Obsidian Mask

by Scarlett Dawn

  There was a silent pause as Daniil raised his head to her. Still, I couldn’t see what kind of look he gave her, but I did see her hands tighten on Grigori’s shoulders, and his hands moved from his pockets and back, wrapping around her legs, holding her against him. Brent and Cole didn’t seem to like that much from where they stood, and actually started to move forward, but Roman and Artur smoothly slid in front of them, completely blocking their way.

  This was ridiculous, and I was getting a little irritated with all of the testosterone flying around. Daniil was just supposed to come out here and tell his kids, and the rest of the nosy group, the news. Not start a brawl in my room. I clapped my hands loudly, ending this shit, stating clearly, “I’m pregnant. Everyone, be happy and tell me congratulations or get the fuck out.” I kicked Daniil in the back of his right leg while he still stared at Ember. “You too, Papa.”

  There was a silent pause, and then Daniil turned swiftly from his son and Ember, pulling me against him. And in the process managed to bump his son hard, Grigori and Ember falling back onto the dresser in a tangle of body parts and limbs. Everyone started talking around the room about my pregnancy. I scowled up at him asking, “Is that how you treat your children?”

  Whispering in my ear, he said, “Take another look.”

  Even as Roman, Artur, and Eva walked up to us first, I glanced around Daniil’s shoulder, seeing Ember and Grigori untangling themselves. Their eyes were still cold and remote, but both of their cheeks were flushed and they were even breathing a little heavily. Oh. Guess Papa did know best on that one.

  “Nice,” I murmured, nodding with appreciation.

  I would like to actually see the bitch end up with Grigori.

  “Thank you,” he said, kissing my neck before looking up to his children. “Well, you’re going to have another brother. And Eva, no more theatrics.”

  I blinked and sputtered, “Wishful thinking on his part. I have no clue what it is.” I waited to see what they would say. They were really quiet now.

  It had to be weird. Hell, it was weird for me.

  Instantly, Eva bent, stunning me, and kissed both my cheeks and pulled me into a hug. “Congratulations. And I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a sister.”

  Artur yanked me away from her, repeating the kisses and hug process. “And I’ll cross my fingers and toes for a brother.”

  I stood blinking at them, shocked. It was peculiar. I felt better when Roman did the same thing but whispered in my ear, “What I said to you that one night still stands.” After threatening me, he leaned back, smiling. “Congratulations.”

  Artur was maneuvering his body so Brent and Cole couldn’t move up when Grigori lifted Ember from the desk…slowly sliding her against his body as he set her down…then quickly moved away from her, his expression turning pissed and hers doing the same. They were so screwed up. He reached down, even with that pissed off look and grabbed me around the waist, lifting me off my feet.

  I squeaked at the sudden movement, instinctively wrapping my arms around his throat, as he hugged me tight, whispering, “I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to stop her with the food. But honestly, I agreed with her. You needed to figure it out.” Had everyone known but me? He leaned back grinning, his eyes a mixture of anger and amusement, like the two sides were at war with each other. He bounced me, glancing at his dad. “A baby brother, huh? Think he’ll have her family’s hair?”

  Daniil’s hands had just landed on my hips, beginning to pull me out of Grigori’s embrace, but everyone in the room went quiet at that statement. Staring at my hair. And it didn’t please me. Not at all. Scowling, I grumbled into the quiet, “If anyone makes one more crack about my hair, or even stares at it wrong, I’ll puke on you next.” My curls were huge. We all knew this. Time to get over it.

  The rooms’ occupants immediately shuddered, looked away, and started talking.

  Daniil chuckled and tugged me out of Grigori’s hold. He petted my hair, kissing the top of my head. I growled a little at him, making him smile even wider. I pointed a finger against his chest. “I’m hungry. Get this moving along.”

  He laughed louder. “It’s a boy.”

  Racing into my room, I dumped my equipment down on the bed. I needed to hurry and pack. Luckily, the sucky car rental agency was going to pick up my keys at the front desk so I didn’t have to return it. I would be riding with the Lion Security group to the airport.

  I jumped in the shower since I was a disgusting, sweaty mess after today’s heat, and quickly changed into a cool brown strapless cotton dress that flattered my complexion and hair, and slipped on a pair of white flip-flops. I tried doing something with my hair. It was a mess. I raked through my curls with a large toothed comb and dumped that in my bag, then went to grab my mousse. It wasn’t there.

  Christ, the bitch had struck again.

  Growling, I went through the adjoining doors that were still open, and glanced around her room, but didn’t see it. Checking the bathroom proved victorious, though. I snatched it up—this product cost me a fortune—and started stomping out. And then instinct had me stilling.

  A muffled male’s voice came from outside, and the door clicked.

  Shit. I was in her damn room. She may be used to entering someone else’s private abode, but I wasn’t. The door handle started to turn, and I panicked. I dove into the closet, closing the slatted door just as the room’s door opened. I couldn’t see up because the slats were facing down. A man entered, slamming the door behind him. He wore black athletic shorts and a pair of black flip-flops, and oddly, his legs looked familiar.

  I stilled, completely silent when I realized those were Daniil’s pedicured feet.

  What the hell was he doing in Ember’s room?

  He walked past the closet, and he shut the adjoining door.

  I froze even further.

  What was he doing?

  Did…him and Ember…

  No. No way.

  Which meant he was probably here to threaten her for the food mishap.

  I sucked in a breath, reaching for the closet door…but stopped when the door to the room opened. A woman walked in from how small the legs were and how tiny her feet size was. About my size.

  Ember.

  She closed the door behind her.

  I stilled when her top hit the floor.

  Maybe I was wrong?

  My stomach churned. And I wobbled in a daze. If Daniil was having a secret love affair with Ember…I didn’t know what I would do. My heart was in my throat, and I decided to be silent. I started sweating, hating this…him with her…but if it were true, I needed to know.

  Ember walked into the bathroom, kicking her shoes off, grumbling under her breath a few curse words. Daniil’s feet moved into my line of vision and he stopped right in front of the bathroom door. Ember’s feet halted, and slowly turned toward Daniil.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” she asked quietly, her tone furious.

  There was quiet, and Daniil said, “We need to talk…” That voice. It was Grigori. Relief rushed through my veins, cooling my heated skin. But his tone was violent. “You stole my shirt and you wore my necklace. Why is that?”

  Oh. Crap.

  Silence.

  Grigori’s feet crossed, and he moved as he leaned against the doorframe. “Would you please care to explain this to me? You broke our arrangement when they came back.” He growled. “I gave you want you wanted. And you’re still mad at me. Stealing my shit and wearing that damn necklace to taunt me.” He shouted, “What the fuck, Ember?”

  I held my breath in the extended silence. If I were still writing about this kind of shit, it would be so prime. I still felt a little giddy inside. I wasn’t sure the ruthless part of me that yearned for the insider’s information would ever go away.

  When Ember didn’t respond, Grigori lunged.

  Ember didn’t move out of his way.

  They stood toe-to-toe.

  I was betting Grigori had her by the sho
ulders with the way her legs shook back and forth, with him yelling, “Goddammit, answer me!”

  And…Ember came out of her mute state. She started struggling as she shouted, “I took the damn shirt because it reminds me of you! And I wore the necklace because you gave it to me!” She kicked him, but Grigori must have pushed her because he suddenly had her against the sink. “It’s you. And I’ve missed you, you fucking asshole.” Her shouting voice cracked. “You didn’t try, Grigori. I may have been confused, and I did screw up, but you didn’t even try.”

  Instant. Grigori shouted right back, “You did screw up! They fucking lied to you worse than anyone ever could, and you still decided to be with them. What the hell was I supposed to do? Beg? Plead?” It looked like he shook her again. “I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that. It was them!”

  Silence, except for their harsh breathing.

  “I know,” she breathed, her voice strangled. “I…I screwed up.” Her tone altered to venomous. “But so did you. I didn’t expect you to beg. I didn’t expect you to plead. But, I did—pathetically—expect you to fight for me. And you didn’t.”

  Grigori was just as furious as he spoke, his voice slowly rising, “What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?” He growled, and she shook again. “Do you want an apology? Fine. You have it. I never should have let you leave me. I know that now. But again, it was them.” She shook again, and he repeated, “What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?”

  “I…I…” she stuttered.

  “You…You… What?” Grigori shouted. A pause. “Is this what you want?” There was a pause, and I heard Ember gasp. But it was quickly muffled. It sounded like one hell of kiss ensued. Breathless, Grigori asked, “Is that it?”

  It sounded like Ember was panting when she said, “No. That’s not all.” She cleared her throat, and her voice was quiet. “I’ve missed you so damn much. I want us. The way we were. I want my partner back.”

  “I don’t know if I can give that to you. A quick fuck? Yes. What we had before? I don’t know.” He growled so gently. “Ember, you hurt me.”

  “And. You. Hurt. Me,” she punctuated each word in a hiss. “I may have started this fucking mess we’re in, but you sure as hell ended it.”

  A minute of silence. I couldn’t even hear them breathing this time.

  “Fuck, Ember,” he rumbled. “I don’t ever want to feel like I have been since they came back. This isn’t me. I don’t understand it.”

  “I know,” she whispered. Her arms fell and dangled at her sides. “I feel the same. It’s tearing me up inside and I don’t…I don’t get it. But I do know the only time I feel even halfway normal is when I’m around you.”

  It was quiet. “I’m so mad at you.”

  “Back at you.”

  “Fine. We’ll try this, but so help me, Ember, if I find out they’ve, or anyone else, touches you, I’m fucking gone.” He paused and asked slowly, “Have you been with them?”

  “No. I never even let them kiss me.” Her fists clenched. “What about you?”

  “Other than that shot for the photo, I never touched her. Or anyone else.” He backed up a space. “I don’t know if I can be gentle the first time. I’m too upset.”

  “I understand,” she murmured softly.

  “Good,” he stated harshly. In a sudden movement, I could see them. Because she was lying flat on her back on the bathroom floor with a furious Grigori on top of her. She had squealed, her hands gripping his shoulders, but his mouth landed on hers, kissing her. Brutal. She groaned, her hands going to his hair and pulled him tighter to her, even though he was kissing her hard enough to bruise. He pulled back, staring down at her. “Take your bra off.”

  She panted, arching up, doing as told. He moved down her body, yanking her shorts and panties off in one motion. But she still said, “We don’t have time for this right now. The flight leaves in an hour.”

  “We’ve got time,” Grigori growled, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside. He leaned and took his shorts off. And, oh goodness, he looked identical to his father everywhere. I averted my gaze quickly—ahem—from his nether regions. Somehow, it just seemed wrong to be seeing him that way. He was Daniil’s son. I really shouldn’t be here for this, but Lord help me if I was going to expose myself. Not after eavesdropping on that intimate conversation.

  Grigori dropped on top of her, lifting one of her legs, his hand immediately going between her thighs. She gasped, her eyes huge. His mouth landed on hers, biting her lips and saying, “I told you I’m not going to be gentle. I can’t. Not this time.” And he kissed her again. Just as hard as before, even as Ember started trembling under him.

  Them coming together was damn violent.

  Grigori was pissed, his movement jerky and harsh.

  And Ember…her fury was quickly melting away. Especially, when two minutes later, he lifted his hand from between her thighs, grabbing her knees and pushing them apart. He held her that way, spreading her, and ordered gruffly, “Put me where I need to be.”

  Ember hesitated, staring up at him. I couldn’t see his face, but she was beginning to look decidedly nervous.

  “Ah, kitten. Backing down now?” he taunted in a dangerous purr.

  Her jaw clenched, and her hand darted between them. She wiggled some… and right before he slammed his hips down into her, a harsh grunt coming from him, their bodies flush to one another. Her mouth flew open on a choke, and she lifted her hands, slamming them onto his shoulders, her face only showing pain. Not pleasure, at all.

  “I can’t,” Grigori groaned, staring down at her and shaking his head, and then pulling back and slamming into her again with the same force.

  “I know,” she whimpered.

  “You hurt me,” he whispered, thrusting into her repeatedly, pushing her tiny body down into the unforgiving tile. “You fucking left me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she choked, and tears started spilling down her temples. “I’m so, so sorry.” She shook her head, crying. “I’m sorry, Grigori. So sorry.” She was pulling at him now, instead of the obvious reflex she’d initially had when she was pushing him away, even though she still looked like she was in pain.

  He thrust harder, saying viscously, “I shouldn’t have let you go.” He drove into her repeatedly, groaning, “Fucking mine. Shouldn’t have let you go.”

  “Yours.” She nodded. “All yours. Just yours.”

  His fists clenched in her hair, his movements not slowing, only picking up in pace. “I’m sorry, kitten. I should have fought for you. Christ, I’m sorry. I’ve missed you so damn much.”

  “Not as much as I’ve missed you,” she sobbed.

  “You have no clue how bad it’s been for me.” He ground against her differently, and her pained expression turned surprised through her tears. “Don’t cry, kitten. I’ll make it good for you.”

  “It’s all right. I’m not crying because it hurts. If you did to me what I did to you…” She shook her head. “Just keep going. I understand.”

  He moved again, pushing her legs open more, and started thrusting and grinding against her, making her features turn to complete bliss. “Hush. No more tears.” He drove into her again, cupping her cheeks as she groaned his name. “You’re mine, Ember.” He moved against her again. “No fucking others. No running from me. I don’t want to miss you anymore. You aren’t leaving me again.”

  “No. I won’t,” she whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. And said fiercely, “And you’re fucking mine. I know that now.”

  “As much as we can be,” Grigori whispered, kissing her forehead.

  Ember nodded. “Yes. As much as we can be.”

  And…it suddenly struck me that they weren’t professing their love to one another.

  Ember had said she would never be ‘in love’ again.

  And apparently, Grigori had the same holdup.

  My, God. They truly believed it.

  Even though, as they made hard love to one another, they stared
at each other like they were one another’s air. The part that kept them alive. Screwed up didn’t even begin to explain them.

  And this supposed ‘quick’ tryst turned into a much longer ordeal.

  Grigori obviously felt he needed to prove something and had much of his dad’s stamina because, after Ember’s third orgasm—the girl had lungs fit for a Queen—I was beginning to lose feeling in my feet from standing still for so long. They needed to hurry the hell up. Or I was going to end up toppling out next to them. And wouldn’t that be fun?

  Ember’s head was thrashing back and forth, as she came down from her last orgasm and whispered hoarsely, “Grigori, I can’t. No more.” He must have been doing something I couldn’t see—his hand had disappeared between them. She shivered, and he started kissing her neck, and then she screamed his name, her body bucking as he started sucking on her earlobe.

  “One more,” he spoke gutturally. “Just one more. It’s been too long.” When she started trembling again, he stated possessively, his accent so damn heavy, “My kitten.” And his mouth went to her throat, his hair falling over Ember’s cheek and shoulder as he started pounding into her. Her mouth opened, her eyes open wide in shock as she rocked under him, a slow keening sound—thank you, God, she wasn’t screaming again—coming from her.

  Grigori groaned long and hard and then shouted her name against her neck, slamming into her jerkily. She gripped his ass, digging her black fingernails in as they both went over the edge, their bodies quaking.

  Thank you, Lord. I rotated my ankles. They were seriously sore. And I would hardly have time to finish packing once they both got the hell out of here. Glancing around, I didn’t see any clothes, so Ember wouldn’t—hopefully—open these doors.

  And then…they lay there for like ten more minutes.

  Are they fucking serious? Get up, people!

  Post bliss, and all that, I understood, but I needed to get out of there.

  I was really getting dizzy.

  I unlocked my legs, wiggling them. Passing out in here wasn’t an option.