by Winter Fox
Now he had kept his promise to her, and helped her to escape Mariusz. All he had to do was keep her safe until he could give her to Alessio tomorrow night.
“Ilya,” she shrieked, pointing out of the windshield.
His head snapped forward. Sava was standing in the open doorway, aiming a gun directly at him.
“Put your head down, baby,” he instructed Liselle, and he was grateful when she complied.
Then he pressed his foot down against the gas pedal, sending the car roaring toward Sava. The first bullet took out the door mirror, but the second lodged into the windshield directly in front of Ilya’s face.
Liselle screamed at the sound of the impact, but Ilya didn’t change course. All of Mariusz’s cars had reinforced windshields, for just such a situation as this. Although the cracks which had rapidly appeared meant that the glass might not be able to withstand another hit.
Fortunately, the car was now almost on top of Sava, and the other man had no choice but to jump to the side, or go underneath the vehicle. Not surprisingly he chose to jump, and the SUV sailed through the doors and into the blazing sunshine.
“You can sit back up now, baby.” Ilya murmured softly.
Liselle sat up, firing a relieved smile at him. And then they were through the main gates—wide open, as Ilya had known they would be, because Mariusz was too cocky for his own good—and onto the street which was the beginning of their journey to freedom.
Ilya had chosen a motel about forty miles from Mariusz’s house. He didn’t want to keep running too far, in case they ran into one of the inevitable search party which Mariusz would be in the process of deploying. But he also didn’t want to be too close to the immediate search area.
Most of the drive was on wide, clear freeway, and they made good time. Ilya was relieved, when after a thirty-five-minute drive they arrived at the motel, and he turned into the tree-covered driveway. It was an unusual motel—made up of a series of self-contained log cabins which were dotted throughout a dense forest.
The cabin which Ilya had booked was set the farthest back among the trees. Meaning that unless you drove right to the very end of the dirt track, you had no chance of seeing the SUV parked up out front. He hoped it was enough to keep Mariusz and the rest of the five at bay.
He briefly wondered if they would be called the Four, now that their Lieutenant had defected.
Shrugging off his thoughts Ilya switched off the engine, and popped his seatbelt—turning apologetically to Liselle. “I hadn’t anticipated spending the night here, and I don’t want to leave you by yourself, in case they come.”
She understood his meaning perfectly, replying as she popped her own seatbelt open. “I don’t mind sharing a room with you, Ilya.”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa, or the floor,” he offered as they got out of the car, and jogged up the steps to the front door.
“Thank you.” She looked at him gratefully, as he opened the door for her, and she stepped inside.
Giving one last cautious glance around outside, Ilya followed Liselle into the cabin, and closed the door. She turned to him with a frown on her stunning face.
“What’s wrong?” He inquired.
“I forgot to bring the bag that I packed.”
“Don’t worry, there’ll be enough stuff here to see you through tonight.”
She nodded, and looked around at the spacious living area in the cabin. Ilya had spared no expense in booking this place—it was luxury through and through. But it was the location that had sold it to him.
“This place is beautiful.” She smiled at him as she spoke.
Ilya gestured toward the rustic kitchen area. “The place is stocked with food, and drink. Everything we could need for one night in the wilderness.”
Liselle meandered over to the kitchen, trailing her fingers lightly across the wooden counter-tops, and Ilya was struck by how different she seemed outside of Mariusz’s prison. She’d been full of life ever since he’d met her, but now she seemed to have awakened even more.
She was beyond beautiful.
“What do we do now?” Her voice startled him.
Dropping the bags which he’d brought from the car onto the floor, Ilya shrugged. “We wait for your brother.”
He ignored the bite of sadness he felt as he once again thought of leaving her. Although he was almost certain that he’d seen his own sorrow mirrored on her face too.
“Shall I make us some dinner?” Liselle had opened the refrigerator, and was looking through all of the foods which Ilya had instructed the cabin’s owner to provide.
“Sure. I’m going to empty the car, and I also need to text your brother to let him know that we’re here safely.”
“Okay. Is steak and fries good for you?” She was already loading parcels of food onto the kitchen counter, and he was struck by just how bossy this little creature could be in a domestic environment.
He smiled, and nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
He turned to go back out to the car, with a heavy heart. A domestic environment was no place for monsters. And the sooner Ilya stepped out of Liselle’s life, the sooner she could focus on recovering from all she had suffered at the hands of the Russians.
She deserved to find a man who could treat her right, and give her all of the things that she deserved.
And as much as it hurt to admit it, that man was not him.
33
Liss
I watched Ilya step back out into the sunshine and birdsong outside of the cabin, and I bit my lip miserably. The sadness was rolling off of him in waves, and I was strangely certain that it was because he didn’t want to say goodbye to me. Which I understood completely, because the thought of saying goodbye to him tomorrow was tearing me apart inside.
Every time I thought about how it would feel, about what we would say to each other, when he handed me over to my brother. Tears sprang to my eyes. I had become an emotional wreck since I’d met Ilya. It was as though I was on a rollercoaster of euphoric highs, which came when he was fucking me. Countered by long-spiraling plunges into darkness as I considered the prospect of living without him.
In such a short space of time this man had somehow gotten so far under my skin that it seemed I was even able to forgive him for the way that he’d hurt me. If I was completely honest with myself, I wanted to beg him to come with us. Tell him to bring his family to Vienna, and ask him to stay with me. Forever.
But if I even tried to tell Alessio that I was in love with the Lieutenant, he’d go crazy.
Wait? What? In love? Was I?
“How’s that steak coming along?” His husky voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“I need to prep the vegetables first, then I’ll cook the steak. Is there any wine?”
I needed a drink. Being alone with Ilya like this suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself. He’d told me so many times that he wasn’t my Prince Charming, and if he thought this spoiled little brat had fallen in love with him—he’d probably run a mile, leaving me to fend for myself tonight.
Holding up a bottle of red, Ilya grinned. And my stomach pitched and rolled at how boyishly charming he was. “There sure is. I told you I’d thought of everything.”
* * *
Dinner was delicious, but I had to give half of the credit to the tasty produce which Ilya had ordered. He had great taste in food and wine. We had managed to polish off the bottle of wine by the end of dinner, and Ilya opened a second bottle as we took a seat on the huge rust-colored couches in the living room.
I suddenly became very aware of how close to me he was sitting, as his knee brushed against my own, and I blushed—staring into my wine glass.
When his large hand reached forward to capture my chin, I almost squeaked in distress. If he looked into my eyes right now, I knew he’d see it. He’d know what I felt.
He gently pushed against my chin, tilting my head back until our eyes met. His dark gaze was concerned. “Am I upsetting y
ou? Is this too close?”
I should have said yes. But instead I said, “No.”
He shifted until our faces were only inches apart. “Are you sure? Because I don’t want to make you do anything that you don’t want to do.”
I swallowed loudly, but held my ground. “I’m sure.”
He was so close now, that his lips were brushing against mine, and his black eyes seared into my own gaze. “Last chance,” he rasped.
And when I tried to reply—to tell him that I really was sure. His mouth smothered mine, capturing my lips in an urgent, yet tender kiss. I opened my mouth to his without hesitation, and he growled as his tongue chased after my own.
My arms came up to clasp around his neck, and he released my chin to slide his hand down my body, cupping my breast tightly. I moaned against his mouth, and he flinched. Murmuring quietly, “I’m sorry, milaya. I’m not going to hurt you.”
I tightened my hold on his neck, pushing my upper body against his own. Willing him to really understand that I was giving myself to him completely.
“I want you to,” I whispered.
He pulled back from me sharply, his eyes narrowed. “What? What did you say?”
Blinking slowly, I tried to ignore the fire which was already kindling in my core. “I want you to be yourself, Ilya. If you want to hurt me, then hurt me. I trust you to get it right for both of us.”
He needed no further encouragement. With a deep growl he stood up, lifting me easily in his huge, tattooed arms. Then he carried me into the beautifully decorated bedroom. The main feature of which was a huge canopy bed, built from the twisting limbs of a tree.
Dropping me onto the soft patchwork bedcovers, Ilya tore his T-shirt off, revealing the muscled chest which I already felt as though I knew as well as my own body. I copied him, stripping out of my cream top, kicking my ballet pumps off, and pulling my jeans off too.
Our underwear quickly followed, and when we were both naked; he fell upon me like a starving man, landing kisses all over my body. His tongue teased across my burning flesh, leaving damp trails which were caressed by the cool breeze blowing gently through the open window.
When he reached the crease which separated my thigh and my already glistening folds, he teased his tongue along the line. Moving further down; until he had gone as far as he could without actually touching my desperate sex. Then he pressed his mouth to my other thigh, and repeated the process.
Frustrated. I arched my back, wrapping my hands in the bedding. “Please, Ilya?”
His teeth unforgivingly snapped closed on the tender flesh of my inner thigh, and I cried out in pain. “I control everything. Hush, milaya.”
Then his tongue flicked out to lap at the bitemark on my thigh, easing the sting which had been left by his teeth.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. Wriggling against him.
“Good girl,” he rasped, his mouth only inches from my swollen sex. Then his tongue darted forward to flick at my throbbing clit.
“Oh. Oh, god,” I wailed.
As the vibrations of pleasure pulsed through my trembling body, I thought I heard him rumble a deep laugh. Then his mouth closed over my clit, and I was blind to everything except the ecstasy of his mouth taking ownership of me.
He nipped at the tender bud, flicking his tongue back and forth in a persistent rhythm which was so unbearable I tried to wriggle away. His hands shot up, and his fingers pinched hold of my nipples, and he let his nails dig in to the tender flesh just enough to elicit a quiet mewl from me.
He took his mouth off my throbbing clit, and looked up at me with fire in his eyes. “Too much?”
I blinked at him, furious that he’d stopped. “No. No. Don’t stop.”
That was the moment when he took me at my word. His fingers twisted the tips of my breasts, and although it was painful, it sent shudders of delight through my upper body.
His mouth licked, and sucked at my pussy with such ferocity that my mind became blank. I couldn’t even remember my own name.
And as the sparks of pleasure fired from my sex, and up into my stomach, the two different sources of stimulation clashed within my body—sending me over the precipice of my orgasm. My body became rigid, as my back arched and I cried out my release into the silence of the room.
Without even giving me a second to breathe, Ilya flipped me onto my stomach, and his hand landed hard on the cheek of my ass. I knew he had purposely avoided the cheek which Dante had whipped, and I was grateful. But it still hurt like a bitch.
“Ow.”
He paused, but I could sense he was ready to strike again. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No. Don’t stop.” I dipped my back, arching my ass shamelessly up to him. Offering my body up like a sacrifice.
His hand landed on my ass again, and I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying out. The tips of my nipples were pressed into the cotton bedclothes, and the friction generated a gentle burning sensation as it agitated the imprints left against them by Ilya’s fingers.
Coupled with the intense burn in my ass, it was a feeling unlike any other I’d ever experienced. It was fucked up, but the pain acted as an accelerator for my pleasure, and as he struck my ass again, I cried out in surprise as I reached my second orgasm.
He was barely touching me when I came.
As I cried out in euphoria, he didn’t hesitate. Wrapping his large arm around my waist, he pulled me up higher onto my knees, and plunged his rock-hard cock into my soaking wet pussy. I was mid-orgasm as he invaded my body, and began relentlessly driving himself inside me over and over again.
The rhythmic thrusts only served to prolong my pleasure; until I wasn’t sure if I had begun my third orgasm, or whether it was just that he had kept me writhing in the pleasure of the second one for all this time. He released my waist now, trusting me to stay on my knees, and his fingers found their way between my legs.
He began to rub frantic circles across my tortured clit, and I whimpered. “Please, Ilya. I can’t…”
Leaning hard against my body, his teeth tugged at the soft flesh of my ear lobe. Before he whispered, “You can, and you will.”
Then he dropped his mouth into the crease between my neck and shoulder, and I prepared for him to bite me. But he didn’t; instead he sucked hard at the soft flesh, which was almost as painful as a bite would have been.
But then he increased the frequency of his violent thrusts inside my body, and his fingers pressed harder against my clit, drawing a long cry of despair and delight from me. He continued sucking at my neck, as he stiffened inside me, and as my body was torn apart by a final orgasm, I felt him quiver as he came to his own release inside me. His body trembling almost as much as my own.
Panting, and shuddering above me, he finally lifted his mouth from my bruised neck, nuzzling his lips against my ear once more. His voice was husky, and broken by sharp huffs of breath. But I heard him loud and clear.
“I love you, baby.”
My heart sang; my soul cried out in perfect bliss, and I responded without hesitation. “I love you too.”
34
Liss
We collapsed into a tangled heap on the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around me. The terrifying artistic images of his tattoos might have intimidated me once—coupled with his huge, muscular arms. But now his arms felt strong, and safe around my body. And although I knew that he liked to hurt me, I also knew that he would never truly hurt me again. Because he loved me.
He’d said so.
Ilya laid a soft kiss against the top of my head, as I buried my face into his chest, and inhaled the musky aroma of him. His hand lazily tracing up and down my spine, lightly tickling against skin which was still peppered with gooseflesh from my excitement.
“Liss?”
“Hmm?” I murmured, sleepily.
“Your brother really doesn’t like me.”
I lifted my head up, raising my arm so that I could sit my chin on the back of my hand. I stared into his black eyes,
and my mouth curved up in a genuine smile of happiness.
“I don’t think you’ve ever given a shit what people think of you, Lieutenant.”
He huffed laughter. “No, that’s very true. But I would prefer it if my girlfriend’s brother didn’t despise me.”
Girlfriend.
I thought about Alessio’s attitude toward the Russians for a moment. Ilya helping me to escape from Mariusz had to count for something though, surely.
“You’re not responsible for killing my parents. Even though I know you told me that you would have killed them if you’d been there that night.”
He cringed, grabbing my hand and lifting it to his lips to lay a gentle kiss against my palm. “I’m sorry for the things that I’ve said, and done to you, milaya.”
I shook my head at him. “Don’t apologize. All of that was before we truly knew each other. I think my brother will come around, Ilya. After all, I wouldn’t be going back to my family if it wasn’t for you.”
Nodding thoughtfully, he wrapped his arm back around my neck—pulling my head down against his chest again. Then he began laying gentle kisses against my messed-up dark hair, once more.
“You know that Dante’s dogs will never stop searching for us? We have no option but to stay under the radar until the day we die. Or until Dante’s empire falls.”
I shuddered as I thought back to the whip in Dante’s hand, and my own hand absently traced the raised welt he’d left on my ass. Yet another brutal situation which Ilya had saved me from.
“I didn’t thank you for killing him.”
“You just did, baby,” he murmured.
“Thank you for everything, Ilya. I mean it.” I laid a soft kiss against his chest as I spoke. Then pulling my head back I looked into his eyes again. “So, what happens now?”
He smiled, and there wasn’t a shadow of the old darkness on his face. He finally seemed happy, and content.
“I need to call my contact in Russia.”
“I thought your family were out safely?” I said, suddenly desperately worried for Ilya’s mother and sister.