Chapter 24
Halle
There’d been only a few times in my life that I’d been floored.
Everyone talked about the day when the love of their life asked for their hand in marriage. Or maybe when their first child was born.
Yes, both had been memorable, but Sean had been the least romantic person I’d ever known, asking me over coffee and a bagel one morning when we had a day off together. He hadn’t even purchased the ring yet.
By the time my beautiful daughter had finally made her way into this world, I’d been so uncomfortable and had spent thirty-six grueling hours in labor that I’d cursed the last three hours nonstop.
When Sean had died, I’d been paralyzed, devastated, but not floored in the way Alexsey made me.
Come to think of it, until right now, I’d never had a person truly surprise me as many times as Alexsey had.
He was simply too much to deal with or to process, but I could tell without a doubt that his answers to my nervous energy bullshit had been real.
He’d been serious. He was planning on purchasing a house so that my daughter could have a better atmosphere to play in.
With a swing set. Who did that kind of thing?
Yes, he had money, but that was beside the point. He was serious.
“Wait. Hold. On. What did you just say to me?” I asked. My hand was shaking. Was that a response to what he’d said or had the rush of adrenaline finally worn off?
“Which part, Captain?” Alexsey mused.
If he continued to grin like that, I would stop being able to form coherent sentences altogether. Then a moment of clarity settled in. “Wait a minute. You aren’t going to allow me back to my own house?”
“To get clothes and other necessities, absolutely. But if I’m not with you, I’ll assign one or two of my men to be there.”
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” I threw out my hand. “You’re not going to keep me as your prisoner. That’s not…”
“Romantic? Sexy?” The grin remained and he closed the distance all over again.
“I was going to say normal.”
“Answer me this, Captain,” he said as he brushed hair behind my ear.
Every other person, including my mother, who’d done that I’d snapped at.
But with him, his touch and the softness of his actions while still being so rough and tumble made me swoon instead.
“Is anything about our relationship normal?”
A laugh immediately rushed to the surface. “You’re right. No. That doesn’t mean I want to be held captive.”
“You’ll get used to it.” He slid his hand under my hair, gently wrapping his long fingers around the back of my neck. Yet the hold, however tender, was still possessive.
“I’m serious,” I told him, although I was whispering instead of demanding.
“So am I.” He wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. He captured my mouth, holding our lips in place.
Almost immediately, I arched my back, leaning into him. My fingers were still wrapped around his shirt and I twisted my hand, even rising onto my tiptoes. Maybe this was my possessive move, the need to keep the moment between us. It felt so surreal, as if this was just a fantasy.
Just like the first night.
The taste of bourbon mixed with a hint of peppermint.
He must have munched on the piece of candy my sweet daughter had offered him.
She had a little stash in her backpack. The offer had almost made me cry.
After what she’d been through, she’d given him a present.
I hadn’t even seen him pop it into his mouth.
Resisting him was becoming impossible. He was so much more than the man I’d believed him to be. I fell into the kiss as he swept his tongue inside, tasting me as if that was all he’d been thinking about.
We still had drinks in our hands, but that didn’t stop him from crowding closer, even shifting his hips back and forth so I could feel exactly what I was doing to him. I had to admit that made me a tiny bit excited inside.
Okay, very excited.
Very carefully I rolled my arm over his shoulder, the drink placed precariously in my hand.
Between the taste and the building desire, an involuntary moan erupted, which he captured.
The feel of his cock crushed between my legs was incredible, so much so I was lightheaded.
I wasn’t the kind of girl to be easily wooed, but bright flashes of colorful stars were floating across my field of vision.
The man knew how to kiss. There was no denying that.
He pulled away, his chest rising and falling. The way his upper lip curled at the edges was enough to drive me crazy. So was the three-day stubble, the growing beard tickling my skin. And the dimple was still there.
Still sexy as hell.
He took a step backwards, taking the drink from my hand and placing both in one palm. Then he arched an eyebrow. “Come with me.”
“What are you doing?”
“Whatever I want and giving you what you deserve.”
“What about Emily?”
He narrowed his eyes, allowing his gaze to travel slowly, his chest still rising and falling as he studied me. “You said so yourself. She’s down for the count. We’ll hear her if she needs us.”
Us.
The mother inside, the one who’d fought to achieve some sense of normalcy after Sean’s death should fight against the single word.
Yet the woman inside who believed in fairytales was even more aroused hearing that one word.
“What if I don’t come with you?”
“Then your punishment will be that much more severe.” With the dimple more accentuated by a raucous grin, he pointed an index finger at me. “And you are going to be punished.”
Another shiver coursed through me. Maybe I was a little thankful that the master bedroom was on the other side of the condominium. That way our… activities wouldn’t disturb the sleeping princess.
Once inside the room, he closed the door then placed the drinks on the nightstand.
With the late afternoon sun streaming in through the windows, the room was highlighted in a beautiful glow.
I stood just inside the doorway, my pulse racing.
I’d never felt so strangely vulnerable yet so excited in my life.
We’d had sex.
Powerful, passionate sex, yet this felt entirely different.
As if we were starting a new chapter. I couldn’t explain it. The day had started out normally, only to turn into an action thriller movie. And he’d acted as if the chase, the capture of the bad guys was all in a day’s work.
Turning, he tugged on his tie, studying me all over again. “Undress for me.”
I could be my usual self, asking him what he’d do if I didn’t. But I wasn’t interested. There was a quiet tension between us, sexual yet something much deeper. I tugged on my shirt, easing it up and over my shoulders.
He took off his tie, taking his time to fold and place it on the nightstand beside the drinks. I’d never seen a man look at any woman the way he was doing with me.
Absolute lust.
Complete need.
Crazed obsession.
It kept my pulse ticking higher and higher. I kicked off my shoes and reached for the button on my jeans. As soon as I did, his nostrils flared.
His scent was all over me already, so musky and masculine I was lightheaded from that alone. While he started to unbutton his shirt, even jerking it free from his trousers, I had the notion he would keep me in suspense for as long as his patience didn’t wear thin.
He needed to control me in every way.
I tugged on my jeans, still tingling all over. The jeans were tight, maybe too much so given I was fumbling with trying to push them past my hips.
He chuckled in a way that caused my pussy to throb more than before. After licking my lips, I almost laughed because I was as nervous as a kitty cat. But I finally managed, jerking them down and kicking out of them.
I was thankful I’d worn a matching bra and panties. Maybe the wild girl inside of me had hoped that we’d see each other.
Alexsey took a deep breath, muttering something in Russian.
I had the feeling he only spoke the language around me.
That made me feel even more special. When I lifted my head, I sucked in my breath.
He’d ripped off his shirt, allowing me to enjoy the view of his broad shoulders and carved chest. I could do nothing more than enjoy the view.
At least for a little while longer.
He cocked his head then glanced at the bed, moving toward it and yanking down the comforter, freeing the pillows. My heart fluttered even more when he grabbed two of the four, placing them smack in the center of the bed.
In my mind, all I could think of was that he was breaking me. But not in a horrible way. In the sense of breaking all my defenses, creating a world where I felt safe enough to trust him. Peeling away layers that had kept me from enjoying so many aspects of my life.
Maybe being broken wasn’t the worst thing in the world after all.
I turned around, purposely teasing him. As I reached around my back, I took a deep breath.
This should feel so wrong, but everything about it felt completely right.
As soon as the bra was unfastened, I slipped one strap down then the other, tossing my head over my shoulder to see if he was paying any attention.
He was.
In fact, his eyes were completely hooded and I could smell his hunger.
It would seem Mr. Boyfriend had a crush on me.
I finally removed my bra, holding it out to the side, even swishing it back and forth.
“Mmm… You know how to drive a man insane,” he growled.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“You might find out.”
“Promises. Promises.”
His laugh was even darker. “Yes, I promise to mark your perfect bottom, so you’ll think about disobeying me more than once next time. Then I’m going to ravage every inch of you, shoving my dick into your sweet pussy and tight ass. Then we’ll see. Maybe a collar and leash. Would you like that?”
I turned around, trying not to show him how much I adored the idea. “What’s next? You’ll pierce my nipples and clit and require me to wear a chain connecting all three?”