Alexei #2
That smile could become my downfall very quickly.
“You should be horrified,” I murmur.
“Why?”
“Because of what I am.”
Her eyes never leave mine. “I think you’ve spent so much time survivin’ ugly parts of the world that you forgot people can still see the good in you.”
I study her eyes while heat builds low beneath my ribs.
“You make that sound easy.”
“It probably isn’t.”
“No.” My voice lowers. “It isn’t.”
Rain continues falling outside while the apartment grows warmer around us. Neither of us moves away from the other. The chemistry between us builds slowly now, less explosive than earlier moments and far more dangerous because emotion is woven into every inch of it.
I know exactly when Maggie realizes the tension has changed. Her breathing deepens. Her eyes focus on my mouth before lifting again.
I move closer before I can reconsider it.
“Maggie.”
The sound of her name roughens in my throat.
“Yes?”
“You’re part of my world now.”
Every threat circling my life now recognizes her importance, whether she understands it fully or not.
“I know,” she whispers.
My hand slides into her hair.
“I will protect you at all costs.”
Emotion flashes in her eyes. I see the moment desire replaces the last traces of hesitation. She closes the distance between us and kisses me.
The kiss begins softly, warm and careful. Then Maggie’s fingers slide into my hair, and every remaining thread of restraint inside me snaps apart.
I pull her into my lap while my mouth moves against hers harder now, deeper. She makes a quiet sound against my lips that drags hunger straight through me.
My hands move over her waist slowly, learning the curves beneath the oversized shirt. Maggie’s body melts against mine, and the trust inside that response reaches places in me I’ve spent years trying to lock down.
She doesn’t offer herself easily. I know that from every careful glance she gives me, every moment of hesitation, and every instinct she has to remain independent even when exhaustion pulls at her shoulders. She protects herself quietly, the same way she protects everything else she cares about.
Yet right now she’s kissing me with both hands curled into my shirt like she can’t decide whether to hold onto me or pull me closer.
I choose for her. My arm wraps around her waist while I draw her fully against my chest.
A breath leaves her mouth. “Alexei.”
The way she says my name makes my cock twitch. I kiss along her jaw before pressing my mouth beneath her ear. Maggie tilts her head back with her eyes closed.
She opens her eyes again. Those hazel-green eyes lock onto mine while warmth rises into her cheeks. “I need you.”
Relief and hunger hit simultaneously. I kiss her again harder this time, and Maggie melts against me with a small gasp.
Her fingers move across the buttons of my shirt while my mouth moves against hers with growing hunger, and the apartment around us fades until all I can focus on is the woman in my arms.
I kiss down her throat while she arches against me, and every inch of my body tightens from the effort required not to lose control completely.
The oversized shirt she’s wearing is worn thin, but it’s a barrier I need to bypass.
My hands slide along the warm, smooth flesh of her stomach.
Her muscles twitch at the contact, a reflexive flinch that melts instantly into a pliant surrender.
I trace the contours of her waist, my thumbs brushing the ridges of her ribs. She’s so soft here, fragile compared to the steel and concrete of my world. My fingers wander higher, skimming the underside of her breasts, feeling the rapid, shallow rhythm of her breathing.
I break the kiss, both of us gasping for air. Her lips are swollen and wet, glistening in the low light. Her eyes, wide and dark, lock onto mine. She looks wrecked already, and we’ve barely started.
“Alexei,” she breathes.
“Shh,” I murmur against the corner of her mouth. I nip at the sensitive skin there, tasting her sweetness. “I've got you.”
I stand, lifting her with me. Her legs wrap instinctively around my waist. I hold her easily, one arm hooked under her ass, the other pressed against her back, keeping her crushed against me. I walk us to her bedroom, the floorboards creaking under our weight.
The bedroom is darker, illuminated only by the streetlights filtering through the rain-streaked window.
I lower her onto the bed, but I don’t join her yet.
I stand back, looking down at her. She lies there, an oversized shirt drowning her frame, cotton shorts peeking out from the hem, and those fuzzy socks still on her feet. She looks like an offering.
“Take this off,” I command, my voice low and rough, gesturing to the shirt.
She sits up, crossing her arms and grabbing the hem.
In one smooth motion, she pulls the shirt over her head and drops it onto the floor.
Her hair tumbles back down, a dark curtain around her shoulders.
Her breasts are exposed to the cool air, her nipples tightening into hard peaks.
I drink in the sight, the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, and the way her skin glows in the shadows.
“Now the shorts,” I say.
She lifts her hips, hooking her thumbs into the waistband of the cotton shorts and sliding them down her legs, kicking them off to join the shirt on the floor. She’s left in nothing but cotton panties and those fuzzy socks.
“Those too,” I instruct.
“You don’t want me to keep on my fuzzy socks?” she giggles.
“Off, now.”
She removes her panties and socks and lies back on the mattress.
“You’re perfect,” I growl. My cock throbs painfully against my zipper, desperate to be free, to sink into the warm wetness I know is waiting between her thighs.
But not yet. This is about more than just fucking.
It’s the way she looks at me without fear, the way her body relaxes beneath my hands like she trusts me with parts of herself she rarely gives anyone, and the pull in my chest every time she reaches for me like I’m capable of being wanted despite everything attached to my name.
I pick up the discarded shirt from the floor, the cotton still warm from her body heat.
“Sit up,” I order.
She obeys, sitting on the edge of the bed, her breathing deepening. I move behind her, gathering the thin cotton in my hands.
“Do you trust me, Maggie?” I whisper, my lips brushing the sensitive shell of her ear.
“Yes,” she answers instantly. “Yes, Alexei.”
I bring the shirt up to her eyes, wrapping it around her head.
I tie it securely behind her, knotting it tight enough to stay put but loose enough to be comfortable.
Her world goes dark. She can’t see the ink on my skin, the cold calculation in my eyes, or the predatory way I’m looking at her. She can only feel.
“Good girl,” I murmur, running a hand down her arm, feeling the goosebumps rise in the wake of my touch. “Now you don't have to think. You just have to feel.”
I guide her back, urging her to lie down on the pillows. She settles against the mattress, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her blindfolded face turned toward me. She looks vulnerable, exposed with an intimacy that has nothing to do with nudity.
I crawl onto the bed, fully clothed, the fabric of my shirt and pants dragging against the sheets. I hover over her, bracketing her head with my arms. She can sense me there, tilting her chin up, searching for a kiss.
I don't give it to her. Instead, I trail a finger from her temple, down her cheek, over her lips, and down her neck to the hollow of her throat. Her pulse races under my touch.
“Look at you,” I rasp, staring at her body. “Krasivaya. So fucking beautiful. Lying here waiting for me to ruin you.”
“Please,” she whimpers, her back arching off the bed, seeking contact.
“Please what?” I tease, my hand moving lower, cupping her breast. I grip it in my palm, squeezing roughly, feeling the smooth flesh give way. I pinch her nipple, rolling the tight bud between my fingers. She gasps, her legs falling open.
“Please touch me,” she begs. “Everywhere.”
I move my hand down her stomach, tracing the line of her navel, until I reach her pussy. I run a finger through her wet slit, coating my skin in her juices. She’s soaking wet, ready for me.
“So wet for me,” I groan, bringing my finger to my mouth to taste her. She’s sweet and musky, a fucking drug. “I'm going to fill this tight little pussy up, Maggie. I'm going to make you take every inch of my cock until you can't remember your own name.”
I lean down, biting the silky skin of her inner thigh, marking her. She cries out, her hands fisting in the sheets. The trust she gives me is absolute, a blank check signed in blood and sweat. I will cash it tonight. I will take everything she offers and demand more.
But for now, I just look at her. Blindfolded, naked, and trembling with anticipation. The rain pounds against the window now, matching the thunder of my own heart.
“Keep the blindfold on,” I command, my voice dropping to a dark whisper. “I want you to feel everything. I want you to guess what I’m going to do next.”