by Katie Dowe
"Right. Tell."
Maya knew she wouldn't get Jenny off her bed or any sleep until she had told Jenny what had happened. They had met at the airport in New York and Jenny had immediately sensed something was wrong. But Maya was still upset and she had withdrawn into herself, refusing to talk about it. Jenny had understood and backed off but now she was clearly expecting an answer.
She sagged onto the bed beside her, flopping onto her back and staring at the ceiling.
"Alexei and I..." She felt her face getting red. This was too embarrassing. "We were intimate the night before Barbados."
Jenny gave a whoop and clapped her hands.
"I knew it!" She squealed. "I knew you'd do it!" But she sobered up when she saw Maya wasn't jumping up and down with her. "But from the look on your face he didn't come up to your expectations."
"Oh, he did. More than." Maya closed her eyes. She didn't talk about her sexual escapades to anyone, not even Jenny, so this wasn't easy. "It was when we were about to have sex for the third time..."
"Third? Wow, the stamina of the man."
"Jenny, please. This is hard enough as it is." Maya took a deep breath. "I asked if he could keep the condom off that time."
"Eh? Why would you do that? You're not on any contraception."
"It was something that I wanted to do on impulse. I just wanted to feel what he felt like without a plastic bag on his cock." Maya sat up and hunched over. "He froze up and pulled away, saying he doesn't want kids and he's not getting anyone pregnant."
"He said that?"
Jenny knew how much Maya wanted kids and would know how much this would be upsetting if her best friend was to hear it.
"He doesn't want to marry or have kids. Which is exactly what I want." Maya bit her lip as the tears welled up. "So I had to tell him to leave and that we couldn't see each other."
"Oh, honey."
Jenny uncrossed her legs and slid over. She hugged Maya and rocked her gently as Maya quietly sobbed. Maya leaned into her friend, grateful for the comfort. All the emotions had been building up over the last two days and it wasn't fair on anyone that they should have it taken out on them.
Maya couldn't remember the last time she had been like this over a man. Not even with Ash. This was completely different.
"I thought he would be perfect for me." Maya swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped her tears away. "He accepted who I was. And things seemed to be great. Then to be told he doesn't want what I want...that was like a kick in the teeth."
Jenny was silent for a moment. She sighed heavily and shook her head.
"I didn't realize what had happened would have affected him this badly." She murmured.
"What?" Maya straightened up. "What are you talking about?"
"You didn't know about his previous marriage?"
That had Maya almost falling off the bed. Alexei had been married before. But hadn't he said he had never been married?
Correction: he didn't want to marry, not that he had been married before. Was this the reason why he didn't want to go down that road again?
"I didn't know."
"I thought you'd read up on him. It's on the internet."
"Evidently I didn't get that far." Maya rubbed her hand over her face. "I only read a couple of articles."
"He was married to his childhood sweetheart and then he caught her cheating with his best friend five years ago. Turned out she had also slept with his brother." Jenny said grimly. "The divorce was finalized four years ago. Alexei had said at the time they had been trying for a baby and he was devastated when he found her cheating on him."
Now Maya understood. Alexei had been hurt badly by his ex-wife and now he didn't want to be put in that situation again. And Maya had to be the idiot and suggest something on impulse.
"But why didn't he tell me?" She demanded. "We spoke about everything but he never mentioned this."
"There's only one way to answer that." Jenny shrugged. "Ask him."
*****
Maya didn't have Alexei's number after deleting it off her cell phone. She hadn't wanted any more to do with him. But, as it turned out, Rodrigo knew exactly how to reach Alexei. Maya didn't want to know how Jenny knew this. From the way Jenny blushed when she mentioned Rodrigo, Maya had a feeling it wasn't a passing conversation over a coffee that she had been told this.
She didn't want to talk to Alexei over the phone; he could easily hang up on her. And an email was too impersonal. So Rodrigo had found Alexei's personal Skype address. Even Jenny was surprised he could find this. But Maya was grateful. Now all she needed to do was get the courage to call him.
Jenny seemed to sense she needed to do it alone and went to Rodrigo's room. Maya lay on her stomach on the bed with her laptop in front of her, trying to make herself press 'call' on Alexei's name. What if Alexei saw her Skype name and didn't answer. She could be here a long time.
This felt like a bad idea.
But Maya knew she wouldn't know until she tried. She clicked the call button and waited as it connected. A few moments later Alexei answered, which had delight and nerves shooting through Maya's body. Now she just needed to know what to say.
Alexei appeared on the screen. He was sitting at his desk in his office. Maya was surprised. It was after ten at night and he was still in the office. She wondered if she had anything to do with him being there.
The man looked exhausted. He looked like he hadn't slept or shaved and his eyes looked sunken. Maya felt a pang of guilt. She had done this to him? She felt awful.
Alexei looked surprised when he saw her. He stared as if he couldn't quite believe it.
"Maya?"
Maya managed a smile but it came out wobbly.
"Hey, Alexei."
"How did you get my Skype address?" A look of worry passed over his face. "Is something wrong?"
"A friend of a friend knows how to contact someone." Maya bit her lip. Now she was going to have to swallow her pride. "And I wanted to apologize for the other night."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. How I said what I feel came out too harshly." Alexei rubbed his eyes. "That was unfair on you."
"And I didn't know about..." Maya paused. This was going to be harder than she thought. She tried again. Alexei wasn't going to like this but it had to be addressed. "I didn't know about your ex-wife and what was going on between you."
"You're the only one who doesn't." Alexei grunted. "It's common knowledge. At least I thought it was."
Maya could see how it was affecting him by the look on his face. She had read up on his previous marriage and what had happened. Four years on and it was still affecting him badly.
"She cheated on you, didn't she? While you were trying for a family."
Alexei closed his eyes briefly. He nodded and sighed heavily.
"Back then I wanted a family. And I thought I had the perfect one. Katya had expressed wanting children as much as I did." Alexei opened his eyes. He looked pained. "But then I found...let's just say she's put me off marriage and children."
Maya could understand that. But she didn't think it was fair. She had never met Katya but already she hated her for what she had put Alexei through.
"One bad experience doesn't mean all of them are going to be like that." She pointed out.
"I know that but this was bad. Katya did get pregnant." Alexei rubbed at his unshaven jaw. "She told me it was mine but I wasn't convinced so I had the hospital do a paternity test once the baby was born. It wasn't fair to the baby but it wouldn't have been fair to him, either, if he had been lied to like she had lied to me. Turns out I'm an uncle not a father."
"I'm so sorry."
Maya couldn't begin to imagine how that sort of betrayal must have felt. To be betrayed by your spouse was one thing but to be betrayed by a member of your family as well...that had to be the worst feelings imaginable. Alexei must have suffered badly from it.
He had told Maya that his family didn't talk to him but hadn't elaborated on the w
hy. Now Maya knew but she was angry on Alexei's behalf; he had been the wronged one yet they were treating him like the bad guy. That wasn't fair.
She wished she was back in New York right now so she could hold him. Maya's arms itched to do that. But there was a sea and a plane ride separating them.
"I have a problem trusting women now because of her." Alexei said grimly. "Katya is constantly trying to get money off me even now despite not being entitled to any of it. She signed a pre-nuptial agreement and wasn't meant to be entitled to anything beyond what would have been left to her but she tried. My family doesn't speak to me because they believe I got rid of a good thing. They ignore the fact she slept with my brother when we were married and I've not done anything wrong." He paused and looked at her. "I trust you, though, Maya." He said softly. "You're probably the only honest woman I've met so far since I got divorced. And I feel really bad for the way I treated you." He rubbed his hands over his face with a heavy sigh. "You don't deserve someone like me."
Maya ached for him. He did deserve her. It was her who didn't deserve him. Both of them obviously had demons but, if Alexei was willing, she was prepared to deal with them. She swallowed.
"Can I see you when I get back? Then we can talk about this face to face."
"Really?"
Alexei looked like he had been given a second chance at life. Maya nodded.
"I'm back the day after tomorrow."
"I'll send you my address. Let me know when you get back."
"I will do." Maya glanced at the clock. She had an early start the next morning and if she let herself she could be talking to Alexei until the early hours when she needed to sleep. "I'd better get to sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Printsessa."
Alexei signed off his end. Maya stared at her computer, realizing what he had just said.
Even after what they had said before she left, she was still his princess.
*****
Alexei couldn't stop himself from pacing. He wanted to sit down but he was much to pent up to do that. All he wanted to do was see Maya in the flesh and grab hold of her to know she wasn't a mirage. That she was really there and it wasn't a figment of his imagination.
Their parting earlier in the week had left a nasty taste in Alexei's mouth. He had told her the truth but that had simply driven a wedge between them. Maybe he should have told her before they had sex because now Alexei couldn't get enough of her. Maya was everything a man could want in a woman and she was insatiable in bed. Alexei's body still tingled as she remembered their night together.
It had been the most natural thing in the world to hold her as they slept. He could still feel the contours of her body against him. But in those few moments when Maya had asked him to not put a condom on, Alexei had had flashes back to Katya and when he found her in bed with his friend and then when she was pregnant with his brother's baby. Suddenly he was brought back to reality and began to think of Maya as just like Katya. That had been unfair but Alexei hadn't been able to switch it off.
Maya's reaction to him was understandable. But at the time Alexei had thought it unfair. Now, after he had thought about it more, he knew that he hadn't told her in the right way. This should have happened long before they ever slept together, although Alexei had a feeling if he had said something then that night would never have happened. He would have lost Maya long before then.
And losing Maya Featherstone was not an option for him. Not now he knew she wanted to give him a chance. Alexei was not stupid; if he threw this chance away he would never get another one.
Maya was his and he was going to make sure she knew that.
Alexei almost jumped out of his skin when the buzzer went. He didn't need to look to know it was Maya; he immediately let her in. Less than five minutes later there was a knock at his door. Alexei tried not to act like a schoolboy about to go on a first date.
This was much more important than that.
Maya stood in the hallway. She was dressed in jeans and a red blouse, her jacket slung over her arm. She looked exhausted. But her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"Maya."
Maya didn't say anything. She ran into his arms and threw her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder. Alexei kicked the door shut and hugged her back, leaning up against the door as he nearly sagged in relief. It had only been four days since they had been this close - and closer even then - but to Alexei it felt like a lifetime.
He let out a heavy sigh.
"God, I've missed you."
"I missed you, too."
Chapter 6
Maya pulled back and looked up at him. Alexei saw the tears in her eyes, one escaping down her cheek. He brushed this away with his thumb and cupped her face in his hands.
"Oh, Printsessa, don't cry."
"I'm sorry." Maya tried to smile but it came out watery. "I told myself not to but I couldn't help it."
Alexei did the only thing he knew that would calm her. He kissed her. Maya kissed him back hard almost immediately. She took control of the kiss, biting his lower lip and forcing his mouth open. Her tongue curled around his and Alexei groaned, pushing her against the door and thrusting his hips against her. His cock had surged to life and it was eager to bury itself inside her again.
Maya whimpered and one hand went between them, rubbing at his erection through his jeans. Then she was undoing his button and zipper and reaching in, bypassing his boxers, and grabbing hold of his cock. Alexei groaned and thrust into her hand. God, he had missed this.
Still kissing her, Alexei moved his hands to her waist and made quick work of her jeans. Then he started to push them down. Maya helped him, kicking off her boots and tugging her jeans and panties off her ankles.
Alexei had hoped that they could take things a little slower but now he couldn't wait. He had to have her now.
Pulling away from her, he turned Maya around so she was facing the door, urging her to lean forward. Maya did as he bid, putting her hands against the door and arching her back, wriggling her hips at him. Groaning, Alexei shoved his jeans and boxers to his knees and rubbed his cock against her pussy. She was soaking wet and he marveled in her body as Maya moaned and pushed back against him.
Grabbing hold of her hip, Alexei thrust. Maya cried out and her pussy clamped around him. Now there was no chance of Alexei being slow. He hammered into her, their bodies slapping together and their moans mingling together. Alexei reached around between Maya's legs and found her clit. The moment he touched it Maya went off like a rocket, screaming his name as she threw her head back and her pussy tightened around his cock in a way that made him see stars.
Alexei's climax wasn't far behind. He had felt it building up as soon as he had started thrusting but now Maya's climax rippled through her body and into his, which sent him over the edge. With one final thrust and a triumphant shout, Alexei emptied himself into Maya, still feeling the rippling of her pussy around him.
It was then that Alexei realized he hadn't used protection.
Maya slowly stood up, Alexei's cock falling away from her snug pussy. She leaned back against him and Alexei wrapped his arms around her. They were both trembling.
"You didn't use protection." Maya said quietly.
"I know." Alexei pressed a kiss to her head. "I should've but I missed you too much."
Maya let out a sigh and nuzzled his jaw before kissing it. Alexei could feel her smile.
"This time I'm not to blame."
Alexei chuckled. He held her tighter.
"Please, stay the night. I need you."
"I'll stay." There was no hesitation in Maya's voice. She looked up at him. "But you'd better put a condom on next time."
"I thought you didn't like them."
"I don't but if it makes you feel safe than I'll do it."
Alexei swept her into his arms and carried her to his bedroom. Now he had her answer, he wasn't going to let her go tonight.
*****
Maya woke early. It was s
till dark and Alexei was still fast asleep. She lay there for a moment, thinking about what had happened the night before. While what had happened when she first arrived hadn't been what she had intended, Maya didn't regret it. She had missed Alexei.
And it had been more than evident Alexei had missed her as well.
He had been insatiable. After taking her to his bed he had made love to her twice more before Maya begged for them to stop as she was exhausted. Alexei hadn't complained; he had simply settled in beside her, wrapped his arms around her, and fallen asleep. Maya hadn't been too far behind.
Now she was wondering where they went from here. Alexei had made it clear he didn't want marriage and children but Maya did. Could she sacrifice what she wanted so she could be with him?
Maya wasn't sure.
She slipped out of bed and picked up his shirt from the floor, slipping it on as she tiptoed from the room. Alexei's apartment was mostly open plan so it wasn't hard to find the kitchen. She began making breakfast, flicking the coffee machine on and searching through the cupboards for something to eat. She found bacon, eggs and bread and set about looking for the frying pan.
When she straightened up, someone hard pressed up against her back. Maya gasped as she felt his erection rub against her bare backside. Alexei chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck.
"You're up early."
"Force of habit." Maya lied. She put an arm around his neck and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of his lips against her skin. "I rarely sleep in."
"Normally I don't either." He smiled against her neck. "I think someone wore me out last night."
"You weren't complaining then."
"And I'm not now." Alexei turned her around and pressed a kiss to her nose. "You certainly know how to keep a man on his toes."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Alexei smiled and kissed her. Maya leaned into the kiss but kept it light. If they went any heavier they would be back in Alexei's bedroom. While Maya wanted to do that, they needed to discuss a lot of things that were still hanging between them.