Chapter Nineteen Maksim
Iwoke up to the sun streaming across my face. When I rolled over in bed, I realized I still had on the clothes from my encounter with Sarah as The Beast. Not only had the hardcore fucking worn me out, but all the vodka I drank from both the bottle and Sarah’s body didn’t help.
With a groan, I pulled myself into a sitting position. Considering I still had cum stains on my pants and the crusty feeling of it on my skin, I desperately needed a shower. Rising off the bed, I pulled the shirt off before unbuttoning my pants.
After turning on the water, I pushed the pants down my hips into a puddle on the floor. I’d have to make sure I kept them in a separate laundry basket for the housekeeper. I didn’t want to mix up my smell with the Beast’s.
As I lathered my body up, my eyes closed as images from last night flickered through my mind. While I did regret lying to Sarah by fucking her as the Beast, it wasn’t enough to override the high I’d received. That fact alone made me a total bastard.
With a groan, I scrubbed the shampoo through my hair. How would she ever forgive me if she learned the truth? I’d be cut off both as Maksim and the Beast, and that thought was too much to bear.
Maybe it was time for the Beast to be sent away on business. Preferably to Russia. Then I could truly focus on winning her heart as Maksim.
After my shower, I threw on some dress pants and a button-down shirt. When I came down for breakfast, I was surprised to see Sarah already up and prepping the kitchen table with materials. “G-Good morning,” I said.
“Good morning.”
Motioning to the table, I asked, “What’s all t-this?”
“It’s the items I need to do your evaluation.”
My brows furrowed. “What kind of evaluation?”
“When I first meet with a client, I do an Oral Mechanism Exam.”
“Sounds p-painful.”
“I promise it’s not. My little guys and gals come through it okay.”
“Hmm, if the kids can d-do it, I b-better buck up, huh?”
Grinning Sarah replied, “I have faith in you.”
As I took in the tools on the table, I furrowed my brows at a pinwheel. Picking it up, I spun the wheel with my finger. “What t-the hell is t-this for?”
With a huff, Sarah snatched the pinwheel out of my hand. “You will find out.”
“Forgive me, b-but I just t-thought we’d start with speech exercises or something.”
“It’s important for me to know your oral anatomy before I can properly treat you.”
“It could show I have a physical d-defect causing my stutter?”
“Potentially.”
“Interesting.” After eyeing the tools on the table, I asked, “You just had these lying around your apartment?”
Sarah laughed. “No. Since I knew I’d need them, Lev took me to my office yesterday on the way back to the house.”
When I grunted, she rolled her eyes. “He was just doing what you asked.”
“I d-didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Since you t-two are so close, maybe I should invite him t-to dinner.”
Sarah shot me a wicked look. “That would be lovely. Maybe you can ask Aleks as well. Oh, and I hear there’s another one of your brothers I haven’t met yet.”
“D-Dima.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard that Russian name before.”
“It’s short for D-Dmitri.”
“Ah, I have heard that one.”
“It’s because of me he’s called D-Dima.”
“Really?”
My lips curved at the memory. “When he was born, I was just two, so I couldn’t say D-Dmitri. I called him D-Demmy. His mother started calling him D-Dima since it was closer t-to the actual nickname for Dmitri.”
Sarah’s eyes turned soft as a smile brightened her face. “That’s so sweet.”
“I have my moments,” I teased.
Jutting her chin up, she replied, “Few and far between.”
“Excuse me? You were just b-baiting me about my b-brothers.”
“I was not!”
“I noticed you didn’t mention having my sisters over.”
“I would love to meet them.”
And I would love to introduce you to them. But as more than just the speech pathologist who was treating me. “I’m sure they would love to meet you as well.”
“Really?”
“T-They know how much my stutter affects me.”
Sarah’s expression grew serious. “I’m going to give it my all to help you.”
“I appreciate t-that.”
She motioned to one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Sit there.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied as I sat down.
Sarah laughed. “If you think I’m bossy now, just wait.”
I held my tongue from saying, I know how much you like to be bossed around in the bedroom. Instead, I waited for her next instructions.
When Sarah dropped down into her chair, she winced. Inwardly, I chuckled knowing it was because her ass was sore from my spanking. Since I couldn’t resist giving her a hard time, I asked, “Are you all right?”
Burying her head in her iPad, she replied, “I think I pulled a muscle swimming.”
“You must’ve b-been d-doing some p-pretty intense strokes.”
“Yep,” she replied.
“If you’d like, I can have our family doctor take a look.”
Sarah’s head jerked up from her iPad while horror colored her expression. “No, no. That’s not necessary. It’s just a little pulled muscle.”
“I don’t want you t-to b-be in pain.”
“It’s fine. I can take some Motrin.”
“All right. If you’re sure.”
Nodding, she replied, “Let’s get started.”
“What’s first, Doc?”
“You’re going to look straight at me while I check the symmetry of your face.”
Creasing my brows, I asked, “What the hell d-does that have t-to do with the way I speak?”
Sarah shot me a look. “I didn’t say there was a question and answer part to this evaluation, did I?”
With a laugh, I replied, “I can’t help b-being curious, especially since you’ve obviously looked at me a lot in t-the last twenty-four hours.”
“It’s a more in-depth look.” At my continued questioning look, she said, “A medical look.”
“If you say so.”
As Sarah’s dark eyes swept over my face, her expression became much more focused. Her appraising gaze trailed down my neck and throat. “Okay, everything looks good and even,” she noted while typing something on her iPad.
“Nice t-to know my face isn’t fucked up,” I teased.
“It’s very symmetrical."
“I’m g-glad t-to hear it.”
“Now I need you to pucker your lips for me like you’re giving a kiss.”
“Are you fucking with me?”
Her eyes popped wide. “Of course, I’m not! This is exactly what I do to all my patients when I first evaluate them.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“It’s necessary,” she hissed. “Now, if you don’t stop disrespecting my methods, I’m going to walk. Is that understood?”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or adjust myself at her fiery outburst. I decided in the end that it was best to do neither of them. Instead, I gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. It just feels a little absurd for a g-grown ass man to b-be d-doing this.”
Shaking her head, Sarah countered, “You’re going to have to leave your pride at the door, Maksim. I’m going to be asking you to do a lot of things that feel or look silly, but they’re for your benefit.”
“Fine,” I grunted.
Although I would’ve rather been strung up and tortured, I puckered my lips. Sarah eyeing my mouth in a non-sexual way was a real letdown.
“Now, while you’re puckering, fill your cheeks full of air.”
I did as I was told regardless of how absurd it was. Nodding, Sarah replied, “Good. There’s no air escaping from your lips.” As she started to note it on the iPad, she said, “You can stop now.”
After exhaling the air from my mouth, Sarah said, “Look straight at me.”
It wasn’t hard to oblige her on that one. I would do anything to stare into her beautiful eyes. They were such a rich color of brown.
“I need to check your jaw to make sure it's nice and even.”
As she leaned forward, the sweet smell of her perfume filled my nose. When her hands came to my jawline, I tried not to focus on the way her smooth fingers felt on my skin. It wasn’t lost on me that I’d fucked her twice, yet she hadn’t touched my face until this moment.
And fuck me, if I didn’t like the feel of it. Closing my eyes, I let the feeling wash over me. I couldn’t help wishing those soft fingers with their gentle touch were on other parts of my body.
“Maksim?”
“Yeah?”
“I just asked you to open your mouth wide and move your jaw back and forth.”
My eyes popped open. “Oh, sorry.”
As I complied, Sarah murmured, “No jaw abnormalities.”
When Sarah reached for a glove, I asked, “What d-do you need t-that for?”
“For the rectal part of the exam.”
My eyes popped wide in horror. “What the hell d-does my ass have to d-do with my speech?”
She dared to giggle. “I’m just teasing you.”
The corners of my lips quirked.“That was very unprofessional of you, Dr. Whitfield.”
“I know.”
“You’re not even going to show a little remorse?”
“I think you deserve it after questioning my authority earlier.”
“Excuse me for wondering why you had a g-grown ass man looking ridiculous.”
“Trust me, I know exactly how you felt.”
No, she really didn’t. I hid my true feelings behind a mask of finding the activities silly.
With a ragged sigh, I said, “The t-truth is I was nervous.”
She blinked at me in surprise. “Of looking weak and not a powerful Bratva leader?”
“It’s more than that.”
“You’re afraid I might find something wrong with you?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I was nervous you wouldn’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
Easing back in my seat, I jerked a hand through my hair. “When you said b-before there was no cure, I was hoping t-there would b-be something physically wrong that caused it that needed t-to be fixed. Then t-there might really b-be a cure, and I could b-be fixed.”
Empathy pooled in Sarah’s eyes. “Oh Maksim.”
No, no, no! This couldn’t be happening. I hadn’t just said those things outloud. Sarah hadn’t heard me say those emasculating words.
FUCK!
This was a nightmare.
Shooting out of my chair, I jabbed a finger at her. “D-Don’t do t-that.”
“Feel bad for you?”
“P-Pity me!”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Fine. But it’s not for the reasons you think.”
“Bullshit”
Shaking her head, she countered, “I pity the fact that over the years, the people in your world have made you feel weak and emasculated over something as small as a simple stutter.”