Chapter Thirty-five
Alessia
Rodion’s voice stirred me awake. It wasn’t loud, but something in its tone cut through my sleep.
My hand reached for the space beside me, but it was empty. He had fallen asleep holding me, now, only the sheets remembered him. I pushed myself up, the mattress dipping beneath me as the remnants of sleep slid off like mist.
He sat in the armchair across the room, bare-chested, the glow from his laptop casting pale light over his face. A half-empty glass rested beside him. His voice was low, as he discussed shipments and numbers laced in language I couldn’t decode. His tone was different now.
Anger had hardened into authority. The man I saw breaking last night had vanished. In his place sat the Rodion I knew. His gaze lifted from the laptop and settled on me, lingering long enough to pull a small smile from my lips. He ended the call and set the phone down beside the glass.
I drew the blanket closer, the fabric suddenly too thin against the morning chill.
“Did you even sleep at all?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
Rodion shut the laptop and rose. My pulse quickened as he approached. He reached the bed, grabbed the duvet, and yanked it from me in one motion. Cold air rushed in, brushing over my skin until goosebumps chased along my arms and thighs. His hands slid beneath my legs and dragged me to the edge.
My toes met the cold floor, and I let out a quiet, startled laugh. I was in just a t-shirt and panties, aware of every inch of exposed skin.
He braced his arms on either side of my hips, caging me. “We’re moving back to the territory,” he said. His warm breath skimmed across my skin, stirring more than just air. “I will be busy, so you’ll be safe there.”
“Okay,” I murmured, my nails curling into the mattress.
His gaze dipped to my thighs, and when it returned, darkness flickered behind his eyes. He guided my legs apart, slow but with intent and my breath hitched. His palm followed the line of my skin, firm and unhurried, fingers gliding upward until they reached the inside of my thighs.
“Did you really kill Renat?” I whispered.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he hovered above me, and I leaned back, elbows catching my weight before I sank fully.
The look in his eyes held me in place. My breath hitched as he loomed over me.
His lips brushed the corner of mine. He reached behind me, grabbed a pillow, and tucked it beneath my head.
“I keep promises,” he said.
Sliding his hands down, he parted my thighs and settled between them. Our foreheads met, breath mingling in the space between. I lifted my chin, angling toward his mouth, but he didn’t meet me there.
“I was thinking…”
My voice caught as the sound of his zipper filled the quiet, followed by the soft scrape of fabric sliding down. My gaze dropped, drawn to the way his fingers moved, before I forced myself to look back up.
“I know you’ll be… busy with everything,” I murmured, but the rest stuck in my throat the moment he pressed against me, his cock nudging the damp fabric between my legs.
My legs parted on instinct, hips tilting toward him, chasing the pressure like it had always belonged to him.
“Stay still,” he said.
“Yes,” I whispered, biting down on my lip as heat curled low in my stomach. I braced myself, body thrumming with readiness, but he didn’t move. He only watched. My breath quickened. I glanced down, then back at him.
“Relax,” he murmured. I reached for his shoulder, grounding myself. “What were you saying?”
All my thoughts scattered. “What can I do… when, hm, God.”
My words broke as he pressed just enough to catch at my entrance. He teased, dragging warmth over every nerve.
“I don’t want to go back there and do nothing. So I will apply for jobs,” I said, the words slipping out between shaky breaths. “Rodion, please. Just—”
The moment I begged, he thrust deep inside. I gasped, my lips brushing the stubble along his jaw, and my body arched. He drew back enough, then drove forward again. Each stroke reached deeper, pulling moans from my throat no matter how I tried to silence them.
On the third thrust, I shattered. My legs trembled, toes curling as release surged through me. He chuckled and lifted himself upright, spreading my thighs further with both hands. I barely had time to breathe before I saw something darker flicker in his eyes.
His eyes locked on mine, stripping me of any softness. He pressed his fingers into my thighs with bruising force. This wasn’t the man who teased. This was the one who aimed a gun at his brother.
My head fell back. I bit down on the sound clawing up my throat, eyes shut, even as dread licked up my spine. The deeper he drove into me, the more I came undone. He filled me beyond comfort, until I shook again, clenching around him.
But he didn’t stop. His grip on my thighs tightened. He pressed his thumb against my clit, circling with cruel precision until I broke again. I screamed his name, the sound tangled between pain and pleasure.
The only thing keeping me grounded was the look in his eyes. It was wild and sure, like he had claimed something that was never meant to be shared. Rodion leaned into me, his weight settling as his breath came in slow, ragged waves.
Warmth slid down my thigh as he released. My head spun. I swallowed, trying to find my breath, to push back the sting behind my eyes. I felt full, stretched past comfort, too much, too fast, and yet still wanted more.
His mouth trailed up my jawline, following the curve of my jaw, his lips soft now, brushing up to my chin and lingering at the corner of my mouth.
“Can I use the washroom?” I asked, surprised my voice still worked.
I tried to stand, but his arms locked around me. My legs still trembled, not just from what he had done to me, but from how it left me.
My voice shook again. “I’ll be quick, Rodion.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Look at me.”
My eyes lifted before I could think. I blinked, trying to hold myself steady, reminding myself that I had wanted this. I had begged for it. He only went fast, rough, swept up in the moment. But it was still him.
We stayed like that, suspended in breath and nearness. The storm in my head calmed beneath his gaze. The knot in my chest loosened. His eyes had lost their wild edge, now filled with softness, almost reverent, as if he was seeing more than just me.
“You should’ve paused,” I said.
He didn’t flinch. “You didn’t say so.”
“I called your name.”
Rodion chuckled, leaning in. He kissed the tip of my nose, then the corner of my eye with a gentleness that twisted something deep inside me.
“That’s not how it works,” he murmured. “I told you. Say stop, and I will listen. Push me and I’ll stop.”
His gaze lingered, unapologetic. He meant every word.
My arms slipped around his neck, drawing him closer. “So, saying your name doesn’t count?”
“Say my name, and I’ll ruin you, Little Gem.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Next time, don’t forget that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just let me kiss you.”
Tipping my chin up, I pressed my mouth to his. He tried to deepen the kiss, but I pulled back, giving him a taste of the same restraint he used on me earlier.
“Oh, right. I forgot you weren’t taking kisses today.”
I pressed my hands to his chest to shove him, but he caught me off guard, crashing his mouth onto mine and stealing the breath I had just reclaimed.
I chuckled, wrapping my arms around him as I kissed him back with the same hunger.
He stood, lifting me with him. My thighs locked tight around his waist as he moved towards the bathroom.
As we passed through the territory’s main gates, workers slipped out of sight.
They disappeared, leaving no chance to read their faces.
Along the driveway, the guards straightened their posture.
I felt the tension in the air, judging from the stiff set of their shoulders and the silence that followed us.
We stepped into the mansion, where polished floors reflected the chandelier’s golden light. Rodion stopped just before the grand corridor. “I’ll be busy today,” he said, more like a dismissal than information.
Before I could respond, I spotted Clara darting toward the south wing, a mop bucket clutched in one hand. She moved in a rush as if she were late for something important or running from it.
I looked up at Rodion. He narrowed his eyes as though he were trying to solve a puzzle only he could see.
I offered him a smile, masking the flutter in my chest, and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll be around.” I tried to sound casual, but nothing about this house ever was.
I used to walk through the halls in a maid’s uniform, eyes downcast, trying to disappear.
Now I returned beside the boss. The shift was clear, ripples spreading through the walls.
I had heard whispers about Matvet’s injury, but no one detailed how severe it was. Curiosity tugged at me, so I went down the west hallway. Here, the usual scent of cigar smoke and spiced cologne gave way to the sterile tang of antiseptic.
Outside the clinic door, Doctor Dorothy stood busy peeling off her gloves. “Alessia.” Her brows lifted. “I didn’t know you were back.”
“We just arrived,” I said, glancing past her toward the half-open door.
Her eyes flicked behind me. “And the boss?”
“He is also back.”
She nodded once. “Here to see Matvet?”
“Yes. Is he here?”
“He is.” She pushed the door open. “He could use a chat. But don’t stay long. He needs rest.”
“Thanks, Dorothy.”
I stepped inside and froze. Matvet looked worse than I imagined he would.
A thick bandage wrapped around his head, stained dark along one edge.
One leg rested on a pillow, swathed in gauze from knee to ankle.
Bruises spilled across his collarbone, and fresh scratches trailed along his arm.
His eyes stayed shut until the soft thud of the door behind me made them flutter open.
He turned his head to me and offered a tired, fleeting smile.