24. Misha
MISHA
I kissed her back before I had a chance to think about anything else. Peyton did that to me.
She dismantled me, dismantled the space between impulse and decision, eliminating my ability to control myself.
Although, that wasn’t entirely fair. It wasn’t her fault. This was my choice, and I would not lay blame at her feet.
All she had to do was put her hand over mine and all my good intentions took flight.
I cradled her face between my hands and kissed her slow and deep. She made a soft sound against my mouth and leaned in. I reached down and cranked my seat back.
Peyton pulled away just far enough to look at me.
Blown out pupils and lips slightly parted, she hesitated a split second, just long enough to look over her shoulder.
There was nothing to say that look didn’t cover. She’d have to come to her own decision about this moment.
I stretched in the surprisingly comfortable seat and waited. “What will it be, Peyton?”
She put a hand in the center of my chest.
That was all the encouragement I needed to wrap my hands around her waist and lift her across the console.
She came over without hesitation, her knees settling on either side of my thighs, her hands braced on my shoulders. “Misha.” It came out low and unsteady.
“I know.” I pulled her down and kissed her again, deeper this time.
Her fingers curled into my jacket, flexed, then roamed over my neck and down the center of my chest. Her body shifted, her thighs pressing hard against mine.
My heart jackhammered, the uneven pulse rising and filling my body with heat that had nothing to do with the attraction and need between us and everything to do with the fact I was falling in love with her.
She kissed my jaw, and I tipped my head back the way she did sometimes, letting her kiss a line over my neck while I worked my hands beneath her dress.
I met bare skin, and my cock twitched. “Peyton. You’re not wearing any underwear.”
“I’m not?” She wiggled her ass. “I knew I’d forgotten something.”
“You little devil.” I chuckled and lifted my head up enough to kiss her. Her breasts pressed into my chest, her body soft and warm along mine.
I could bury myself inside her right now. We’d both enjoy it, but I needed more from her. Even though I couldn’t explain exactly what that might be. I’d given up on having anything soft and good in my life.
Peyton’s goodness had slipped into the cracks of my life and filled in gaps I hadn’t realized were eating me alive.
I’d been trying not to love her. I’d tried so damned hard to keep my emotions out of everything.
Peyton made that impossible. In my world, unguarded was a liability. Emotions got you killed.
Emotions on Peyton looked like courage.
Every day had been a controlled exercise in walking the fine line between acknowledging my feelings and not letting them get the better of me.
I palmed her ass and lifted my hips, letting her feel how much I wanted her. That was easy.
Trusting her was easy. She deserved to know why we were keeping her close.
But Leo was my Pakhan. Before anything else, before my own feelings, Leo came first.
Leo was the thing that held us all together. I would not break that.
Not even for her.
So I did what I was good at. I shut down my emotions and focused on the moment. Peyton unbuttoned my shirt, kissing the exposed skin.
I tightened my grip on her hips, lifting her up and sliding her down the front of my pants. Exquisite pressure built, and it took less than a minute to undo my pants and free my cock.
She groaned against the side of my neck when I pressed into her. “My car is not built for this.”
“Doesn’t have to be.” I stopped thinking and concentrated on her.
Everything about her. From the way her breaths came out in tiny pants when I pumped into her to the way her eyes locked on mine when she raised her head.
She’d always been easy to read. I banded my arm around her waist and lifted her knees higher, settling her hard over my erection.
She let out a low moan. “Car sex. Never thought it would be this much fun.”
“Oh, my sweet, innocent Peyton. It isn’t about the place, it’s about who it’s with.” I nipped the side of her neck and freed a breast, desperate to taste more of her skin.
She’d spent the night in our house, showered under our roof.
She’d done that before, but she’d also come home with us tonight. She would be there, maybe for weeks.
Forever, if I had any say in the matter. Our grunts and groans took over the space, our bodies moving together slowly at first then faster. Time and space were against us in the search for pleasure.
Peyton kissed me again, her laugh dissolving into groans.
The orgasm hit us at the same time, Peyton tightening around me and my head falling back against the headrest as my hips jerked up of their own accord.
I cradled her head against my chest, our breaths mingling in the same short, sharp bursts. “Can’t say that was my best performance.”
“I enjoyed it.” Peyton giggled and traced circles on my chest. “Awkward but fun.”
“More fun to come.” I kissed her neck. “Tonight, if you’re willing.”
She pulled her chin toward her shoulder, her giggles rising.
I worried my chin back and forth over the soft skin. “How am I meant to work knowing this is all it takes to make you laugh?”
My own laugh pushed out, the sound rusty and coarse.
Peyton pinched my ribs, her laugh rising when I scratched my chin over her collarbone.
“I like your laugh, Misha. I don’t know what’s happened in your life to make you so serious, but I love hearing you laugh.
It might be one of my favorite sounds in the world.
” She stilled, her body going limp against mine.
“I would happily spend my days making you laugh.” I stretched my legs and palmed the back of her head, brushing her hair back so I could look at her face. I stroked the length of her spine over and over, my heartbeat slowing and a sense of comfort washing over me.
We sat that way for several minutes before she swung around and straightened her dress. “We should go inside.”
I stared at the concrete wall six feet in front of the car and tried to think of an excuse to keep her here.
I had nothing she would believe, but my desperation to keep this softness in my life a little longer prompted me to tighten my hold on her waist.
I’d spent years telling myself emotions were better off buried.
I was wrong.
“Did you really mean that about not being late to work?” Peyton checked her phone. “Because we’re really late to work. Will that be a problem?”
“No. Viktor and Leo have not called to ask where we are. We have not been missed.” I continued to rub her back. “But if you are ready, we’ll go in.”
Her mussed hair brushed my chin, her lips swollen from our kisses. “Almost ready.”
She buttoned my shirt and fixed my collar, smoothing it flat with both hands, then patting it when she finished.
“Feel better?” I let my laugh roll out and patted her butt.
“Much.” Her pert tone matched the way she lifted her chin with a sarcastic little tilt. “Let’s go.” She slid over and grabbed her bag while I opened my door and rounded the hood to open her door for her.
I held out my hand without thinking, a nervous flutter working up my arm when she took it.
We’d crossed a line today.
One I never thought would be a problem, and it had nothing to do with sex in the car.