9. Lexi #2
“I just met her. We were discussing designer dresses,” Ivy replies, sounding taken aback, her voice slightly broken.
“Is that so?” His eyes flicker over me, and his lips twitch into a nearly amused smile.
My heart immediately starts pounding, and I desperately try to keep it under control. It’s difficult to pretend that I’m not irresistibly drawn to the man in front of me.
He stares at me for a long moment, the silence stretching so thick it feels almost tangible. Then, he surprises me by holding his hand out. “Dance with me?”
My heart hammers in my chest. This isn’t part of the plan.
But before I can decline, he grabs my hand firmly, leaving no room for hesitation. His touch is strong, steady, and surprisingly warm as he pulls me toward the heart of the dance floor.
I glance back at Ivy, who is just standing there staring at me, wide-eyed.
After taking a few steps after him, I tug my hand free. “I really need to leave.”
His grip tightens, and suddenly, his hot breath is scorching my ear. “I thought we talked about this. Things work out better for you when you behave, Krasotka.”
The weight of the room’s gaze bears down on me, and as we stand in the center of the dance floor, I feel every pair of eyes fixed on us. Valentin’s hands move to my waist, drawing me in closer than necessary.
Being near him makes my skin tingle in a way I don’t want to think about. The air around us feels heavy. It’s as if I yearn to inhale his presence completely, to become so immersed in his scent that I lose track of myself entirely.
The music is slow, and he leads me smoothly and gracefully, strikingly unnatural for someone known for their cruelty. His hum is low and thoughtful as his ruthless hand slides slightly lower on my back.
“I see you got my invite,” he announces, smirking.
His arrogance should annoy me, but instead it makes me want to laugh. I bite my lip, keeping my expression neutral. Well played, Brigadier. I guess he found out how I’ve been tracking him.
“What if I hadn’t come?”
There’s a flicker of amusement in his otherwise sharp gaze. “Admit it, Krasotka, you missed me.”
“Perhaps it’s you who missed me, which is why you invited me,” I retort, scoffing lightly.
He responds with a knowing smirk that says it all.
Has the Brigadier been thinking about me as much as I’ve been obsessing over him?
His lips are close to mine, and the pull between us feels like a maddening gravitational force I can’t seem to escape.
“You look beautiful,” he says, his voice quieter now.
His words create a heat pool in my stomach, and I’m fighting to concentrate on him while my thoughts swirl in a chaotic dance.
“Am I making you nervous?”
“A little,” I admit before I can stop myself. “Everyone is looking at us.” My eyes dart away from his face, my body tensing as I meet their gaze.
He laughs, shifting his gaze to the crowd. “Aww, sweetheart, they’re not looking at us. They’re staring at you. And only you.”
My throat bobs with a swallow.
Really smooth, Lexi. Good way to stay low tonight.
As the song slows, his hand moves slightly, brushing against the bare skin of my back, causing my breath to hitch. His gaze drops to my lips, and when he brushes his thumb over them, my knees weaken beneath me. “Should we give them a show?” he asks, a smile curving.
I take a sharp breath. “No! We can’t, Valentin.” Yet my body betrays me, a shiver racing down my spine, igniting curiosity about what he plans to do.
His index finger and thumb grip my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
Valentin locks his eyes on mine, and the moment stretches into eternity before he seals his wickedly dangerous lips over mine. My mouth is locked in a silent scream, but I can’t stop myself. The kiss unfolds slowly and dramatically, releasing the intense tension that has been simmering between us.
The shocked gasps of the crowd surrounding us reach my ears, and I pull myself roughly away from him, wiping my mouth. “I can’t believe you did that.”
And I also can’t bear to look out at the crowd to see whose eyes are on us, especially if one of those belongs to Elise.
“I don’t give a fuck about them,” he snarls, not bothered by the crowd staring at us.
His eyes glint with a dangerous intensity, and his voice lowers to a darker, more intimate tone. “You’re mine, and I’ll fuck you whenever I choose. Tonight, I’m going to fill you with my cum, and you’re going to beg me for more because I say so.”
My gaze fixes on him, defiant and piercing. “What if I don’t want to be yours?” I sneer, trying to pull away.
The grip on my waist tightens just enough to make me swallow hard.
“Then I’ll kill you. Understand?”
The possessiveness in his promise feels electric, tinged with danger and damnation. What’s worse is how it ignites a heat within me that I’ve never experienced with anyone else, causing my hips to instinctively respond, pressing against his bulge before I can even think to hold back.
I open my mouth to object. Any wise woman would. But I can’t say I have a history of making sound decisions. After all, I did kidnap a brigadier.
I rise up on my tiptoes to lock eyes with him. Leaning in closer, I softly moan as my lips brush against his. “Yes, Daddy,” I whisper.
“Now the real party is about to start,” he groans enticingly in my ear.