Chapter Nine
“Tell me how you imagined your life?”
Jane frowned and tilted her head back to look at Alexey.
They had just had sex in the living room across the coffee table.
They moved to the dining room table, and then he’d taken her out in the hallway, and before they fell asleep, they made love in bed.
This morning, she had woken up to Alexey’s lips, and they made love just moments ago.
“What do you mean?”
“Growing up, how did you imagine your life?”
She frowned. “This is a random question. Okay, fine, but don’t go all weepy on me now.
For my younger years, the only thing I wanted was a family.
A couple of parents who loved me. That is all I wanted.
My own bedroom. My own space. Parents who told me they loved me every night, and would tuck me in, maybe read me a bedtime story. That was all I wanted.”
“And now?”
She sighed. “I’d like to be able to go outside without risk of being killed, that would be good. I don’t know. I think when nothing happens and your wishes don’t come true time and time again, you stop thinking about what you could want and just live with it.”
“So, if I told you that you could have anything in the world, what would it be?”
Jane frowned. “Where is all this coming from?”
“It’s just a fun conversation. Come on, I’m listening.”
“Okay, fine, but then you’ve got to answer this question as well.” She waited for him to nod, then she sat up and pulled the blanket to cover her naked body.
This time, Alexey didn’t try to fight her. Every other time she tried to cover herself, he wouldn’t let her. He must really want this conversation.
“Ideally—and this is a dream, okay—I would have a husband and a nice big house we could decorate for Halloween and Christmas. Even Easter, I think that would be cool. We’d have a bunch of kids, because I’d have a big family of brothers and sisters, and everyone was loyal and loved, and a husband that adored me, who I could rely on, and who would want to come home to me every night.
Who wouldn’t mind waking up next to me. That’s what I would love. ”
“How about we give that a try?”
“What do you mean?” Jane asked.
Alexey reached behind him and presented her with a square velvet box.
“I can’t promise you it will always be good.
I’m not going to change who I am, and it’s tough.
We’re going to have people wanting to kill us, but I can give you a house, kids, and a man who will come home to you every night, who wants to wake up to you every single morning. ”
“Alexey, what is this?” she asked.
“I am asking you to marry me, Jane. I want you to marry me, and I want to give you all those things.”
She was shocked. Her mouth fell open and she couldn’t believe what was happening. This was the most bizarre feeling in the world.
“You want to marry me?”
“Yes, Jane, I want to marry you.”
The ring was so beautiful and looked so delicate. She nibbled her lip. She had no choice but to pinch herself to wonder if this was all a dream.
Alexey held her hand in his and offered her a smile. “This is real. This is not a dream. I’m asking you to marry me.”
“But you barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
She looked at the ring, and it terrified her. “I don’t know anything about your life. There’s someone wanting to kill me. You need to marry someone your friends approve of, who will also make you look good. I can’t do that.”
Jane expected him to retract his proposal. Instead, he cupped her face once again and stared into her eyes. She was unable to look away.
“You’re the only person I want to marry, and I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone else says or thinks. You’re my life, Jane. Marry me. You’re the person I’m asking, or is this your way of rejecting me?”
“I’m not rejecting you. I’m just giving you a chance to back out.”
“I don’t want to.”
She couldn’t believe this was happening. He wanted to marry her. People who were supposed to be loving and wanted a daughter didn’t want her. She’d seen the ugly in so many people, and they had all turned and rejected her because she didn’t match their ideal.
By some strange twist of fate, she’d been brought to Alexey, and now he was asking her to marry him.
“Someone wants to kill me,” she said.
“Join the club. There are a lot of people who would love to see me dead.” He smiled at her.
“No one is going to kill you. I won’t let it happen.
” And then he kissed her, and she always found it so hard to resist his kisses.
This wasn’t down to her not wanting him. She did, more than she cared to admit.
She moaned.
“Marry me,” he said.
It was then she realized she hadn’t even responded to him.
“Yes, I want to marry you.”
“Good.” Alexey stopped holding her, reached for the ring, and took it out of the box before sliding it onto her finger.
She stared down at the ring, marveling that it fit perfectly. She wasn’t prepared for that.
“It’s beautiful.”
“No, you’re beautiful.”
Jane gasped and then giggled as he suddenly tackled her to the bed. She moaned as he ran his hands down her body, cupping her hip, and then he spread her legs. Alexey bit down onto her lip, and it was like he wasn’t done with her there as he started to trail his lips down her neck.
She cried out as he suddenly took one of her nipples into his mouth, and he wasn’t too gentle about it. He bit her nipple, but it wasn’t too painful. The pleasure was intense, and she couldn’t quite control the sensation as it felt overwhelming. Her hands clenched into fists.
He growled against her flesh as his tongue lathered between the valley of her tits and moved toward her other nipple. He bit that nipple and sucked it in deep.
She whimpered.
Alexey stopped and kissed down her body, spreading her legs as he moved between them. He settled between her thighs, and then he spread open her pussy and lapped at her clit. Slowly, side to side, then around, and he took her clit between her teeth, biting down.
It was such a heady sensation.
His hands moved, going to her ass, cupping the flesh as he licked at her. Her orgasm started to build, quite swiftly, and she was at the mercy of his tongue. She clenched her hands in the bed sheets.
“Come for me, baby,” he said.
Her body responded to his command as he focused on her clit, and she went spiraling, going higher and higher, until she couldn’t take it and went right over the edge.
She screamed his name and before her orgasm was even over, he’d moved between her thighs and then slid to the hilt within her. He was so big.
He grabbed her hands and pressed them either side of her head, and she knew he was the one in control. She was at his mercy.
Alexey stayed to the hilt within her, not moving, even as the aftershocks of her own orgasm continued to ripple through her. She stared at him, waiting for what was next.
And then he started to pull out, slowly, until only the tip of him remained.
He slammed inside her, taking her breath away by the sheer force.
Alexey sped up his thrusts, building to almost a fever pitch, taking her right to the edge, and pushing her toward release.
He was not gentle. He was hard, fast, demanding, and she could do no more than ride this wave with him.
His thrusts were so strong it started to make the headboard hit the wall with the force of it.
Alexey didn’t look away from her, he thrust harder within her, pushing her to that peak, and Jane watched as he finally reached his bliss, slammed into her one final time, and she watched him reach his orgasm. She felt each pulse as he filled her.
It was in that moment she realized they’d been having sex for quite some time, and it had been a while since she had a period. She could be pregnant.
****
“You mean she actually argued with you?” Nikolai asked.
Alexey looked up from his work to stare across the room at his friend. Tonight, he was taking Nikolai home with him. He knew his friend was lapping up all this attention.
“Yes, Jane argued with me and told me I needed someone who would look right on my arm.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Alexey wanted to get through this paperwork, but since Nikolai had been dropped off, he’d been determined to talk. So, he put down his pen and looked at him. “It means she doesn’t think she is beautiful enough to be my wife.”
Nikolai frowned. “Okay, I get that she’s ... you know, but there’s more to a woman than looks.”
“Can you shut up so I can finish this and take you home?” Alexey asked.
“Sure. Go ahead. What’s for dinner?” Nikolai asked.
Alexey took a deep breath and reminded himself that his friend was not the reason to kill anyone. Nikolai had taken bullets and nearly died on the operating table.
“Why don’t you text Jane or call her?” he asked.
Nikolai rolled his eyes. “You know, you’re no fun.”
“I am tons of fun.” He finished looking over the latest figures, checking to make sure everything matched up.
There were a lot of greedy people in the world, and he’d experienced men and women attempting to tamper the book logs and steal from him. This was where his father had gone wrong on multiple occasions.
It had been a week since he had proposed to Jane, and so far, Vincent Morello had backed off.
He’d done it so easily that Alexey didn’t buy it.
He was not willing to let Jane go out alone.
He had a sneaking suspicion that Vincent was waiting for the moment she was alone, or for Alexey to let his guard down.
Threats could work, but not with Vincent, and not with how he felt about his son.
“Pot roast, Jane said. Chocolate mousse for desert with whipped cream, or ice cream. Do we think she made the ice cream, or do you think it’s store-bought?”
“Have you seriously become that picky?” Alexey asked.
“Your woman’s cooking is the best. I didn’t even realize I had food standards before she cooked for me. She has completely ruined me and spoiled me for choice.”