Chapter 11 #2
The shudder was visible, my entire body on fire from the simple touch. I didn’t move my hand at first, the hesitation giving him permission to brush the tip of his index finger back and forth across my knuckle.
For someone I’d been so determined to keep at arm’s length, I could barely breathe from being this close.
He was slightly disheveled, although his short, cropped hair still allowed a predatory appearance. There was no mistaking what was running through his mind, which shouldn’t surprise me since that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Pure sin.
I should no longer be thrown by how much his presence affected me, but the full minute of quiet was something that left me aching from the kind of desire I wasn’t used to experiencing.
So I could catch my breath, I backed away, even turning away from him.
“You’re good with animals. How about people?” he asked. His voice was deeper than before, even when talking with Mr. Hoffman. Yet this time, the tone was dripping with lust instead of anger.
“I prefer animals.” I rolled my fingers across Bella’s muzzle and without looking back, headed to his deck. It was also larger and a bit more luxurious than mine, but the view was just as spectacular.
I wasn’t certain what to expect from Vissarian, but the silence was killing me.
I stood at the railing, staring out at the ocean as the sunlight slowly began dipping, leaving a gold halo of light shimmering across the water.
As I sipped my drink, I realized that even with the harrowing rescue, I hadn’t enjoyed myself this much in a very long time.
Maybe because mentally, I’d been running from my past.
He finally crowded my space yet keeping some distance between us. When he leaned over the railing, I was allowed to take quick, almost satisfying glances at his long torso. He was entirely too handsome for his own good, wetness pooling between my legs.
I licked the rim of the glass before taking a sip. It had been a long time since I’d had straight vodka. I’d taken a glimpse at the label. Russian vodka.
“I should punish you for acting so rashly. The rocks were jagged. The tide was coming in. You certainly weren’t dressed for search and rescue.”
His words surprised me. His tone thrilled me. “I’m a big girl. I know what I’m doing.”
“You placed both of us in danger.”
Why was it that his presence was so overpowering? His eyes were more hooded than before, which gave him a dreamy look. “Yet here we are. Alive. Plus, we saved a little life. Together.”
He snorted. “Yes, and we could have died together. Being a good girl isn’t in your repertoire.”
Why, when he used the term ‘good girl,’ did my pussy begin to throb?
“I follow the ones that are necessary to keep others alive. I don’t care about myself,” I responded, blowing him a kiss. I don’t know why I made the comment other than I’d often felt so alone and without much to live for. The thought was more depressing at this moment.
“I was right,” he said as he nodded his head. “You need a hard spanking.”
For some reason, his words and the determination behind them made me laugh. But I changed the subject because they also turned me on. My nipples were aching and the warmth between my legs was ridiculous.
“Maybe one day you’ll tell me about living in Russia.
” I don’t know why I made the statement other than it seemed to be somewhat of an icebreaker.
After what we’d shared, from passion to an adrenaline rush, I was no longer certain what to say or if I should simply gather Bella and return to my cottage.
He took a gulp of his drink, holding the liquid in his mouth before swallowing. Even the look of his Adam’s apple was alluring. His muscles were perfectly sculpted and as I’d experienced before, I had a strong desire to run my fingers along every line and curve.
After swirling the drink in his glass, he turned his head very slowly. “Is that what you want to know? About Russia?”
Even in the shadowed light, I could see the twinkle in his eyes clearly.
“Not really. Although I do enjoy traveling.”
“Then what?” He shifted so he was looking at me directly, crossing his long legs at his ankles and somehow, my eyes fell to the thick bulge between his legs.
When I licked my lips, he chuckled, the sound resonating through every cell.
Why did he have such a profound effect on me?
“Tell me about the tattoos.”
He lifted his eyebrows, taking another swallow. “The rose is for my mother,” he said with reverence in his voice as he turned his arm over, fisting his hand so the red ink would be pronounced. “Her favorite flower.”
“That’s lovely.”
“The dagger is for the brotherhood of my family and my heritage.” He turned his arm over, even extending it so I could see the sharp details.
“As Bratva.”
“Yes. Something I am proud of.”
“You call it a brotherhood.”
“It is. We value family, honor, and respect more than anything.” He smirked slightly and flexed his hand. “This is my family’s crest.”
“What does it mean?”
“Honor among thieves.” When I laughed, he smiled and it was another simple act that could light up a room.
I don’t know what prompted me, but I inched closer, brushing the tips of my fingers down his neck. “What about these? Symbols?”
“Look more closely, Fallon, and free your mind.”
The heat between us was suffocating, but neither one of us attempted to move away from the other as I traced the lines as I’d been longing to do. Suddenly, I realized what I was looking at. “A dragon.”
His face lit up again as if he’d asked dozens of people the same question and they’d failed. “You are correct. A personal symbol.”
“For chaos, evil, or fertility?”
I was honored with a wider smile. “A little of all three.”
“The ink is gorgeous and the dragon and the meaning suit you.”
When I started to pull my hand away, he grabbed my wrist. While he was a little forceful, I wasn’t worried about what he would do. Never blinking, he pulled my fingers to his lips, rolling them across my knuckles.
Tingles floated throughout my stomach, slowly drifting down both legs. His look remained dark and almost ominous, yet I was more excited than I’d been in so long that the flutters of butterflies in my stomach were a welcome change.
He pressed kisses against my skin before peeling my finger from being curled with his lip, pulling my pinky into his mouth.
His explosively hot mouth.
I could tell my breath was skipping, the heart sounds thudding in my ears. How could this be even more intimate than a kiss? As his long eyelashes skimmed across his cheeks, I allowed myself to be mesmerized. The light breeze tickled my skin and the moment was just perfect.
If there could be such a thing with a man I should consider a dangerous stranger. Yet I felt safer around him than I had in a very long time.
He popped my pinky from his mouth, immediately moving to my index finger. With his eyes half closed, he pulled the long digit deep in his mouth. My legs started to shake as my entire body swayed.
I had no idea how much time had passed, but it seemed as if everything had gone still. No sounds of the ocean or of night creatures in the tropical trees. Just the two of us.
And Bella suddenly snoring.
I couldn’t help but smile, feeling embarrassed at doing so. If he was troubled by my reaction, he wasn’t showing it.
Hot and wet all over, I shifted from foot to foot. The damp clothes were suddenly clinging in the increasing heat. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to breathe.
Perhaps the man was psychic, but he removed my finger, grabbing both our glasses and placing them on the table with a hard thud.
Then I was suddenly in his arms, the man creating his version of a lifeline when he fisted my hair at the scalp and dragged me against his perfect body. Without asking, he simply claimed my lips as he’d done before.
Only this time, he was even more aggressive, immediately thrusting his tongue inside. The combination of vodka and the strawberry was incredible. I placed my hand on his chest, immediately rewarded with a low-slung growl that vibrated through every muscle.
The way he took control over me was far too enticing. I suddenly found myself on my toes, brushing the flat of my hand up and down his muscular chest. I would enjoy exploring his body for hours, but I had a feeling if I was allowed, that would come later.
He had other things in mind.
As the kiss turned into a passionate roar, I arched my back. Maybe I was doing nothing more than giving him permission and that was fine by me. I wanted nothing more than for him to ravage my body.
Vissarian slowly rolled the slender strap of my dress down my arm, taking the time to brush the rough pads of his fingers up and down, concentrating on my shoulder. His tongue dominated mine, the sweet dance as he consumed my mouth reeking of desperate need while the electricity burned brightly.
I was lost in the moment, not realizing that he’d exchanged one hand for the other, his fingers now wrapped around the back of my neck.
Did he honestly think I would try to get away?
Not a chance. The thought was nothing like what was typical of me, but why not?
I was a very long way from my new home or my past.
The moment of intimacy became even rougher. When he rolled the other strap down my arm, I shuddered the moment he tugged on the material.
Within seconds, he’d pulled my dress to the deck. Now I was standing in only a lacy thong and nothing else.
He rubbed his hand up and down my back, creating even more tingles that covered every inch of my body. I had no idea I could be so wet, but the scent of my desire floated between us, carried by the light breeze.
As he wrapped his hand around my long strands of hair, yanking back my head, I was finally able to moan. The scattered sound brought a laugh from his throat, the sound so deep I should call it evil.
I closed my eyes, planting both hands on his chest as he took his time dragging his tongue from one side of my jaw to the other.
Trembling, I forced the spell to be broken enough so I could tickle him with my nails before reaching for the belt buckle. Before I tried to unfasten it, I ran my fingers along the thick grain, the leather still damp.
He nipped my lower lip, pulling it into his mouth before gently pushing me away. He was even more dominating than before, wagging his finger back and forth slowly as he allowed his gaze to fall to my bare feet and back. “Tonight, you will do as I say.”
“Oh, yeah?”
His nostrils flared, his chest puffing up and I realized as if for the first time how tall he was. At least six foot four and all muscle. The man could have been a linebacker except he was even better looking. Yes, he’d be all the rage on the cover of romance novels.
“Oh, yes. Every. Single. Thing.”
“And if I don’t?”
He crowded my space, issuing a single crack against my behind. “Then you’ll receive more than just a spanking, which is exactly what you need. Now, be a good girl and take your medicine.”
With another smack of his palm, I shuddered to my core.
After the horror of dealing with Antonio, the rational side of me shouldn’t want anything to do with such a dominating man. Yet the bad girl, the one who’d been reading about and craving a take charge kind of man, I was thrilled.
And maybe, just maybe, I would end up pushing his buttons to see what would happen.