by Mia Carson
Chapter 15
Her feet ached, and all Evelyn wanted to do was soak in a hot bath with a book and some candles to ease her stress and pain. She’d gotten better at putting on a smile so Ajay would leave her alone, but his sideways glances told her it wasn’t good enough to convince him she was fine.
The icy wind bit at her face, but she had to walk from the diner. Her old car had finally bitten the dust and sat broken down in front of her house, waiting to be towed away. She stomped up her front walk, shaking from the cold. Her head lowered to keep out the wind, she didn’t notice the figure until it stood and blocked her door. She yelped and slipped on the ice. Two strong arms reached out and snagged her just in time, holding her close.
His scent hit her first, and she breathed him in, hating how quickly her body reacted to his. “Viktor? What are you doing here?” she asked and pushed herself out of his arms. “You can’t just show up.”
He frowned at her, and she noticed his scraggly beard and the bags under his eyes. “And why the hell not?”
She fumbled with her keys, trying to think of an answer that would make him go away though her heart called out for him to stay. “Because you just can’t. Please, go away,” she said and finally got her front door unlocked.
Viktor moved in between her and the door again, though, and gripped her shoulders. “Evelyn, please, I don’t know why you think this can’t work, but it can.”
“We already messed up,” she told him, trying hard not to look into his dark, stormy eyes filled with desire and a glimmer of what had grown between them so fast. “We weren’t supposed to have sex for the contract.”
“I don’t give a damn about the contract,” he told her fiercely. “Damn it, I just want you.”
She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding, and her keys fell to the front porch. “Viktor. I… I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Listen to me,” he said, bending down until they were eye level. “I tried to get over you, I tried. I even found other women to sign the contract, but I couldn’t do it. I see your face every time I close my eyes, dream about you being beside me… Except every time I wake, you’re not there, Evie. I need you there. I need you with me.”
Every word was fierce, and she staggered beneath the weight of them as all her fears bloomed to life before her eyes. “Viktor, I’m not… I’m not the right woman for you, not for the life you live.”
“Says who? I don’t give a shit about the perfect woman, Evelyn Turner. I want you in my life. You knocked down the walls I spent years building,” he whispered. “You think I can just let you go so easily? Can you really push me away?”
Words failed her, and she sagged, exhausted from the weeks of fighting to get over him and somehow stay on her feet as her life collapsed around her. Evelyn’s eyes burned with tears, but she wiped them away before they could fall. She should’ve pushed him away again, lied, said whatever she had to so he would understand this wasn’t going to work.
“I’m scared, Viktor,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I’ve never done this before, and I don’t want to be the reason those walls go back up.”
He smiled beneath his scraggly beard. “You think I’m not terrified to have my heart broken again?”
“But what if I do it? What if I screw this up and I ruin your life for good? You have a chance at a good life and finding someone who fits with you and can give you a child, and that’s never going to be me. I’m too different, too stubborn, and too—”
Viktor slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her, dragging her into his arms, and Evelyn was lost. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She embraced him, moving her lips against his in desperation to have him with her again. He picked her up, and she put her legs around his waist in disbelief. He fumbled behind him for the front door and staggered backwards inside and out of the cold. When he kicked the door closed and backed her up against it, she held his face in her hands, breathing heavily as she stared into the depths of his eyes.
“Viktor,” she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
He kissed away her tears sweetly. “Don’t cry, Evie, I’m here. We’re both here, and I’m not leaving you again,” he swore and captured her mouth again with his.
The room spun. She wanted nothing more than to feel his hot skin beneath her hands, have him deep inside her again so she could feel every bit of him and knock down whatever was left of his walls. He set her down, barely letting his lips leave hers for a second as he helped her out of her coat. She shoved at his, their desire to feel each other consuming them in a fiery wave of heat. She kicked out of her boots and worked at the buttons of his flannel shirt as quickly as she could until his chest was exposed. She pressed her palms flat against it. He grunted at her touch and held her face in his hands, kissing her hotly. His tongue dominated her mouth, and she let him take full control, turning them and taking a step towards the bedroom.
His eyes glanced once around her living room and he stopped. “Evelyn? What the hell happened in here?”
She glanced around sheepishly, her face burning. “I might have had a few issues,” she muttered, staring at the mess that was her house. There were clothes everywhere, and papers, and one of her polar bears was tattered and lying in pieces on the floor. The kitchen table and counter were completely buried beneath stacks of mail and food containers. When she realized what she’d done by pushing Viktor out of her life, nothing else had mattered except getting her butt to work every day and coming home and collapsing.
He chuckled, then burst out laughing and drew her into his arms. “My house looks the same,” he whispered. “Still think we’re not meant to be together?”
She laughed with him, and he picked her up again, kissing her as he carried her to the bedroom. He set her down gently on her feet and undid the buttons on her blouse slowly, one by one, his lips never leaving hers. When they were undone, he shoved it over her shoulders and ran his fingers along the straps of her tank top underneath. He pulled one side down until the strap fell against her arm, followed by the other, watching her chest as her breathing grew heavier. She pushed his shirt from his shoulders, massaging his arms until her hands reached his face. She tugged at his beard, hungry for his lips.
Viktor obliged her but only for a moment before his mouth moved to her neck, his tongue swirling patterns on her shoulder until she gripped him harder, dizzy from want. His hand slipped inside her bra and cupped her breast, and she sighed, pushing into his touch. She needed him and wondered why she had ever thought pushing him away was a good idea.
His hand massaged her before he cursed and pulled her tank over her head and quickly unclasped her bra, baring her to him. He groaned and bent lower, capturing a pert nipple in his mouth and sucking hard. She arched into him, fire consuming her until she could barely breathe.
“Viktor,” she gasped as he switched to her other breast, holding her up in his arms. “God, I missed you.”
He chuckled between her breasts, rubbing his beard against the soft flesh. “How much did you miss me?”
She stepped back from him, smiling slyly, and unbuttoned her slacks, loving how his gaze dropped to her hands and his jaw clenched. The zipper was next, and as she slid her pants down over her hips, revealing the black lacy panties beneath, he cursed and rushed to her, holding her against his body before he picked her up and laid her out on the bed.
His hands massaged her hips, and she squirmed beneath his touch, needing to feel him as she had their first night together. He tugged her panties off slowly, but before he moved forward, she sat up quickly and reached for his jeans. She wanted him naked and lying beside her so she could have him at her mercy just as he wanted her to be at his. She didn’t give him a chance to pull out of her grasp before she undid the button and zipper and shoved his jeans over his hips.
“Evie,” he groaned when she gripped his length hard. She reached for his hand and pulled him onto the bed with her, kneeling with him as his hand cupped the back of her head gently. His
brow furrowed as she reached up to hold his shoulders.
“Viktor? What’s wrong?” she asked, fear creeping in again.
After his next words, the fear disappeared completely. “I realized something,” he whispered, his eyes darkening. “I think I love you, Evelyn Turner.”
Evelyn smiled, incapable of forming the words to reply. She leaned forward and kissed him, pulling him into her arms as he held her as tightly. His hands reached for her braid, undoing it slowly and letting her hair fall freely down her back in waves of red and brown. His tongue danced with hers as his hands trailed down her back, running over each vertebra until she shivered with desire. He moved behind her, pulling her against his chest, and kissed her neck down to her shoulder as she melted into him.
How did she think she could live without this man to hold her? Kiss her? Viktor was meant to be with her, and she hated the stubbornness in both of them, causing them to miss so much time together.
One hand slithered down her front, and when his fingers smoothed along her folds, she moaned, crying for his touch to fill her as perfectly as he had before. Her whole body was on fire with her need to be with this man, and as the sun sank outside, bringing with it another snowstorm ready to bury the whole state, Evelyn was lost in her own storm, whispering that she and Victor would never be able to be apart again. Viktor had done something to her their first night and even before then. He reached deep inside her and touched a part of her no man had ever seen, and instead of running from her doubts and fears, instead of making her feel as though her past was something to be ashamed of, he embraced every bit of her and swore to love her anyway, chasing away the shadows as his hands caressed her body. With each pass of his hand, cupping all of her, he searched for the parts of her never brought into the light, his kisses moving to eradicate what she believed was unlovable.
“Evelyn,” he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck as his fingers delved inside her, stretching her. “God, I could never live without you, ever again.”
“I don’t want you to,” she replied hoarsely. Her back arched into him when he tugged hard on her clit. “Viktor, please.”
She felt his smile on her shoulder as he ran his beard over her skin. “Please what, Evie?” He teased her with his fingers, spreading her lips wider but not penetrating her. She moved against him, wanting him inside her, but he chuckled and she leaned back into his chest. “Evie.”
“You,” she whispered. “God, I want you, Viktor, please,” she said and gasped when his fingers drove inside of her as his thumb rubbed her clit.
As his other hand cupped her breast, massaging it as they moved together, her breathing ragged and heart pounding, he nipped her earlobe, sucking on it. “You’re mine, Evelyn,” he growled, and she let her head fall back. “You’ll always be mine.”
“And you?” she panted, cursing when the spring of desire in her tightened, desperate for release. “Will you always… always be mine? God, Viktor, don’t stop.”
He chuckled. “Always,” he said and moved faster against her.
Evelyn’s eyes rolled back into her head as the tremors shook her body, and she cried out his name, sagging against him as he drew every last bit of desire from her dripping lips. Though satisfied, she wanted more—so much more—from him and turned in his arms to have him. Her hands gripped him tightly, and he cursed, moving them quickly as she brought him closer and kissed him hard and fast, telling him exactly what she wanted. He groaned and sat back so she could straddle him. When his hard length rubbed against her wetness and throbbing clit, she gasped, shivering as another tendril of pleasure shot through her body. Their lips didn’t part until he took her hips and, as her hands fell away, thrust into her in one smooth motion, all the way to the hilt.
She hugged him close, her nails digging into his shoulders as she adjusted to him and held him deep inside her. When she opened her eyes, his silver ones were so close to meet them. In them, she saw more than just his desire for her. She saw the walls completely crumbling away and exposing his most vulnerable parts to her. As she moved against him, their gazes stayed locked, and she was unable to look away from the raw emotion pouring out of this man in her arms.
His arms tightened around her, and he laid her back on the bed, thrusting into her hard and deep, but he still didn’t break eye contact. Evelyn’s mouth fell open on a cry, and she lifted her hips as he moved faster. They claimed each other, and when he groaned his release as she moaned his name, clutching him to her, she knew she was done for. No getting out of this and no running away from her fears. She would have to face them head on and pray to God they both survived whatever came next.
Her entire body trembled when he pulled out and fell beside her on the bed, drawing her close against his side as they caught their breath together. She snuggled into his chest and sighed as his fingers ran up and down her back.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, resting his cheek on top of her head.
She smirked, letting her hand trail down his chest and abs and lower still until he chuckled and caught it. “What? You asked what I was thinking.”
He held her hand and brought it to his lips. “Evelyn, you know you don’t have to worry about fitting into my world,” he said quietly. “I only want you to be exactly who you are with me because that’s the woman who broke down my walls.”
She propped herself up on her elbow, seeing the truth in his eyes and the lines around his eyes. “I believe you,” she said, tugging on his beard until he was close enough to kiss. “I believe you.”
He kissed her sweetly and pulled her up over his body so he could hug her, and she pulled the quilt over them both, hiding from the rest of the world and what might happen when the sun rose tomorrow.
***
Viktor’s eyes slid open, and he stared around, trying to remember where he was when the night came back to him and a satisfied grin graced his face. He stretched, feeling better than he had in weeks and sat up, ready to greet Evie, only to find the bed empty. Panic gripped him, and he called out her name.
“Evie? Evie, you here?”
“Kitchen,” she called back, and he heard dishes clanking together.
He let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t run off again and ran a hand over his face, scratching his beard that desperately needed a trim. “Is that safe?” he asked loudly as he slipped from the bed, looking for his shirt.
“I said I couldn’t cook fancy, not that I couldn’t cook at all,” she said, laughing.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he muttered as he frowned at the clothes on the floor. His shirt was missing, so he tugged on his jeans. At least the furnace was working and the house was nice and toasty. He pulled back the curtain and smiled at the snow on the ground. “Damn, did you see outside?” he asked as he strolled down the hall to the kitchen.
Seeing her house a mess yesterday and this morning made him less guilty about the state of his own house. They were more alike than he’d first assumed, and he grinned because her house was a wreck. Their stubbornness almost cost them the chance at whatever this could be, but now, they were together, and he could begin working on making her see how they could work, despite her unfounded fears.
“Yeah, there’s about three feet out there,” she said as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen. “Diner called. Said they’re closed for the day, so I have some time off.”
When she turned to face him, he chuckled and reached forward to brush flour from her cheek. “I see you found my shirt.” His eyes traveled approvingly down her body. The shirt didn’t reach her knees and gave him a nice view of her lean legs that spent half the night wrapped around his waist as he plunged into her over and over again.
She grinned. “I like how it smells,” she said quietly, her face reddening until he took her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her hotly until they panted. “Right. I… I made breakfast,” she said hoarsely, nodding towards the counter.
“Waffles?”
She nodded, and he coul
dn’t help but laugh at the pride on her face. “It’s the one thing I can do perfectly in the kitchen. Go ahead, eat. I’m sure you’re famished after last night,” she said with a wink and poured more batter onto the waffle iron before closing it and flipping it over.
His stomach growled, reminding him they hadn’t eaten last night. She handed him a plate and utensils, and he hurried to the other side of the counter to stand and eat his waffles. He was ready to dig into the stack she had piled on his plate when several pieces of paper caught his eye. With Evelyn’s back to him, he picked them up quietly and stared at overdue notices and late payments and frowned, peering inside the envelopes to see what she was so late on.
“Evelyn, what are these?” he asked quietly. She turned around, her eyes flaring with annoyance when she saw him holding her bills.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” she said, trying to snatch them from him, but he stepped back. “Viktor, put them down. You can’t help with it.”
“Really? Evelyn, my family owns half the town. Tell me what they’re for, and I’ll help you take care of them all. I don’t want these debts hanging over you if I can do something about it,” he argued, trying not to let his annoyance burst as she planted her feet and crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. “Evelyn, just tell me.”
She lifted her chin and shook her head. “No. It’s not your burden, it’s mine. I’ll take care of it. I just have to figure out what to do…” She trailed off and her shoulders sagged as her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll find a way. I always do, damn it.”
The tears fell, and she turned away from him, covering her face. Viktor set the bills down and hurried to her, drawing her into his arms as she cried against his chest. “We’ll get through it, Evelyn, just stop being so damn stubborn and let me help you,” he told her gently, kissing the top of her head. “Please. I said I was going to be here for you. I wasn’t lying.”