CHAPTER 20
MAXIM
My woman looks stunning in the dress I’ve picked out for her for the second night in a row.
How the fuck did we get so lucky?
Not only did we find the one woman meant to complete our circle, but she was just dropped into our lap.
It couldn’t have happened better even if I had planned it.
I really didn’t think it was ever going to happen.
But it did.
The timing could be better considering we haven’t completely eradicated everything Morozov, but you don’t get to choose when luck shines down on you.
All you can do is accept what life throws at you, grab ahold when you should, and make sure its all worth it in the end.
That’s exactly what I’m doing right now.
Oaklynn gives me a soft smile as she takes a sip of her wine.
The meal tonight, in a French restaurant that is praised for its food, has been good.
Honestly, I haven’t been able to taste much of it.
I’ve been too entranced by our woman.
She lights up the room.
It’s a damn good thing I’ve been so focused on her because every time I look around, it becomes very clear that far too many of the men here have their eyes on Oaklynn.
I won’t kill them all, even though it’s tempting.
I’m not going to do anything to ruin her night.
Not when she’s finally relaxed and happy.
She’s opened up to me about what she remembers from when her mom was still alive, stories from college when she really got to spread her wings, and what she’s looking forward to in life.
I want to make all of her dreams come true even though she doesn’t need my help in that area.
The way she’s passionate about the charity work she’s been doing is awe inspiring.
We’ve been so focused on Morozov and the skin trade that we’ve lost sight of the problems the majority of the city is facing.
Kids who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
People who can’t afford the medication they need to live.
Schools who are underfunded and understaffed.
But our woman is aware of it all and she’s been working to change things with a single-minded focus.
“You’re amazing, Zolotse ,” my voice is filled with sincerity.
The way Oaklynn blushes a pretty pink has my cock perking up and taking notice.
I mentally admonish him because now is not the time.
Later.
I’ll be sinking into her tight, wet heat later.
Watching her come on my brother’s fingers last night was something I’ll never forget.
When he sucked her juices off his fingers, I almost wanted to cut them off so I could taste her myself.
But that would have been…
weird.
And completely out of character.
I promised myself I’d be tasting her myself very soon.
And I will.
Everything has moved so fast, but taking the time to have this night with her alone is everything.
We’ve all had some time with her alone, but I’m also looking forward to when we claim her together.
I know our woman is going to come undone so damn beautifully as we all show her what four sets of hands can do with her men focused only on her pleasure.
We’ll get ours.
There’s no question about that, but she will always come first.
Always.
“Maxim,” she sighs softly, “you do a damn good job putting up your unaffected and aloof front, but I can see past it now.”
I still before my entire body relaxes.
While I haven’t been hiding who I am from our woman, I know she observes me, all of us really.
For her to see past the walls I’ve put up gives me a sense of peace I wasn’t expecting.
The smile I give our woman is genuine and her eyes light up with something that is even deeper than affection.
Is that love?
Is that even possible?
When you’ve spent so long surrounded by violence, you forget that love is possible.
You don’t know what it means to feel something so pure.
But I feel it deeply for her.
“I’ll always let you see the real me,” I promise her, “but only you.”
Oaklynn’s smile turns sweet before it freezes on her face.
Just as I’m about to ask her what’s wrong, I feel a presence standing over us.
When I look up, my eyes narrow and bloodlust flares inside of me.
Richard Chambers and Mikhail’s second, Lev, are standing over us with matching smirks.
I want to beat those looks off their faces.
“Oaklynn,” my lip curls at the condescending tone Chambers uses to address his daughter, “fancy seeing you here.”
His eyes flick to me as if to say I’m not the Volkov brother she should be with, but I’m not bothered or worried.
I sit back in my chair and level him with an unreadable look.
If he were a smart man, he would turn around and flee while he can.
“Father,” Oaklynn’s greeting is curt.
Her face is a neutral mask.
It kills me because I know it’s the same mask she’s had to wear around her father for years.
Her own father.
It’s something she should have never needed, but the reality is she did.
For far too long.
“Why are you out with the wrong Volkov,” Chambers challenges.
His eyes flit down to her hand and a smug expression fills his face.
“Where is your ring? Have you already fucked everything up?”
The beast inside of me is banging against the confines of his cage.
He’s going to break out and I won’t be able to stop him.
Imagining his blood covering me soon enough is helping, but not nearly enough.
Oaklynn’s tone is placating, as if she’s speaking to a child, “Kirill has ordered me a ring, but it’s being custom made to his exact specifications. That kind of artistry takes time. He wants my ring to be a statement, one which can’t be misconstrued or ignored.”
Her father’s eyes flash with rage as Lev makes a tsking sound as if Oaklynn has misstepped.
They just don’t know who she really is.
They will soon enough.
“I can assure you that the marriage between my brother and Oaklynn will proceed as planned,” my voice is deadly.
“I haven’t received an invitation,” Chambers throws out there.
Our woman looks down which is what her father expects of her.
“I promise that you will get one soon. I met with a wedding planner and they’re being printed now. They’re very tasteful,” she assures him and sounds like she’s seeking his approval even though I know that’s the last thing she cares about.
“They better be,” the threat is clear.
When I glance up at Lev, he’s eyeing our woman in a way that has my fingers begging to wrap around his throat so I can look him in the eye as I choke the life out of him.
Does Chambers really think we don’t know who his companion is?
He’s so flagrant; it’s maddening.
“She is quite beautiful,” Lev’s words are smarmy, his eyes not leaving Oaklynn even though it’s clear he’s speaking to Chambers.
“Pity,” he whispers.
Unable to stand it a moment longer, I stand suddenly, pulling my wallet out of my pocket.
I toss far more money than our meal costs onto the table before helping our woman to stand and leading her away from the pair without another glance.
They’re going to be pissed, but I can’t let them ruin my date with our woman any more than they already have.
My hand on the small of Oaklynn’s back lets me feel just how much she’s trembling.
Fear grips me.
Is she scared?
Does she think I couldn’t protect her?
When she looks up at me, I can see the anger burning in her eyes and I know she was moments away from losing her cool.
She’s so fucking strong.
Instead of leading her toward the front of the restaurant, I guide us to the back, not caring if anyone notices or not.
The moment the heavy service door slams behind us and the cooler night air kisses our skin, I’m unable to hold back.
Her anger only enflames my own.
I grip Oaklynn’s hips and push her against the wall roughly.
She gasps, but the sound barely leaves her lips before I slam my mouth down on hers.
My hands slide down her sides until I can grip her thighs and hike her up.
Her legs wrap around my waist, her dress bunching up around her hips.
I know she’s not wearing panties again tonight because I didn’t include them in the clothes, I left for her to wear tonight.
“I love you in this dress, Zolotse ,” I pant against her lips.
She grinds down against my rigid length.
“You have good taste,” she whispers, her eyes hungry with need.
When she reaches between us and undoes my fly to pull my hard cock out, I hiss out a breath the moment I’m free.
I need to be buried inside of her.
Now.
“Guide me to your entrance,” I demand.
The moment the crown of my cock makes contact, feeling how soaked she is for me, I clench my jaw.
It’s too good and I’m not even inside of her yet.
“Make me forget. Chase it away,” she pleads, her brown eyes filled with remnants of the pain she’s experienced for far too long.
Never again.
I fill her with one savage thrust, her pussy stretching around my shaft and welcoming me into her body.
To stop herself from crying out, she bites down on her plump bottom lip.
But that’s my job.
I lean forward, sucking her bottom lip into my mouth and swallowing the little whimpering sounds she makes.
Fucking perfect.
“This is going to be hard and fast. Later I’ll worship your body,” I promise.
“Just fuck me, Maxim,” her words are a demand, her hips twitching in my hold and showing me how much she needs me to move.
I’ll never disappoint our woman.
My strokes are hard and fast, her body plastered against the wall where anyone could find us.
The danger of getting caught, of being watched, only makes this moment hotter.
Every time I pull out, leaving just the head inside of her, I slam back inside of her.
My hips punch forward faster and harder with each thrust.
Her hands curl around my shoulders, and I can feel the bite of her nails even through my suit jacket.
I want to feel it on my skin.
“Fuck, Maxim,” she gasps, “just like that. Please.”
Her pleading words skate along the skin of my neck and I start to move faster and harder, needing her to let go, needing to feel her clench around me.
“I’m going to come deep inside of you,” I rasp against her lips.
She lets out a long, low moan right before her legs squeeze my waist tighter and her head falls back against the wall.
Her cunt tightens even more as her orgasm washes over her.
But I don’t let that stop me.
I keep thrusting through her orgasm, prolonging it for her, and heightening her pleasure.
But I know I won’t be able to hold off.
I slam inside of her one more time and grunt.
Each jet of cum painting her walls has my vision darkening.
My chest is heaving as she clings to me, our hearts racing where our chests are pressed together.
Pulling out of her, I know my cum is sliding from her and coating her thighs.
It makes me want to pound my chest and roar in triumph.
But I can’t.
My senses come back to me as I tuck my semi-hard cock away and help Oaklynn straighten her clothes.
When I reach for her hand, I twine our fingers together and lead her back to the car.
We’re silent, but it doesn’t feel awkward or heavy, just temporarily satiated.
The moment I pull out to head home, I hit Huck’s number on the screen.
“Maxim,” he greets, “everything okay?”
The anger I was feeling earlier when Chambers and Lev showed up is back tenfold.
“Oaklynn is fine,” my words are clipped and I’m glad she doesn’t flinch at my tone.
“When we were almost done with dinner, Chambers and Lev showed up at our table. I want to know how they knew where we were, and I need you to wipe any footage from the cameras out back.” I glance at Oaklynn to find her cheeks turning pink.
“We needed to take the edge off after speaking with those pieces of shit. I don’t want anyone to have the chance to see our woman come all over my cock.”
“On it,” I can hear the amusement in Huck’s voice and then the clicking of his keyboard.
“Also, you should know since I’ve already told Kirill. Chambers has been sending texts to Oaklynn with threats and how he knows she was never going to tell him anything about Kirill.” He takes a deep breath and sighs, “One mentioned that he was going to sell her since she was useless to him in this city now.”
My hands tighten around the steering wheel and Oaklynn stiffens.
Her voice is cold, “I hope when he dies that it’s painful.”
“It will be,” Huck promises before he hangs up.
Oaklynn relaxes back in her seat and lets out a sigh.
Before I can get lost in my anger because our date was ruined, she reaches over and gives my thigh a squeeze.
“Thank you for a wonderful date, Maxim. Hopefully, next time my father will be dead, and we can enjoy it without interruption.”
I bark out a laugh and can’t help but smile.
Our woman is something else.