My words cut through the haze of her sleep, and she stirred before opening her eyes. Pasha noticed and set her down, and she hugged him, whispering something in his ear. Though his expression was wary, he nodded. He wasn’t sure what to do. I could see it in his eyes. But in the end, she pulled away and turned to go, leaving him no choice.
I moved after her, pulled by something I couldn’t name, let alone fight. A few quick strides closed the distance. Before she could take another step, I had her in my arms. She yelped, startled, body shifting awkwardly against mine as I adjusted my hold. Her frame pressed to my chest, light as ever. It hit me all at once how fragile she was.
“Put me down,” she murmured, but I gripped her harder. “Seriously, I can walk.”
Ignoring her little protests, I continued down the hall toward her room. Each step closer only made me feel more unhinged. What the fuck was the plan once I got her there? The feel of her warm body in my arms was torture.
She stopped struggling, understanding the futility, but clenched her jaw. We reached her room, and I pushed the door open with my foot and then kicked it closed.
Chapter 25
Ivan
Lost All Control
This was insanity. Bloodrushed through my ears as I carried her over to the bed, then set her down on the floor. But my arms locked around her, keeping her in place. My chest was bare, and she struggled not to touch me.
“Ivan, please,” she whispered, her voice full of sorrow.
“It’s my night, isn’t it?” I replied as I ran my fingertips down her arms.
She remained silent, though her breathing picked up. I could tell this was torture for her as well.Leave her and do what you intended. Walk away now. My mind raced with each second that passed between us.
“Earlier when I kissed you, you made those tiny noises you always make. It reminded me of so many times before. How they always start out so quiet and then grow into desperate, loud moans as you cry out for me,” I murmured in her ear.
At my words, she shivered in my arms, and I pressed against her. The warmth of her body warned me I was playing a losing game.
“I wonder how long it will be before you’re dripping for me?” I teased, unable to contain myself.
Her lashes fluttered shut, a shiver rippling through her. For a fleeting second, something dark and selfish in me reveled in it. In how her body still reacted to mine, even now. My hand shifted from her arm, sliding beneath the hem of her dress to trace the soft underside of her breasts.
A sharp inhale gave her away, breath hitching as she fought the sound trying to escape. My mouth trailed from her ear to her throat, where I lingered—my tongue and teeth working over the delicate skin before I sucked hard, leaving the first of many marks I planned to give.
“How bad do you want to touch me right now?” I asked, seeing her flex her fingers against her legs.
“Please, you’re tormenting me, Blade.”
“Not yet, I’m not. Give me another minute, though, and I’ll see what I can do,” I murmured against her neck. Slipping my hand down her body, I spoke again. “You like that, don’t you? My rough, calloused fingertips sliding over your silky-soft skin. Are those goose bumps?” I moved across her stomach, feeling it flinch under my touch.
Changing course, I inched my hand toward her nipples. “What about if I do this? Would you like me to touch these?” I caressed the tight, hard buds through her bra. The way her lips parted, and the quiet moan that finally escaped her lips, was beautiful.
“Like that. Such a sweet fucking sound,” I whispered in her ear.
My lips moved to hers, and I kissed her once more. It was all-consuming, leaving both of us completely breathless. I pinched her nipples through the fabric, wanting to exert my control but secretly feeling like she owned me.
“Use your safeword,” I said, my voice sounding almost painful. I released my hold on her nipples and moved to grab her hips, pulling her against me.
“Ivan, please,” she whimpered. “I can’t take it.”
Hearing her desperation had me reeling and feeling lost all over again, stuck in some kind of tortured haze. I pushed the dress up as I kissed her deeper. My hands grabbed her ass cheeks and cupped them lovingly.
Squeezing them, I kneaded the soft flesh of her ass as one of my hands moved under the fabric of her panties. There was a haunted look about her, as if she were at war with herself.
Love, desire, confusion, hurt, and even anger reflected in her gaze. With a shake of my head, I tightened my hold on her ass Soft kisses landed on her thighs, each one a contradiction I couldn’t untangle.
Being this close to her pussy, I couldn’t help but search for her throbbing clit through the thin lace covering it. A groan slipped from her lips as her knees buckled, and her hands flew to my shoulders to steady herself. The sudden touch snapped my gaze upward, freezing me in place.
“Tell me to stop,” I whispered, the words torn from a part of me that didn’t know what the hell I was doing anymore.
