Chapter 9 #3
As I pressed my lips against hers, for a few seconds it seemed we were as one.
I knew it wouldn’t last. That wasn’t what tonight was about, but I wanted to share a moment of passion with someone I could care about even after I’d returned her to her life.
There would be no future. That wasn’t in the cards for people like me.
I’d come to terms with that, accepting the inevitable.
But…
The moment she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, her fingers tangling in my hair, I let go, allowing the kiss to move into ferocious passion. Sliding my tongue inside, I swiped it back and forth, my actions as tender as possible.
She responded, arching her body as she clung to me. Her soft mews were the only sound that mattered, her gentle touches more powerful than she could understand. Everything became a blur as the moment of intimacy continued, our lips touching. Caressing. Our hearts beating. The desire increasing.
My hunger erupted and I ravaged her mouth, dominating her tongue as growls swept up from my inner core.
I felt her fingers crawling down my chest then she ran a single finger back and forth across my sensitive slit.
There was a beautiful moment of anticipation, the excitement building to the point neither one of us could take it any longer.
She positioned my cockhead just inside her swollen folds, raking her fingers back and forth across my chest. I maintained my control for a few seconds longer, sucking on her tongue as she mewed and bucked.
Then I lost it, sliding every inch of my cock inside.
My body shaking, I didn’t move, but the electric sensations made every muscle in my body tense.
As I lifted my head, she gasped, pushing against me in an effort to arch her body closer. The way she slid her leg around mine was possessive, further tingling my senses.
“You’re so big,” she whispered, her breathing ragged.
“And you’re so damn tight. I could fuck you for hours.”
Her smile was coy, and she continued caressing my skin.
I pulled out, thrusting into her once again, grinding my body against hers.
Then I repeated the move, yanking her other leg around my thigh.
Within seconds, I was in a smooth rhythm, driving into her in hard, even strokes.
She never took her eyes off me as I fucked her.
Just the way her skin shimmered in the dim lighting was an incredible aphrodisiac, her scent even more intoxicating.
I thrust even harder, the sound of our skin slapping together mixing with her lovely moans. She was even more beautiful as her body was pushed toward an orgasm, her lips twisting and her breathing even more ragged.
“Come for me, little pet. Come on my cock.”
Whether or not she heard my hoarse whisper was unknowable. As she tossed her head from side to side, dragging her tongue across her lips, several growls escaped my throat.
“Oh, yes. I’m…” Unable to finish her sentence, she jerked up from the rug, her mouth forming a perfect O.
I was like a wild man, fucking her savagely as she erupted into a climax, her entire body shaking.
“That’s it, baby.”
“Oh. Oh. Oh…” Chloe clamped her eyes shut, her fingers now digging into my arms. I wanted her to surrender to the bliss, submitting to the man who held her in his arms.
All I could think about was making her mine.
When she slumped against the rug, I yanked her legs even higher, shifting the angle then powering into her like the beast I truly was.
“So hard. You’re so… bad,” she mewed, her chest rising and falling.
“Yes. I. Am.” I dropped my head until our lips were almost touching, staying in position until a wave cascaded over her.
“Oh, God. Uh. Uh. Uh.” Her scream was high pitched, her body rocking and pitching as the orgasm swept through her.
My muscles strained, I refused to stop, thrusting brutally even as she slumped against the rug. The moment was perfection, my balls ready to explode. I wasn’t going to be able to hold back for long.
Lights flashed in front of my eyes, the entire room thrust into darkened shadows. I wanted this to last, to continue well into the night, but I’d lost all sense of control, my needs outweighing any thoughts.
“Yes. Yes.” I threw my head back, roaring as I erupted deep inside, filling her with my seed.
Then the man inside, the one from before reared his ugly head, his thoughts filling my mind.
His desires roaring into my system.
His memories destroying the moment.
His needs requiring fulfillment.
My duties would need to come first.
To my father.
To my Russian family.
To my code of honor.
And for the first time in as long as I could remember, tears formed in my eyes.
* * *
Fire.
I’d always been mesmerized by the element of fire both for heat as well as destruction.
Just watching the flames licking over the thick chunks of wood remained as fascinating to me as it had when I was a kid.
For most people, having a nice fire provided warmth, comfort, and atmosphere.
But I was different. Fire meant life after providing the necessary retaliation.
During my past, I’d seen countless buildings burned to the ground, the act performed by a dedicated soldier.
The devastation of property as well as the loss of life had been under my direction.
I took another swig of my drink, shifting my attention to the stairs.
I’d sent Chloe to bed with the same tone I’d used when I’d walked away.
I’d seen the look on her face, the hurt in her eyes even though she’d followed my orders.
A fleeting thought as well as another round of anger almost pushed me into tossing the glass into the fireplace. I’d curtailed my outbursts over the years, but I was reaching my limit. My gut continued to churn.
While I knew it was late and risky, it was worth making a single phone call to Travis. I grabbed my phone, staring at the screen. No call from Ivan meant the confrontation in Russia was likely getting worse. I dialed Travis, hoping that all was quiet in Waltham.
“Whoa. You’re calling me,” Travis huffed. “Let me go outside. Too noisy in here.”
I heard the usual sounds of the cheap stereo system in the bar, as well as several loud voices.
“Okay. I’m back. Are you all right?”
“We’re fine, although we had a close call. We’re keeping this short. Any activity out of the ordinary?”
I’d known Travis for long enough to know when something was wrong.
“You’re not going to like this. I waited to call you to see what the fuck these assholes were going to do, but…”
“Spill it, Travis.”
“They figured out about the girl. I don’t know how, but they made an appearance at the diner last night. From what I could tell, they didn’t cause any issues, but they certainly weren’t locals, if you know what I mean.”
Likely the same men from the diner a few nights before. “Anything else?”
“I had a bad feeling and found out where Chloe lived. The place was tossed. I don’t know if they found what they were looking for, but they made enough of a mess.”
“Shit.”
“What else can I do?”
“Nothing. Stay out of it and keep to yourself.”
“All right. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too.” I ended the call and hissed as I tossed the phone onto the table.
When I inhaled, the delicious scent of her filled my nostrils making me ache inside.
I slammed the glass on the table, rising to my feet and grabbing my weapon, my instinct telling me to check on her.
She’d left the door open a crack. I pushed it open with a single finger.
She’d left a light on beside her bed. As I approached, I could see she was curled in a fetal position, the covers over her head.
My attention was drawn to a pad and pen on the nightstand.
I hadn’t paid any attention to her purchases nor had I cared.
The choice seemed out of place. Was she taking notes in order to turn me into the authorities?
Fuck. I was furious with myself for even thinking that way.
After darting another glance, I lifted the pad into my hand.
What was written couldn’t have surprised me any more.
A poem.
The beautiful and very striking words were heartfelt. The subject? Well, that gave me chills.
Courage.
She’d written words about a courageous man, the style reminding me of a goddamn fairytale, the very last one my mother had read to me before she’d disappeared. It was the last line that disturbed me the most.
And it had been written in Russian.
Chelovek pryachetsya za stal’noy maskoy
A man hiding behind a mask of steel.
I’d vowed that I was never going to get close to anyone, refusing to allow any additional pain into my heart. But it was impossible to break something that had already been destroyed.
The hard stab in my chest wasn’t just painful. It was crushing. I could easily break her into a thousand shattered pieces, stealing what was left of her innocence. I couldn’t allow that to happen. She was far too precious.
This was a ticking timebomb. It was likely I’d need to return to Moscow.
And it was even likelier that I’d never be allowed to return.