Chapter Seven #2
Sofia was no longer just a political alliance or an enemy.
It felt like Dimitri was finally seeing her for the first time.
The woman underneath the cool armor. Sofia, his strong, stubborn and brilliant wife.
Not to mention beautiful. The realization settled heavily between them. Sofia looked at him for a long moment.
Then quietly said, “You were really worried.”
Dimitri considered denying it. Instead he surprised himself. “Yes.”
Her expression softened slightly. The final piece of distance disappeared. When he kissed her, it wasn’t planned. It was inevitable, and Dimitri was pleased when Sofia kissed him back immediately. The tension that had been building between them for weeks had finally found somewhere to go.
Dimitri cupped her jaw, drawing her closer. She grabbed the front of his shirt, holding him there. The kiss deepened, not rushed or gentle. It was the kind of kiss born from adrenaline, relief, and weeks of mutual fascination neither had wanted to acknowledge.
Eventually they broke apart, and Dimitri noticed she was breathing harder. Sofia’s eyes were brighter now. His pulse remained completely out of control. For the first time since their marriage began, neither of them seemed particularly interested in being careful.
The bedroom door remained only a few feet away. Dimitri tugged her close again, unwilling to let the distance return between them. One kiss had somehow become ten, and ten hadn’t been enough.
Sofia made a soft sound of protest when he pulled back for air. The realization nearly undid him.
Only recently, they’d been strangers. A few hours ago, she’d shot a man to save his life. Now he couldn’t seem to stop touching her. He settled his hand against the small of her back as he kissed her again.
Sofia’s fingers slid into his hair. The gesture sent a sharp pulse of heat through him. Neither of them seemed interested in slowing down. The tension that had been building since the day they’d signed the marriage contract had finally snapped. All of it seemed to lead here, to this, to her.
Dimitri backed her toward the bedroom. Neither of them were paying much attention to where they were going. They stumbled through the doorway together. He remembered just enough common sense to kick the door shut behind him.
The click echoed through the room. For the first time since the wedding, they were completely alone. Sofia moved her hands to his shirt and he let her take it off.
His attention was entirely fixed on her.
Her dark hair had come loose during the night’s chaos.
A few curls framed her face. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her eyes were bright.
Beautiful, he thought, moving his gaze lower, to the tempting swell of her breasts and downward, to the jewel between her thighs.
Looking at him the way she was now made something primitive stir inside him.
He suddenly wanted to see her completely naked for him.
“Dimitri.” His name sounded different in her voice. It was softer, an invitation. He reminded himself to be patient.
He groaned and kissed her again. The world narrowed to her scent, his hand on her soft skin, to the feel of her breasts pressed against him. Piece by piece, barriers fell away. Clothes were discarded and finally he beheld his wife fully nude for the first time. His hunger was amplified.
Eventually they reached the bed. Neither could have said exactly how. One moment they were standing, kissing and clawing at each other and the next, Sofia was laughing breathlessly as she fell backward onto the mattress, pulling him with her.
The sound of her laughter caught him off guard. He realized he liked it, far more than he should. Dimitri braced himself above her. For a moment neither moved. They simply looked at one another. The room seemed impossibly quiet after the violence of the night.
Sofia reached up and touched the bruises on his throat. Her expression softened. Concern flashed across her face before she could hide it. She’d been worried, just as he’d been worried for her. Neither of them said it.
Dimitri lowered his mouth to hers, and began pressing kisses to the side of her neck, to her erect nipples. He took one in his mouth, sucking softly, before biting down. She cried out softly, then slid her fingers into his hair, silently urging him to continue.
Dimitri hid a smile, then marked her other breast as well, before moving downward. He continued his exploration, kissing and sucking his way downward, until he reached the valley between her legs. He swirled his tongue around her clit, before dragging it downwards to explore her pussy lips.
Sofia moaned above him, releasing his hair to grip the sheets above her. He took his time, memorizing the sweet taste of her. When she started to beg, her voice was music to his ears. He nipped at her bud, and she cried out, coming against his mouth. By then, his own dick was hard and ready.
Dimitri positioned himself above her, pining her arms above her head while she looked at him like a satisfied cat. No, a queen. His queen. Dimitri took her mouth, at the same time he finally slid inside her. Her wet heat enveloped him, until he was fully seated inside her.
He released her mouth. When she begged him to move, he complied. He started with slow strokes at first, before going harder and deeper. Sweat coated their bodies, and he was pleased Sofia met him for every thrust. Soon enough, logical thought left his mind as they rutted like animals in heat.
She cried out at his last push, arching her body, and he knew he found her sweet spot.
His balls tightened against his body. Dimitri kept aiming for that special place, at the same time making sure he hit her clit each time he pounded into her.
At his next thrust, Sofia screamed out his name as she came all over his dick.
Several thrusts later, Dimitri climaxed.
With a growl, he filled her with his seed, then collapsed next to her, his lips on her pulse.
He lingered inside her for a few moments, before pulling out. Dimitri then dragged himself out of bed and entered the bathroom. After grabbing towels, he returned to Sofa. She was still where he left her. After cleaning them both up, he settled next to her.
The room was dark except for the faint glow of moonlight slipping through the curtains. Silence settled over the estate, and the only sound was her breathing and his. She cuddled close to him and he automatically slid one possessive arm around her shoulders, drawing her close.
Dimitri lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Beside him, Sofia slept, or at least appeared to.
He wasn’t entirely convinced she’d ever fully learned how to relax.
The thought almost made him smile. He finally turned his gaze toward her.
Even asleep, she looked stubborn. He’d never met anyone quite like her.
Most people either feared him or tried to manipulate him, sometimes both.
Sofia did neither. She challenged him, argued with him, ignored him when it suited her, and shot assassins for him. The last one was admittedly new. Dimitri exhaled slowly.
How had this happened? The question seemed absurd. A month ago, he’d expected a political marriage. A strategic alliance. A beautiful stranger he would politely tolerate while they fulfilled their obligations. Instead he’d gotten Sofia Marino.
Politics were easy, because it followed rules. People and feelings were harder. He understood enemies, violence, and loyalty. What he didn’t understand was why the idea of losing her suddenly felt unbearable.
The unwelcome realization sat heavily in his chest. Beside him, Sofia shifted slightly in her sleep. Instinctively, his attention snapped toward her. Although there was no danger, he wanted to ensure she was comfortable and safe. The habit had formed far too quickly.
Dimitri rubbed a hand over his face. This was going to be a problem, because sooner or later, Sergei Orlov would make another move. Enemies always did. For the first time in his life, Dimitri realized he had something he genuinely couldn’t afford to lose.
He glanced at Sofia one final time, then he stared into the darkness. Dimitri wondered what would happen next, whether they were becoming something far more dangerous than allies, then realized it no longer mattered. She belonged irrevocably to him and he was never letting her go.