Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
ANA
T omorrow, I leave for Russia.
For home.
It’s always been home to me, but James won’t be there. As we head back to his apartment, it strikes me that I now think of that as home. The rather small apartment, albeit in a smart neighbourhood, is worlds away from what I’m used to, but it’s our sanctuary.
I love being here with James. It’s cozy, safe and our space to be together; our own little bubble, if you like. Now I must leave and become the Russian heiress to the Romanov dynasty. Part of a billion dollar family where my life is controlled and no longer my own.
However, most of all, James won’t be there. The one person I want to be with more than any other, even my family. I want him holding my hand when we face my demons together because with him by my side, I can face what the future holds .
But he is needed here. As always, business comes first and his business is The Rose Foundation. When Titus made the call, I was delighted. It makes perfect sense and rewards him for the pain he endured at Adele’s hands all those years. It was the right thing to do, which didn’t surprise me because Titus never makes a bad decision. He is the rightful head of The Romanov family and not just because he’s the eldest. He is also the most formidable, cunning and devious, with a heart so full of gold it’s priceless.
I’m worried because my brother is all by himself. He allows nobody in and even family are kept at a distance. He is always deep in thought and never holds a candle to his thought process, and I am concerned that he will struggle to find a woman who can deal with that.
I note the pain James is still in as he sits gingerly on the couch, and I rush to his side with concern. “Can I get you anything, a coffee perhaps?”
I smile as he grins. “Not yet.”
“Then what?”
“Come here, baby.”
“But your injuries.”
“Will fade, but I’m not wasting a second of the time we have left, which means you may need to sleep on that flight tomorrow because you’re not getting any tonight.”
“But it’s barely lunchtime.” I raise my eyes and he drops me a wicked grin.
“Exactly.”
The deep yearning in his eyes is shrouded by lust and I push aside my concern and, holding his gaze, I unzip my dress and step out of it. His eyes gleam as I remove my underwear and walk slowly toward him.
“You’re a little overdressed, baby.” I whisper huskily as I reach for the hem of his polo shirt and ease it gently over his head.
The bruises decorate his body like painted strokes of evil and I sink to my knees and press light kisses on every one.
He lies back against the couch and sighs as I press soft kisses to his skin, healing the memory and demonstrating a softer kind of loving.
I reach for his pants and carefully unfasten his belt, dragging them down and carefully easing them from his body.
I could weep when I witness his suffering, but know that was the last time. Never again. He is over that part of his life and if I have my way, our futures will intertwine and he will never feel pain again.
His cock is already hard and springs from his pants, dancing with delight at the promise of fun. My hair sweeps his leg as I slip my lips over the large head and moan as he slides right to the back of my throat.
“Fuck, Ana.” He groans as I move slowly, carefully taking my time, dragging out the sensation as I pleasure him with my mouth.
I love tasting James. He tastes of possession and wicked delights. He is a man of many layers and the most complicated person I have ever met. Inside he has a good heart and has struggled with the hand life has dealt him, but through it all he’s stayed strong and focused, intent on building a solid future for him and his brother. I have never met a man like James Warner who is a complicated masterpiece, and I am fascinated by him.
His low groan lifts my heart as I bring him soft pleasure. He deserves to be loved, not used, and his past is something that defines him. I don’t see him as weak, not in the slightest. He is the strongest person I know because he dealt with his pain in his own way and got on with the job.
Good and bad are the two sides to his personality and I love both in equal measures.
The dark sexual side of him fascinates me and that is what I want to experience, but not now. He is too broken to face that particular monster today and so I glide my mouth over his cock softly, as if I’m worshipping at his feet, bringing him to me, banishing the painful memories and replacing them with new ones.
“Fuck, Ana, you are so good at this.”
His ragged breath is as tortured as his mind and I pull out, cupping his balls and rotating them slowly.
His low hiss is a serious turn on and I sit astride him and say huskily, “Look at me, James.”
His dark, turbulent eyes lock onto mine as I slide onto his rigid shaft, my teeth dragging in my lower lip as he enters my core. This time, I grip his face between my fingers and push down harder, my breasts dragging against his chest as I shift deeper .
“I promise you–” I say with a small moan, loving the sensation of him inside me as I stare deep into his eyes, claiming every part of him as I show him how much I care. “I promise I’ll be back for you.”
He reaches up and cups my face and pulls me gently toward him, his cock swelling inside me as he kisses me with purpose, sealing the deal and leaving me in no doubt of how good we are together.
His fingers tangle in my hair as he thrusts harder, filling me completely, touching every nerve and drenching me in delicious ruin.
With a dark whisper, he suggests, “When you return, we need to find a way to make goodbyes disappear forever.”
My heart is full as he makes his declaration because for the first time in my life, I am important to someone other than by blood. James chooses me and I choose him from all the millions of people in the world. We have found one another and we may be fucked up in many ways, but somehow broken souls can find beauty existing beneath the cracks.