Chapter 21
E dmundo
The door closed, and I couldn’t restrain myself any longer. I kissed Ana hard and pushed her up against the wall. She melted into me as I snaked my arms under her cloak. Our lips moved together like we hadn’t spent a single moment apart. I’d been pacing the suite since I left the party, envisioning at least fifty different ways I could kill Vadin. He’d lied, schemed, and stabbed me in the back while he ripped my heart out. That wouldn’t go unpunished.
“It feels like it’s been forever,” I said against her lips. “Every phone call and text message as agonizing as they were sweet.”
My heart hurt knowing that this might be our only night together.
“Hear me out. I can get us out of the country right now. We can go anywhere in the world. Bermuda, maybe, or Hawaii? We can even go to Canada.”
“Eddie, I would in a heartbeat, but I know my father. Even if we manage to stay under his radar, he’ll never be satisfied until he finds another way to hurt us. He’ll attack your father’s companies. He’ll ruin your name and everything you’ve worked so hard for. He’ll cut off all business ties and have your family watched. No one will be safe. Not us, not your parents, our friends, no one. He is vile and vindictive, and I’ve had a front-row seat to watching men with far more power be stripped of everything.”
I hated that she was right about any of that. Vadin had a reputation, one that scared most. He didn’t scare me, but my parents hadn’t signed up for the war I would start if I ran with Ana. As much as it pained me, I couldn’t do that.
“I would never forgive myself if he did that to your family. If I could run now, I would, but we can’t. We need a better plan. I hate my father so much right now.”
The frustration in Ana’s voice mirrored what was in my soul. I’d been so focused and so sure that I would win this game of chicken with her father that I didn’t think about what might happen if neither of us moved and we collided.
I shook my head.
“My father isn’t much better at the moment.”
“Why? What happened?”
“He is furious with your father and has informed me that, since Vadin stabbed us in the back, I need to show strength with a different union. I must choose a wife.”
Ana covered her mouth. “I hate this.”
“I don’t want to marry anyone else, Ana. I could never love them.”
I smoothed back her hair, but she shook her head.
“No, you should.”
“What? Why,” I asked, horrified by the suggestion.
“I’m going to get away from Christov, but it will take time, planning, and allies. In the meantime, you must do whatever it takes to become a Don of Dons like you planned. We need to be strong enough that he can’t retaliate once I leave.”
“That feels like a betrayal,” I said as Ana cupped my face, kissing me.
I groaned as she pressed her luscious body up against mine, the feel of her short-circuiting logical thought.
“It’s not a betrayal. It’s survival until we can be together. Pick someone who only wants you for a business merger, not love.”
“Fuck,” I growled and stepped back, running my hand through my hair. “I’ll still be expected to produce an heir. I’ll have to touch someone else. I can’t do that, Ana. I can’t marry someone that I’ll never love. It’s not in me.”
Ana untied her cloak and tossed it on the couch before putting her hands on her hips. She’d never looked more stunning as she lifted her head high, the strength in her eyes shining through.
“Eddie….”
“No, Ana. It makes me sick to think about it.”
“Eddie, look at me.”
If I looked at her, I’d cave, and everything about this felt wrong. My eyes lifted to hers despite all of that because even with what she was asking of me, I couldn’t deny her.
“Neither of us wants this. Do you honestly believe that Christov will be content to marry but never touch me?” My hands balled into fists. “You think I want that? That I want a single finger on me, let alone….” She crossed her arms and looked away. “No, I don’t. The only man I’ve ever wanted is you, but we are out of options until I can escape.”
Stepping forward, I placed my finger on her lips. I was going to throw the table out the window if she mentioned Christov touching her again.
“Please don’t say any more. I already want to kill him. If you put more thoughts in my head…I’ll hunt him down and do just that,” I growled.
“Eddie, I…I have an idea. For it to work, you need to act as if you’ve moved on, and please, lord forgive me for being so selfish, but I won’t feel so guilty if you have a life.”
“Even if I hate her, and it’s all a lie?”
Ana let out the most adorably frustrated growl, and I knew exactly how she felt. Every emotion a person could feel swirled in the air around us. We were both walking a very dangerous ledge.
“I don’t know. I don’t want you in a loveless, hate-filled relationship. But…the reality is that no matter how much we plan, I may never be able to escape. Are you going spend your life pining for me? Will you forgo a family, an heir, power, and wealth? All on the hope that I can run when the time comes?”
“I don’t need a marriage to solidify my position, no matter what my father says. And I’ll pine for you, married or not. You are the only woman I will ever want, and a contract won’t change that.”
“Eddie, please consider it.”
All this arguing was getting us nowhere. I crossed my arms, not wanting to spend what might be our only night together bickering.
“I’ll consider it, Ana. And…I know you’ll…be forced to…to….”
The words tasted vile in my mouth, and all I wanted at this moment was to wrap my hands around Lawrence’s neck. This started with him. He was the one to blame for putting Ana in Christov’s line of fire.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’ll still love you no matter what. You must know that there is nothing in this world that would make me love you less or think less of you…it would never happen.”
She looked down at her feet.
“You say that now.”
“No, Ana, not just now. Always.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I looked at the ceiling cursing myself for even saying this.
“I might know someone who would marry me for business only. But I need time to think about it, Ana, because I can’t stand her, and….”
Ana walked toward me, and my heart began pounding with the lustful look in her eyes.
“I want you. Make me yours tonight. No more what-ifs. No more waiting until our wedding night. My father has stolen that from us, but he’s not stealing my first time being with you.”
My whole body ached to rip off our clothes and do what she was suggesting. But I needed to make sure she knew the consequences.
“He’ll know that you’re not a virgin,” I said, unable to even say his name without wanting to put a bullet between his eyes.
“I don’t care. He only wants me for my money. If he wants it, then he’ll have to accept me no matter the condition of the merchandise,” she said with a sneer.
“How long do we have?”
Her smile fell. “Seven hours. Not nearly long enough, but it was the best I could do.”
“Fuck, I hate this,” I growled, running a strand of her long blonde hair through my fingers. “I don’t know how to stop any of this,” I admitted.
I couldn’t defeat the Mikhailovs and Ivankovs on my own. But leaving Russia without her…the thought was killing me.
“Eddie, we should make the most of the time we have. For a few hours, I want to pretend that everything is perfect and that this is our wedding night. I can’t face what awaits me once I leave this room without knowing how it feels to be with you. I….” She sighed and licked her lips. “Whether I live one more day or a hundred years, I want my first time to be with the man I love more than life itself. What happens tonight will fuel me with hope until the next time we’re together. And, there will be a next time. Please make love to me, Eddie.”
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” I said. Ana smiled, and nothing short of a bullet hitting me where I stood would stop me from having her tonight. “Yes, the answer is yes.”
I scooped Ana into my arms as if this was our wedding night and marched for the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind me while she laughed. Sitting her on the bed, I knelt in front of her and ran my hands up her legs and under the long sweater dress she wore. Her skin was like silk under my fingers. She was already breathing heavily as I continued to explore her dips and curves.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment so many times,” I said, loving the passion in Ana’s eyes.
She leaned forward and kissed my lips with such possessiveness that she took my breath away.
“In my heart, you’re already my husband. No matter what, my soul will only ever marry you, Eddie,” Ana said, and I could feel the truth of her words in her touch.
Picking up her hand, I rubbed my thumb over the opal ring I’d given her and hated that I couldn’t give her the diamond I’d gotten for tonight. Things were supposed to be so different for us.
“Make love to me, Eddie. Make me yours forever,” Ana said as she pulled at my clothes.
Lacing my fingers with hers, I kissed her knuckles before peeling my shirt off and tossing it aside. Ana’s eyes roamed over my shoulders and chest, so bright with a need that mirrored everything I felt.
Ana moaned as I caressed her hardened nipple, sending an electrical surge right to my cock. My hand slipped between her legs, and I groaned at finding her wet. She gasped and nibbled on her bottom lip while spreading her legs further apart as I rubbed little circles over her clit.
Gripping the bottom of the dress, Ana took the hint and shifted so I could pull it up and off her body. She wore nothing underneath except a lacy white thong, and my heated blood went wild at the sight of her. I was staring at her like a fool when she reached up and removed the clip from her hair. The long golden strands fell around her shoulders and for as long as I lived, I would never forget this moment or the look of pure love in her eyes.
“Touch yourself. Show me how you find pleasure when we’re on the phone together,” I said, slowly unzipping one tall boot and then the other as Ana’s hands roamed over her body. “Is that all you do,” I asked, my lip curling up.
She blushed a deeper shade of red.
“No,” she said, her voice as shy as the first night we had phone sex.
It was agony not being able to talk to her in the months after she was forced to leave Wayward. Only the recollection of her whimpers as she came got me through those lonely nights. The relief of hearing her voice after so long was indescribable, and the memory was still crystal clear when I closed my eyes.
“Show me,” I encouraged.
Ana traced the subtle curves of her stomach and then moved under the waistband of her sexy little thong. She moaned, and I wondered how long we could hide in here before the world forced us apart. Ana grasped the edge of the lace and pulled it out of the way enough that I could watch.
“Sweet Jesus,” I groaned and gripped my cock through my sweatpants.
Her finger slowly slipped in and out of her body, and my brain went haywire with the need to taste her.
“Lift,” I said, seizing her thong and pulling it off.
I brought the material to my nose, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Fuck, she smelled so good.
“I’m keeping these,” I growled and stuffed them into my pocket.
Ana trembled as I tugged her ass closer to the edge of the bed. Kissing her calf, I softly nipped at the skin, loving the little noises she made as I slowly inched up her legs until I reached her sweet pussy. Flicking my tongue out, I teased her until she was whimpering. I was addicted, and nothing short of experiencing this every moment of every day would ever be enough. Gripping her hips, I licked at her delicate folds.
“Oh, Eddie.”
Ana’s lusty moans filled the room as her hands brushed my hair. Fuck I wanted her so bad. My name on her lips was the sweetest music as I worked my finger inside her. This was how it was always supposed to be for us.
“Oh, oh, I’m…I’m going to come,” she said, trying to twist away.
My tongue swirled around her clit, and I pushed deeper. There was nothing I wanted more than her rapture.
“Eddie…I’m…yes…right there…oh god.”
Ana arched off the bed, and her fingers tightened in my hair. Every possessive fiber of my being raged as she came. Ana was mine. She always had been and always would be. She loved me, and I loved her.
No matter what happened after tonight, our hearts would only beat when we were together. She was my everything.
Kissing the inside of her legs in a love-drunk daze, I committed her soft whimpers to memory as I glided my lips up and over her torso. Ana traced my jawline, drawing my eyes to her angelic face.
“I love when you look at me like that,” Ana said, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink.
“I’m soaking in the sight of you. You mesmerize me, Ana.”
The way her hair fanned out around her and the blissful look on her face as she invitingly smiled up at me unleashed every protective instinct I possessed. I would run straight into gunfire for her.
“That was incredible,” she said.
I ran my thumb over her lower lip before dropping my mouth to hers and tasting every inch as our tongues teased one another. As much as I loved kissing Ana, I couldn’t wait any longer. I pulled away, walked over to my suit jacket, and retrieved a package of condoms.
Ana hopped up, looking annoyed. She grabbed my hand before I could open one.
“What’s wrong?”
“No condoms.”
“What? But….”
“I know what you’re going to say, and the risk is worth having all of you. If we get pregnant, then so be it. Please don’t deny me this.”
“Ana, I would do anything for you. You must know that by now. But this is dangerous.”
Despite my hesitation, my heart was hammering as I pictured her pregnant with our baby.
“I know, and I don’t care. This is our moment. The only time I’ll get to choose what I want and how. I’m all too aware what happens when we leave here, and for these few hours, I want to feel free with you.”
My chest ached at the thought of this being it. Ana cupped my face and made me look at her.
“I love you, Eddie Genovese.”
“I love everything about you, Ana Mikhailov. You will rule one day. I know you’ll push your father out, and I’ll do anything you need to make that happen. You’re fierce and strong, like the polar bear on your family crest.”
“Then let me be fierce in the face of my choice. Make love to me and make me yours. My heart will never belong to another.”
I tossed the condom package down on the nightstand and kissed her until we were gasping for air before pushing my sweatpants down.
Clasping my hand, Ana backed up and took me down to the bed with her. I settled between her legs and shuddered at the feel of her naked body pressed against mine. We’d been so careful at Wayward when we pleasured one another, remaining mostly clothed so we weren’t tempted to push things too far.
“This may hurt, and I probably won’t last long this time.”
She just smiled and grabbed my face to kiss me. The thread of nervousness quickly faded into the background.
Grabbing my aching cock, I fought the urge to thrust in hard. With only the tip inside her tight walls, I knew my declaration wasn’t far off. I was ready to explode.
“Fuck, you feel amazing,” I said, shaking as I pushed in another inch.
“Just push in. I want all of you…right now,” Ana ordered.
A growl rumbled in my chest as I obeyed the only woman who would ever command me. Ana sucked in a sharp breath when I pushed in and stilled. Her eyes closed as her nails dug into my shoulders. No matter how many times I’d envisioned this moment, nothing could prepare me for the real thing. She was hot and tight, and her pussy pulsed around my cock. But the wince of pain on her face held me in check.
“Are you alright,” I asked, kissing her cheek.
“Yes.”
I smirked, knowing she was lying, but I loved how she was always so brave, no matter what she faced.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I whispered in her ear and then peppered her neck with soft kisses. I didn’t dare leave a mark despite wanting the world to know she was mine.
This was more than a few passion-filled hours. It was the culmination of nine years of longing. It was a condemnation of her father and the system we were bound to by blood. But most of all, it was the joining of our souls and the hope for a future that was stolen from us tonight. I’d been deceived and exploited, and now we were paying the price of that miscalculation. There was no absolution for that.
“Oh fuck.”
Ana wiggled under me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her pussy was massaging my cock, and I had to close my eyes and suck in deep breaths as my body threatened to unload.
“Damn, I’m having trouble holding back. You are incredible.” I clenched my teeth, trying to fight off the need coursing through my body. Instead of holding still, Ana grabbed my ass, pulling me deeper. “Please, Ana, don’t move. I’m going to fucking come.”
“Can you go again if you do?” I looked over at the clock, and we still had six hours.
“A few times,” I said.
“Then let go. I want it all. I want to feel you come inside me,” Ana said, her lips curving up.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit,” I groaned as I pulled back and slammed into her. My body shuddered as she gasped and arched into me. My body sang with relief at the feel of her.
Losing all control, I thrust into her at a blinding pace. I nearly collapsed when she dug her nails into my shoulders and screamed my name. I didn’t give a fuck if we woke up the entire hotel at this point. Let them come to my door. I wasn’t answering, and I’d make her scream all over again.
I felt frantic, my mind going blank as the pleasure took over all my actions. Forgetting that there was a reason I was trying to be gentle, I pushed up onto my knees and threw one of Ana’s legs over my shoulder. There was no more calm left in me. I’d finally snapped. I could feel the orgasm coming, the tension building at a steady rate in my body until I was on fire.
“Ah, Eddie, I’m coming again,” Ana yelled.
She was mesmerizing as she came all over my cock. From the way her tits bounced to the way, she bit her lip as she fisted the sheets. It was all too much. The moment I felt her climax grip my cock, I came harder than I ever knew possible.
With each pulse, I released again and again, growling her name. Every muscle seized as the last of my release shot from my body. I was breathing like I’d run a marathon but was ready to do it all over again as soon as I could.
Easing Ana’s leg down, I lay beside her and softly kissed her swollen lips.
“Do you want me to move?”
“No. I never want you to move. If I could, I would stay in this room…in this bed, forever,” Ana said, and my heart swelled.
“I can kill him. I have no problem taking that fucker out if it means I can keep you. Say the word, Ana, and I’ll make it happen. Christov doesn’t deserve to touch a hair on your head, let alone marry you.”
Ana wrapped her arms around my neck, and every emotion was laid bare in her kiss. Some things in this world were worth fighting and dying for, and I would happily do both for her.
“Don’t mention him or my father again until we leave this hotel. This is our heaven. It’s us and only us.”
“As you wish,” I said, nipping at her lip and sucking it into my mouth.
“Make love to me again. That’s all I want right now.”
Kissing her deeply, I wanted to whisk her away to my home. It was supposed to be ours, the one that I’d remodeled after everything she loved. The thought of living there without her…was just too much. I would do whatever she wanted. I was hers, as she was mine.
“The world may crumble around us, but my love for you will never die, Ana.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and her bottom lip trembled. I kissed her while murmuring how much I loved her over and over as I slowly began to move.