Aleks spotted Sirena in the lobby of his building and waved when she looked up. He waited for her at the entrance to his private elevator.
“Well, don’t you look like the cat who caught the mouse?”
Never understanding how she could always be so damn perceptive, he didn’t take the bait. “What are you talking about?” He resumed his usual stern demeanor.
“Oh, don’t play coy with me, Aleksandr Wolfe. You were smiling when you walked in. This fake scowl isn’t fooling anyone, even if it is your usual look.”
“I don’t scowl.”
“Oh right,” Sirena’s tone turned playfully serious. “You don’t scowl, you ‘scheme’.”
Aleks laughed, “I think the word you are looking for is ‘assess’.”
As they stepped in, he ruffled her hair, knowing she hated it.
She pulled away, annoyed, fixing her hair in the mirror of the door when it closed.
“All right, Mr. I Assess, spill it. What gives? You don’t smile without reason. Something miraculous has to occur…”
She turned towards him, cocking her head to the side as she openly smiled. “Oh my God, it happened! You finally slept with her. Tell me all about it.”
He silently cursed her for her astuteness. “How could you possibly know what we did or didn’t do?”
“Don’t even try the innocent game. I know you better than you know yourself.”
“I’m not talking about this.” He didn’t know why he was uncomfortable. He couldn’t bring himself to brag about getting Belle into bed.
She, of course, picked up on his reluctance. “Why, Aleks. You have never been one to kiss and not tell,” she teased. “What happened, did it not go as well as you hoped? Performance anxiety?”
He flashed her the smile that made most women melt. “Shows you just how well you actually know me, darling. That has never, and will never, be an issue. Care for a demonstration?”
She rolled her eyes at the comment. Another thing he loved about her — they could be as flirtatious as they wanted, both knowing they were not ever going to take the next step. Neither of them really wanted to.
“Oh, yes please,” she replied, her tone thick with sarcasm. “I have often dreamed about my first time being held up against the wall of an elevator; being rammed into the glass.”
“It’s not as bad as you think, actually. In the elevator.”
She looked at him incredulously. “How would you know? You’re the one doing the ramming, the poor women are the ones leaving with bruises.”
“Never got a complaint yet,” he retorted, unable to hide the cockiness in his voice.
“Are you going to bring Belle here next then, to fuck her in the elevator?”
He shot Sirena the “don’t go there look”, knowing it never worked on her. To his surprise, she paused and simply stood there, arms crossed, her eyes narrowed as if trying to figure something out.
“What?” He spoke more curtly than intended, exasperated with the feelings the conversation caused.
“Since the moment you met her you’ve been dying to get in her panties. You forced me to tell you about the cruise so you could basically stalk her. You called me in a panic after you royally — and I use that word liberally — fucked up, begging me to help make it better. Then when it does finally happen, not only won’t you admit you slept with her, but get cross when I mention fucking her like all the other women.”
She was goading him, but for what reason he couldn’t figure out. “She isn’t like the other women.” He realized too late he spoke his thoughts out loud.
“Ahhh, and there it is. Now tell me something I don’t know. She makes you smile. And before Belle, I’m pretty sure the only other women to ever make you smile were me and your mother.”
“Is that jealousy I sense?” he teased, desperate to divert the direction of the conversation.
She didn’t answer, rather cocked her head to the side as the corners of her lips lifted. He read her face, knowing she was hiding a thought from him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Can’t a girl just enjoy looking at you?” She smiled sweetly. Not sweetly, sarcastically.
He leaned down to her again. “Darling, it’s my privilege to allow any woman to enjoy looking at me. Looking, touching, tasting, the list is never ending.”
“Except it’s not any woman anymore, is it?”
The elevator pinged and the doors opened. As she stepped out she glanced at him over her shoulder. “You better not fuck this one up, Aleksandr.”
Belle sat in the middle of her bed with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She dialed Cynthia’s number. As it rang, part of her hoped it would go to voicemail, not sure she was completely ready to admit what had happened.
“If you are calling me this early in the morning, you better have all kinds of dirty, kinky details to share.” Cynthia’s voice sounded thick with sleep.
Belle laughed. “Hello to you too. I’m sorry I woke you, want me to call back later?”
“Yeah, yeah, hello already. I’m awake … but, I’m still waiting for the details.”
It was good to hear Cynthia’s voice. Until the moment, Belle had almost forgotten how much she missed her. “You were right,” Belle admitted.
“Always am, but let’s be clear. Exactly what was I right about this time?”
“That I really needed to do him.”
She heard the squeal over the phone and imagined Cyn sitting up in bed. “You mean you actually have details? Good, hurry up, spill. Now. Don’t leave anything out.”
Belle laughed and her face flushed at the memories of Aleks inside her. She shared as much as she could without needing a cold shower.
Only after Cynthia decided Belle had divulged enough details did the topic change. She filled her in on the goings-on at the bar and other general gossip before going quiet. Belle picked up on the abnormality and asked if something was wrong.
“Well. You know I love you, and love working for your dad, right?” Cynthia sounded nervous.
“Of course, babe. Why?”
“Well, I’ve gotten a job offer, through someone Sirena knows. It would pay incredibly well. This woman wants me to be her live-in nanny. Apparently, she works almost 80 hours a week and is a single mother for twin girls who are, and I quote ‘difficult’.”
“A live-in nanny? Is that something you want to do?” Belle couldn’t picture Cynthia — sultry, sexual Cynthia — with a handkerchief in her hair, watching over two bratty kids.
“Not exactly, but Belle … she is going to pay me six thousand a month — cash.”
Belle’s jaw dropped. “Seventy-two thousand a year, under the table? Cyn — those kids must be more than difficult; they must be terrors.”
“Well, it’s not just the kids. Since I would be a live-in, I would also cook and clean for them, help with homework, and transportation to school and stuff. And if they go on vacation, I do too!”
Belle hated to burst her bubble, but wanted to make sure Cynthia thought this through. “What about you? What if you want a night off, or to come out?”
Cynthia paused for a moment. “She said she understood I have friends and family, and would get one night a week to myself, no questions asked.”
“It sounds like a lot of work, Cyn. Cooking, cleaning, traveling, taking care of spoiled children, and only one night off?”
“Well, when you say it like that…” Cynthia’s voice trailed off.
“Oh, honey. I didn’t mean to rain on your parade. I just worry about you. I love you, you know.”
“I know. It’s okay. I figure I’ll give it a try and if I don’t like it, I can always quit.”
“True. So, when does this start?” Belle hoped she would stay at least through the holidays; the bar’s busiest season.
“Right after New Year’s. I told her I needed to give notice and needed some time to plan and get myself ready to go.”
“Have you
told my dad yet?”
“No, and I feel horrible. I don’t want to hurt his feelings or have him think I don’t like working for him.” Sincerity filled her voice.
“Don’t worry. He’ll understand. He loves you like a second daughter. He’ll be happy for you. And there will always be a job waiting if you need to come back.”
“Thanks, Belle. I’m going to talk to him later today.”
“There’s only one thing left to do then,” Belle smiled into the phone.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Plan your goodbye party. Oh, and I guess we should start looking for your replacement, too.”
“Well, funny you mention that. I actually kind of have the perfect girl in mind,” Cynthia replied. “We went to college together. We met up last week in town and I showed her the bar. She couldn’t stop talking about it. I’m fairly confident that if you asked her, she would take the job.”
After a few more minutes of small talk, and promising to discuss their plans for Halloween, Belle hung up. She headed downstairs for a refill on her coffee then headed into the library. She worked for most of the afternoon, catching up on the schoolwork she had been putting off while she completed her internship. She found a number of assignments, all with multiple chapters to complete, as well as quizzes and a few written essays.
She had just finished the last quiz when her cell phone rang.
Sirena squealed into the phone before she even had a chance to say hello. “You have got to tell me everything! I need to live vicariously through you. How was it? How was he? Are you in heaven right now?”
“He told you, huh?” Belle asked, smiling.
“Nope. He walked in this morning all smiles and rainbows, but kept mum and I knew something was up. I should be a fortune teller.”
Belle laughed and shared the events of the past few days for the second time. She kept most details to herself, but didn’t skimp on the facts.
“You should have seen him at the restaurant, Sirena. He has a mean jealous streak.”
“Okay, that’s new. He’s never been jealous in the past.”
“Are you serious?” Belle remembered the look on his face, both at the club and the restaurant.
“As a heart attack.”
As Belle considered the thought, she caught a whiff of something delicious. Curiosity and impatience getting the better of her, she wanted to get off of the phone.
“I need to go, I’ll call you later, okay?”
Hanging up, she followed her nose to the kitchen. To her surprise, Aleks stood at the counter, stirring something on the stove.
His back was to her, so she stayed in the doorway for a while watching him as he added a couple of spices to whatever he was cooking. The oven and a few burners were on, and she smiled at the sight of him.
He wore jeans low on his hips with a white t-shirt, tight enough so she could see the muscles in his back flexing as he moved. She thought back to the weekend with him; on the couch, outside, and again this morning before he left for work, imagining the way his back muscles must have flexed as he thrust into her.
I’ll never get this man out of my head! She frowned a bit at the thought. When this … whatever this is … is over, I’m doomed. Any man she had in the future would inevitably be compared to — and never be able to live up to — him.
She watched as he dipped a finger into a smaller pot, tasting whatever sauce cooked there. When she heard him exclaim “mmm”, she giggled.
He spun around and smiled when he saw her in the doorway.
“How long have you been watching me?”
“Long enough to become curious.”
Aleks gave her a sly smile. Faking a French accent, he explained, “For zee appetizer, we have a smoked lobster bisque, followed by a roasted chicken with new potatoes. Dessert shall be bananas foster served atop your beautiful, luscious breasts, to be licked clean by yours truly.”
Belle laughed, taking note of how Aleks seemed somehow lighter, more carefree than she had seen him in a few weeks. I guess I’m that good right back.
She feigned a pout. “That doesn’t seem fair. What will I have for dessert?”
Aleks responded with a wicked smile and brief look down towards his crotch, before looking up and raising his eyebrows. “Oh, beautiful. I always have dessert ready for you.”
Belle walked into the kitchen and towards him at the stove. He moved and kissed her lips before he pulled her into him. “I came upstairs when I got home, but you weren’t in your room.”
She was elated that he had looked for her. “Yeah, I was in the library.” When he lifted his eyebrow and smirked, she clarified, “No … not like that. I was doing schoolwork.”
Lifting her by her hips, he sat her onto of the counter next to him and continued to cook. She sat with her legs crossed at the ankles, leaning forward, watching him. They fell into a comfortable silence. She observed with amazement as he opened the oven door. A delicious smell filled the air. He stirred what she assumed to be the potatoes before closing the oven door.
“Just another minute or two.”
Stirring the bisque, he took another quick sip and dipped the spoon into the pot to bring a taste over to Belle. He blew on it while looking her in the eyes, causing her heart to flutter, before allowing it near her lips. She licked the spoon clean. The lobster was perfectly cooked, soft with a slight bite. The sauce — a rich, creamy, buttery liquid — complimented the meat.
“Aleks, this is delicious.”
“You sound so surprised. I have all kinds of hidden talents, you know.” He turned back to the pot and gave it another stir.
“Can I have some more?”
Smiling at her, he dipped the spoon back into the liquid. “Ask and I will always give you what you want.”
After bringing it to her lips, a drop of liquid dripped down. Before she was able to lick it off, Aleks bent down and kissed her. His warm tongue encircled hers, and her desire pooled for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in deeper to the kiss. Speaking against his lips, she murmured, “Prove it.”
“Tell me what you want.”
She thought to him earlier inside of her, and decided she needed him again. “You. Right here, right now.”
He growled into her as he pulled her closer to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as her hands played in his hair. His mouth moved expertly against hers, continuing to whet her desire. She tugged his shirt out of his pants, revealing his chiseled physique.
He lifted his arms over his head to help her remove the shirt. She stared at his broad chest, unable to stop herself from running her fingers up the indentations of his abs. As she splayed her hands around his pectorals, she bent forward and followed her hands with her mouth, licking at his nipple. She flattened her tongue as she lapped at it, encircling and biting the peak. This elicited a small moan from him as he pulled her head back and up, finding her mouth again as he kissed her harder.
He sucked at her lip, taking it between his teeth and biting. The slight pain aroused her further. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her forward and into his waiting erection. Half of her ass pulled off of the counter, and she opened her legs further to allow his hips to fit. She wrapped her legs around the back of him as he began to thrust into her.
He pulled her hair back to expose her neck as he began kissing down the front, into the hollow between her breasts. He licked his way back up into the crook of her neck as he tilted it to the side for better access. She felt ensnared by him; one arm around her waist, pulling her into him, the other in her hair, keeping her where he wanted.
Their bodies rubbed together, the soft moans emanating from each of them had Belle craving more. She removed her hands from his neck, and again following the lines of his body with her fingertips, trailed a line down to his jeans, where she unbuttoned and began to unzip them.
Aleks lifted Belle’s skirt to her hips.
She smiled to herself at his sharp intake of brea
th when he discovered she wasn’t wearing any panties.
His thumb found her clit and her head fell back with the pleasure. He rubbed her in circles, increasing the pressure as he did.
He unbuttoned her shirt with one hand and pushed the edges aside, exposing her breasts. Her nipples hardened in the cool air and he rubbed the now sensitive peak.
He removed his hand from her breast and reached down to pull himself out of his boxers. With one fluid movement, he thrust himself inside of her. They moaned in unison as he filled her to the hilt. The stretch on her insides created a pleasurable warmth, and each time he removed himself, she nearly begged for him to return.
She leaned back, hands grasping the edge of the counter as her back arched at the intrusion. He rocked his full length inside of her, swiveling his hips as their bodies met, causing a friction on her clit.
She grew wetter, yet knew he held back. She had realized he hadn’t yet fucked her the way he spoke of with other women; the way she had seen him with the brunette. She wanted to know what it was like, to feel used for his pleasure alone, just like in her favorite novels. She locked her ankles around his back and pulled him in closer, urging him on. “Aleks, harder.”
He growled at her command. “I’ll hurt you.”
“I don’t think you have it in you,” she tempted, hoping she sounded sexy.
He looked at her as he continued to thrust. His face showed confliction as he no doubt wanted it as much as she did. “You have no idea how hard I’ve been dreaming of fucking you.”
Trying anything to get him to give her what she wanted, she teased “All talk and no follow through, hmm?”
“Don’t tempt me Belle.”
“Please.” She couldn’t take anymore. She wanted him to lose control. Wanted to feel what he could give her, what he had given to others. “Fuck me or release me.”
Between breaths, he responded, “Christ, Belle.” He pulsed inside her, impossibly thick.
Bracing one arm around her ass, the other outside of hers on the counter, he stilled for a brief moment before ramming into her.
Belle saw stars. The power behind his thrust caused a pain followed by an incredible pleasure. She had never experienced such a feeling.
Stealing Beauty (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 1) Page 22