I feel it everywhere. The warmth of her wrapped around me, and the way her body arches into mine instead of away. The quiet sound that leaves her throat when I drag my mouth along hers again, slower this time, taking what she gives me and wanting more anyway.
My fingers tighten on her waist. It’s too much, and not enough. My hands slide down her body before I lift her against me, her legs wrapping around my waist as a quiet breath leaves her lips. I hold her there, pinned between me and the wall, and I just look at her.
Fuck. She’s beautiful.
Hair a mess from my hands, lips swollen from my mouth, eyes dark and fixed on me like she feels this as hard as I do.
I should’ve kept my distance from her the moment I walked into that shelter. Instead, I haven’t stopped wanting her since the first time I saw her standing there in those ripped jeans, looking at me like she wasn’t impressed by a damn thing.
I drag my mouth across hers one more time before I push away from the wall, keeping her against me as I carry her farther into the room. Her hands stay locked around my neck, her breath against my skin, and every few steps her lips find mine again like neither of us can stop what we’ve started. The room is dark except for the low light from the lamp near the bed, throwing a golden glow across the sheets and the pale stone wall behind us,but I barely notice any of it with her wrapped around me like this.
I lower her onto the mattress before she can put distance between us. Her hair spreads across the pillows, her cheeks flushed, and lips swollen from my mouth. Seeing her there does dangerous things to my head.
She looks up at me with fire in her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, I feel the dangerous pull of wanting more than one night.
7
MAGGIE
Sweet mercy, I barely know this man, but that doesn’t make any of this feel less reckless. The way he looks at me draws me in deeper with every second, as if I get too close, I’ll never break free. Heat rushes through me, stealing my breath, my whole body aching for him in a way that feels reckless and impossible to ignore. With his eyes on mine and my heart pounding, I realize this is the moment everything changes between us. Neither of us is turning back now.
Alexei looks down at me, and his ice-blue eyes darken with need strong enough to make my pulse stumble all over itself. I sink deeper into the mattress beneath that look, suddenly too aware of the thin fabric of my dress and how completely focused he is on me. His hands move to the buttons of his shirt, unfastening them one at a time without taking his eyes off me, and I swear my brain short-circuits a little more with every inch of skin he reveals. His strong shoulders lead down to a narrow waist, his body hard and defined. Scars and faint lines mark his skin, hints that his life has never been easy, and that only makes him harder to look away from.
When he finally slips his shirt off and lets it fall to the floor, I can barely remember my own name. A dark tattoo winds across his ribs, over his chest, and around his shoulder and arm, the black ink standing out against his skin. My eyes trace its path, and when I look up, the way he watches me sends another wave of heat through my body.
He slides his hands under my legs and pulls me closer across the mattress, then lifts me just enough to gather my dress in his hands. The fabric drags slowly up my thighs, his eyes never leaving mine. My pulse pounds everywhere. I bite my bottom lip and nod.
A low growl rumbles in his chest, so quiet I feel it more than hear it. Before I can catch my breath, he pulls me upright between his knees. My dress slides down my body and lands on the floor, leaving me in a black lace bra and panties.
Heat floods my face so quickly it almost hurts. I cross my arms over my chest before I can stop myself, feeling too exposed under his gaze.
“Well,” I mumble, trying to joke but failing, “this feels real humblin’ all of a sudden.”
He frowns a little, as if he doesn’t understand why I’m hiding. He gently takes my wrists and lowers my arms to my sides, then looks at me again, his eyes moving over me so slowly I forget to breathe.
“You’re beautiful,kotyónok,” he says quietly, like it’s the simplest truth in the world.
My chest pulls tight. “What does that mean?” I ask quietly.
He brushes his thumb gently along my hip.
“Kitten,” he says, his voice low and certain, like the name already belongs to me.
Then his fingers brush along the strap of my bra. “Take this off for me.”
My stomach flips. I pause, then reach behind my back with shaky fingers. The lace slips off my skin, then my panties, and suddenly there’s nothing left between us. The way Alexei looks at me makes my core throb. He’s completely focused, taking in every inch of me on purpose.
“Come here,” he murmurs, guiding me gently back against the mattress. His hand slides along my thigh, pushing it apart slowly while his eyes stay locked on mine. “That’s it.”
I gasp when his fingers slide between my folds, my whole body tightening at his touch. His eyes meet mine, his pupils blown wide.
“So wet for me already,” he murmurs against my skin before pressing slow kisses against my pussy, his mouth lingering there long enough to make my head fall back against the mattress.
He moves between my legs, gripping my thighs as he wraps his lips around my clit and strokes it with his tongue. My back arches at the touch, my fingers twisting in the sheets.
He slides his tongue between my folds, licking, sucking, and devouring, until I feel my core tighten. He alternates between sucking my clit and fucking me with his tongue, pulling me to the edge of an orgasm.
“Alexei…” I whisper, lifting my hips as much as his grip allows. My fingers tangle in his hair as I cry out, breaking apart around his mouth. Pleasure washes over me in waves.
