her screaming while she remained quiet, stifling moans he fiercely wanted to hear. His finger slid in and out, slowly, torturously. Adrik slipped another finger in, biting her shoulder as he did so. He was losing control, his dick pulsing against her hip.
Adrik pulled his fingers away, watching the disappointment when she opened her eyes. He let her hands go and stepped back into the water spray, running his hands through his hair, removing all the soap and any lingering droplets of blood. The aftermath of Zinof was fading, but Katia”s words still clung to him like a poison in his veins. He couldn”t wash it away. It wasn”t betrayal, because he never trusted her since she cheated on him, but it was disappointment. How would he create a good life for Helina with a mother who tried to kill her? It would be better if it was something Helina never learned.
Adrik could feel the depression slipping back into his head. The horror of his actions was coming at him, reminding him of what he had almost done. The blind rage was over, and all that was left was the aftermath. How terrible of a person could he become in those moments? He almost found out. Were there no limits? Did he have no sense of morality? How much of his father was in him?
When he opened his eyes, Jolie was hypnotized by him, watching every inch of the water descend his body. Her desire was a fire, eating away the world outside. She was his salve, his solution, his cure. He put no other thought into what would happen with Zinof, with Katia, or his future. All he wanted was Jolie.
Adrik shut off the water and led Jolie out. He wrapped a towel around her before taking one for himself. It was a pause, another chance he gave her to run, to change her mind. He was going to dive into the deep end, and he needed to know she was there swimming with him.
Jolie pushed up on her toes, kissing him. He smiled into her lips before slipping his tongue through, barely touching her, teasing her. It exhilarated her. She was eager for his touch, just as he was for hers.
He brought her back to the bed, and she sat on the edge, with a towel clinging to her form. She stared up at him, waiting for him to take charge. She was unconfident, and it showed in her wide, deer-in-headlights look.
Adrik leaned down and lifted her feet in the air. She squealed as she fell back on the mattress. Jolie clung to the towel and covered her exposed privates with a hand. ”What are you doing?” she scolded.
Adrik slipped his fingers between her tightly knit thighs and forced them apart, squeezing himself between her legs as he lowered to his knees. When he kissed the inner part of her thigh, realization dawned on her. Jolie clamped a hand tight over her entrance. He kissed closer to her pussy, watching her breathing increase with every touch. Adrik pulled the towel off to expose her breasts to the air. A hand clamped on one, pinching her hard nipple. She stared at him over her heaving chest, excitement shining in her lust-filled eyes. He nudged her hands with his nose, a gentle caress to encourage. He needed Jolie to want him, to beg him, to trust him.
Her hands fell away, surrendering.
Adrik kissed her center, and she bucked. Anticipation and fear swirled like a violent storm. He graced her clit with the tip of his tongue, and her body flinched. Then he licked her, a full flat-tongue lick that made her quake.
After that, it was erratic, his tongue working her pussy. She tasted like honey, and he was a bear diving into a hive. He licked every nook and cranny, focusing on her most sensitive area. The clit was full of nerve endings that had her dying. Jolie kept her hands over her face, suppressing every sound, but he knew when she got closer. She breathed in deep and held it longer and longer. Her muscles tightened in her thighs. With his hands spreading her thighs wide, Adrik shook his head with his tongue stretched over her, her juices smothering his cheeks and chin, but he loved it. His tongue worked harder than it ever had, and when she climaxed, her body shivered, and her legs clamped down on him, trapping him, while her hand pushed on his head, trying to get him out.
Adrik pulled back, and she curled into a ball, breathing, enjoying the last remaining waves. He had never felt so proud. He was going to enjoy every orgasm he could squeeze out of her. It was time to completely erase her ex-boyfriend from her memory.
Adrik used the towel to wipe his face. But he wasn”t going to let her rest. He took hold of his erection and rubbed it between her wet folds. He watched her, giving her the opportunity to push him away, but she was lost in ecstasy. Adrik positioned himself at her entrance and pushed. Just an inch at a time, watching as her eyes widened. ”Oh, God,” a whisper escaped her, and Jolie dropped her head back on the bed. Her fingers pressed against his chest, fearful it would hurt. But with his care and the wetness of her pussy, he slid in without resistance. He heard every hitch of her breath, every groan and moan. The slowness was killing him. He wanted to pound into her without control, but he ground his teeth and took his time, allowing her walls to relax so he wouldn”t hurt her.
Minutes it took till her legs lost their strength.
Standing on the floor, Adrik placed her feet on his chest as he shoved his dick inside. The gasp was pleasure-filled, and she slapped her hand over her mouth to quiet herself. He stayed still inside her, basking in the wet heat around his cock, pressing in till he was fully inside. Adrik pulled at her wrist and waited for her dazed gaze to land on him. ”No one can hear you but me. And I want to hear all of it. I want to make you scream.” He pounded her hard, and a small whimper escaped. ”More,” he ordered, thrusting harshly. A sob was released. Jolie clenched the bedsheets, gritting her teeth as she watched him move inside her over and over, rocking her tits. Still sensitive from her last orgasm, it took barely any effort to make her cum again. Her back arched off the bed, her noises louder but still reserved.
Adrik put his knees on the bed, sitting back on his heels. Her legs laid useless on the bed, dropped open, welcoming him to do as he pleased. His thumb swirled around on her clit, slowly enticing her back to reality. Her eyes opened, meeting his. If he could paint a picture of her, this would be it, the one he”d put above his bed. Her wet hair was a mess, her legs wide, her pussy bare, his dick buried in deep.
Adrik put his hands on the bed next to her face, leaning over her. He stared at her, and she couldn”t take her eyes off him. Everything he wanted to say to her was loud between them, without either of them making a sound. He could feel the love Jolie felt, and he prayed she could feel his.
Adrik kissed her softly, over and over again. He moved but with patience, barely making her move as he gently thrust into her. He had never made love before, but this had to be it. There was nothing else that could describe the connection. It was tangible, thick like molasses, and drowned him.
Jolie”s hand rested on his cheek. Her attention was like heaven. She was forgiving him for leaving her on the boat. He knew he should have talked to her, but he was too worried about his father finding out. It was time to put things into perspective.
Jolie was now his family.
Adrik paused in his movements, burying his face into her neck. ”Stay,” he whispered against her skin. He didn”t want to see any sorrow or hear any words that would hurt him, so he didn”t wait for any. He thrusted, and Jolie gasped into his ear. It was a beautiful sound. He increased his pace a little until he was pounding so hard into her that the bed shook. But he could only keep that pace for a minute before his orgasm approached. He yanked away, panting as he calmed himself. His dick shined with her juices. He grabbed his cock, rubbing it, watching her as she lay on the bed, already exhausted from a ten-minute fuck. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. The way the light struck her was divine. Every curve, every dip, he wanted to bask in all of it.
Adrik grabbed her legs and dragged her toward him. She giggled, trying once more to be modest, but he flipped her over on her belly. Her feet hit the floor, and he stepped up, resting his cock between her butt cheeks. His fingers roamed down the curve of her back, squeezing the fat of her ass. Adrik slapped her softly just to see her reaction. Then he did it a little harder. She made a quiet cry, but her ass shifted toward him. He slapped her again harder, and a red imprint quickly formed. He soothed it, admiring her round cheeks. She worked hard for their perfection.
”Do you have a condom?” Jolie whispered into the sheets.
”A little late for that,” he pointed out. ”You think I”ve been with anyone else since I met you?”
A smile twitched on her lips. ”I don”t want a kid yet.”
The way she said ”yet,” like it was a possibility, drove him crazy. He slipped his cock inside, groaning at the same time she did. ”I”ll get you the morning-after pill.” Adrik pulled her up, resting her back against his chest as he kissed her neck. His hands were on her tits, twisting the nipples, and though she tried to stop him, the effort was minimal. ”From now on, you”re mine.” He shoved hard into her, and she gasped. ”Everything is mine, and I”m gonna cum in your pussy,” he warned her. His hand drifted down her stomach and cupped her vagina. A finger pressing strategically against her clit. ”You gonna stop me?”
Jolie”s head rested on his shoulder, submitting wholly, and a moaned sigh escaped. ”No.”
Adrik smirked against her sweaty skin. He dropped her on the bed and pounded hard and fast into her. Her cries were unhindered, finally free and loud. He enjoyed every noise, digging deeper, wanting to see if there was more she was smothering. He wanted all of it, and he always got what he wanted.