5. Maggie
MAGGIE
The taste of him is unmistakable. Whiskey, exhaustion, and all the tension we've both been carrying around since the kidnapping.
His hand slides into my hair, fingers threading through the loose strands as he tips my head back and deepens the kiss.
I don't fight it. Lord knows I don't want to.
A low sound leaves him, rough and full of relief, and it rolls straight through me.
My heart stumbles against my ribs while heat spreads low in my stomach, chasing away some of the fear that's been living there.
The argument about the shelter, the danger, and the man who saw my face fades into the background until none of it matters for a little while.
It all gets swallowed by this moment. I grab hold of his shoulders and pull myself closer, needing him more than I need my next breath.
It feels like the world keeps finding new ways to come apart, and right now, he's the only thing that makes any of it feel manageable.
Alexei kisses me like he needs this as much as I do. My fingers bunch in the fabric of his shirt while my pulse races. Every worry that has been chasing me slips a little farther away with each kiss, leaving nothing but the warmth of his arms around me.
We're off the small sofa before I fully realize we're moving. Alexei never breaks the kiss as he rises, pulling me with him until I'm standing between his knees. My fingers remain tangled in his shirt while his hands stay at my waist, holding me close.
Neither of us says a word. Another kiss steals the breath from my lungs, and then another. My heart pounds so hard I'm certain he can hear it. When he guides me toward the hallway, I go willingly, unable to make myself care about anything beyond the feel of him.
The cool air brushes against my skin as we move toward his bedroom, but every place he touches burns with desire. I stay close to him, and by the time we reach the doorway neither of us seems ready to let the other go.
He eases the door closed behind us, and the click of the latch seems unusually loud in the room, making my breath stumble. The bedroom is dim, lit only by the faint glow spilling in from the hallway, but I don't need the light. I've spent enough time here to know exactly where I am.
The scent of him lingers everywhere, familiar enough that it works its way beneath my skin. Before I can gather a coherent thought, his hand finds my waist, and he turns me toward him. My back comes to rest against the wall beside the door.
“Alexei,” I gasp against his mouth, but it isn't a protest. If anything, it sounds more like a plea.
He answers with another kiss that steals whatever thought I was trying to hold onto.
One hand traces down my arm before guiding it above my head.
Then the other joins it. His fingers find the hem of my sweatshirt and tug it upward.
The fabric slides over my head and lands somewhere on the floor, leaving me standing there in my bra.
The look in his eyes makes my pulse pound.
A rough breath leaves him, then his mouth finds mine once more, slower this time, like he's trying to memorize me. One of his hands slides to my waist while the other cups the side of my face. I lean into him without thinking.
When his lips leave mine, they don't go far. He brushes a kiss along my jaw before lowering his head to my neck. A shiver races through me. I close my eyes and tilt my head, giving him more access.
The room feels far away. Everything fades except for Alexei and the feel of him. I rest my forehead against his temple and hold on to him. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer, and the simple strength of his embrace untangles the knot in my chest.
Right now, I don't need answers. I don't need promises. I need Alexei.
His mouth traces a path along my collarbone as his hands make quick work of freeing me from my bra.
The air hits my bare breasts, raising gooseflesh, but his hands are already there, warm and calloused.
He cups the weight of them, his thumbs dragging over my nipples until they peak into aching, hard points.
I arch into the touch, a broken moan tearing from my throat, my head falling back against the wall.
He drops down in front of me so fast it steals my breath.
His hands find the waistband of my jeans, and before I can gather a coherent thought, they're pooled around my ankles.
I step free of them, my heart hammering harder with each breath.
The way he's looking at me leaves me feeling exposed, and it has nothing to do with missing clothes.
My back finds the wall behind me, and I cling to him like he's the only steady thing left in the world. When his lips brush my stomach, a shiver works its way through me, every nerve suddenly awake.
“Yes, Alexei,” I breathe, my fingers slipping into his hair as I hold on to him. The words come out low, full of relief and need and feelings I don't know how to untangle.
He doesn't tease. There’s no slow build-up or gentle exploration.
He latches onto my pussy with a desperate hunger, his tongue flattening against my clit and dragging upward with firm, wet pressure.
The sensation is electric, shooting through my nervous system like a lightning strike.
He eats me like he’s starving, his tongue delving into my hole, fucking while tasting every inch of me.
The room feels impossibly still around us, making every reaction impossible to hide.
He sucks my clit into his mouth, his teeth grazing the sensitive bundle of nerves, and I see stars.
My hips buck against his face, seeking more friction, more pressure.
He growls against my flesh, the vibration adding another layer of intensity that makes my thighs tremble.
“God, yes, just like that,” I pant, my voice breathless and ragged. “Don't stop.”
He adjusts his grip, his hands holding my ass cheeks, pulling me harder onto his mouth, burying his face in my pussy.
He alternates between thrusting his tongue inside my hole and flicking it rapidly over my clit, pushing me higher and higher.
Everything about this feeds the need already burning inside me.
I can feel my wetness dripping down my thighs.
The pressure builds, coiling low and tight in my stomach. My breath comes in short, sharp gasps. The world narrows down to the sensation of his mouth, the heat of his breath, and the relentless rhythm of his tongue against my swollen flesh.
“I'm gonna come,” I warn him.
He doubles his efforts, sucking hard on my clit while he slides a thick finger between my folds, angling it to find that spot inside me that makes me see white. He adds another finger without releasing my clit. The dual stimulation is too much. The coil snaps.
My orgasm rips through me, violent and overwhelming.
I cry out, my body convulsing, my pussy clenching around his fingers as wave after wave rolls through me until I can barely think.
I grind against his face, riding out the sensation, my vision blurring at the edges.
He doesn't stop, lapping up my juices, prolonging the ecstasy until I’m a boneless, panting mess against the wall.
Slowly, the tremors subside. He lowers my leg gently, letting me find my footing, and presses a soft kiss to the inside of my thigh before rising to his feet. His chin glistens in the low light.
He reaches for the hem of his shirt and pulls it over his head.
My breath catches as familiar scars come into view, each one a reminder of everything he's survived.
My hand finds his chest before I can stop myself.
I trace one of the scars lightly, my heart twisting at the thought of how close I came to losing him before I ever knew him.
His hand starts toward his belt when an aggressive buzz shatters the moment. The sound cuts through the room, and Alexei goes still. His cell phone vibrates inside his pocket. Neither of us moves. The buzzing finally stops, and for one hopeful heartbeat, I think whoever it is has given up.
Then it starts again.
A look of irritation crosses his face. He ignores it. The phone continues vibrating anyway, demanding attention neither of us wants to give it. Once. Twice. Three times. The interruption feels almost deliberate.
“Ignore it,” I whisper.
His mouth twitches, but the phone refuses to quit. With a muttered curse in Russian, he reaches into his pocket and pulls it free. One look at the screen changes something in his expression.
Alexei exhales sharply through his nose before answering. “What?”
From where I'm standing, I can hear Luka's voice through the speaker.
“Exterior patrol flagged a black sedan near the front gate.”
Alexei's entire body goes rigid, and the sudden change sends a knot straight into my stomach. Whatever Luka says next, I already know it won't be good.
“What kind of sedan?” Alexei asks.
“Black. Tinted windows. Parked on the road outside the property for approximately eighteen minutes before leaving.”
Alexei is already moving before Luka finishes speaking. “Dress. Now.”
The command snaps through the room, pulling me completely out of the haze I'd been floating in moments ago. I grab my sweatshirt from the floor while Alexei ends the call and reaches for his shirt.
“What happened?”
“We had a vehicle watching the property.”
My hands freeze halfway through buttoning my jeans. “Watching the mansion?”
Alexei drags his shirt over his head. “Dress, Maggie.”
Fear starts inching its way through me. Three minutes ago, the rest of the world felt far away. Now reality comes rushing back all at once. I finish buttoning my jeans while Alexei fastens his belt and heads for the door.
“Stay here,” he orders.
I stare at him. “Excuse me?”
“Stay in the bedroom.”
The look he gives me makes it clear he expects obedience.
Bless his heart.
“No.”
His jaw works. “Maggie.”