He tapped my nose. "Don’t worry; I’ll get you there."
I couldn't take it anymore though. I lifted my hips, forcing him deeper and locking my legs around his waist to keep him there.
Finally, he gave it back to me. Thrust after animalistic thrust built the tension in my body until I couldn’t hold back anymore. My orgasm throttled through me, and I screamed out his name, my voice echoing in the emptiness around us. Then I collapsed back, gasping, heaving. My limbs twitched with the aftershock.
At some point, I realized he was kissing me again and turning me around, putting me on my hands and knees.
"I'm not finished with you yet."
I was half-woozy with pleasure as he began stroking me from the top of my clit all the way down to my pussy, lingering there, teasing me.
He stroked me, and as I sighed and thought I couldn't take anymore, he slipped a finger in. And then another. Sensation shook me.
"God I love how wet you get for me, Sasha."
I could only reach back uselessly for his erection, which was out of reach.
"Not yet," he said. "Soon."
But soon it wasn't soon enough for me. I could feel my control giving way as he flickered his fingers inside me, hitting G spot, as another wave of orgasm crashed through me.
"Oh, yes, more, yes," I moaned as words turned into syllables and shaking overtook me.
I thought I'd reached the peak of peaks when he mercifully entered me.
A shriek burst from me, but Pierce was only beginning. He thrust into me again and again, building on yet another climax. As my pleasure arced higher and higher, I squeezed my eyes shut, until colors burst behind my lids as Pierce growled low in his chest and emptied himself inside of me.
Finally, I was sated.
--
I awoke under the stars with Pierce stroking my hair.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked.
"A little while," he said.
We had a blanket wrapped over both of us, and I was warm in Pierce’s arms.
I could feel the heat emanating off him, the press of his hard muscles against my back.
"Don't make me move," I said, nuzzling my head into his chest.
He kissed my cheek. "Wouldn’t dream of it."
My gaze returned to the stars. "God, in the city, you don't realize there's so-"
"Many," Pierce finished.
He pointed up to a series of stars, and said, "That’s Aquarius. In Greek myth, Aquarius was Ganymede; the young boy kidnapped by Zeus to be cupbearer for the Olympian gods." His point went further on. "And that longer one is Orion, the hunter. He appears in the winter sky, with his bow and his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, trailing behind him."
"How do you know all of that?” I asked.
"I took an astronomy class in college as an elective."
“That must’ve been nice to have that option,” I said somewhat sadly.
“I just figured you didn’t go to college because you had your business,” Pierce said behind me.
"That's not why I didn't go," I said quietly.
Pierce was silent, and I continued, "If you were going to guess it was because of Aleksi, then you would be right. At first, he was all for it. But then, after a year or so when I actually went to apply, he insisted that it was stupid. That I'd never had enough time, that I didn't need it."
Pierce was on his phone, which was a bit annoying. Had he even been listening?
When he showed me his screen, I realized just how much he had been.
On it, was a list of nearby universities. "You should check them out," he said. "You might even be able to get some special grants since you have your own business. You don't have to take a whole degree either. You could just take a class or two. See if you like it."
With the starlight shining down on his face, the carved planes cast into shadow, his kind grey eyes luminous, there was no way Pierce could have any idea just how beautiful he was in that moment. He was as different from Aleksi as water was to fire.
Yet, they did have one important thing in common. I'd loved Aleksi. And now, looking at Pierce, I knew I could love him, too.
That night, I fell asleep in his arms. No bad dreams, no fears. Nothing. I was safe in his arms.
The next morning, I awoke to a whiff of strawberry.
"Hungry?" Pierce said, a chocolate-covered strawberry clasped in his fingers.
We lazed around another hour or so, feeding each other, neither mentioning the impending decision we had to make. Was I going to go back to Claircreek? I had everything with me in my duffel bag, but that didn't mean that it was a good idea to stay in New York City.
There was still the whole Aleksi issue. And the Adrian issue. And the what-exactly-were-Pierce-and-I-doing issue.
Last night we had said we wanted to give it a go, but what exactly did that mean?
Pierce's phone pinged, effectively ending my train of thought.
"Shit," he said in a voice laced with fear.
“What?” I asked, my own heart kicking up a notch.
“We have to go. Now.”
45
Pierce
"What is it?" Sasha asked.
"It's Adrian," I said. "He's been beaten up, and he’s in the hospital. Tatiana said it was Aleksi."
I started pacing. "Shit.” I stopped, clenched my phone tight. "If we go back there, they could be waiting. This could all be to lure us back to the city to get to you."
"It doesn't matter," Sasha said. "Pierce, we have to go."
I nodded dully. "I know. I'm just trying to figure out if there is a way to do it safely."
"There might be," Sasha admitted. "It won't work long. It probably won't work at all, but it’s worth a shot."
--
Half an hour later, on our way to the hospital, a black-haired Sasha joined me in the car. "What do you think?"
I looked at the stranger and tried to formulate words.
She scowled. "I know, the sandy-blonde hair suits me more, but beggars can't be choosers. This was the only wig that was under a hundred bucks."
"That's not what I was going to say," I said, as I pulled the car back onto the road, "I was going to say that you look hot."
Sasha kissed my cheek. "Good answer."
Our happiness was short-lived. Once we arrived at the hospital, we had a hard time finding which room Adrian was in. By the time we got there, my whole body was tensed in anticipation of what we’d see.
Adrian had been well enough to tell Tatiana to text me, at least. But what was the extent of his injuries?
One look inside his hospital room and my gut clenched. Aleksi will pay for this.
Adrian had two black eyes, a split upper lip, and bruising on his chest and arms.
"What? I’m not winning the beauty contest am I?" he wheezed.
Sasha sat by his side, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry we weren't there. What happened?"
"I'm an idiot, is what happened," Adrian said. "I got piss drunk at some bar somewhere, drowning my sorrows. When I went out for some air, these guys came out of nowhere and beat the living shit out of me. Demanded to know where you were. I told them I didn't know and that made them even angrier."
"Was Aleksi there?" I asked quietly.
Adrian nodded. "He wasn't one of the ones beating me, though. And he told them to stop. Told them when enough was enough."
Sasha's eyes closed, and she turned her head away. "I can't let him do this. I can't let him hurt the people I love. Adrian, I think I should just go back to him. It'll just be easier."
"No!" Adrian and I shouted in unison.
Adrian glared at Sasha and shouted, "Are you sure you're not the one who got their head kicked in? There are no circumstances under which you are going back to him. Otherwise, this will all have been for nothing. And Sasha, if he did this to me, what is he capable of doing to you?"
Adrian's nostrils flared, then he said, "No, what you need is to go back in hiding. Go somewhere far away a
nd stay there until the asshole is dealt with."
"You don't know Aleksi like I do," Sasha said. "There’s no way of ‘dealing’ with him. And he’ll never stop coming for me."
"There has to be another way," I said.
Adrian’s eyes cut to Sasha as something suddenly dawned on him. “What are you even doing here? How did you find out I was here?” His gaze swung to me.
"I want to talk to my sister alone," Adrian said carefully, looking away.
"Of course," I said, walking out. “I'll wait outside."
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that now just might be the moment of truth.
When Adrian decides if he's okay with us or not.
46
Sasha
"What is it?" I asked.
"I’m not going to stand in your way," Adrian said.
I squinted at him. It was hard to tell my brother’s facial expressions with his puffy face and black panda eyes. "Meaning?"
He sighed. "Meaning, I won't stop you, if you two go for it." He waved a hand weakly. "Don't get me wrong; I'm not exactly giving you my blessing here. But I won’t disown you or Pierce. Frankly, I’ve never seen him happier than when he’s with you. Even when you two were trying to pretend to be on the down-low."
"You knew?" I said.
I always figured Adrian was the type who gave his cards all away, who would've spazzed and flipped his shit if he caught a whiff of Pierce and me. That was what he’d done after Pierce had told him, after all.
"I had my suspicions," Adrian admitted. "But I kept pushing them aside with this whole fake marriage and Aleksi business. It was all just too much to deal with at once. Anyway, you can continue as you are if that’s what you really want."
My eyes strayed to a giant bouquet of pink and purple glittery flowers. "Who are those from?"
"Don't worry about it," Adrian said, his cheeks going a mottled red.
I burst out laughing. "Those are from Tatiana, aren't they?"
"Don't say a word," Adrian said darkly. "And don't ask me about it."
I just smiled. I’d known Adrian long enough to see when something actually meant something to him. And Tatiana, for whatever reason, looked like she was winning his heart.
"Thanks for finally understanding about Pierce," I said.
"You two didn't give me much choice," Adrian countered.
"Hey, you’re the one that forced me to marry him," I chided him.
"Fine, fine," he said, assuming a magnanimous expression. "I am a great brother, and a stellar human being, after all."
I patted his shoulder gently. "You are."
As I walked to the door, he called after me, "Where are you going?"
"A lot has happened in a short time," I admitted. "I just need some time to think. I'm sure Pierce wants to talk to you, anyway."
"Okay, okay, send that motherfucker in here.”.
Outside the hospital room, Pierce approached me. "How is he?"
"Well, he’s still cracking jokes, though he looks bad," I said. "Anyway, I'm just heading to the cafeteria. I think he's ready to talk to you if you are."
Pierce nodded and walked into the room. I headed down to the cafeteria. It took a bit of navigating to get there, but by the time I arrived, I'd worked up quite an appetite. I got some food and sat down at one of the salmon-colored tables.
Adrian had finally given his semi-blessing to Pierce and me, and I still didn't know how to feel about it. Was it because the whole Aleksi thing was still looming? Or because of how our relationship started? After all, Pierce and I were married. What were we going to do, get a divorce and then start dating?
Did that mean the whole dating process was going to be skewed?
My phone buzzed.
It was Pierce: Where are you?
I slid my phone back in my pocket and continued eating.
I needed to figure out how I felt about all of it. Not because of the Aleksi situation. Not because my brother had finally given us his blessing. Not because things were getting more serious between Pierce and I, but I needed to figure out what I, Sasha, really wanted.
When my phone started ringing, I sighed, preparing to hang it up. But it wasn't Pierce.
“Oh so now you answer my calls,” a rattled voice demanded.
"Tatiana, hey," I said. "What's up?"
“Where are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“At the hospital, I just saw Adrian.”
"Is he okay? Is he awake?" she asked in a voice laced with concern.
"Yeah," I said, "He just woke up a few minutes ago. He's got a few broken bones and two black eyes, but he's cracking jokes. He'll be fine."
She exhaled a gust of relief. "Oh, thank God. There was no one here to take over the shop, and I had a top client coming in, so I had no choice but to go in. But I'm coming back at lunchtime, first thing. Did he get my flowers?"
I swallowed back the amusement in my voice. "Oh yeah, he got them."
"Oh great," she said. "I'm so relieved. The only person he felt he could text was Pierce since he didn't know where you were. But we're glad you're back now."
"So am I," I said. "Although, I don’t feel fully relieved just yet. Aleksi and those guys who beat him up could be anywhere."
"You're right," Tatiana said. "Of course. Just don't go anywhere without someone with you, and you should be fine. That Adrian…"
She sighed. "I'd been working late last night, so we had plans to meet, just much later. If he could've just waited to go out. The hospital is well guarded, correct?" she suddenly asked sharply.
"If the mob wanted to kill my brother, they could've," I told her. "He’ll be fine."
After we said our goodbyes, I couldn't help but wonder if I would be.
By the time I packed up my stuff and got back to Adrian's hospital room, Pierce was gone.
47
Pierce
As I drove home, I tried to brainstorm. The talk with Adrian had gone well, at least. He said something along the lines of, I’m still majorly pissed at you, and borderline despise you, but I forgive you, which was good enough for me, for now.
He even said that if I continued to date Sasha, he wouldn't stab me in my sleep. It wasn't a blessing but was as close to one as I'd get from Adrian.
The whole Aleksi situation was a way bigger problem now anyway. Not only were they in town, but they were definitely closing in. After attacking Adrian, what would be next?
Kidnapping Sasha?
I clenched my hands onto the steering wheel. The only way I'd ever rest was once Aleksi, and those goons of his were behind bars where they belonged.
I should've stayed back at the hospital with Sasha, demanded she go home with me. But I had a feeling she wanted to stick around for her brother, and I didn't want to get in the way of that.
Still, there had to be some way of finding out where those guys were, what they're doing.
As I sped down the highway and spotted a cop's car on the shoulder, it jolted me.
Yeah, that would do it.
Once I got home, I made a phone call.
"Hello?" the slightly nasally voice said. "This is Officer Holt speaking."
"Hey Ryan, it's Pierce."
Immediately the professional voice dropped. "Pierce! How long has it been, buddy? Damn, I really need to get back to climbing."
"Your yearly climbing pass expired about two years ago, so I'd have to agree," I said with a chuckle. "Although that's not why I'm calling. Do you know anything about members of the Russian mob being in town?"
"Not much," he said. "A bit of chatter is all. There's been a few beatings, extra muggings, some suspicious and violent circumstances in areas where there's a bigger Russian population. But nothing definite. Why?"
"They’re after my… best friend’s sister," I said. I wasn’t really sure what to call her. Even if she was legally my wife, I didn’t want to get into that whole situation over the phone with Ryan. "She used to date one of the head guys, and now he's stal
king her. Beat Adrian up over it."
"Shit," Ryan said. "You want me to see if I can pick these guys up on anything?"
"That would be great," I said. "But just a warning. You're going to want back up. These guys also have some major connections, so you're going to need something good that'll stick."
"Got it," Ryan said. "How are you doing, anyway?"
"Good," I said. "Business is booming at the gym. What about you?"
"Just got married last month," Ryan said, and I could hear the pride vibrating in his voice. "A real sweetie from Alabama. She makes the meanest apple pie, and swears like a sailor."
We laughed.
"You still living the bachelor life?" He asked.
"Not exactly," I said. "It's complicated."
Ryan chuckled appreciatively. "That doesn't surprise me one bit.”
"Yeah, yeah," I said. "But thanks for your help. You call me if anything comes up?"
"Yeah, definitely," Ryan said. "And maybe I'll bring Sue to your gym one of these days."
"You bet," I said. "Both of you can have as many free climbs as you want."
"Thanks, buddy," Ryan said.
Afterward, I sat on one of my kitchen chairs, noticing suddenly, how empty my apartment was. Yeah, the design was minimalist. But wasn’t minimalist just a fancy word for empty, if it wasn't done right?
I’d never realized just how much I’d let my parents rule my life; at least in the relationship department. I’d always known there was a deeper reason for my instinctive avoidance of anything too serious, but now, it was all coming out in the open.
And I hated it. They made my childhood a living hell. And I was gonna let them ruin the rest of my life too?
I picked up my phone to call Sasha.
48
Sasha
I stayed with Adrian until Tatiana showed up. They clearly wanted time for themselves, so I gave them some space. It turned out Tatiana was going to stay the night too.
I knew I should've called Pierce, but I just headed over to Adrian's. I didn't have the energy to talk to him, to continue our conversation from before. I just wanted to sleep.
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 85