Chapter 6 #3
"It's clean," he murmurs, his breath brushing against my bare shoulder.
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a fresh waterproof dressing he must have brought with him, and smooths it over my skin with agonizing slowness.
"But you're too stubborn for your own good.
You should have let me do this before you got in. "
"And you are an arrogant barbarian," I breathe, my heart hammering against my ribs. I try to pull away, but he hooks a finger under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. We are inches apart, my wet, naked body practically pressed against his crisp shirt.
“You think you can just walk in here and take whatever you want,” I spit at him.
"I haven't taken anything yet," he whispers, his gaze dropping to my lips.
"I will never be yours," I defy him, my voice shaking as the tension in the small space grows suffocatingly thick. "You'll have to force me, and you said you wouldn't."
A dark, dangerous smile touches his lips. "I won't have to."
Before I can fire back another insult, his hand moves to the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my wet hair, and he pulls me up. His lips crash onto mine in a fierce, demanding kiss.
A gasp escapes me, and he uses the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue invading my mouth with a possessive hunger that leaves me utterly breathless.
A white-hot wave of desire floods my core, melting away my resistance. My hands, which were meant to push him away, slide up his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as I find myself kissing him back with an urgency that frightens me.
The heat between us is explosive, spiraling out of control within seconds. His large hand slides down my wet spine, pulling my hips flush against his thighs.
The sheer intensity of it snaps me back to reality.
What am I doing?
With a sharp intake of air, I place both hands firmly against his chest and yank myself backward, breaking the kiss. I stand there panting, my lips swollen, my chest heaving as I stare at him in a mix of horror and confusion.
Maksim doesn't move. He just watches me, his eyes dark with unhurried promise, a slow smirk playing on his lips as he takes in my flushed, trembling form.
Slowly, he takes several steps back, giving me a long, deliberate look that makes my skin prickle with heat.
"Nastya dropped off a set of pajamas for you," he says, his voice perfectly steady, as if he hadn't just completely derailed my sanity. "It’s on the bed. Tomorrow, we’ll get you a new wardrobe."
He turns on his heel and leaves the bathroom without another word, closing the door firmly behind him.
The second he is gone, I sink against the tiled wall, shocked at the terrifying depth of my reaction to him. My knees feel weak. I wrap myself in the plush white robe, tying the sash tightly around my waist like a shield, and force myself to step back into the bedroom.
Maksim is already lying on the massive bed, his back turned to me. True to his word, a beautiful silk pajama set rests on the edge of the mattress. I grab it quickly, retreating right back to the bathroom to change before returning to the room.
I head straight toward the couch, determined to keep my distance, but I am barely halfway there when Maksim’s low voice cuts through the quiet room.
"If you sleep on the couch, I am just going to carry you back to this bed. Don't waste your time."
"You wouldn't dare," I snap, stopping in my tracks.
He stays completely silent, not even turning around to look at me. The rigid line of his shoulders tells me everything I need to know—he means it.
Realizing I don't have the energy for another physical wrestling match, I let out a sharp huff and march over to the bed. I climb under the sheets on the absolute furthest edge, immediately grabbing every extra pillow within arm's reach and building a high, meticulous wall between us.
"Childish," Maksim murmurs.
In a flash of movement, he turns, destroys the barrier with a single sweep of his arm, and moves over me.
Before I can even gasp, he has me pinned beneath his heavy frame.
His demeanor is entirely playful but devastatingly provocative, his eyes dancing with amusement as he traps my wrists against the mattress.
"Let go of me!" I hiss, my heart hammering against my ribs again.
"You don’t need the pillows, I won’t try to touch you.”
“Yeah, right. Why should I believe you?” I bite back.
“I told you," he whispers, leaning down until his lips are brushing the shell of my ear, his weight a warm, solid comfort that I hate myself for enjoying. "If I touch, you will beg me for it. You will want it just as badly as I do."
I tilt my chin up, glaring at him with every ounce of defiance I have left. "That is absolutely impossible."
Maksim smiles, a slow, wicked expression. He gives me a sharp wink, easily rolls off me, and settles back onto his side of the bed. He reaches out, turns off the bedside lamp, and plunges the room into darkness, leaving me wide awake in the quiet night, my body tingling from his touch.