CHAPTER 13
MIKHAIL
“Leah! Goddamnit!”
Snow sprays into the front of my visor, momentarily blocking my view as I trail behind her. She’s gunning through the marked path, barely dodging trees and small boulders, forcing me to push my vehicle to the limits to catch up.
I don’t know what made me agree to do this, but I felt I couldn’t say no after everything I’ve put her through. Leah was so excited that she didn’t finish her meal before dragging me to a clothing and supply store off the main lobby. But what should have been a quick trip to pick up necessities and proper attire ended up being an hours-long ordeal.
“Slow down!” I yell, swerving away from the top of a half-buried shrub.
I know she can’t hear me—or hell, maybe she can and is choosing to be reckless. A fleeting vision of her over my knee, wearing nothing but my handprints on her ass for being a brat, jolts straight to my cock.
Fuck.
Before I can spiral down that rabbit hole, I see her veer off an unmarked path, and I wonder if she realizes her mistake or knowingly decides to take the scenic route.
I follow her through the winding woods and attempt to flag her down.
“Leah, pullover!”
She twists in my direction as I flail my arm like a goddamn maniac and lifts a gloved hand, waving in response before accelerating and raining down another monsoon of snow onto my face and lap.
“Fuck. Just wait until I catch you.”
Another twenty minutes tick by as we drive deeper into the darkening path. I’d be lying if I said I’m not enjoying myself.
Fun, huh?
It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced this level of exhilaration. As someone who thrives on predictability and structure, I’m surprised that the fact we have no fucking clue where we’re heading almost makes the moment more thrilling. Reminiscent of the euphoria I used to feel in her arms.
Leah’s snowmobile slows, and I follow until we both come to a stop. I stay seated and fold my arms over my chest as she climbs off hers and removes her helmet.
When I catch sight of her beaming smile, all traces of aggravation disappear.
She’s so fucking beautiful it hurts.
“I’m glad you could keep up,” she teases, shaking out her long hair.
I say nothing as she straddles my vehicle and faces me, leaning her elbows back on the console. Her snowsuit is thick with warm layers but fitted enough that I’m mesmerized by the silhouette of her soft curves. What I would give to take her right here.
She’s yours. Take what’s yours.
“You’re crazy, pretty girl. We’re out here in the middle of nowhere.” Sliding off my helmet, I look around at the miles of endless forest. “What if we get caught in another storm?”
“Doesn’t sound so bad,” she murmurs, tipping her head back and blowing steam into the cold air. “I like this. That crisp chill smells and tastes so good. Such a difference from Dallas, don’t you think?”
“Does it remind you of your time in New York?” I question, letting the steam billow out of my mouth as well.
“It’s different.” She leans, hands braced against the seat between us. “The city is beautiful, of course, but this— Something about this is almost...otherworldly.”
Her gaze tips to the darkening sky, and her dreamy voice sounds as if she wants me to follow and confirm. But I can’t will myself to look away when all the beauty and awe she’s describing is already in front of me.
As if feeling the heat of my stare, Leah’s eyes fall back to mine, and she smiles as I inch closer, drawn to her lips like a magnet.
“Your nose is cold and a little red,” I say, kissing the tip.
“My mouth is cold, too.” Her whisper is barely audible, but I feel the vulnerable plea as it rushes through me, pushing me to close the small distance even though I know I shouldn’t.
Despite the chill in the air, her lips are plush, and they taste sweet, like some type of berry. I want more. So much more.
Gripping her hips, I pull her into my lap, exactly where I need her, as she grinds her sweet little cunt against me in a tortuous rocking motion.
“This is how it’s supposed to be, Mikhail.”
With a fist in her hair, I tug her head, exposing her neck and nicking my teeth along the skin until I find her pulse point and use my tongue to savor the way her body reacts to me. She truly has no clue how hard it is to resist being close to her and not tearing off every fucking piece of clothing.
Shoving her back against the console, I reach for the zipper on her suit, giving in for just a moment.
Just one goddamn taste.
She watches me with intent. Her soft breaths spur me on as I shove her shirt above the black lace bra encasing her gorgeous tits. And I wonder if she knew this would be how this little trip would go down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever stopped thinking about the way you taste and feel,” I say, kissing and biting the thin fabric. “It’s a high I’ve been chasing for years.”
Leah holds each side of my head firmly, forcing me to look at her. “I don’t want to picture you trying to forget me in the arms of other women.”
She’s right. That’s exactly what I’ve done for the last four fucking years. But I was fooling myself.
“I won’t lie to you.” I kiss down her trembling abs. “But it’s always been you, pretty girl. Always in my fucking head,” I growl into the skin below her navel, then chuckle at the memory of a date from hell when I’d said Leah’s name instead of the woman bent over my desk. When that bitch clocked me with her heel on the back of the head, I may have contemplated tossing her out the eighth-story window of my office.
“Mikhail,” she breathes out, fingers tightly wound in my hair as I press a kiss between her thighs. Still wearing her snow pants, she arches into me and begs, “More...more, please.”
I dip my hand into her panties, and my mouth waters as my fingers slide over her clit, coating every inch with her arousal. “Oh, fuck.”
When I pull away, she whines in protest until I use my slick fingers to paint up her stomach and in between her breasts. Our eyes connect as I move over her collarbone, then drag them to her chin as she licks her lips in anticipation.
“You’re my drug and my poison wrapped into one beautifully diabolical package,” I say as I trace the contours of her mouth before pushing inside, where her eager tongue laps at every drop. “Like savoring heaven with the promise of hell.”
Tears trickle from the corners of her eyes, and I press my lips to the droplets.
“Fuck, krasivaya devushka . Just know you’re going to spend a lot of time naked and wet. Exactly how you were made to be for me.” When I push my fingers deeper down her throat, she gags, the sound making my cock throb.
A swift vibration startles me. My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore the damn thing, not willing to tear myself from her.
We must be closer to civilization than we thought, considering there’s a signal out here in what seems like the middle of nowhere.
When the vibration goes off again, I curse under my breath and reach into my coat.
“Mikhail, there’s a Sig strapped to my thigh. Don’t make me use it on you. If you pick up that call...” Leah’s fists bunch up my collar.
“Wasn’t planning on it, but I’m debating if smashing it against a tree is worth it.”
She laughs and pulls me to her lips as I peek at the screen. And just like that, reality comes knocking again. The name Emilio Castellanos lights up the device. It’s a rare occasion when he calls. In the decade since our alliance, he’s only contacted me personally a handful of times, if that. All our dealings are handled through Rodrigo and vice versa.
A cold chill races up my body. Not out of fear, but the threat he’d made all those years ago echoes in my mind. I may be friends with Rod, but Emilio isn’t loyal to anyone but himself and his blood. And he all but threatened death on my brothers and me if he ever got a whiff that I wanted anything with his daughter.
Our partnership has always been wrought with tension, but he knows he benefits just as much as we do.
Leah notes my hesitation and looks at the screen.
“Forget him,” she says, shaking her head. “This is about us. None of them matter.” “You’re right. I don’t give a single fuck about what he thinks about me. But—” “Mikhail...” There’s a tremor in her voice. “You better choose your next words wisely.”
I frame her face and sigh. “Pretty girl—”
“Oh, fuck you!” Shoving me back, she bolts toward her snowmobile and turns the engine. “Leah, wait,” I call, but she takes off before I can get another word in. “Goddamnit.”