by Jenika Snow
Yvgeny glanced over at where he knew Alexa was standing. She spoke with Natasha and Vasilisa. He couldn’t stop looking at Alexa, couldn’t help but want to go over to her and take her away from all of this.
He didn’t want her here, didn’t want her to witness the sexual atmosphere that Aleczander and the rest of the Russians were engaged in.
Yvgeny wanted to pull her away from it all, take her back to his place, to strip her naked, to tell her he loved her.
I love her.
“I want her.”
Yvgeny glanced at Aleczander. The other man was staring at where the three women were.
“The redhead. I want her.” He pointed his now empty shot glass toward Vasilisa.
Yvgeny gestured for one of the waitresses to bring over a fresh bottle of alcohol.
“You’ll bring her to me so I can speak with her.” Aleczander’s voice was slightly slurred, his Russian deeper, a little thicker.
They’d been drinking for the last three hours. Aleczander and the other three men he’d come with were well past drunk and going into blackout territory. But they wanted to enjoy themselves, and Yvgeny would make sure their time in the States would be memorable.
He tipped his chin at Vasilisa. She saw him and came right over.
“Sir?” she said softly, looking at Yvgeny, seeming a little nervous for some reason. She was in a pencil skirt and blouse, her red hair piled up, and the glasses she wore made her look more like an innocent librarian than the tough as nails woman that worked for Yvgeny.
But she was involved with the Bratva, so she had to be pretty fucking strong in her own right.
Yvgeny looked at Aleczander, who was totally focused on her. “I’ll leave you to it then,” Yvgeny said and stood, and Vasilisa looked confused at first, but she schooled her expression and sat down beside the other man. He could hear them speaking in Russian, as was nearly everyone in the club tonight. But Yvgeny didn’t care about anyone or anything right now, not unless it concerned the one woman he told himself he shouldn’t have.
Instead of going right toward Alexa and Natasha, Yvgeny went over to the bar. He didn’t need anything else to drink, and was already pretty buzzed. But a shot sounded a hell of a lot safer than going over to the woman he loved.
“Vodka,” he said to the bartender, and leaned against the counter. He turned his head and watched Alexa. She started laughing about something Natasha said, and the sight of her smiling did something to his entire body. Only she could bring out this kind of light in him.
No, she didn’t bring it out in him. She gave it to him.
She was the light to his pitch-black soul.
Alexa was his Zvyozdochka, his Little Star.
“Sir,” the bartender said as he pushed over the filled shot glass.
Yvgeny tossed it back, but by now his throat was already numb from the drinking they’d been doing, so the burn didn’t take root.
He spoke with the bartender for a few minutes, the guy having worked for the club for the last year. He was Serbian, but he was one of the employees who had no idea exactly the type of man or organization he worked for.
Yvgeny would keep it that way.
Even if he trusted the people that worked closest with him, not all of them needed to know about the Bratva, or exactly how deep things ran here.
“No, thanks.” Although the music was blasting, Yvgeny could hear Alexa’s voice in the distance. “I said no thanks.” Her voice was slightly raised, stern, and when he glanced at her he could see why.
This little fucker, one he didn’t know well, but knew enough that he’d come with a few of the Bratva from around the city, was reaching out and touching Alexa’s arms. Every protective and territorial instinct in Yvgeny rose up. It didn’t matter if he hadn’t placed a claim on Alexa in front of these men. It didn’t matter if the fucker didn’t have a clue that Yvgeny loved Alexa.
The fact was he was touching her, and that was grounds for getting his ass kicked.
He stalked toward them, and just as he saw Alexa’s mouth open, maybe to tell the prick to back off for a third time, Yvgeny reached out and grabbed his arm. He pulled the bastard away. The guy stumbled backward, and when he turned and looked up at Yvgeny, he could see the asshole’s bloodshot eyes and smell the stench of alcohol and vomit coming from him.
He was drunk, probably not thinking clearly, but that didn’t matter. He’d touched Alexa. That was enough to set Yvgeny off.
“Yvgeny,” the guy stuttered out. He then started to speak in Russian, his words spoken fast, slurred. “You’re upset. I didn’t do shit. If this is about breaking that—”
“You don’t touch her,” Yvgeny said in English, cutting off the drunken asshole. He wanted Alexa to hear this, to understand. He could have easily spoken Russian so she wouldn’t have heard the possessiveness coming from him. But he needed her to hear this, to know all of this, all of him.
Maybe it was the alcohol he’d had, or the fact he was getting too damn selfish when it came to her. But he wasn’t holding back right now. Yvgeny also was annoyed with himself that he was holding back, even if he told himself over and over again it was for the best.
“You don’t look at her,” he stepped closer. “You don’t even fucking breathe in her direction.” Yvgeny leaned down so they were eye-to-eye now. “And if I even have a feeling you’re thinking about her, I’ll cut your balls off and make you choke on them.”
The guy nodded quickly and took off in the other direction. Yvgeny straightened and looked at Alexa. Natasha was beside her, her head downcast, as she clearly didn’t want to make eye contact with him.
“What was that about?” Alexa asked, confusion clear on her face.
He didn’t speak right away, didn’t even look at her. He was angry with himself for getting out of control with his emotions, nearly kicking that guy’s ass for just touching her, and especially annoyed with himself for not being a man and claiming the fuck out of her.
“Yvgeny?”
He turned and left her standing there without saying anything. Yvgeny went back to his office, shut the door, and tore off the suit jacket that felt too damn constricting. With one hand he undid the first three buttons of his shirt, pulled at the collar because he felt like he was suffocating, and walked over to the bar. He didn’t need anything to drink, and as he looked down at the bottle of whiskey he held, he curled his hand around the neck tightly.
Fuck.
He closed his eyes, seeing Alexa standing there looking pretty fucking good, but then he realized he’d just left her there, amongst all those damned men.
He turned and headed toward the door at a swift pace, and when he opened it he swore. There she was, standing on the other side, her hands in front of her, and her eyes wide as she looked up at him.
“Yvgeny? What is going on?” she asked in a soft voice.
He thought about her being with another man, thought about someone else touching her, making her feel good … loving her.
“Are you okay?” she asked and took a step closer.
He shook his head. “No, I’m not,” he answered honestly. He had a grip on the doorframe, and for as tightly as he held it, Yvgeny was surprised the fucker hadn’t come off.
“What’s wrong? Talk to me.” She sounded so concerned. “Yvgeny,” she whispered his name. “Please, talk to me.” Alexa reached out, just about to touch his chest, when something in him snapped.
He wasn’t going to be able to hold back, he knew it.
I don’t want to.
****
Alexa saw something shift on Yvgeny’s face. It looked primal, intense.
He looked just like he had when they’d been together all that time ago.
Her body heated instantly, became ready for him … primed.
Alexa’s hand was on his chest, and she felt how tense he was. She glanced down, could see this thickly corded neck, the tattoos that were just visible under the collar of his shirt. He turned her on like no other. And she
knew her love for him would destroy her.
He pulled her inside his office, shut and locked the door, and for a second they just stared at each other. He was breathing like he’d just run a marathon, and flashes of their time together went through her mind. She was ready for him, wanted him like a fiend, and she just wanted to forget about everything and anything except right now.
“Want to explain to me what happened back there?” Although she wanted to think he was jealous, that he didn’t want anyone touching her, she also wasn’t going to be delusional. She wasn’t going to pretend there was something more between them than there was, no matter how she “thought” he looked at her at times.
He was protective toward her, but then again he was with all women. Just because he kept her close, made sure she was taken care of, didn’t mean he felt anything more than that.
No, I see the way he watches me, the fact he isn’t as close with the other women. That has to mean something more, right?
“I’d never hurt you, Alexa, you know that, right?”
She smoothed her hands over her thighs, listening to the thickness in his voice. He wasn’t looking at her, but even though he wasn’t, his huge body and his aura made her feel like he was.
“I know,” she whispered.
He looked at her then. “And I would never let anyone hurt you,” he said, harder this time. He took a step closer. His eyes were glossy, and she knew he’d been drinking for a few hours. But his speech was clear, his movements precise. “If anyone thought of touching you, thought they could have you…” He shook his head slowly and stared right in her eyes. “I’d make them wish they hadn’t, Alexa. I’d make them beg me to show mercy.”
She swallowed. “Yvgeny…” she whispered, not sure what to say. She knew she had wide eyes. This seemed surreal, and the heat and electricity bouncing between them had beads of sweat forming along her body.
He took a step closer to her. “I’d kill anyone that thought they could touch you, could take you from me.” He looked at her mouth, and she wanted him to kiss her so damn badly. “I have been a fool for staying away, for trying to pretend what we shared that night was nothing more.” He looked at her eyes again. “It meant a hell of a lot, Alexa.”
She felt her breathing shift to something deeper, faster.
“You’re drunk?” She meant to say it like a statement, not a question.
He took a step closer, shaking his head. “I know what I want.”
“I…” God, what could she say?
“I want you.”
Oh. God.
“Do I frighten you?”
She didn’t answer right away, but finally shook her head. “No. But why now?” She moved backward until she felt his glass and chrome desk stop her retreat. “Why after all this time, Yvgeny?”
He didn’t answer right away, but he did walk closer to her.
“I was a fool, Alexa,” he said and looked down at her lips. She licked them involuntarily. “You’re all I want.” He stopped when he was only a foot from her. Alexa braced her hands on the cold, hard, and unforgiving desk behind her, and held her breath. “You’re all I’ll ever want.”
Chapter Four
“I could ruin you, Alexa,” Yvgeny said honestly. He didn’t want to lie to her. “That’s why I stayed away, pretended what we’d shared never happened. “I don’t want my life ruining you.”
She shook her head, this truth written on her face. “It’s my choice to be here. I want this … you.”
“I don’t want you to be a casualty because of the way I live my life.”
A moment of silence passed between them, but then she lifted her hands and placed them on his chest. “I want you. I care about you, Yvgeny.”
He groaned and closed his eyes. With her hands on his chest, her scent invading his head, Yvgeny tried to control himself. “Seeing that fucker touching you, trying to have you…” He shook his head, not finishing what he was saying. “I can’t stand the thought of you being with anyone else.” He looked into her eyes, ones that were so receptive, so emotional.
Yvgeny didn’t know if he could have stopped even if he wanted to at that moment. He reached around, cupped her nape, and pulled her toward him. Her chest clashed with his, her breath coming out in a warm, sweet rush of air, and he leaned down and kissed her until she was breathless.
The moan that came from her was saccharine and perfect, and his cock hardened further. He went to pull away, but she speared her hands in his hair, tugged at the strands, and made these small noises in the back of her throat.
“Yvgeny.” She moaned his name against his lips. He kissed her harder, swallowing the sound, but needing more, so much more.
He wanted her to surrender every part of herself to him, to just be his. He’d waited too long, been too much of a fool. All it had taken for him to realize he couldn’t pretend anymore was some fucker touching her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her as tightly to him as she could get, and ground his cock into the softness of her belly. She gasped, kissed him harder, and he let the world fade away.
She felt good in his arms, really fucking good, in fact, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to let her go. Yvgeny wasn’t going to let Alexa walk away again. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be a motherfucker when it came to her.
She broke the kiss and looked at him. Yvgeny looked down at her mouth. Her lips were swollen, red, and wet because of him. God, that turned him on.
“Does this feel good, Zvyozdochka?”
She nodded, and he lifted his hand to move his thumb along her bottom lip. “I don’t want to feel this anger when I think of some other fucker touching you,” he said low. “I don’t want to worry about killing an asshole because I don’t want anyone else to have you.”
“Yvgeny—”
He stopped her by kissing her soundly.
“The only thing that matters is the here and now, and the fact I’m done trying to ignore this.” He cupped both of her cheeks and slanted his mouth on hers once more. Yvgeny couldn’t get enough.
He’d never get enough.
“This can work,” she murmured against his mouth.
He didn’t think about the shit that could go down, how dangerous it was for her to be so close to him. All he wanted to think about was that he could protect her, he could make this work.
“Fuck, Alexa,” he said and knitted his brows, giving her a softer kiss. When he pulled back he smoothed the hair away from her forehead. “I want to be gentle and soft with you, want to show you a side that I didn’t know I had.” He watched her throat work as she swallowed. “Because you make me want to be a better man. You make me want to do good things, even if I know I can’t.”
“I know who and what you are, and I want you just as you come, Yvgeny.” He could see emotion flicker across her face. “I love you,” she whispered. His heart stopped, the world turned upside down, and his cold, dead soul warmed and became alive for this woman.
“I’m the devil with a spot in hell, but I want this to work. I’m done fighting it.”
Her mouth was parted, her pupils dilated, and when she licked her lips, he let his inner beast free. He kissed her hard until she was consumed by the passion.
Their tongues slid along each other, frantic, heated, and full of need. His cock was hard, so fucking stiff that he ground his erection into her belly to ease the ache. Alexa was pliant in his arms, pressing her breasts against his chest and murmuring these little incoherent things. Yvgeny moved his hand lower until he got to the edge of her blouse. He slipped his fingers beneath the material. She didn’t stop him, and in fact arched for more.
“God, Alexa.” He grunted those two words out. “I’m starving for you.”
Before he could move his hand up further, she had her hands between them and was undoing the buttons of her shirt. When the material parted she reached behind her, and a second later the cups of her bra loosened. His cock jerked even harder, the tip wet with pre-cum.
There was no
waiting once he saw the bottom of her full breasts peeking out from under the material. Yvgeny grabbed the cups, one in each hand, and in a swift move tore the material in two. She gasped, but he didn’t wait to make her feel good. Instead he grabbed her around the waist, spun her around, and walked them toward the wall. He pressed her back to it, holding her stationary for what he wanted to do to her.
“I’m going to make you feel so fucking good,” he said low, deep.
He took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pulled at the already turgid flesh. Over and over he pulled at the peak, growing more impatient with needing her.
She needed to be naked for him.
In a matter of seconds he had her shirt and the remains of her bra off, then went for her skirt and panties. He might have already seen her naked, and been inside of her, but that didn’t mean shit. He felt like a fiend for her, like he’d never sampled her, never tasted the sweetness of her pussy.
“I want to be inside of you again, Alexa.”
“Don’t stop.” She slanted her mouth on his and speared her tongue between his parted lips. Back was the desperation, but it was the good kind, the kind that he felt down to his bones. He cupped her breasts with his hands, squeezing the mounds until she was rocking back and forth against his erection, rubbing herself on him, and had him nearly coming in his pants.
“I need more. I need it all from you.” He was already near his breaking point. Yvgeny let go of her breasts and cupped her ass, and for a suspended moment all he did was hold the big globes while he fucked her mouth with his.
He moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, “I need to be inside of you now. I need to fuck you until you can only think of me when I’m not with you.”
“Yes.” She shivered and pulled back to look him in the face.
And then he was done, just fucking done, because he had to have her. He had to make her his in all ways.
****
It was like an animal had been unleashed inside of Yvgeny.
It was exactly what she wanted.
He pressed her against the wall even harder, then moved his hand between their bodies. He started undoing his pants, but stopped to kiss her. After a few seconds of fucking her mouth with his, he stepped back and made quick work of getting his clothes off.