Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)
Page 15
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Later that afternoon, I puttered around the apartment. I wandered by the door to Ruby's room and opened it. Nothing in her room had changed since I'd gone through and cleaned it last week. I hadn't had the heart to box up her things but if I decided to move in with Ivan it would have to be done. I wasn't at all sure how she was going to take that news. Badly, I presumed.
But I couldn't keep living my life worrying about Ruby. I'd been putting her and her problems first for so long that I'd been neglecting my life.
What I hadn't told Vivi and Lena was that my boss at the accounting firm had made it clear that he would have fought for me to be retained as a full-time employee if I'd been more reliable. I'd wanted to explain that cutting out of work early or coming in late had been caused by Ruby's craziness but I'd kept my lips zipped. He was right. I hadn't been reliable. I was the only to blame for that.
A knock at the door interrupted my troubled thoughts. I wasn't expecting anyone but it wasn't unusual to have the maintenance crew come by to change air conditioner filters during the summer. I lifted up on my bare toes to peek through the peep hole. My heart raced at the sight of Ivan's face and I couldn't get the door opened fast enough.
"Hey!"
"Angel." Ivan grinned and slipped off his sunglasses. He tucked them into the front pocket of his suit jacket. "I wanted to take you out to lunch but something came up so I decided I'd leave the gym a little early to spend the rest of the day with you."
I grasped his hand and tugged him inside the apartment. He kicked the door closed behind him and slid an arm around my waist. I let him drag me tight to his chest and surrendered to his searching kiss. He tasted of the cinnamon candies I'd learned he liked so much. His tongue swept mine before he nibbled my lower lip and reluctantly released me.
"How was breakfast with the girls?"
"Fun." I touched his hand. "You want some tea?"
"Yes, please." He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over a chair before following me into the kitchen. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and reached into the refrigerator for the pitcher of sweet tea I'd mixed that morning. He wasn't a huge fan of the cold stuff but after I'd nearly blown up the microwave trying to boil a mug of water to make him hot tea during our first week together, he'd graciously decided that iced tea was just fine.
When I turned around to offer him the glass, I found him sitting at my small dining table and thumbing through a Russian language workbook. Amusement glinted in his pale eyes. "What's this, angel moy?"
I slid the tea onto the table next to him. "Vivi gave it to me this morning. She's going to tutor me in Russian."
A look of utter adoration crossed his face. "For me?"
I trailed my fingers along his strong jaw. "You already speak my language. I think it's only fair that I learn to speak yours."
Ivan pulled me down onto his lap. His fingers sifted through my hair. "Should I work up a system of rewards for good scores on your tests?"
A thrill of excitement raced through my belly. "Depends on the reward."
His lips skimmed my throat. "Oh, I can think of a few things that would motivate your studies."
"Like?"
His hand slipped under my skirt and between my thighs. "How about this?"
I gasped as his fingertips slid inside my panties. He gently petted the seam of my sex. "Or maybe you'd prefer my tongue here?"
I shuddered in his brawny arms. His skillful tongue had reduced me to tears of absolute joy last night. I'd never known orgasms could be that powerful. "You know I would."
He forced my thighs wide open and brushed his thumb across my clit. "Move in with me, Erin, and you can have this every morning and every night."
"I—"
Ivan kissed me, silencing my protest with his masterful mouth. "You belong with me, Erin. In my bed. In my home. In my arms. I love you, angel, and I know you love me."
"Yes," I whispered against his lips.
His hand went still between my thighs. "Yes you love me? Yes you belong with me? Or yes you will move in with me."
"All of it." I captured his mouth in a sensual kiss. "I love you. I belong to you."
"Always?"
I whimpered as his fingers began to torment me. Sitting there on his lap, I knew there was nothing I couldn't face with my big, sexy Russian protector in my corner. I brushed my lips across his and promised, "Always."
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed the first installment of the Her Russian Protector Series! The second story in the series, DIMITRI, releases in early April 2013.
You can get updates on new releases by visiting my website, signing up for my newsletter or liking my author page on Facebook. Thanks so much for reading IVAN!
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Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)