Chapter 12Ivan
CHAPTER 12
IVAN
T he glass and steel elevator doors slide open on the thirty-second floor in the building house “Markov Entertainment” at six a.m. sharp the next morning. My footsteps resonate against marble while I stride through the empty hallway toward my office.
Inside, I settle into my leather chair, the familiar creak a counterpoint to the gentle whir of computer fans kicking on. Steam rises from my black coffee, the rich Colombian roast filling my nostrils while I pull up the overnight security briefings.
I spend the next two hours scrolling through report after report that has nothing to do with “Markov Entertainment”—shipment manifests, surveillance logs, and updates from foot soldiers. The FBI has a new operative they’ve inserted into one of my operations, and I relay to watch him but leave him unharmed. Feed him just enough that the FBI thinks they have a lead but not enough to give him access to any proof.
This is all reasonably routine, but I’m uneasy. It’s not because Jenny refused to let me take her to bed last night. That’s inevitable, and I can be patient. There’s something else making me uneasy, though I haven’t figured out what yet. The knot in my stomach tightens with each passing minute.
“Something’s off,” I mutter, tilting back my chair. Years of instinct scream danger, but I can’t pin down why.
Before I can figure it out, the heavy oak door flies open with enough force to rattle the pictures on the wall. Marcus bursts in, his tactical boots leaving scuff marks on the pristine floor. His normally composed features are twisted with urgency, and a thin sheen of sweat glistens on his forehead. “Ivan.” His voice is clipped, tense. “We’ve got trouble. Big trouble.”
I’m already rising, my palms flat against the mahogany desk. “Talk to me.”
“It’s Morozov.” He unconsciously moves his hand to the gun at his hip. “Our guy inside his operation just made contact. Alexei’s mobilizing his men—they’re planning to hit the media company. Intel suggests within the next few hours.”
Ice fills my veins. “Son of a bitch. He’s actually going to do it.” He’ll risk a public confrontation and involving the authorities to get to me because I’m inaccessible elsewhere? Alexei always had more balls than brains. That bastard also never knows when to quit. “How reliable is the intel?”
“Very. Multiple sources confirmed it.”
I nod, considering contingencies. “Lock down the building. Get everyone to safety.”
He’s already moving. “On it.”
As he leaves, my thoughts turn to Jenny. Where is she? Is she safe? I left her to sleep in, trusting Andre and Daniil to deliver her to the office at the usual time, but I wish now I’d brought her with me and had her at my side the entire time. Why did I let her office be so far down the hall from mine? She deserves a corner view, but it was a lapse…
The familiar protective instinct surges through me, stronger than ever as chaos erupts in the corridors. Raised voices and the distant sound of shattering glass reach my ears. I grab my phone, dialing Jenny’s number. No answer.
“Dammit,” I mutter, pocketing the device and striding out of my office.
The hallways are a mess of panicked employees and security personnel trying to maintain order. I push through the crowd, scanning for any sign of Jenny.
“Ivan,” Marcus calls out, waving an arm at me. “We’ve got reports of armed men on the lower floors.”
I curse under my breath. “How many?”
“At least a dozen. Maybe more.”
“Keep them contained. I need to find Jenny.”
He nods. “Be careful.”
I make my way through the building on alert. The sound of gunfire echoes from somewhere below, and I quicken my pace. Where are you, Jenny?
As I round a corner, I spot her. She’s backed against a wall, confusion and fear on her face. Relief floods through me, quickly followed by a surge of protectiveness.
Without hesitation, I close the distance between us. Jenny’s eyes widen as she sees me approach. “Ivan? What’s going?—”
I don’t give her time to finish. In one swift motion, I sweep her into my arms. She lets out a startled gasp but instinctively wraps her arms around my neck.
“Hold on,” I say, already moving toward the nearest exit.
She clings to me while I navigate through the chaos. The sound of gunfire grows closer, and she tenses against me. “Ivan, what’s happening?” she asks, trembling.
“I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get out of here.” We reach the parking garage, and I set Jenny down next to my Aston Martin. As I unlock the door, a bullet whizzes past, embedding itself in the concrete pillar beside us.
“Get in,” I shout, pushing Jenny into the passenger seat before sliding behind the wheel.
The engine roars to life, and I peel out of the garage, tires squealing. I catch a glimpse of armed men emerging from the stairwell in the rear-view mirror.
Jenny grips the dashboard, looking pale. “Who are those people? Why are they shooting at us?”
I weave through traffic, putting as much distance between us and the attackers as possible. “It’s Alexei Morozov. He’s made his move.”
“Alexei? The man you told me about?” Her voice is laced with disbelief and fear.
I nod grimly. “He’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants.”
“And what’s that?”
Our eyes meet for a brief moment. “Me. Broken or dead. He’d probably prefer both.”
Jenny falls silent, processing this information. I can see the questions forming in her eyes, but now isn’t the time for a full explanation.
We reach my penthouse in record time. As soon as we’re inside, I activate the security systems, locking down the entire floor. She stands in the middle of the living room, arms wrapped around herself. She looks small and vulnerable, and something inside me aches to protect her.
I cross the room in three long strides, pulling her into my arms. She stiffens for a moment before melting against me, clutching at my shirt.
“You’re safe now,” I murmur into her hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She pulls back slightly. “Ivan, I?—”
I don’t let her finish. The adrenaline, the fear of losing her, and the relief of having her safe in my arms all crash over me in a wave. I crush my lips against hers, pouring every ounce of emotion into the kiss.
Jenny responds with equal fervor, parting her lips beneath mine. She slides her hands up my chest and into my hair, pulling me closer. I groan, deepening the kiss while backing her up against the wall.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing heavily. Her lips are swollen, and her cheeks are flushed. She’s never looked more beautiful. Thinking about how close I came to losing her has me bending my head to kiss her again.
The second kiss is slower, more tender. I take my time exploring her mouth and savoring the taste of her. When we finally pull apart, she rests her forehead against mine, eyelids closed.
“Ivan...” She’s hard to hear. “What are we doing?”
It’s a question without an easy answer. I know what I want—her, in my life and by my side—but it’s not that simple. She’s still upset that I’ve been stalking her, though I consider it protection, not stalking, and I don’t know if she’ll regret it later if she gives in to passion during this surge of adrenaline now.
I briefly war with myself, but when she turns her head to kiss my neck, I surrender. I can’t deny either of us this pleasure after everything we’ve been through today. I press my body against hers, pinning her tighter to the wall as I trail kisses down her throat. She moans softly, arching into me. She feels so fucking good, and I’m already rock hard. “Jenny,” I murmur against her skin. “Tell me you want this.”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. Please, Ivan. I need you.”
That’s all the encouragement I need. I kiss her again, hungrily, while I unbutton her blouse. The silk rips in my haste, but she doesn’t seem to notice. I’ll buy her another. A hundred, if she wants. Inflamed, I tear it the rest of the way off her before moving to the clasps on her bra.
Her breasts spill free, and I cup them in my hands, teasing her nipples with my thumbs. She gasps, arching into me, and I break our kiss to take one rosy peak into my mouth.
“Oh, god, Ivan...”
I suck and lick at her nipple until it’s hard. I’m greedy for every sound she makes, and every reaction I can coax from her body. Then I move to the other breast, giving it the same attention. The nipple stiffens under my tongue, and Jenny writhes against me, panting.
I jerk when she runs her hand down the bulge in my pants. My cock is hard enough to skewer her to the wall, but my legs feel weak. To compromise, I lower her to the thick carpet. It’s not ideal, but I don’t want to wait any longer to be inside her.
Jenny reaches up to undo my belt buckle, but I push away her hands, wanting to undress her first. I peel off her skirt and stockings, revealing a pair of lacy black panties that match her bra, along with a garter belt. I touch her thigh, almost purring in approval. “I like this.”
She flushes. “I hate pantyhose.”
I grin. “I’m glad you do.” I run my fingers over the lace covering her mound. “This is very sexy.”
She shivers, biting her lip. “Ivan, please...”
I hook my fingers in the waistband of her panties and slowly slide them down her hips. She lifts herself to help me remove them, then lies back, completely naked except for the garter belt.
She’s even more beautiful than I imagined, and I almost forget to breathe. Her skin is smooth and flawless, and her curves are perfect. Her pussy is bare, save for a small strip of dark hair. As a steady trickle of fluids leak from her, coating the curly landing strip, I moan at how wet she is. It makes my cock throb.
I quickly shed my own clothes, eager to feel her skin against mine. When I’m fully naked, I kneel between her thighs, running my hands over her soft flesh. Jenny watches me through half-closed eyes, her lips parted.
I lean down to kiss her deeply, letting my tongue explore her mouth. At the same time, I reach between us and stroke her clit. She moans into the kiss, arching against me. I continue to rub her clit, thrilled by how wet she is, while I kiss my way down her neck and chest, pausing to lavish attention on each nipple before moving lower.
She intercepts my head, bringing it back to her mouth. Before kissing me again, she says, “Fuck me,” making it clear she’s ready and doesn’t want more foreplay.
I shift my body so the tip of my cock is pressed against her entrance. Slowly, I begin to push inside her. She’s tight, and I’m large, so I have to go slowly to avoid hurting her. Once I’m fully seated, we both let out a sigh of relief.
We stay like that for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being joined together. Then I start to move, thrusting gently at first, then faster as she urges me on. The sensation of her hot, wet pussy enveloping my cock is exquisite. I groan, burying my face in her neck as I pound into her. She feels so good.
Too good.
“Fuck,” I say with a groan against her neck.
She stiffens slightly. “What?”
“No condom.”
“Oh.”
“Are you protected?”
“No. I don’t like how hormonal birth control makes me feel.”
I groan again. “I should stop.” Despite my words, I plunge deeply into her pussy again.
“Please don’t,” she whispers. “I want to feel you come inside me.”
The thought of filling her with my seed sends a jolt of pleasure through me. I can’t resist her plea when she sounds so desperate for it. With a growl, I pick up the pace, fucking her harder and deeper. She cries out, clinging to me while I drive us both toward climax. I’ll just pull out when I get closer.
But it’s no use. The feeling of her slick walls gripping my cock is too much when she spasms around me as her climax approaches. When she comes, crying my name, I lose control. I slam into her one last time, spilling myself deeply inside her.
We lie there for a moment, panting, our bodies still entwined. Then I roll off her, pulling her close. We’re both sweaty and sticky, but I don’t care. All I want is to hold her in my arms, but practical thoughts intrude. The risk that I made her pregnant isn’t that high, right? “When was your last period?”
She freezes for a minute but seems to be calculating. “About a week ago.”
“So you’re probably safe.”
“Probably.” There’s a pause, then she adds, “Ivan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to do that.”
“It’s okay. I wanted to.” I almost growl the words. There’s no way to describe how fucking primal and possessive I feel after taking her raw and coming inside her pussy without any barriers between us. She probably wouldn’t understand the thrill of pure masculine satisfaction blotting out all other concerns when I think about that moment—and I will, over and over.
“Still, I know you were trying to protect me, and I appreciate it.”
“I would do anything for you, Jenny.” The words slip out before I can stop them. They’re true though. I would do anything to keep her safe. To keep her happy. To make her mine.
She snuggles closer to me, resting her head on my chest. “I know,” she murmurs. “And I’m grateful even if your way of doing things is completely fucked up.”
I chuckle. “You’ll get used to it.”
We lie there in silence against the somewhat rough carpet for a while, basking in the afterglow. Eventually, she breaks the silence. “Ivan?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think Stephen will try to hurt me again?”
Her question sobers me instantly. “I won’t let him. I promise.”
“What about that Alexei guy, who stormed the office today? What will you do about him?”
I stiffen at the sound of my rival’s name on her lips. I wanted to shield her from ever knowing about him, but it’s too late for that. “I’m going to destroy him, kotik .”
She lifts her head to look at me. “How?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just trust me to take care of everything.” I have no doubt Marcus is already orchestrating a fast and brutal strike again priority targets that will send a clear message to Alexei to back off. That’s only a temporary measure, but it will buy the time we need to formulate a permanent response.
She studies me for a moment, then nods. “Okay.”
With that settled, I relax again, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against mine. I could stay like this forever, but eventually, reality intrudes. “We should clean up and get some work done.”
Jenny sighs. “I suppose you’re right.”
Reluctantly, we untangle ourselves and stand up. I take in her naked form, and my cock stirs again. “Perhaps a shower first?”
“Together?” At my nod, she smiles. “That sounds perfect.”