She’s close, shivering, and growing harder as I press in all the way in and out. Her legs spread wider, her breathing grows harder, and her firm cheeks push against my abs. This athlete is all my wet dreams come true.
When I slide in fully, she bucks in a kind of exotic dance that makes me wild. That my cue to take both sets of fingertips to her clit rubbing as fast as I can. She shudders while I push, setting an incredibly fast pace.
“Oh fuck. Come with me, princess.”
She does, boobs bouncing and screaming. My hands, thick into her clit are too busy to cover her mouth.
My God, I can’t get enough of her.
When I come, my brain explodes. No shit.
Exhausted, we let the warm water cool us off. And when I pull out, I want to have her again and tell her so.
She smiles and waves prune-y fingers in front of my face. “We should get out. Besides, I’m hungry.”
So I call room service and order a late lunch. When the waiter knocks I push out a hand with a few bills and say, “Leave the tray out there. I’ll get it in a moment.”
Once the coast is clear, still naked, I grab the food and drag it back into the room. I really have got to buy us some clothes. To make my point, she exits the bathroom wearing two giant hotel towels, one like a turban, the other engulfing her body.
“Sit. Eat.” I point out the salad and wraps on the dresser.
“Thanks.” She chows down, not much of a talker either which I usually appreciate but we should discuss our next moves.
“You heard me talking on the phone, right?”
She nods.
“Andy is Melanie’s brother-in-law. You know, our physical therapist? He’s going to help us out of this jam.”
“What is jam?” Guileless almond-eyes meet mine.
“Cherie, you just bailed on some kind of arranged marriage, put incriminating evidence onto a hard drive, and ran away from one of the most dangerous men in New York, maybe the world.”
“I suppose.” She opens a tiny jar of real jam and lathers it onto a piece of toast.
“You’re not concerned?”
“Sure, I am but it’s no jam. If you give me the drive, I can sell it online and escape. You can come, too.” She glances up, all of a sudden shy, “I mean, if you want.”
“What about your career? Going for the gold?”
She shrugs and purses those tasty lips. “Vastly overrated. Have you ever seen what professional ice-skaters make? Much better I find college online and get good skills to live in America happily ever after.”
“Wait. You don’t want to skate?”
“Sure. There’s a life after, no? What do you want to do? After you finish skating?”
No one’s ever asked me that before and my first impulse is to tell her it’s none of her damn business. Sure, we have this incredible connection but that doesn’t mean we get up in each other’s personal shit.
Sonia’s completely unconcerned at my silent scowl as she scoops eggs onto her toast and opens her mouth wide. She blinks at me, as if I’m going to respond.
Maybe it’s those beautiful brown eyes or maybe it’s just time I trust someone. Whatever the reason, I answer truthfully. “I want to buy some land in Halifax. A farm. Some dairy cows.”
I wait for her to laugh or look surprised. Instead, she nods like she’s considering it for real. “Is not too cold?”
“Not so bad.”
“Has ice skating rinks?”
“Three.”
“Is college?”
I nod.
“Good choice.” She goes back to eating.
I know she doesn’t know that she’s the first person I ever told this to, and somehow it pisses me off. I want her to poke holes in my future, tell me I don’t know squat about dairy farming, which is true. Tell me I should stay in hockey as long as I can, collect the big bucks, and retire with my millions.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She grabs for the last piece of bacon but I’m faster and pop it in my mouth.
“Like what?”
“Your mouth is rolled down. Open and angry like this.” She mimics me with a devilish twinkle in her eyes.
“I don’t like talking about personal shit.”
She shrugs. “Me also but I try, for you. If I don’t, we’ll maybe end up in bed right away and my pussy needs a rest.”
Something comes from deep within me, a cross between a guffaw and a bark. For sure, I do believe I’m laughing. It feels so strange as these dams inside me break apart. Soon after, when she joins me, my chest bounces, my eyes water, and my face muscles hurt they’ve been so long out of use.
No woman has ever affected me so. I reach over, take her hand, and bring it to my mouth. Merde. I have no words to explain what’s going on inside my chest.
When I let go, she cups my rough beard in her palms and pushes her hands through my locks.
Impish, she laughs at me. “I think maybe, under this tough guy, is somebody I like.”
“I like you too, cherie.”
More than I should and even if I wanted to pursue whatever is happening between us, I shouldn’t. She’s Russian, I’m Canadian, and her father no doubt wants to have me killed. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that no good can come from this.
Time to change the subject. “What did you expect to happen once you handed the drive off to the FBI?”
“They promised me freedom.”
“A green card?”
She waves her hands palms down. “Nyet, nyet. I want a life. Freedom from my father and my coach. The only places I’m allowed to go are the rink, the gym, and the hotel.”
“What about your mother?”
“She died right after Sochi. Since then, things have gone hill-down very fast.” Her lower lip goes out and another new kind of feeling hits my gut. I’m not quite sure what it is but it’s strange and uncomfortable and I want it gone. I reach over and catch a tear about to drop down her cheek.
My hand falls away when she pulls back fast. “You didn’t have to do that. I never cry.”
“Another thing we have in common.” I want to see her smile again.
“It’s different. Men feel nothing except in their cock, maybe.”
I figure that’s a fair assessment and it’s time to demonstrate. Unfortunately, I’m interrupted by a knock on the door.
A woman shouts out with an Spanish accent, “Cleaning.”
“We’re good. Go away.” I need to focus on removing Sonia’s towels.
Suddenly, the door bangs open and her two bodyguards from last night appear. Behind them is a gun barrel pointing in my direction, held by the man she was supposed to marry. Her father is there as well.
Stupidly, I stand and stare. Dammit. I should’ve guessed he’d have the resources to find her.
My gun is under her crossword paper, next to the bed. I probably could get to it and take one down. Though in the process, she might get hurt.
Sonia’s looking as if she expects me to do some kind of James Bond thing but I shrug. When she spits on the floor, I hope it’s for her coach and not for me.
“Fine. I get dressed and go.” She grabs the little blue dress off the floor and stomps off.
Adrenaline races through my veins when that abusive dick of a coach follows her into the bathroom. Then, when she screams, I jump up, fists clenched, prepared to die.
As a kid, I faced death so many times, I’m numb to it. If you die, you die and if someone wants to hurt someone I care for, I’ll make damn sure to take that someone with me.
Sonia’s father doesn’t know it but he saves her coach by pounding on the bathroom door. “We need to go. My jet’s waiting at the airport.”
I’ve met many men like Sonia’s father, eh? They think power and money make a man. I think it makes them shit.
He turns to me, hand out, palm raised. “She gave you something of mine and I want it back. Now.”
The hotel door opens again, and agents Poppy and Tory enter
. Fuck me and all that’s holy. Any hope that they were real FBI agents disappears when Sergey Dmitriyev smiles at them. While Poppy holds a gun on me, Tory checks all my pockets.
When he finds nothing, he gets within an inch of my face. “Where is it?”
“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, mon ami.” He thinks maybe I’m stupid, eh?
Sonia’s father’s eyes narrow just slightly as he nods at her bodyguards. It takes both of them to hold me down so Tory can punch me in the jaw, a hit worthy of a girl scout.
It’s truly difficile to look hurt instead of laugh at his pathetic attempt. However, that’s when Leonid exits with Sonia in tow. Her blue dress is torn, the side of her face is swelling and I’m not amused. As soon as I get free, I’ll teach her coach a lesson in how to treat a woman.
“Does that make you feel like man, Blokov? Hitting her? Maybe you take me on instead?”
The asshat growls as he drags her toward the door by the hair, “I’ll kill you for popping her.”
“Time’s up. Where is it?” Sergey’s punch to my kidneys hurts like a motherfucker. He takes out a knife and puts it to my eye.
I try to look afraid but when I get empty like this, I got no emotion to show.
“No!” Sonia screams from outside, followed by a car door slamming.
“If you care for her, best you give it up.”
I know they won’t dare hurt her, not so openly. They’ll wait and do it later, someplace safe.
“If you tell me what you think she gave me, I can help you search.” I know it’s lame, but under the circumstances, it’s the best I can do.
Sergey’s right eye twitches. “Data. Probably a small USB drive.”
“She was wearing my coat. Check it. Check the whole room. I don’t care. To me, she was a lovely woman who asked me to get her out of a jam. Understand? And man, your daughter can fuck.”
A small gasp sounds at the door. Sonia is there, pain written all over her face.
Merde. I thought she was gone.
Behind her, Leonid laughs, pinches her chin, and kisses her hard. “Stupid whore. You thought he cared about you? He’s a player. Sleeps with a different woman every night. Now, be a good girl and tell your father where you hid the data.”
“I gave it to him.” She points at me, eyes accusing, tone full of venom.
“Talk.” Her father’s knife makes a small cut under my eye and blood drips down my cheek.
When the two bodyguards tighten their grip on my arms behind my back, I swallow hard like someone who feels scared and nod as if my throat’s too dry to talk. This too, I learned in Bosnia.
Suddenly, a siren sounds in the distant.
When Sergey’s eyes flicker, I smile. “It could be a fire truck. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I dialed 911 when I saw you in the parking lot.”
His mouth tightens as he grips the handle of the knife, about to dig it into my skull.
“Maybe you kill me and that disc goes viral. Maybe I told someone to do this small favor for me last night after the party.”
He turns his head to the phony agents while pointing with his knife at Sonia and Leonid, still standing at the door. “Go, and take them with you.”
Leonid grabs Sonia’s arm and they disappear as footsteps sound in the hallway.
That leaves Sergey, me, and her two bodyguards. My gun is still under the newspaper on the bed table.
With the knife away from my eye, I stand and ram my body back hard. The back of my head cracks the jaw of the closest meathead, and his grip loosens. Turning fast, I slam my shoulder right into the other’s solar plexus. They’re both stunned, no doubt expecting my fists to fly.
I kick the skinny one in the head, his eyes roll, and he stops moving. When the other man reaches for his weapon, I dive across the bed with arms stretched forward and grab my gun.
His shot makes feathers fly, mine hits his body, and he goes down.
Fuck it.
Sergey has his gun out and pointing at me. “You have no idea what you’re messing with.”
I stare across the room into his emotionless eyes, knowing mine are the same. “Go ahead. I’m sure when that disc goes viral, we’ll meet in hell.”
He blinks, curses, and walks backwards out the door, barrel pointed the whole time at me. Apparently, he’s smarter than I thought.
The second he’s gone, I call my new lawyer. When there’s no response, I call CJ who tells me to stay put, his brother’s on the way.
Stay put? How the fuck am I supposed to do that when they got Sonia?
I know my career may be at an end when I dial 911 but I can’t let the guy bleeding out on the floor, die. So, I put a pillowcase to his wound and wait while it dawns on me how much Sonia’s gotten under my skin. It’s probably just because she’s in trouble and needs a hero. It’s got nothing to do with the fact she’s so damn beautiful or the way she makes incredible love. It can’t be that for the first time in years, I was happy.
I’m still pressing down on the guy’s chest when the EMT’s show up. There’s two guys in suits behind them. One’s a clean-cut version of CJ, and must be Andy.
After introducing himself, he points to the dark-haired guy. “This is Sean Finnegan. I hired him to be your negotiator.”
“Nice to meet you.” I hold out my hand and shake, expecting to bring him to his knees.
Instead, with an iron grip to match mine, he winks at my surprise.
Andy misses the interaction and points to the two guys getting IV’s attached to their arms. “What went on here?”
“These two? They work for Dmitriyev. They busted through the door chain, tried to beat the shit out of me.” I point to the bullet hole in the mattress. “It was them or me.”
Then I rush to the door. “Hurry. We need to get her.”
“Hold on, you’re not going anywhere.” Sirens outside indicate the cops are almost upon me. No doubt I’m about to get arrested.
“Finnegan, go across to the diner, ask for Deloris. Tell her Kasim sent you. She’ll give you a thumb drive. For God’s sake. Don’t show it to anyone. It’s the only leverage I got to get Sonia back.”
Without a word, the Irishman takes off and I heave a sigh of relief.
Fuck it all. Maybe it’s too late. The cops are here and like the wild west, guns are out and pointed. Me and Andy stand with our hands up while the EMT guys bring the two unconscious men out of the room. There goes my career.
Merde.
I let Andy do my talking until he tells me I can open my mouth.
Finn has disappeared.
And Sonia? I have no fucking idea.
Chapter 10
Sonia
When traffic comes to a dead stop, Leonid walks out onto the highway to the car in front of us where another man stares into the distance. Apparently, there’s some kind of accident and no one’s going anywhere.
That should give me hope that I’ll get rescued in time but after what Kit just said, probably not. I could kick myself for thinking what we had was more than just sex. I’m so damn naïve when it comes to men. I really thought he cared. One lone tear rolls down my cheeks and angrily, I wipe it away.
Then Leonid, sitting back down in the driver’s seat, sneers and says, “Stupid cunt.”
I wonder, can I make a run for it? Surely in America, I can’t be taken out of the country against my will.
“Stay put.” Reading my mind, my fiancé-from-hell grasps my wrist and pain shoots up my arm.
I pull my arm out of his grip, staring back into his icy gaze. What do I care what he’ll do to my body? My soul is shattered.
“Kit Tufek is twice the man you are.”
His jaw ticks and suddenly, a hard fist slams into my upper cheek bone. At first, I’m so shocked I feel nothing. This is followed by searing agony. When my stomach revolts, I open the car door, and puke.
My father approaches, no doubt his car stuck in traffic not far behind. “Control your temper, Leonid. Beat her somewhere less obviou
s.”
While I wiggle a tooth with my tongue, Leonid whispers in my ear, “When you’re my wife, every night I’ll split you wide with my huge cock until you beg me to stop.”
He’s such a pig that despite the beating I’ll get, I can’t stop myself from responding. “If you ever touch me again, I’ll find a kitchen knife and stab it so deep into your eye socket that what little brains you have, spill out onto your pillow.”
I’ve never spoken so boldly but instead of being afraid, his cock puffs up in his pants. Surely, he’s the devil incarnate.
My father motions Leonid out. “Give us a moment.”
The he slides in beside me, and hands me his handkerchief. “What did you take off my computer.”
“Nothing. I told you. I had to use the bathroom.” I wipe my face, dab the cloth at my lip, my tongue tasting iron.
“What then?” He leans in, studying my face.
“You were shouting so I stayed put. I wanted to wait to talk until you weren’t so angry.” I stare straight ahead at the dashboard, gaze firm.
His voice is hard. “Smart. And?”
“Nothing.” I venture a glance at his face. Big mistake. Shit.
Now, the human lie detector’s eyebrows raise.
Committed, I lie with false bravado. “I headed for the leather couch because I didn’t know how long you’d be.”
A snake about to strike, he watches my every move. “An email was opened.”
“It wasn’t me. I swear, father. Perhaps your assistant –”
“Your fingerprints were on my mouse!” This, he screams into my face.
Holy fuck, I’m so screwed. I had no idea he was so paranoid.
The only out is to admit to some wrong doing, but not all. “Yes, Papa. I saw an email where my name was in the subject so I opened the attachments.”
“Go on.” There’s murder in his eyes and if I had doubts about his true feelings toward me, they’re gone, now.
“I’m sorry, father. I saw nothing other than that.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes. That’s all. I swear it.”
I swallow hard, hoping he doesn’t see through my untruths. If I tell him what else I stole, I’ll surely die in the upcoming flight, my body thrown into the ocean from thousands of feet up in the air. I’ll be eaten by sharks, my bones picked clean.
Kit: A Hockey Novella (Players Book 4) Page 5