by Rose, Bella
She was smart. Too smart. He waved for his staff, and they cleared the plates. She was in mid bite and stopped to glare at him. “Really? What the hell?”
“The only thing I want from you is to quit causing issues. You’re interrupting my day, and now you’re interrupting my lunch. I told you I wanted you subservient and quiet. Does your father’s safety not mean that much to you?”
The blood drained from her face, and for a moment, he regretted his words. “Natalia,” he said softly.
She raised her hand. “I’m here because of my father. And if you don’t want anything from me other than this piss poor plan your executing for revenge, then let’s just drop it. If it keeps my father safe, I will be quiet and subservient. And do you think that maybe you could give me my lunch back? I wasn’t finished.”
Alek reached up and waved his hand, and the plate was returned. “What do you want to do with your life?” he asked quietly.
“What?”
“That’s what I wanted tonight. I wanted to have a conversation with you. What were you planning doing with your life?” he repeated.
She looked like she was going to say something rude but changed her mind. Taking another bite of her food, she stared at her plate. “I don’t know.”
“Really?”
“Every time I think I want to do something with my life, I give it a go, and I ruin it. I changed my degree four times in college. I’ve had five different jobs. I thought a temp job would help, but I’ve hated everything that I did.”
“Why are you single? I looked into your history, and you haven’t dated for years.”
“Obviously I was saving myself for a handsome man to come in and imprison me,” she muttered sarcastically.
“You find me handsome?” he said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s the same for men. I like them, I try them out, and then I ruin it. Either I grow to hate them, or they run from me.”
“Run from you?”
“Why are we talking about this?” she said as she put her fork down. “Is this a new form of torture for you?”
Her life would be very difficult in the next couple days, and she would have no idea that it was coming. She stared at him angrily.
“Think about what you want, tonight,” he said quietly. “After dinner. Something that I can give you. Not your freedom. Not your father’s freedom. Just something that I can give you within a few hours.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Just think about it, Natalia. This will be the only time I offer you this.”
They finished their lunch in silence, but he could see the wheels in her head turning. She might be suspicious, but in the end, she would ask him for something. He hoped it was enough for what he was about to put her through.
***
Natalia found a pair of jeans and a tank-top hanging in the closet for her to wear for dinner. That weren’t her clothes, but they were the close to something she would wear. Normally Alek forced her to wear something fancy for dinner. Exactly what was his game?
Ana never showed up to do her hair or force her to wear her makeup. Still, she grabbed the comb and parted her soft curls to the side. Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, she brushed a little bit of makeup over her face and smiled. She finally looked like herself.
Alek waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes widened, and she hesitated at the top. “Natalia, I’m hungry. Please don’t make me wait.”
She took a few uneasy steps. “No gown. No Ana. And you’re not at the table waiting for me. What’s going on?”
“I’ve given the staff the night off. All of them.”
“Why?”
“I told you. I want to do something nice for you.”
Her eyes widened as she reached the bottom. “Something nice for me?”
Alek smiled at her. “I can be a nice guy, Natalia.”
“Said the spider to the fly,” she murmured. “You wouldn’t be doing this unless it meant you were getting something in return.”
He shrugged, and she sighed. “What happens tonight?”
“I already told you. Tonight, I will try to give you what you want. So tonight, you can tell me what we do.”
“What I want is to go home.”
Alek chuckled as he walked her past the dining room table and onto the terrace. She shivered in the Russian night air and stared at him. “If we eat out here, I’ll catch my death.”
Smiling, he pointed to the edge of the patio where there was a hot tub lit up and bubbling. She turned to him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re going to use tonight to seduce me? What’s the point, Alek? You’ve already proven you can have me even when I don’t want it.” Angrily she turned and headed back for the house, but he grabbed her arm.
“It’s just sex, Natalia. Maybe I’m tired of seeing the disgust in your eyes. And the fear,” he whispered as he ran his hands down her bare arms.
“What exactly is it that you think I want?” She turned to him, but she already knew the answer. Part of her was terrified. How the hell could he possible know her desire? How could he possibly know what she was going to ask him?
“I’ve already laid some ground rules. These are the things you want the most. You cannot ask for an early release. And you cannot ask for anything that has anything do with your father,” he said softly as his hands moved to her stomach. She inhaled sharply as he pulled at her tank top. His breath was on her neck, but he didn’t kiss her. She wanted so badly for him to kiss her. “That doesn’t leave much. But you have to tell me.”
“For how long?”
“Just tonight.”
“Just tonight.” She closed her eyes and leaned against him. She could feel him unsnap her jeans and lower them. As he bent down, she felt her balance sway, she reached over to the table in front of her. As she tried to focus on the favor, she found her resolve wavering. As if of their own accord, her legs spread, and she felt his lips brush over the curve of her ass cheeks. Through the fabric of her thong, his hands gently rubbed over her slit.
“Someone could see us,” she whispered, but she began to grind her hips.
“Haven’t we had this conversation before?” he murmured.
He pulled the fabric aside and pressed his mouth against her hot center. “Oh,” she moaned against him.
Her desire was like molten lava, and she felt herself melting. “Alek,” she whispered. She moaned as she dropped her head against the table. “Stop. Stop or I’m going to come,” she whimpered.
“And what’s the problem with that,” he said softly as he slid a finger inside her.
Gripping the table, she finally ground out what she really wanted. “Because I want to be in control.” He stopped, and she pushed herself up and looked over her shoulder. “I want a favor, and tonight, I want to be in control.”
“Why?” He smirked when he said it. He knew what she wanted all along. “Do you think if you take control, you’ll run for your freedom?”
Pulling away from him, she swung her leg over him and sat on the table. “Hardly. I feel like I haven’t been in control of my life in a long time. Not just these past few weeks, but the past few years. Tonight, I want to be in control. Please.”
Slowly, he stood and put his hands up. “All right. Tonight, you can be in control. What do you want to do?”
Her stomach rumbled and she laughed. “Dinner. I definitely want some dinner.”
He chuckled and got up. “Not quite what I was hoping for, but we can start with dinner.” On the other side of the hot tub, she found a small table with two covered plates of food. With a wicked smile, Natalia stripped off her top and let it drop by her feet. Praying that no one was watching, she pulled down her thong and slowly stepped in the hot water. Her breath hitched when the hot water hit her skin, and Alek whirled around.
“I thought you were hungry,” he said hoarsely as he watched her.
“I am. And you’re going to feed me while I warm up.” She slid int
o the warm water and sighed as the jets hit the sore spots on her back. As she moaned, Alek shook his head.
“Don’t push your luck,” he said as he grabbed both plates and set them at the edge of the tub.
“Take off your clothes.” Natalia practically licked her lips as she watched him undress. At no point tonight would she forget their roles in all of this. She was a prisoner and he was her warden. But for tonight, she would live out her fantasies. And maybe during the coming days, she would need these memories to keep her warm and give her comfort. And if that was the case, she wasn’t going to waste a single minute.
When he stood naked, she took a moment to drink him in. God, even though she hated him, she had to admit he was magnificent. Every part of him looked chiseled in stone, and she wanted to run her tongue over every inch of him. She crooked her finger at him and watched as he slowly entered the water.
He reached over and uncovered the plates. She opened her mouth and moaned as he grabbed a fork and fed her. He smirked and sat down. “I always thought the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, not a woman.”
She felt her stomach clench and she pulled away. “You’re not trying to get to my heart. You’re just trying to a favor for me,” she muttered as she grabbed the fork from him. He sighed in frustration as she ate.
“It was just an expression,” he said softly.
“Don’t talk,” she muttered. He obediently snapped his mouth shut, and she shot him a curious look. Cocking her head, she stared at him. “You really are going to do everything that I ask tonight.”
“I am,” he said softly. “Tonight, I’m yours. All you have to do is tell me what you want. After you finish eating, that is.”
What did she want? She put her finger on her lips to indicate that she wanted him to be quiet, and, after some consideration, she slid one plate of food his way so he could eat as well. He chuckled but ate in silence. Toward the end of her meal, she slowed down. Soon he would want an order, and she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.
Silently, she told herself it was because she would feel better. She would feel better about all the things he had done to her body if she did them to his. If she had control over his body the way he had control over hers. But deep down, she knew it was just because she wanted it. Nothing more and nothing less. This was her fantasy.
Pushing her plate away, she slowly turned to face him. “Okay. Are you ready?”
Her hands shook out of nerves, and he smiled slowly at her. “I am,” he said softly. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chapter Twelve
Natalia wished she had a shot of vodka, but Alek already had desire in his eyes, and she seized that and ran with it. “No touching,” she said in a shaky voice.
He raised an eyebrow, but he slowly held his arms out of the water and rested them the edge of the spa. She slowly straddled him and settled so that his heaviness was between her legs.
At first, she did nothing. She just enjoyed the sensation of being on top of him. Finally, she moved her hips slowly over him and watched the muscles in his face tighten. “You like this,” she murmured.
“I do,” he said softly. “And if you don’t do something else soon, I’m not going to be able to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Immediately, she stilled. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to stop,” he said with a smile. “I just might have been enjoying it a little too much.”
“I’ve never done this before,” she said quietly. “I …”
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “We have all night. You can take your time, although if we spend too much time in here, I might not be of much use to you.”
Natalia laughed and closed her eyes. She tried to let go of everything and just enjoy the moment. Alek had already done his best to humiliate her. It wasn’t like she was going to embarrass herself in front of him. She felt his hands on her skin, and suddenly his lips were on her throat. “Alek,” she protested. “I’m supposed to be in control.”
“And you are. I’m just enjoying myself while you think,” he said softly as his lips moved over her shoulder.
She slapped a hand on his chest and pushed him back. Slowly, she raised herself out the water and over him. “Lick my nipple,” she whispered.
“What?” he said with a coy smile.
“Lick. My. Nipple. Now,” she said succinctly. Maintaining eye contact, he slowly leaned over and lapped at her nipple. Knowing he was only doing it because she told him made everything more intense. She closed her eyes and moaned as he took the whole nipple in his mouth and sucked.
“The other one,” she said in a breathy voice. “Now. Now, Alek.”
He moved obediently, and she nearly lost her grip on the edge of the tub. As she fell over him, he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around until she was planted firmly on the ledge. “I think you were getting a little overheated,” he said with a devilish twinkle in his eye. “And now I’ll continue.”
As he continued to lick her, she dropped her head back and moaned. “Lower,” she whispered.
“What?” he said as he lifted his head. He leaned over and tasted her lips. “You’re in control, Natalia. So take control.”
Grabbing his head, she pushed it down. “I said lower,” she demanded in a louder voice.
“God, I had no idea how sexy that would be,” he muttered before he trailed his lips lower on her abdomen. She lifted her legs up and out of the water and spread them, and when he pressed his lips to her inner thigh, she shuddered. The air felt heavy around them, and for a moment, she forgot that she was giving him orders. When he sucked a toe into his mouth, it jolted her back to life. “Alek!” she shrieked with laughter.
“You said lower. You never said stop,” he said with a grin as he released her foot. He reached over to grab the other one, and she immediately pushed him off.
“And now I have different demands,” she growled as she freed her foot. “Kiss me.”
“Where?”
“On the lips. Kiss me on the lips.” Pushing herself up, she reached for him. When he bent down to kiss her, she was absolutely breathless. He kissed her hard and nudged at her opening. For a moment, she almost forgot what she wanted. She almost wrapped her legs around him and brought him closer, but when he lifted his head, she finally took a deep breath. “Not like this.”
“You want to be on top?” he asked with a smile.
Wordlessly, she pushed herself up and shoved him into the water. He watched her as she took a deep breath and turned around. For most people, sex from behind was preferred. No one had to actually look at each other. All they had to do was feel. But it was different with her. She’d never trusted anyone to take her from behind, and she wanted desperately to feel someone at her back. To feel someone go as deeply as possible.
“This isn’t quite what I expected,” he murmured as he put his hands on her hips. “To be honest, I don’t really like it this way.”
“Why?”
He pulled her close and reached down to slide his fingers over her clit. She gasped and ground herself over him. “I want the person I’m fucking to see me. I want them to know who I am.”
She leaned her head back against him and wrapped her arm over his neck. “Trust me Alek, I don’t think anyone could forget that you’re behind them. I want this, and you promised to do everything I wanted tonight.” Moaning as the tension built inside her, she leaned down and spread her legs. “Do it, Alek. Fuck me from behind. I swear, I could never forget who possesses my body for a moment.”
And just like that, he gripped her hips and slid into her. As he hit her cervix, she gasped and cried out. Everything she’d read was right. He sank even deeper than last night, and she didn’t think she could handle it. “Slower,” she managed the gasp. “Fuck, please, Alek.”
He immediately stilled. “Natalia? Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She swallowed hard. “God, Alek, I’m so close. Please. Sorry. I want to enjoy this a little longer
. Just slow down,” she pleaded.
Leaning over, he bit her ear lobe and slowly slid back into her. He was such a perfect git, and she leaned into him. But even as she enjoyed the sensations of him going deeper and deeper, something was missing. Without warning, she pulled away and turned. He didn’t even miss a beat as he slid back into her.
“Natalia,” he murmured in her ear. “You are so perfect.”
Her whole skin tingled with his words, and for a moment, she imagined he meant more than her body. For a moment, she tried to imagine there was no mob and no favors. That he was with her because he wanted to be and she was with him because she wanted to be.
And she so desperately wanted to be.
“I can’t,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t. She couldn’t keep up with him. This was supposed to be all in her control, and it slipped away the moment he was inside her. She wrapped her legs tighter around him and completely fell apart. He held her head in the crook of his shoulder and buried himself inside her.
“Natalia,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled out of her body, picked her up and laid her out on the side of the hot tub. “Are you okay?”
“Cold,” she said as the air hit her. Her teeth chattered, and he immediately pulled her into the water and wrapped his arms around her. She laughed and pressed her face into his chest. “We have to leave eventually.”
“Bed?” he asked as he stroked her hair.
“Yeah.”
“Wait here and I’ll get some towels.” He kissed the top of her head and left her. Alone, she peered into the darkness and wrapped her arms around her body. Tonight she’d tried desperately to gain control of the situation, and instead she’d only proved one thing. He controlled her. He had her mind, body, and soul.
And there was nothing she could do to change that.
When they were inside and dried, he crawled into bed and collapsed. She watched as he massaged his shoulder. “I am so excited to get some sleep,” he muttered.
“What’s going to happen? You wouldn’t be doing this unless something is going to happen soon,” she said as she stood at the edge of the bed. “What should I expect? Something good? Something bad?”