He fucked her mercilessly, his tempo fast and furious, his balls hitting her ass with each movement. Her breasts rocked with each thrust, continuing the pleasure-pain she relished in. She breathed his name as her eyes closed tighter, savoring the sensations her body experienced.
“Is this” thrust “hard enough” thrust “for you?” he asked, continuing his brutal onslaught. It was better than she ever thought possible.
“Yes, yes,” she panted. “I … this—” Belle couldn’t form a coherent sentence, lost in pleasure.
He removed the hand from next to her and grabbed a fistful of her hair with the perfect amount of force to cause the pain-pleasure again.
“You like me fucking you, don’t you?” he asked of her, voice calm compared to the ruthlessness in which he hammered into her.
“Yes,” she moaned, eyes rolling back in her head as the orgasm built.
“I’m going to fuck you until your cunt takes the shape of my cock. Until you can’t remember anyone else being here; don’t want anyone else here.”
His words fueled the intensity of the pleasure quickly building. Her eyes began to tear as the physical sensations began to overwhelm her. She asked for this assault from him; she had no idea how incredible it would be. He spoke the truth — he was ruining sex for her — in the most amazing way possible.
“Eto mozhet byt’ mezhdu nog. No eto prinadlezhit mne.” He bent forward and bit her neck — hard. Her orgasm crashed through her. She screamed at the intensity and throbbed on him. He fucked her through every last spasm, pulling harder on her hair as his body tensed. His nails dug into her hip and she knew he was close.
“Fuck! Belle!” he bellowed out as he came, pulling her against him as he emptied himself, lighting her insides on fire. She cried out, her quivering muscles pulling him closer into her as he ground against her through his release.
Sated, they stilled, catching their breath. He loosened the grip on her hair and pushed her head up to look at him. When she opened her eyes, tears fell down her cheeks.
Seeing them, his face paled as his expression became regretful.
“Belle — I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
She cut him off. “No, you were amazing. Better than amazing.” She smiled up at him, disbelief on his face.
“You’re crying.”
“No, no, I’m not. Not in a bad way. I never — I never knew it could feel like that; that good,” she tried to explain through her breaths, but couldn’t find the words to describe what he had just done to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close to him.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear, causing him to laugh.
He pulled back to look at her. “You’re not going to be thanking me later. You’re definitely going to be sore.”
Belle smiled. “Just a reminder of how amazing it was.” She took a deep breath and made a face. “What’s that smell?”
He sighed, “Your dinner.”
He pulled himself out of her and opened the oven door. A rush of black smoke emptied out as he looked inside and closed the door. With a resigned face, he lifted the lid on the bisque, and even from her place on the counter she could tell that it too had burned.
She giggled, “I’m sorry. I ruined your dinner.”
He joked, “Oh, no, you don’t get off that easy. Your punishment for distracting me is having to eat it anyway.”
“Punishment, huh? I’m that bad?” she asked, certain he enjoyed himself, yet self-conscious at her lack of experience compared to him.
He looked intently at her as he replied, “Belle, I could become addicted to you.”
Later, in bed, Aleks’ mind raced. Truthfully, it had been racing all day, vacillating between thoughts of Belle and his conversation with Sirena. He’d tucked Belle into bed, waiting until she was asleep to retreat to his own room to think.
What was it Sirena was thinking? Fuck what up? Their sleeping together? He was most definitely not going to fuck that up.
Not only because he enjoyed making her scream in pleasure, but because he wanted to continue to make her scream in pleasure. It was then he realized what Sirena was thinking — he was … was he … falling for her?
She was different from every other woman he had ever slept with, that was certain. She was incredibly smart, and driven, with plans for the future which didn’t require “a rich husband”. She stood up for herself, never allowing herself to be a doormat, yet still had a desire to be submissive.
He had always regarded himself as devoid of emotions. Sure, he cared about his family, and about Sirena, but he drew the line there. Other than those few, he used people. He manipulated them to get what he needed and took what he wanted. He had never thought of anyone else for more than what he might need from them.
Belle made him feel differently, about everything. He lusted for her as he never experienced before, and the thought of any other man touching her made his blood boil.
The ease he felt in her presence confused him the most. He didn’t need any pretense. He could be himself, with all his faults, and she accepted him. Sure, she didn’t like his angry side, but she also put him in his place for it, something not many had the courage to do — or were allowed to do. He found her ability to hold her own against his banter, as well as the intelligence behind her words, refreshing. He liked the fact she had aspirations, and pride, and wouldn’t let anything stand in her way.
He remembered his impulsive decision to stop and pick up items to make dinner; a need to impress her had washed over him. When he saw her, her smile filled his chest with pride, and her desperate need for him fueled his ego. He never cared to impress any woman in the past. They would fall for him regardless, yet with Belle, he needed to ensure she was captivated by him.
Her teasing released a primal drive in him. He felt savage, out of control. A need to mark her as his, to fuck her as no one else had — as no one else could — tore through him. He was rewarded when she took him greedily — took him, and begged for more. He needed to consume all of her, for him and him alone. He needed to own her in his own way. Luckily, he slipped into Russian before telling her, “It may be between your legs, but it belongs to me.” He didn’t want to scare her with his possessiveness. He meant every word — she was his.
His possessiveness of her shook him to the core; scared him. No … he couldn’t be falling for her. He didn’t fall for women, ever. He realized he needed to distance himself from her, from the idea of … them. And so he did something he hadn’t done in years. He ghosted.
Chapter Twenty-Four
A week had gone by. A week of barely seeing, or talking to Aleks. He was avoiding her again, and a pit formed in her stomach, wondering if this was the beginning of the end. She had looked for him a number of times after work, but he was never in his room. He only answered her calls sporadically, and even then he was curt with her.
He offered her weak excuses about being busy at work and promised they would see each other over the weekend. But the weekend came … and passed … without so much as a dinner together. For the briefest moment, she’d allowed herself to believe that he wanted something more from her. But now she was lonely, and felt entirely used. Her emotions ranged from sadness to foolishness.
She would give him until tonight, then she would confront him. If he didn’t want her anymore she would leave — end of story. If he did want her, he had some explaining to do. She perused the library for a book and took it to the great room to wait. When the clock on the room’s mantel dinged seven o’clock, she grew concerned.
She called Aleks’ phone, but it went straight to voicemail. Undeterred, she dialed Sirena.
“Hey girl!” Sirena’s voice was bubbly as ever. “I was just thinking about you. I need another day of playing hooky from work — want me to come over tomorrow?”
Belle reveled in the idea, wanting to be with someone, anyone, after a week of isolation. “Absolutely. Speaking of work though, how late is Aleks staying?
I called his phone but it went right to voicemail. I really need to talk to him.”
Sirena got quiet for a moment before asking, “He didn’t come home yet? He left two hours ago.”
Belle’s voice was barely above a whisper. “No, he’s not home.” She struggled to hold back the tears.
“I’m sure he’ll be there soon.” Sirena’s tone was one of concern and comfort. “Maybe he’s picking up some dinner … or toys for you.” She giggled at her own joke.
“I doubt it,” Belle responded before she caught herself.
Sirena was quick to respond. “Belle, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Belle told her about her week of seclusion.
“I don’t know what to say. But you can bet I’m going to find out. I’ll call you back as soon as I talk to him.”
Belle said her goodbyes. The nagging feeling that Aleks had his fill of her returned. She tried reading again, but she found herself rereading the same page over and over, unable to process the words. She tried a few more times over the course of the next hour to no avail.
She was about to call Sirena again when Luc came in and set a tray of food on the table beside her.
“You didn’t come down and Master Aleksandr has retired for the night. I wanted to make sure you were fed.”
“He’s home?” Belle was confused at how he had snuck past her.
“Yes, miss. He returned home less than an hour ago. I’m sorry you weren’t informed.” He sounded regretful, his face carried an expression Belle recognized as pity.
“I don’t understand. I was here the whole time. I was waiting for him; how did I miss his arrival?”
“There are multiple entrances he uses.” She winced, knowing he was alluding to that area of the house. A quick jolt of fear coursed through her, imagining him bringing home another woman.
Belle leaned forward and plied the man for more information. Not asking what she really wanted to — has he been coming home alone — she settled for asking if he seemed angry.
Belle laughed at the face Luc made before responding, “No, not angrier than normal. He’s been quite … pensive lately. It seems something’s on his mind.”
“Thank you. And thank you for dinner. I appreciate it.” Belle glanced over at the sandwich and bowl of soup. It looked appetizing, but she wasn’t hungry.
Aleks had been laying in his bed for hours, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He turned his phone on, simultaneously hoping and dreading a message from Belle. His thoughts and feelings battled each other. He couldn’t recall ever being so unsure of what he wanted. What he did know was, he missed her.
As the phone reared to life, the screen flashed with a message notification. He took a deep breath before dialing his voicemail. Sirena’s melodic voice erupted from the phone full of venom.
“Aleksandr Wolfe. Have you lost your mind? You haven’t seen her … haven’t talked to her … in a week?! A week. I don’t care what you think is going on, figure out your shit and fix it. Don’t be a pussy. I swear to God, if you don’t…” He didn’t need to listen to the message to know how it ended.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Speak of the devil. He needed to answer it; if he didn’t, she would just keep calling. He didn’t even get a chance to say “hello”.
“What is the matter with you?!” her voice screeched from the other end. Smiling, he answered innocently.
“I have a number of vices, take your pick.”
“How about the gorgeous brunette you have locked away yet are refusing to see? Ring a Belle?”
He groaned, “Not talking about this, Ari.”
“Either you start talking to me, or to her. Take your pick.”
“It’s … complicated,” He winced as he spoke, knowing he sounded like a pussy.
“Actually, it’s not. You’re attracted to her. You like her. Go talk to her. Simple, even for you.”
He began to speak when she cut him off.
“I don’t want to hear whatever flimsy excuse you’re going to make up. Talk to her, or forget about coming in tomorrow.”
Aleks laughed at her audacity. “It’s my company.”
Tone serious, she rebutted, “It may be your company, but I control it. I’ll make your day a living hell!”
He hung up, knowing she was serious. He thought about why he avoided Belle, and while at first it seemed to make sense, he couldn’t figure out what had compelled him to stay away.
He had been on autopilot for a week now — work, workout, hide, try to sleep, and fail. I’m an idiot. Why in the world would I hide from the most beautiful, sexy, stimulating woman I’ve ever met? What in the hell am I doing?
Belle tossed and turned all night. She glanced at the clock, 6 a.m. She stared up at the ceiling, frustrated and saddened at what happened to their relationship. What relationship? It was just sex.
She showered and went downstairs for breakfast, debating if she should ask Sirena to “pencil her in” to his schedule, to have a moment to at least say goodbye.
As she walked into the dining room, he was sitting reading a newspaper, as if he hadn’t disappeared for the past week and a half. Anger welled up inside her. “Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence.”
He looked up and her anger was momentarily swayed by his half smile. He put the paper down and stood.
“I thought absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit.
“Funny, I’ve always thought it was out-of-sight, out-of-mind.” She raised an eyebrow as a show of her petulance.
“I was—”
Belle cut him off, losing the battle over her emotions. “Busy?”
“I had a lot on my mind this week and I…” He paused a moment, before continuing, “I bailed on you.”
He looked at her, earnestly, and she was shocked he admitted it. She could tell he wasn’t lying, but he was holding back. There was something he wasn’t telling her. The pit in her stomach shrunk … slightly.
He leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on the table. His eyes softened. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It’s just … a little lonely here all by myself.” Only a half-lie, to match his.
Instead of acknowledging the elephant in the room, he changed the subject smoothly. “You can’t be all that lonely with Sirena stopping by during the day.” His face indicated he wasn’t angry. “And with all the planning for the ‘ultimate Halloween extravaganza’.”
She looked at him, surprised.
“What, Sirena talks to me too, you know. Although she hasn’t mentioned your costumes yet.”
Belle grinned. Every year, Belle and Cynthia and a group of others would go all out, trying to out-do the others in either a single or group costume. They chose a different theme each year; sexy, scary, realistic, funny, the list went on. This year, and with Sirena joining, they decided to go for a movie reference.
“Have you heard of the Rocky Horror Picture Show?”
“Is that your group costume?” He rolled his eyes, displeasure written on his face.
“Well, yeah. Sirena is going as Magenta, her friend Sebastian is going to be Frank-n-Furter, Cynthia and her date are dressing like Brad and Janet, and I’m going as Columbia.”
He shook his head and resumed reading the paper. “Have fun.”
Belle was disheartened. He had just apologized for bailing on her, and he was going to do it again.
“You’re not going to come with us?”
He smirked. “Nothing in this world could convince me to play a part of that charade.”
“I didn’t ask you to be a ‘part of the charade’. I thought you could just come out with us.” She realized how ridiculous she sounded.
“So … you don’t want me to dress up then?” he asked, with his hand over his heart, face in mock hurt.
“Well, it is Halloween, you should dress up. Pretend to be something you’re not. I’m going as an eccentric, flirtatious, madly-in
-love groupie.”
“I don’t see how that’s pretending,” he joked, causing her to flush.
Is that how he sees me? “Perhaps you should go as Prince Charming.”
“Again, don’t see pretending,” he openly laughed this time.
“Whatever, stay home then.” She was furious. Was he actually laughing at her? “Be a recluse up in your castle.” She stood to leave when an idea popped in her head. “I don’t want you seeing me in my costume anyway.”
Predictably, he questioned her. “And why is that?”
She bent forward towards him, voice lowering as she spoke. “Well, with the miniscule length of my shorts and my breasts almost spilling out of my top, I’m sure I’ll find someone willing to spend time with me. I wouldn’t want you to get all jealous again.”
His eyes flashed with emotion as he spoke through his teeth. “I told you, I don’t get jealous.”
She patted his arm, patronizingly repeating what she told him in the restaurant. “I told you, just keep telling yourself that.”
As she stood and turned around to walk away, she could almost feel the anger radiating off of him. She waited to smile until he couldn’t see her face. Gotcha. She only got a few steps before he moved in front of her, blocking her path.
He tilted his head as he plastered a coy smile on his face. “Don’t try to play that game with me, kotik.” He bent closer to her face as he continued in a low voice, “I’ll wear my police costume; how many women do you think would come up to me begging me to use my handcuffs on them?”
She couldn’t help but imagine him plunging into a faceless woman tied to the bedpost with his handcuffs. Desperate for a comeback to gain control of the situation, the words came out of her mouth without thinking.
“Is that a challenge?”
“A challenge?” He licked his bottom lip. “I seem to recall the last time you challenged me to something, I won.” He flashed his cocky smile, reminding her the last challenge was sleeping with her.
Stealing Beauty (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 1) Page 23