Chapter 21 - Lev
I hold Pippa close and watch her chest rise and fall as she sleeps, her hair fanned out around her beautiful face. My heart clenches in a way it never has before. What if I hadn't reached her in time? The thought of losing her to Lenny's guys makes me rage at the events that unfolded tonight.
Had this happened with anyone else, I would have stayed put and fought off those guys guns blazing. My men were nearby. We had backup. But I was so petrified that Pippa could get injured in the line of fire that I disregarded that idea and rushed home with her.
My mind races in circles. Had I not reached, what would they have done to her? Would they have taken her to Lenny? Was it just an innocent kidnapping where they would have held her for leverage? Or worse, would they have tortured her for information on us?
Each and every possibility puts the fear of god in me. It's a fear that feels foreign to me, so different from the quick-tempered nature I'm known for. I've always been reckless and impulsive, but now… Now, I'm terrified of losing this one person and I keep second-guessing what I should do in these situations.
I lean down and kiss the top of her head. She sighs and snuggles in closer. I wince, reminding myself to be careful and not wake her by accident. It was difficult getting her to go to sleep tonight. She was so distressed by the whole thing, constantly blaming herself for setting us up for failure…
The next few days will be hard. But it’s a challenge I’m glad for. At least Pippa is safe and sound by my side.
***
The next morning, I wake and get dressed for work. I wait outside by the car, thinking Pippa will arrive. When she doesn’t, I go to check on her.
She’s lying in bed in sweatpants and her hair’s a mess. It looks like she’s been up crying.
“Hey, Sweetheart,” I say gently, walking up to her and sitting down on the bed beside her. “How are you holding up?” I lift my hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face.
She sniffles and looks up at me with a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry, Lev," she whispers, her voice cracking. "I messed up everything."
"Hey, don't say that," I say, sitting down next to her and pulling her close. "It wasn't your fault. You were thrown into a situation you shouldn't have been in, and you did your best."
"But it wasn't good enough," she insists, tears welling up in her eyes again. "You must have been so worried. Besides, I’m the one who pushed for this plan. Now, Lenny knows we have our eye on his daughter and the plan you originally had wouldn’t work. I ruined everything!” She buries her face in her hands.
"None of that matters now," I tell her, gently rubbing my hand through her hair. "What matters is that you're safe. And I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you that way."
Pippa sniffs, looks up, and tries to smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. “Would it be okay… if I don’t come in to work today?”
“Of course, Darling,” I lean in and give her a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’ll send the maid up to see if you need anything, okay?”
She nods and climbs back under the covers.
***
I enter the office building, a knot in my stomach. It’s the first time since we hired Pippa that she’s missed a day’s work. Clearly, she’s not dealing with this failure very well.
I reach my personal office and am told by my secretary that my brother wishes to see me. I stride over to Boris’s office and open the door, finding Damien already there.
It’s been a harrowing night. I’m in no mood for messing around. I close the door and go take a seat next to Damien.
Damien smirks, leaning back in his chair. "We’re both so glad your little girlfriend’s okay.”
"Cut the crap," I snap, my patience thinning.
Boris raises an eyebrow, concern etched on his face. “We tried telling you the other plan was better.”
"It doesn’t matter anymore," I reply, trying to keep my temper in check. "What’s done is done. All that matters is that Pippa is safe."
“Of course, Brother,” Boris leans forward. “We’re all glad she’s safe. But, you know we all have to take responsibility when things go wrong," he adds, trying to sound rational.
"Responsibility? She could have been killed, Boris!" I retort, my voice rising. "Pippa tried her best, and her plan failed. She’s beating herself over it since last night. She blames herself in entirety for the plan failing, even though it wasn’t really her plan that was the problem. How was she to know Lenny was having Lilah followed? That was our job to find out, wasn’t it?”
A tense silence falls over the room.
I turn to Damien and look at him pointedly before directing the question at him. “Wasn’t it? Shouldn’t we have done our background research before sending her into that trap? The idea might have been hers, but the outcome was Zolotov irresponsibility. We had all cut corners. So, hear me out when I tell you that I never want to hear a word out of your mouths regarding last night around Pippa. Understand?”
Damien’s expression remains neutral, but a flicker of surprise crosses his eyes at my tone. He nods, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Alright, alright," Boris interjects, holding up his hands. "No one is blaming Pippa. We'll deal with Lenny in due time. There’s no dearth of ideas in this office.”
“We had no idea Pippa was so affected,” says Damien from my side, a hint of sadness in his voice.
“You need to go back and make sure she's okay," Boris nods in agreement. “Let her know that this is the Bratva. There are good days and bad. But we stick together.”
I exhale slowly, my temper simmering down as I take in Boris's words. In this moment, I remember just how strong our bond is. We might give each other hell, but when hell actually rains over us, we beat the odds and defeat it.
“Thank you, Brothers,” I say, standing. “I’ll be heading home now.”
I turn on my heels and pull open the door, only to hear Boris’s parting words. “Tell Pippa we hope to have her back soon. This office needs her.”
I nod and smile, closing the door behind me.
***
I reach home and immediately go looking for Pippa. She’s not in her room, not in the gardens, not in the kitchen. Wherever could she be?
I ask a few of my men, panic surging through me. Could Lenny have gotten to her inside my house?
Impossible. I’m just letting my imagination run wild.
At last, someone guides me to the library. I rush in and find her crouched by a cozy seat near the window, looking out of it.
I slam the door shut behind me. She whirls around, her eyes bloodshot red. “Lev! What—?”
I rush over to her and get on my knees, taking her hands in mine, staring up at her. “Where were you? I’ve been looking for you for a good half hour. I was petrified that something might have happened to you!”
“Relax, Lev,” she tries to give me a wry smile, stifling her tears. “It’s not like I planned on getting kidnapped or something.”
Her attempt at humor falls flat, and I can see the deep worry etched on her face. My heart clenches at the sight of her distress, and without a second thought, I stand and pull her into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, Pippa. I should never have put you in such a dangerous situation.”
She buries her face in my chest, her sobs muffled against me. "I just… I didn't want to cause any trouble for you and your family. Now everything's a mess."
I stroke her hair soothingly, murmuring, "You're didn’t cause any trouble, Pippa.”
“But Boris and Damien wanted to kidnap Lenny’s daughter. I convinced them to go for my plan. And now? Now Lenny knows you’re looking for Lilah. He’ll have her protected from all sides, so last night’s plan failed all because of me. Now you can’t even try Plan A,” she sobs into my chest.
“Shh. Sweetheart. Shh. You’re wrong, Pippa. You’re so, so wrong.”
She looks up, her eyes etched with surprise. “I am?”
“You’re wrong in saying you messed things up. How were you to know Lilah was being followed? Boris, Damien, and I spoke this morning. All of us agree it was our intel’s failure, NOT yours. We should have done more research before sending you into such a dangerous situation.”
With her teary gaze locked on mine, I cup her face gently, wiping away the tears with my thumbs. "Pippa, you've got to stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control. You did everything you could with the information you had. We all know this is a dangerous game we're playing, and sometimes things don't go as planned. But that doesn't mean it's your fault. As for our plan, we’ll find another Plan A."
She sniffles, her eyes searching mine for any sign of insincerity. “W…we will?”
“We will reign down terror on Lenny. For his betrayal, for trying to hurt you last night,” I say with a force so protective that a flicker of surprise crosses Pippa’s face. “And I promise you, we will succeed.”
I feel her tension slowly ebbing away as I speak, her gaze softening with a glimmer of hope. She looks up at me, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears, and she whispers, "Thank you, Lev. For understanding. For not blaming me."
I give her a small smile, my fingers brushing against the curve of her cheek. "Always, Pippa. Always."
There's a moment of silence between us, the only sound being the soft rustle of Pippa’s dress against the chair as she adjust herself to make space for me on the couch. Pippa's breathing evens out as she leans into my touch, a sense of comfort settling over us like a warm blanket.
And then, almost as if compelled by an unseen force, our eyes lock in a silent understanding. The force of nature overpowers all restraint, and I lean closer to her, my breath mingling with hers.
Pippa's gaze flickers down to my lips, and before I can fully comprehend what's happening, she closes the distance between us, her soft lips meeting mine in a kiss that makes me see fireworks.
Pippa gasps, her lips parting, and I plunge my tongue inside to taste her sweetness. She tastes like strawberries and sin, addictive. My hands slide into her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss.
Hunger consumes me. She’s safe, she’s in my arms, and I’d be damned if I let this moment go to waste. With greedy fingers, I reach for the zip of her dress and tug it down with such force that I rip it at the seams.
“You’re going to have to buy me a new dress,” she moans, sliding the dress off.
“I’ll buy you all the fucking dresses in the world,” I tell her, lifting her onto my lap, her curves molding against me. My cock hardens at the sight of her breasts spilling out from that lace bra, straining against my jeans.
I pull back, meeting her heated gaze with a wicked grin. Pippa’s cheeks flush red, but she doesn’t look away. This is a new side of her I’ve never seen before. Hungry. Desperate. Mine.
My hands skim down her sides, hooking under the lace of her panties and tugging them off her. I slide my hands back up her legs, gently parting her thighs. Pippa's damp heat fills my senses, and I can't help but groan.
"You feel so good, so warm. You're going to feel even better when I slide into you, Baby,” I tell her, now playing with the slick folds of her pussy.
She breathes hot and fast. It's a possessive sound that makes my cock twitch. Her eyes meet mine again, and I see the hunger reflected in them. She mirrors my brashness, her fingers hooking into my belt and pulling it off. My zipper hisses open as her hands push my jeans down, freeing my erection.
Without warning, I jam one finger into her pussy. She almost screams from pleasure, tilting her head back and biting her lower lip. Her breasts reach for the skies and I watch, entranced. I begin pounding her with my finger, slow and steady, over and over again, my rhythm matching that of her breath.
She sits straighter over my finger, now with one leg on both sides of mine. She places one arm around my neck and grabs my cock with the other. While I fuck her with my finger, I look down and see her glide her soft, smooth, manicured fingers up and down my shaft.
I can't help but groan at the sight, my eyes darkening with lust. I grip her hips, positioning myself at her entrance, my hand still thrusting into her, mirroring the movements she's giving my cock.
She’s soaking wet, dripping down my fingers. I watch as she bends her head and spits on my cock, reducing the friction. My cock becomes harder, which I didn’t think was even possible. “Fuck, Pippa,” I groan at her dirty act, ramming in another finger.
"Lev!" she moans, her eyes closed, her head thrown back in pleasure.
I can't take it anymore. My eyes are transfixed on her bouncing tits as they dance in my face from the onslaught of my fingers. She’s giving me the best damn hand job of my life, and I want to make her cum. I want to make her cum before I feel her pussy on my cock.
“Pippa, you’re mine,” I groan into her ear as she tightens the grip on my dick. I take my thumb and begin to caress her clit, all the while pounding her with the two fingers inside her.
“Oh my god, Lev,” she moans, biting my shoulder.
I feel my own orgasm coming, but she’s close, and I can hold on for this round to continue. Her legs are trembling, her wetness dripping down them. I curve my fingers toward her clit, and tap at the same spot from inside her that my thumb’s massaging from outside.
She screams, writhing on my lap, her pussy clenching around my finger so tightly it's almost painful. The next thing I know, she’s screaming my name and arching her back. I take one arm and place it around her waist, not wanting her to fall back. Her breasts bounce in my face, and I reach down and suck one nipple through her bra while my fingers remain in her pussy, waiting for her orgasm to pass.
It takes a few more seconds, and I keep sucking her through her bra, giving little nips until the last of her orgasm passes.
“Oh my god, Lev,” she moans, melting into my shoulder again. This time, she doesn’t bite. She is still sliding her hand up and down my cock, slowly, gently.
I caress her back and slide my hand up her backbone, reaching her bra. Then, in one swift go, I unhook her bra and toss it aside. Her round, ample, curvaceous breasts spring free for the taking. I’m so turned on that I take one of her nipples into my mouth again, rolling it between my teeth and tongue.
Pippa's breath hitches. “Lev, I need you. Now.”
I don’t need to be told twice. In one go, I slide her off me. She lays sprawled on the couch, and I get back on it, balancing on my knees. I take her hips and flip her around, her ass facing me. She gasps as the couch shifts from the motion.
“Part your legs,” I order her.
She obliges, parting her legs wide. She can feel the cool air hit her pussy, making her even wetter. I grip her hips, positioning myself at her entrance. I smack her ass once, hard, and she throws back her hair. I place my hand on the back of her neck, arching her back, giving me a side eye of her breasts, and ram my cock right into her.
Pippa cries out, her hands clutching the armrests as I thrust into her.
"Lev," she moans, her voice trembling with desire. "Oh my god, Lev."
I keep up the pace, my hips pumping into her, my hands tightening on her hips as I feel the pleasure building inside me. I’m relentless, my cock sliding in and out of her, leaving a trail of wetness behind it. She's tight and hot, and I know that I won't last much longer.
We rock back and forth, my hips pumping furiously into her.
She meets me halfway, her hands on the couch, her head thrown back in pleasure. I reach forward, grabbing her hair and holding it tightly, arching her back further.
"You like that, Sweetheart?" I grin.
Pippa moans, her eyes closed, "Yes, Lev…"
I laugh into her hair.
“We could do this all night,” I growl, pulling her hair back and smacking her ass again, this time harder.
Her body jolts, her breath hitching. “Oh my god, Lev,” she moans. “I’m cumming. I’m cumming. Just like that, Baby,” she moans. “Just like that…”
She starts to tremble, and I feel her orgasm wash over me as she starts to clench around my cock. I groan, feeling myself about to cum as well.
"Pippa, I'm going to cum," I warn her, my voice strained.
"I know, Baby. I want you to cum inside me."
With that encouragement, I lose control and let out a primal roar as I explode deep within her. My cock twitches and pulses, emptying its load into her waiting body. I stay in her, just like that, for a few seconds. We both catch our breaths, and finally, I pull out.
She sits back up and I lay against the couch, holding out my arm. She snuggles in closer. I take her dress and cover her up so she doesn’t catch a chill.
Within a few minutes, we’re drifting in and out of sleep. I suddenly wake up with a jerk—I have this strong instinct, a need to tell her I love her.
But I bite back my tongue. What am I thinking? She’s sleeping safe and sound next to me.
It must be the sex. It’s driving me crazy.
I don’t love Pippa Anderson.
She means the world to me. But I can’t love her. Not so soon. Not yet… can I?
Liar.
Or maybe you do, a loud voice in my head roars. Maybe you do, but you’re just a coward because you fear she might not love you back in the same way and the heartbreak of that would shatter you in two.
I feel the anxiety rise in my chest at the thought of the potential rejection. I close my eyes, forcing myself to take a few deep breaths. I pull Pippa closer, and the world seems calmer.
Alright, fine. Maybe you love her. But she’s by your side, and you have all the time in the world to figure it out. For now, just enjoy the moment.
With that thought, I fall asleep next to her.