27. Vadim
27
VADIM
I help Lacey stand, steadying her as her legs tremble. My desk is in complete disarray—papers scattered, pens knocked over, and evidence of our intense coupling smeared all over the polished wood.
"You've made a mess of my workspace, zvyozdochka ." I nibble her ear, enjoying the way she shivers.
"And I'd do it again if you ask me to," she quips back, but her voice still carries that delicious breathlessness.
I guide her toward the private shower attached to my office—a necessity given how many nights I spend here working. My fingers find the delicate chain of the necklace at her throat. With utmost care, I unclasp it and place it on the marble countertop. The small diamonds catch the light, and I notice how Lacey's eyes linger on it before she turns her attention back to me.
The shower springs to life with a twist of the chrome handle, steam quickly filling the spacious enclosure. I turn back to Lacey, who stands watching me with those amber-flecked eyes that hide nothing of what she's feeling.
"Join me?" I ask, extending my hand to her.
She puts her hand in mine and, smiling, walks in.
The moment she steps under the hot water, I capture her lips with mine, drinking in her soft gasp of surprise. Steam curls around us as hot water cascades down our bodies. Her hands slide up my chest, leaving trails of fire in their wake.
You're being selfish , my mind whispers. She deserves better than this. Better than you.
But I can't stop myself from deepening the kiss, from tasting every inch of her mouth as she melts against me. My hands find her waist, steadying her as she arches into my touch.
"Vadim," she breathes against my lips, and the sound of my name on her lips carries such trust that it makes my chest ache.
The more she learns about you, the harder it will be for her to walk away.
I know this truth deep in my bones. Every secret I share, every vulnerable moment between us, they're all chains I'm wrapping around her heart while pretending she has the freedom to choose her path.
My fingers trace the curve of her spine as water streams down her back. She shivers, pressing closer, completely unaware that each tender touch is another tie binding her to me.
"You're thinking too hard," Lacey murmurs, nipping at my lower lip.
I smile against her mouth, masking the guilt that threatens to overwhelm me. "Just appreciating the view, zvyozdochka ."
But the lie tastes bitter on my tongue. Because while I make her believe she has options, I'm crafting a cage of intimacy around her—one she won't even realize exists until it's too late.
I trail kisses down Lacey's neck, tasting droplets of water mixed with the scent of citrus and lavender rising from her skin. My fingers memorize the curves of her body while guilt gnaws at my conscience. Every soft gasp she makes, every tremor beneath my touch, pulls me deeper into dangerous territory.
"Yes," she whispers by the time I kneel down before her feet, and that single word nearly breaks my resolve.
I shouldn't want her like this. Shouldn't crave the way she arches into my touch or how sweet her body tastes. This was meant to be a temporary arrangement. Yet here I am, on my knees before her in my shower, worshipping her body like a man possessed.
My lips brush across her stomach and she whimpers my name. The sound echoes off the marble walls, mixing with the steady drum of water against tile. I pause, resting my forehead against her hip, fighting the urge to confess just how deeply I'm falling for her.
Instead, I press another kiss to her skin, letting my actions speak what my words cannot. Her hands tighten in my hair as I move lower, and I'm lost. Lost in the taste of her, in the sounds she makes, in the knowledge that I'm crossing lines I never meant to cross.
You're going to destroy her , my mind warns. But I can't stop. Don't want to stop. Every kiss marks her as mine, even though I have no right to claim her.
The water cascades around us as I worship her with my mouth, each caress an unspoken apology for the pain I know I'll eventually cause her. Because that's what men like me do—we take beautiful things and break them, no matter how carefully we try to handle them.
Yet still I continue, addicted to her responses, to the way she trusts me so completely. And as she comes undone above me, I realize I'm falling harder than I ever thought possible.
I worship Lacey with my tongue, savoring her first shuddering gasp. Her fingers tighten in my hair as her hips buck against my mouth. The water streams down her body while steam curls around us, but all I can focus on is drawing more of those delicious sounds from her throat.
"Vadim, please..." she whimpers, and the desperate need in her voice spurs me on.
My hands grip her thighs, steadying her as she trembles. Every flick of my tongue makes her cry out louder, her inhibitions washing away with the falling water. I know I should stop this—I should pull back and restore the emotional distance that had been reduced to nothing.
But the way she responds to my touch is intoxicating.
Her body tenses as I drive her higher, my name becoming a breathless mantra on her lips. I can feel her getting close, her thighs quivering against my palms. When she finally shatters, her release hitting her in waves, I hold her steady as she rides it out.
The sight of her coming undone because of me fills me with equal parts pride and self-loathing. I'm marking her as mine in ways that go beyond the physical—creating bonds she won't be able to break when this is over.
Each intimate moment between us is another link in the chain I'm wrapping around her heart. Another piece to the trap keeping her next to me while pretending she has the freedom to choose.
I rise to my feet and pull her against my chest. Her breathing slowly steadies. She fits perfectly in my arms, her wet skin sliding against mine. The trust in her eyes as she looks up at me makes my chest ache with guilt.
"That was incredible," she whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my throat.
I tighten my hold on her, hating myself for how much I crave her touch, her trust, her affection. Because I know that the deeper she falls, the harder it will be for her to walk away when the time comes. Yet I can't bring myself to push her away.
I can't bring myself to a reality where she's not here in my arms.
"I want you against the wall."
Lacey's eyes widen, but she doesn't hesitate. She spins around, bracing her hands against the tiles, her head tilted back to look at me over her shoulder. Her breasts are flushed, nipples tight with desire.
I step closer, pressing my body against hers. Her breath hitches as I reach between her legs, sliding my fingers through her slick folds. "You're so wet for me," I murmur, my lips brushing her ear as I tease her clit.
She gasps, her hips rocking back against my hand. "Vadim..."
"You like this, don't you?" I ask, my thumb circling her sensitive bud. "You like knowing that I can make you come with just my fingers and mouth."
She moans, her body trembling as I stroke her. "Yes..."
I lean down, my mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss as my fingers move faster, my thumb pressing against her in tight circles. "Come for me, zvyozdochka . Let me feel you fall apart."
Her breath comes in sharp pants, her body tensing as she teeters on the edge. "Vadim, please..."
"Let go." I suck her earlobe into my mouth, my fingers working her relentlessly.
With a strangled cry, she shudders, her body convulsing around my fingers as she climaxes. I hold her through it, my mouth on her neck, tasting the salt of her skin as she rides out the waves of pleasure.
When her trembling subsides, I spin her back to face me and lift her into my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist to steady herself in my embrace.
I press her back against the wall, my mouth finding hers in a hungry kiss as I thrust into her. She moans into my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer.
Stop this! You fool! Stop it while you still can! .
But I can't. I won't.
Her nails dig into my shoulders as I move within her, my hips snapping forward, driving us both closer to the edge. Her breath comes in short gasps, her body arching to meet mine with each thrust.
"You feel so good, zvyozdochka ," I whisper, my lips brushing hers. "So tight around me."
She whimpers, her head falling back as I thrust deeper, claiming her completely.
With one final thrust, my release crashes over me as I empty into her for the second time. I rest my forehead against hers, fighting to catch my breath as I cum.
For a moment, we stand there, our bodies still joined, our hearts pounding in unison. Then, slowly, I lower her back to the ground, my hands sliding down to grip her hips. I lean in, my mouth finding hers in a soft, lingering kiss.
She tastes of passion and desire, and I dare to forget everything except the feel of her lips against mine.
When I finally pull away, her eyes are dark with longing, her chest heaving as she struggles to catch her breath.
"Is this how it'll always be?" she pants. "Between us?"
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"First, you treat me like a queen, treasured and adored." She motions her head towards the door as steam rises all around us. "And then, you close the door and fuck me like a whore."
"And if I do, would you be opposed?"
"No." She closes her eyes, smiling as she presses a tiny kiss to my shoulder. "Because it's exactly what I want."