Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Silas
After dropping Anthea and Olei back at school, I sat in the backseat watching their figures disappear through the gates.
My chest felt full—too full. Anthea held Olei's hand, warm sunlight catching in her blonde hair.
Olei looked up at her, saying something, and she bent her head, offering him that gentle smile.
That scene... damn, it made me happy.
My fingers still remembered the feel of her ankle—the delicate skin on the inside, soft as silk. Through that thin layer, I'd felt her pulse racing.
Even though the beast that'd been sleeping inside me for six years was roaring for more, I'd held back. I'd let go of her ankle. She'd quickly pulled her leg away, face flushed, and finished dinner.
Then Anthea and Olei vanished. The car door shut. My good mood evaporated.
"Drive," I told the driver, voice back to its usual ice.
The car pulled away. I dug out my phone and opened the surveillance app. I'd listened to this morning's recording at least ten times. Each playback made the fire in my chest burn hotter.
"...I want custody of Olei back..." Anthea's voice came through the speaker.
"...He runs the Thorne Group. Power like that—your odds are brutal." That waste of space lawyer with his gold-rimmed glasses—voice sounded rough. Probably still feeling last night's beating.
"I know. But I have to try..." Anthea again, fragile but determined.
"I'll figure something out. Don't worry..." His voice carried that self-righteous do-gooder tone, but I knew what he was really doing—trying to impress Anthea.
My knuckles cracked. Hearing Anthea ask another man for help, talking about taking Olei's custody, maybe even planning to take Olei and leave my world forever—the loss of control burned through my gut like lava.
Though at lunch today, I'd already made my position clear to Anthea first. She could see Olei anytime.
Take him anywhere—as long as I was there.
I needed Anthea to know I'd bend for her.
I'd learned to bend. I saw it surprised her, even shook her for a moment.
But it wasn't enough. She had to understand—the only way out was back to me. Not taking Olei and running.
And Julian Voss. Did he think getting his ass kicked in that alley was the end of it? Did he think I was fucking joking? I'd warned him to stay away from Anthea. He didn't listen. Even had the balls to discuss Olei's custody with her over the phone.
Damn it. My jaw clenched. I couldn't kill him—Anthea would be furious. Might even hate me.
But that didn't mean I'd let Julian off.
I grabbed my phone and dialed.
"Pakhan." My man's voice came through.
"Teach Julian a lesson. Make sure he understands fear. But keep him breathing."
"Understood, Pakhan."
I hung up, stared at the neon lights streaming past the window. The pressure in my chest eased.
"Black Bird," I told the driver.
Black Bird was Pavel's private club—too classy for his style. No pounding EDM. Just low jazz and expensive cigar smoke.
We pulled up. I walked straight to the back room. Pavel was already there. Saw me coming, raised his glass.
"Look who it is." He smirked. "Our resident Romeo seems to be in a good mood today."
I sat across from him, grabbed a glass, and poured myself a whiskey.
"That obvious?" I glanced up.
"Obvious as hell." Pavel snorted. "You came from Olei's school, right? What'd your long-lost beauty do to make you smile like that?"
I didn't answer. Just threw back the whiskey, felt it burn down my throat straight to my stomach.
"Seriously though, congratulations, Silas." Pavel drained his glass too. "Finding your lost love. Even if that sounds like some soap opera bullshit."
"Congratulations my ass." I poured another, bitterness rising. "She can't wait to get as far from me as possible."
"Still better than thinking she's dead." Pavel shrugged, poured himself vodka, and clinked my glass. "At least she's alive. You've got a shot."
I drank in silence. He watched me for a while, then sighed.
"But seriously, man..." He lowered his voice, unusually serious. "Take it easy. Don't scare her."
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" He pointed at my crotch, completely shameless. "You've been celibate for six fucking years! Ever since Anthea 'died,' you turned into a monk. Now she's standing right in front of you—you think you can stop yourself from devouring her?"
I didn't argue. The alcohol was spreading through my bloodstream. The desire I'd kept locked down with reason was fighting back under Pavel's crude but accurate questioning. Two thousand nights of bone-deep emptiness and hunger—no one could understand.
"Silas, I know exactly what kind of hell you've been living. Wearing her ashes around your neck in a necklace—even though they were fake. Harsh truth? You're not quite right anymore." Pavel's face was serious.
My expression shifted. Pavel was right. Today at the restaurant, when I'd grabbed Anthea's ankle, that jolt of electricity had almost made me lose it right there.
I'd wanted more. Wanted to rip off that damn uniform, bend her over the table, push inside her, hear her cry and beg beneath me like six years ago.
But I'd held back. For her to love me again.
"I'm not rushing." I didn't know who the hell I was trying to convince. "I'll make her love me again."
Pavel looked at me. Finally nodded.
"Hope so." He raised his glass, drained it. "Meeting you—don't know if that's her luck or her curse."
I didn't respond. Pavel drank with me in silence.
"By the way, heard that psycho Vanessa escaped?" Pavel asked suddenly, tone heavy. "Any leads? Someone who can snatch her right under your nose isn't amateur hour. Think it's that old bastard Tomaso? We've hit him so many times and never touched his core."
Business talk cleared my head instantly.
"That old fox always has a backup plan. Slippery as hell." I narrowed my eyes, killer intent flashing. "If he's involved, his luck's run out this time. Marcus is already digging. We'll root out whoever helped from the inside soon enough."
"A mole?" Pavel frowned. "They've got long reach. How you planning to handle the interrogation? Need help?"
"No. I'll pull out every nail they hammered into my organization. One by one." My voice was ice.
Pavel nodded. Didn't push.
Glass after glass went down. Something hot and restless inside me couldn't be contained anymore.
I yanked at my tie—the constraint was suffocating.
My mind filled with Anthea at that dinner table.
Her ankle so delicate, skin so soft, squirming in my palm.
Her cheeks flushed, eyes angry and embarrassed, but she couldn't make a scene in front of Olei.
Damn it. Heat flooded my lower body.
"You've got the look of a starving wolf right now." Pavel caught my state. Overstated it.
"I'm leaving." I stood, cold smile forming, and grabbed my coat. "Business."
Didn't wait for Pavel's response. I turned and strode out.
An hour later, I stood outside Anthea's apartment. The door opened silently. I walked in.
The apartment was dark except for cold moonlight. She should be asleep by now. I slipped into the bedroom quietly, pulled out a bottle from my pocket—sleep-aid incense the doctor prescribed. Mild, harmless. Just made people sleep more deeply.
I lit the incense and set it on the nightstand. A faint fragrance spread through the air. Then I waited in the darkness.
Five minutes later, I turned on the small lamp on the nightstand. Warm orange light spilled across the bed, illuminating her sleeping face clearly.
Anthea lay on her back, breathing even and deep.
Maybe the AC was too high—she'd kicked off the covers.
She wore a thin camisole nightgown. The left strap had slipped off, exposing her honey-toned, rounded shoulder.
The hem had ridden up to her waist. Long legs and white lace panties completely visible.
I unbuttoned my shirt and stripped off my pants. Got on the bed in just my boxers. The moment I lay on my side next to her, the scent of her body wash invaded my senses.
My hand traced her cheek. Fingers followed her contours down, past her chin, and reached her lips. Soft lips slightly parted, moist and inviting. I bent down. Kissed her.
Not rushing, I'd said. Make her love me again, I'd said. And now? Like some horny teenager, desperate, unable to control my desire. But I didn't care anymore. I needed to touch her, possess her, leave my mark inside her body.
Her lips were sweeter than I remembered. My tongue pushed in, swept across her teeth, tangled with hers. She made a tiny whimper in her sleep but didn't wake. She wouldn't wake.
She wasn't wearing a bra. Her nipples were already standing at attention, forming two small peaks through the thin fabric. My palm covered her breast, feeling her fullness through the material, the hardened tip.
My cock jumped to attention almost instantly. Six years—I'd been going fucking crazy wanting her!
My hand reached her most secret place, stroked her pussy through the fabric, and felt moisture. Even in sleep, her body was responding to me. I pulled my lips into a satisfied smirk.
I pushed the fabric aside, fingers found her sensitive clit, rubbing gently. Her breathing quickened, small moans escaped her mouth. She grew wetter. I pushed one finger inside—her tight channel immediately wrapped around me, warm and welcoming.
"Silas..." Anthea's brow furrowed slightly, unconsciously calling my name.
She was dreaming of me? My heart slammed hard. My cock throbbed painfully. Even though she said she wanted distance, in her dreams, she was thinking of me, calling my name.
"Seems like you miss me too, don't you?" I chuckled low in her ear. "I'm here, Anthea."
She seemed to hear, body relaxing. I added another finger, pumped slowly, mimicking penetration. Her skin broke out in fine sweat, like she'd been glazed with honey.
"Hot..." She panted helplessly.
"Hot, baby?" My voice was wrecked. "I'll cool you down."
I pulled my fingers out, sucked them into my mouth, tasted Anthea. Still sweet as hell! I forced down my hunger, got up, and went to the kitchen. Opened the fridge, grabbed some ice cubes.
When I got back to the bed, I'd stripped off my boxers. I looked at the defenseless woman on the bed. My cock was engorged, veins bulging, demanding its home. I stripped Anthea completely naked, then pressed one ice cube against her burning neck.
"Mm..." Anthea shuddered violently.
Extreme cold meeting burning skin—she instinctively tried to escape the stimulus, but I pinned her shoulder down. I let the ice slide down her collarbone, over her heaving chest, circling between her breasts. Ice water melted, mixed with her sweat, and ran down her cleavage.
"So cold... mmm..." She writhed, nipples reddening from the ice's stimulation.
I bent down, took one in my mouth along with the half-melted ice cube. My tongue's warmth, the ice's cold, the sweetness of her breast—three sensations tangled together. I sucked hard, teeth grazing the sensitive peak.
"Ah..." Anthea's head fell back, neck forming a beautiful arc.
I sucked hard on her vulnerable throat, leaving a red mark. Her hands unconsciously gripped the sheets beneath her.
I continued with the ice cube down her flat stomach, circling her sensitive navel until the ice completely melted, pooling in her belly button. Only then did I bend down, licked the water clean.
Then I grabbed the second ice cube. I spread her legs, positioned them in an M. Her pussy was flushed, opening and closing, dripping.
"Beautiful," I murmured, pressing the ice cube against her warm entrance.
"No... don't..." Anthea whimpered in her dream, resisting.
"Don't be scared. You'll like it."
I pushed with my fingers, working the ice cube slowly inside her. The cold intrusion made her arch. Maybe her internal heat was too high—the ice melted quickly, mixed with her fluids, and spilled out.
I couldn't hold back anymore. I buried my face between her legs and greedily licked up the flowing liquid. My tongue pushed into her tight opening, sucking hard.
"Mm... Silas..." Her voice broke, but it was full of dependence on me.
That one call shattered me completely.
When you've had something, lost it, then got it back, the treasuring and the madness are doubled.
I straightened up, grabbed her ankle, and hooked it over my shoulder. Then I gripped my massive cock, lined it up with her entrance—wet and soft from my teasing. I thrust my hips. Drove into her. The moment I was fully sheathed, I let out a satisfied groan.
Six years. Finally inside her again.