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“No,” he says, seeming to call upon an endless well of patience in order to deal with my crazy once again. Sighing heavily, he combs the dark hair from his eyes and turns to face me.
I stop, facing him as I cross my arms defensively. “Then, what? You’re not really sure how to let me down easy, but the sex was bad?”
“No! God, if anything, last night just made me want you more,” he growls like that’s the worst thing in the world.
Still, his admission makes my heart skip a beat. He does want me. But then, why does he keep pushing me away? I thought we were finally getting somewhere.
“But I can’t be with you, Alina. I shouldn’t have slept with you in the first place.”
“Why?” I demand, my frustration rising as we come back around to the same conversation despite everything that happened between us.
“Because Viktor made it clear that he and your father would kill me if I tried anything with you!” he snaps. “And whether you realize it or not, Alina, I know your family’s reputation well enough to understand that’s not an idle threat.”
My stomach drops at his statement. I can’t imagine my father or brother would take it to that extreme, but I can’t blame Mishka for his concern. I do know what people say about my family. And my father can be dangerous.
Still, I hate it that I finally like a guy, and Viktor has already preemptively warned him away. It breaks my heart because neither Mishka nor I seem to get any say in the matter—even though he sounds sincere when he says he wants me.
“This is so unfair!” I burst out, throwing my hands in the air as I turn away from Mishka to hide the sudden tears that threaten to fall. “I finally really like a guy, but my family will chase him off all the same. It doesn’t matter that my brother likes you enough to get you a job working for my father. I’m untouchable because I have a responsibility to marry someone who will better the family name.”
Scoffing, I turn back to face Mishka, my face twisting as I fight the urge to cry. The defense he put up to keep me out vanishes in the wake of my outburst.
“I might as well be a piece of furniture for all the freedom I get in choosing whom I belong to. It’s like I’m nothing more than property! My father always told me that who I married would be my decision so long as the family approves of him, but how is this a choice when my brother’s already said no without even giving us a chance?” My voice breaks, and I release an exasperated huff as my shoulders slump.
Mishka’s there in an instant. But rather than offering a stabilizing hand to keep me from falling, he pulls me close, his palms cradling my face as he peers deep into my eyes. “You are no one’s property,” he assures me vehemently, his voice soft and low yet infused with passion.
Sniffling, I meet his mesmerizing gaze, wishing more than anything that he would just say screw my family and decide to be with me. My chest aches with the need to hear those words. I grasp Mishka’s wrists, willing him not to let go of me.
His blue eyes shift between mine, reading something in their depths as he debates internally. Tension crackles between us as a flicker of hope ignites in my chest despite my best effort to subdue it. Then Mishka leans in to press a soft kiss to my lips.
Heart fluttering, I close my eyes, reveling in the way he brings my body to life in an instant. I scarcely dare to breathe for fear that he’ll snap back out of it and pull away from me. But he doesn’t, and when I lean into him, he wraps me in his arms.
I melt against his chest, consumed by the heat of our kiss.
All the cold indifference I felt in him moments before evaporates in the wake of our passionate embrace. With one arm twining around my waist, Mishka cradles the back of my head with his other palm, holding me close.
Parting my lips with his own, he strokes his tongue between my teeth. Our tongues dance together, awakening my desire as excitement radiates through my core. The passion in his kiss tells me the truth behind his words.
He does still want me.
He wants me with a desperation that steals my breath away.
And it fills me with a temporary madness, an unapologetic sexual need that utterly consumes me.
Grasping the lapels of his jacket, I shove the suit back over his shoulders and let it fall to the forest floor. His hands are just as eager to undress me this time. They explore my body, caressing every inch of me until he finds the zipper tab between my shoulder blades.
As I go to work on his shirt buttons, he drags my zipper down with a tantalizing snick. Then he turns me until my back finds the rough bark of a tree. He pins me there with his hips, letting me feel how hard he is from kissing me.
“God, you’re irresistible,” he growls against my lips, the deep, rumbling words vibrating against my chest.
“Then stop resisting,” I breathe, shoving his shirt over his shoulders and down his arms as well.
His fingers find the straps of my dress, and he guides them off my shoulders, stripping me in an instant as he drags the soft blue velvet down my body. I stand before him in nothing but lacy black lingerie and nude heels. My skin is feverish as his eyes rake down my exposed flesh. When he meets my gaze, I can feel the heat of his attraction.
“Christ, Alina,” he rasps, his voice dripping with desire.
Pressing his body to mine, he traps me against the tree with his arms as his lips consume me. I tip my head, granting him better access to my neck. At the same time, I trace down the hard lines of his chest and abs until my fingers find his belt. I make quick work of it and the button beneath, releasing his zipper a moment later so I can shove his pants and boxers down.
His cock springs free, hard and eager to be inside me.
