by Roxie Rivera
“A fuck up?” Ivan supplied.
“Difficult,” Alexei replied. “She’s difficult, but the girls had a hard life.” He had been thinking about Shannon and Shay during his workout. “I think Shannon did the best she could. Sometimes it wasn’t enough, but she tried. Shay loves her for that. She respects her big sister for sticking around and trying.”
Ivan shook his head. “You better be careful thinking like that. You need to snip those strings.” He made a scissoring gesture with his thick fingers. “If what I’ve heard is true, Shannon nearly got her sister killed twice. Don’t let her have a third chance, Alyosha. She might finally succeed.”
The chilling thought wouldn’t leave him as he gathered up his gym bag and left the warehouse. Driving across town, he couldn’t stop thinking about Ivan’s warning. He didn’t want to push Shay to cut her sister out of her life, but what other choice did he have?
When he arrived at the house, he slipped his SUV into its slot in his five-car garage and dropped his gym bag on the built-in bench in the mudroom. He found Stas eating an apple in the kitchen. “Do you ever stop eating?” he asked the enforcer-turned-bodyguard.
“No.” Stas crunched a huge bite of apple between his teeth. He gestured toward the ceiling with the fruit clamped in his hand. “She’s upstairs.”
“You can head out,” Alexei said. “We’ll be fine for the rest of the day.”
“Same time tomorrow?”
Alexei nodded. “You can work for me until you find a different position or Nikolai decided he needs you somewhere else. I know this isn’t how a man with your skillset wants to spend his days.”
“It’s the best job I’ve had since I joined the family. Even with all the shit that went down last night,” he added.
“If you hear anything about Shay tonight—”
“I’ll make sure you know,” Stas interjected. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Those secrets died with Lalo.”
“Let’s hope they stay buried,” he muttered.
After walking Stas out and locking the door behind him, Alexei went upstairs in search of Shay. He found her curled up on an armless upholstered chair in the master bedroom texting with someone. He didn’t want to accuse her of talking to her sister so he held his tongue and waited for her to say something.
“It’s Kylee,” she explained and flashed him her phone as if to prove it. “We haven’t said anything about last night. We’re just talking about normal things. I wouldn’t say anything that might get us all in trouble.”
“I trust you to be safe.” He spotted her suitcase still sitting where he’d left it. “Why didn’t you unpack?”
She seemed to shrink back into the chair. “Well…”
“Shay.” He pinned her in place with a no nonsense look. “What’s wrong?”
“There weren’t any hangers,” she said, her excuse sounding feeble to both of them.
“I’ll pick up some more tomorrow. Until then, you can borrow some from my side.” He could tell that wasn’t the real reason she hadn’t unpacked. “What’s really going on here?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, he crouched down in front of her and gently took her phone from her hands. He tossed it onto the bed and held her hands instead. Capturing her gaze, he said, “Talk to me.”
Hesitantly, she admitted, “It made me too nervous.”
“Nervous? Why?”
She swallowed anxiously and dropped her gaze, staring straight down at her lap as if embarrassed. “I’ve been interested in you for so long, and I used to fantasize about something like this happening. About you asking me to live with you,” she explained. “And now I’m here in your home and we’re together. and I wanted to be excited and optimistic about us—but then I remembered why I’m here—”
“You’re here because I want you to be here,” he cut in quickly and drew her gaze. “You’re here because I care about you and because I want to share my home with you.”
“My sister—”
“Isn’t part of the equation, Shay,” he insisted. “If this was just about keeping you safe, I would have left you in the penthouse. You were perfectly safe there.” Leaning forward, he kissed her tenderly. “You’re here because I wanted you in my life.” He kissed her again and relished the way she responded so sweetly. “You’re here because you’re special to me.”
Her dark eyes lit up as he described her as being special to him. “You’re special to me, too.”
This time, she was the one who kissed him. Her small hands slid along his arms, over his shoulders and up the sides of his neck until she clasped his face. He let her have control, surrendering to her searching tongue and her soft, soft lips. After his workout, his legs were killing him in this cramped, crouched position, but he didn’t dare move or complain. He would let his toes go numb before he ended this kiss.
When Shay shifted her hold on him, he answered her silent urging and put a knee onto the chair. He shivered when her hands slid under his loose T-shirt and stroked his bare stomach. The memories of her hands on his body last night were so new and fresh. Making more of them sounded like a very good idea right now, but he desperately needed a shower.
Shay eased off their increasingly more erotic kisses and smiled up at him, her expression relaxed and happy. Running her finger along his chin, she murmured, “This chair is too small.”
“I’ll buy us a new one tomorrow.” He nibbled at her amused grin. “The biggest, widest chair in the store.”
“Or we could just move to your big, comfy bed,” she suggested seductively and tapped his chin.
“Or,” he nipped at her finger, “I can show you why this chair is the perfect size and height.” Her dark eyes sparked with interest and excitement. Taking that as permission, he gently pushed on her shoulders. “Lean back, baby.”
She allowed him to maneuver her into the position he wanted. When he slid his hands under her oversized sweater and gripped the waistbands of her leggings and panties, she bit her lip in an anxious and uncertain way. He wasn’t surprised by her nervousness. This was another first for her.
As he dragged the leggings and panties down her legs and whisked them off her bare feet, he considered how fucking selfish he had been last night. He should have spent half the night with his face buried between her thighs, but he had been so focused on his needs that he hadn’t even considered that she might want more than a few teasing licks. He intended to rectify that oversight right now.
Running his palms over her slim legs, he marveled at the smooth, brown skin under his scarred and tattooed hands. Starting at her ankles, he dotted light kisses toward her thighs. He could feel the tension beneath his lips as he moved higher and higher. He assumed it was a mixture of excitement and nervousness that gripped her now.
Holding her curious gaze, he grasped her knees and pushed her thighs wide apart. He gently kneaded her inner thighs, massaging the stiffness and tension from her legs until they fell open in a relaxed way. Dragging his knuckles down her slit, he smiled devilishly at the way she shuddered. Her shaky breaths and the flush to her skin told him all he needed to know.
Using his thumbs, he explored her pussy. Soft. Pink. Wet. He dipped his thumb into her and gathered the slick heat there. Sliding easily now, he moved to her clit and traced the little pearl with the pad of his thumb. Her sharp intake of breath encouraged his movements. Drawing slow circles around that tiny bud, he teased Shay until she dropped her head back against the chair and closed her eyes.
Alexei leaned down and swiped her slit. Her taste reminded him of the sea and he couldn’t get enough. Hands on her inner thighs, he held her wide open and flicked at her clit. He took his time, nibbling and licking until she whimpered and clutched at his forearm. When he tugged the little bud between his lips, she arched off the chair, lifting her hips off the cushion and crying out as he tormented her.
Loving her reaction, he gripped her bottom in both hands and held her tight to his mouth as he feasted on her slick, soft heat.
She made the wildest sounds, and he couldn’t get enough. She was always so quiet, so reserved and sweet. He wanted Shay to lose control. He wanted to unleash that wanton wildcat that he knew was hidden just beneath her surface.
Forcing her thighs farther apart with his broad shoulders, he traced her clit with steady strokes. He didn’t care if he was on his knees for the next hour. He was going to make her come and make her come hard.
Shay sucked in sharp, shaking breaths. He could feel the tension building in her legs. It wouldn’t be long now. Fluttering his tongue faster and more firmly, he zeroed in on a rhythm that made her scratch at his forearm. He would have a few more marks for Ivan to tease him about at the gym tomorrow.
“Alexei,” she whispered. “Alexei, please don’t stop.”
Always so polite, he thought with some amusement. But she didn’t need to bother asking. He wasn’t going to stop.
With a thrust of her hips, she pressed against his mouth and came with a ragged groan. He licked her right through that orgasm, cupping her perky ass and ravishing her with his tongue until she sagged against the chair. Wanting to give her a chance to recover before he pushed things to an even more intense level, he abandoned her clit and gripped the backs of her thighs. He pushed her knees toward her chest and grinned wolfishly at the way she was so beautifully displayed for him.
“What are you doing to me?” Shay’s fingers were in his hair now, her short nails scratching at his scalp.
“What I should have done last night if I wasn’t such a selfish asshole.” He dipped his tongue into her and smiled at her little squeal of delight. Licking a finger, he got it nice and wet before sliding it into her tight channel. Worried she might still be sore after the way he had taken her last night, he eased his way inside and pumped slowly.
He returned to that pink pearl begging for his attention and fluttered his tongue over it. She gasped and swiveled her hips, silently urging him to continue. He understood her body now and it didn’t take him very long to find the right rhythm this time. Her thighs fell open as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She draped one leg over his shoulder as he added a second finger and thrust deeper.
When he curled his fingers inside her pussy and stroked just so, her shoulders shot off the chair. She surged against him, and he had to hold her down with a hand firmly planted on her lower belly. Massaging a slow circle there, he worked her with his tongue and fingers until he drove her right into a powerful orgasm. Rocked by the pleasurable waves, she cried out his name until she fell back against the chair in a blissed out state.
Satisfied that he had made up for his shortcomings last night, he placed a lingering kiss right on top of her clit and then dotted a line of them right up to her navel. He slid one of his hands across her belly and under her sweater. She wore no bra under the oversized top, and he appreciated the easy access to her lush breasts. He circled one nipple and then the other while taking in her relaxed, happy smile.
Brushing her fingers along his jaw, she said, “I’ve changed my mind. This chair is the perfect size. I think we should keep it.”
He laughed and kissed her stomach. “Whatever you want, ptichka.”
Chapter Seventeen
Still thrumming with aftershocks, I leaned back in the chair and watched Alexei strip in the bathroom. His lean body rippled as he tossed his gym clothes into hampers tucked away in a cabinet. In the full light of day, I could see all the tattoos on his back and legs. Someday I wanted to ask him about each and every one of them. Even if the stories weren’t particularly nice, he wouldn’t hide anything from me.
Because he trusts me.
The weight of that realization struck me suddenly. Alexei seemed to prefer a language of doing rather than saying. Today, by inviting me into his home, he had shown me exactly what I meant to him and how much he trusted me.
For the first time in forever, I truly felt special. I felt as if I mattered. Knowing what it had taken for me to place my trust in Alexei, I imagined it had been similarly as difficult for him. I had to respect that and treat his trust as a gift. I expected him to do the same for me.
I won’t screw this up.
He came out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of swim trunks. They were black and fit his body like a glove. His erection was outlined in the thin fabric, and I wondered why he hadn’t asked me to help him with that. He must have noticed my gaze lingering there because he said, “This can wait until tonight.”
“You’re sure?” I was more than willing to climb into bed with him.
“I’m sure.” He crossed the room and leaned down to kiss me. “It’s not quid pro quo with us, Shay. Sometimes I’m just going to throw you down, push your legs open and eat your pussy because I feel like it. I don’t expect anything in return.”
Reeling from his description, I flushed with heat. “You say the dirtiest things.”
“And you fucking love it,” he remarked with a devilishly sexy grin. After he kissed me one more time, he stepped back. “I’m going down for a swim.”
“It’s raining,” I reminded him and gestured to the window overlooking the lush backyard with the incredible pool, pergola and outdoor kitchen.
“There’s a smaller indoor pool downstairs.” He combed his fingers through my hair. “When you’re done unpacking, come find me. We’ll talk about dinner.”
“All right.”
“The security alarm is on so you’re safe inside the house.”
“And if I need to go out or answer the door?”
“I would prefer that you didn’t do either one of those without me, but the code is 1113.” He glanced away briefly, and I realized there was a significance to that number. It didn’t take me long to work it out. It was a date. A very significant date.
“The first time they sent me to your dealership was last November.”
Alexei nodded stiffly. “It was the thirteenth.”
There was a flutter of something sweet and warm in my chest. “I see.”
“Do you?” He pinned me in place with a searching look. “I had that security system installed two months after you started working at the dealership. Two months of seeing you once a week and I was already infatuated with you.”
“I think maybe I had the same feelings for you after my first night there,” I confessed, not wanting him to feel exposed.
“But we wasted all those months avoiding the obvious,” he said with a shake of his head.
I grasped his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You know what they say about the best place to hide things…”
“Right under your nose,” he said, a tender expression crossing his handsome face. He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. After stroking my jaw, he backed away and pivoted toward the door.
When he disappeared from the room, I found the strength to push out of the chair and onto my feet. My legs were wobbly as I pulled on my panties and leggings. I tugged my suitcase through the master bathroom to the insane closet where Alexei wanted me to store my things.
Standing there, I was reminded of the stark difference between his lifestyle and mine. My entire mobile home would have fit in his master suite. The closet alone was bigger than my bedroom and Shay’s combined. I ran my fingers along his designer clothing, noticing the way he had everything organized so neatly. His collection of leather belts held my interest. Some of them were beautifully made and I admired the stitching.
Spotting the stack of hangers he had placed on the marble-topped island, I took the hint and started unpacking my things. There wasn’t much in my luggage so it didn’t take long. I found the hamper for my dirty clothes and decided to investigate the rest of the house so I could locate the laundry room.
When I was finished unpacking, I left the master suite and walked around the upper floor of Alexei’s mansion. I opened doors and poked my head inside the many rooms. I was a bit taken aback when I realized only two of the rooms were furnished. I clearly wasn’t lack of money that kept him from finishing the
guest rooms on the second floor. There had to be another reason for it—and I had a good feeling I knew what it was.
As I walked downstairs, I began to suspect that Alexei had purchased this grand mansion in River Oaks as a way to prove to everyone else that he had arrived. He was a man who liked to nice things and liked to use luxury items like his watches, his suits and his fleet of vehicles to prove that he was successful and wealthy. That wasn’t my style, but I understood it. I had seen what it was like when the people I grew up with got a taste of money. They immediately went for new cars or shiny rims or expensive clothes.
I suspected Alexei had done the same thing. He wanted to prove he belonged. He wanted to prove that he had left behind his criminal past and was a man of worth and success.
But it had to be lonely in this beautiful house of his. All the marble and hardwood and expensive, luxury furniture in the world couldn’t make up for the coldness of an empty mansion. Without anyone to share this incredible space with, he must have grown disinterested in decorating and furnishing after tackling the first three bedrooms upstairs. The other four had been left to languish, unused and empty.
Downstairs, I finally found the laundry room. There were two washers and two dryers plus a wall of built-in cabinets and an obscene amount of marble countertops. I tried to imagine what size family would need that many machines and that much folding space. Considering the dry cleaning tags I had seen upstairs in Alexei’s closet, I doubted he got much use out of this room at all.
The ringing doorbell startled me. Alexei hadn’t said anything about visitors. Wondering if Stas had come back for some reason, I left the laundry room and made my way to the front of the house. The custom double doors made of wood and iron filigree had glass panels on the upper portion of the doors. I could see the outline of a single man through them and hesitated in the entryway.
I hadn’t located Alexei’s indoor pool yet so I had no idea where he was or if he could even hear the doorbell. I backed away from the door, hoping the man out there hadn’t seen me yet, and winced when the doorbell rang again. After the hell I’d been through in the last three days, I was naturally suspicious and easily spooked.