“As he shouldn’t,” he agrees. “You should also think about quitting your job.”
“Uncle, I’ve worked hard for my position,” I say on a gasp.
Uncle Pavlov is the one that taught me about hard work, and how just because I’m a female does not mean that I don’t put in a hard day’s work. I’m shocked to hear this coming from him.
“Have you thought about becoming a broker and having agents underneath you?” he asks, raising a brow in question.
“Going out on my own?” I ask as I take a bite of eggs.
“You’re smart and you have a client list a mile long that only seems to grow. I think it would be a bold but smart career move for you,” he suggests. “Take some time to figure out what classes you need to take for your broker’s license.”
“Can I see your phone? That crazy bitch took mine,” I say, holding out my hand as the possibilities of owning my own agency flood my mind.
Uncle Pavlov laughs and holds his phone out for me. I quickly tap on his Safari app and look up the requirements of becoming a licensed real estate broker in the state of New York. It doesn’t take me long to find my answer, and when I do, I lift my eyes to my uncle’s smiling ones.
“A forty-five-hour course and a test. I already meet the rest of the requirements,” I whisper in surprise.
“Then it sounds like it would be an easy thing for you to achieve,” he murmurs, holding out his hand for his phone. I give it back to him and continue to eat before I drink my water.
“I’m excited. I think it would be awesome, and a great chapter to start once the baby arrives,” I admit with a nod.
“Stressful starting a new business,” he mutters, furrowing his brow.
“Yeah, but I thrive on high stress, you know that. I won’t start until after my maternity leave. I’ll have my classes done and the test taken and passed before the baby arrives, then get everything started,” I say as my mind fills with new dreams.
“I think that sounds like a great plan,” he agrees.
“What are you planning now, hmm?” Dominik asks, his hard voice filling the room.
Uncle Pavlov chuckles as he walks over to me, removing my food tray and placing a kiss on my cheek.
“See you tomorrow,” he whispers before he walks away without another word or a glance back.
Dominik stands just inside of the room, his arms crossed over his massive chest, and his eyes aimed at me, concerned, worried, and possibly even irritated with me.
I stare at her for a moment, pissed as hell about the situation she got herself into this evening. I was scared. For the second time in my life, I was truly fucking terrified.
I didn’t know where she was—couldn’t reach her, and I knew, just knew that something bad was going to happen to her if I didn’t get there in time. Five minutes later, and she would have been hurt. Five minutes later, and our child could have been injured.
“Nik,” she whispers as I make my way toward her.
I take the corner of the bedding, ripping it completely off of the bed, tossing it onto the floor before I grab her ankles and yank her down. I wrap my fingers in her shorts and pull them down her legs, throwing them along with her panties to join the bedding. Her breathing picks up, and I’m not sure if it’s with panic or excitement, but I honestly don’t give a fuck as I take her shirt off and toss it to the side.
Wrapping my hand around her hip, I firmly roll her onto her stomach, and she slides to her knees with a whimper, keeping her forearms on the bed and her head hanging between her shoulders. Her feet are dangling off of the bed, her ass in the air, and her pussy on display—but I’m still angry with her. Unbuckling my pants, I let them fall to my ankles before I shove my boxers down to my knees.
Sliding my cock through her center, she shivers, but she isn’t wet enough. She’s scared. She should be.
I thrust two fingers inside of her center and pump them, curving them inside of her until I feel that rough patch that makes her moan. When she does, her wetness coats my fingers as I fuck her, over and over, until she’s ready for my cock. I’m pissed at her, and I’m going to fuck her hard and fast, but I don’t want to really hurt her, especially since she’s pregnant.
“Nik,” she mewls as her neck arches backward and her hips meet my thrusting fingers.
I remove my hand and replace my fingers with my cock in one quick motion. She starts to lift her body up, but I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pin her to the mattress. She lets out a breath with a whimper as I fuck her body rough, hard, and relentlessly. Each thrust of my hips causes her breath to hitch, and fresh goosebumps to appear on her flesh.
“I’m so fucking pissed at you,” I grind out as I fuck her.
She can’t call this making love, no matter how badly she wants to. This is pure and raw fucking, and I’m doing all of the taking.
“Nik,” she sighs.
I lift my hand from her hip and slap her ass, watching it bloom pink right before my eyes.
“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll gag you,” I warn. Her body stiffens slightly, but I don’t stop.
I have some aggression to get out, and she’s going to be the one to take it. None of this is her fault, but that doesn’t take away my anger or my fears.
I feel when her body relaxes, and I know that she’s finally decided to accept what I’m giving her and how I’m going to give it to her.
My fingers squeeze the back of her delicate neck when I feel her pussy flutter around me. I reach around to her clit and begin to stroke her, knowing she’s close. I’m nowhere near my own climax yet.
When her pussy clamps down on my cock, I hear her moan, but I don’t stop. She’s hot and warm, tight as fuck, and something primal bursts out from my chest as I continue to fuck her, hard—harder than I probably should.
“Inessa,” I moan when I finally still and empty inside of her.
I pull out immediately and watch as she falls to her side and curls her legs up into a ball. I yank my pants up and walk away from her and into the bathroom. I start the shower before I undress.
Looking down, I see my white shirt has specks of blood on it. My shoes and pants the same, though it’s harder to see because they’re black. I’ll need to burn the whole pile. Stepping into the shower, I take soap and scrub my whole body, then I wash my hair.
With my eyes closed, I tip my head back and let the warm water pound against my face. That’s when I feel Inessa’s arms wrap around me from behind, her lips touching the center of my shoulder blades.
“I messed up. Please don’t hate me,” she whispers. My head drops.
That’s the problem. I don’t hate her. I couldn’t hate her even if I tried—because I love her.
I stare at her hands around my stomach.
I love her.
I don’t know what to do with that, or how to proceed, but just the fact that I can comprehend this feeling, this intense emotion that I’ve never dealt with before, it makes me feel, good, and that’s something I’m not used to.
I’ve felt it for a while, and I’ve been trying to deny exactly what it meant. The swelling in my chest and the ache when she isn’t happy—it’s fucking love.
“I don’t hate you,” I choke out. “You scared me,” I admit.
Inessa moves around my side and dips her body under my arms so that she’s facing me, the warm water now falling down her back. She tips her head up and looks into my eyes.
“If I could go back, I would change it,” she murmurs, the sincerity bright in her eyes. I shake my head as a look of confusion crosses her face.
“Larisa and Oleg would have found another way to get to you. That cunt was crazy as fuck. Now it’s over and done with. You never have to worry about her again,” I murmur, cupping her cheek with my hand.
“Let’s go to bed,” she responds. I nod as I reach for the handle behind her and turn the water off.
Silently, I take a towel and dry her body, wrapping her up tightly before I dry myself. Then, togethe
r, we walk to the bedroom, climbing beneath the sheets naked. Inessa fixed the bedding after I stormed off into the bathroom, and I feel like shit that I was so rough with her. Gathering her in my arms, I pull her back to my chest and hold her.
“I was rough with you,” I murmur against her damp hair.
“I’m okay,” she sighs.
“I shouldn’t have been. I punished and blamed you for something that wasn’t really your fault,” I admit.
“I did make a mistake, though. I’m not completely blameless, and I’m okay,” she whispers as she reaches back and threads her fingers through the back of my hair.
I slide my hand up her chest and cup her breast, teasing her nipple with my fingers. With my other hand, I cup her pussy and gently grind the heal of my palm against her clit as I suck on her soft neck.
“Dominik,” she whispers as she shudders in my arms.
“I’m apologizing,” I grunt as I gently glide a finger inside of her center, careful not to hurt her any further than I probably already have. Inessa hisses before her hips begin to roll and she meets my finger with her own thrust.
“Okay,” she murmurs.
I chuckle as I move my hand to her other breast and gently tug and play with the nipple there. Her legs begin to shake as her body quivers.
“Come on my hand, yagodka,” I whisper against her neck. Her body stiffens and she lets out a long moan, her pussy gripping my finger tightly.
I don’t push her for more, or try to draw out the orgasm. When she sags, I pull her even closer against me and place a hot kiss against her neck. My cock is hard and nestled between the cheeks of her ass, but I’m not pushing for anything more tonight.
“What about you?” she asks. I chuckle.
“Not tonight,” I murmur.
“I love you, Dominik,” she sighs.
The words I love you, too are on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t say them.
Instead, I hold her just a little tighter before one of my hands drifts to her belly and I keep it there. Holding her and holding my child, I exhale and, finally, I can breathe. They’re safe. Larisa and Oleg have been eliminated, and nothing else will harm them. At least not tonight.
I WAKE WITH DOMINIK’S voice talking gently, and I sit up to find him standing with a tray of food at the side of the bed. He’s smiling and looking down at me. I’m so shocked that I don’t say anything as I tuck the sheet under my arms to cover my breasts before leaning back against the headboard.
Dominik sets the tray down and my eyes widen.
There’s orange juice, syrniki, and a bowl of fruit. My eyes well up with tears because never has Dominik brought me breakfast before, let alone in bed.
“You need to eat,” he murmurs. I look up at him.
“Why? How?” I stutter, unable to speak in a complete sentence.
“I called Konstantin to talk to him about some things, and asked if he would bring over some breakfast for my bride,” he shrugs.
His bride.
My heart races against my ribs and I can see that he seems slightly nervous, so I smile.
“Thank you, Nik. It looks so good,” I whisper.
“I’m working from home today. Konstantin brought my computer here for me as well. You’re not working at all today,” he announces. I nod as I take a bite of syrniki.
“I wanted to talk to you about that,” I murmur. He raises a brow as he walks over to the chair in the corner and sits down, crossing his leg so that his ankle rests on his knee and his hands rest behind his head.
“Go ahead,” he urges with a lift of his chin.
“Uncle Pavlov and I were talking last night. He suggested that I take classes to become a broker and open my own agency,” I say as quickly as possible. “It would mean that I could have agents showing houses beneath me, and I could make my schedule daytime only, so that I can be home earlier after the baby comes.”
Dominik nods and his eyes roam over me as I continue to shove food in my mouth so that I don’t say anything else. He uncrosses his leg and moves so that his forearms are resting on his knees as he bends over. Then he lifts his head and his warm eyes meet mine as he smiles.
“Yeah, yagodka, I like that idea. What kind of classes do you need?” he asks softly.
“There’s a forty-five-hour class I have to take. I meet all the other qualifications. Then I have to take a test. I’m thinking that I can get the class finished during the pregnancy, take the test, then open my own agency right after maternity leave, and be up and running shortly after that,” I say as I continue to take bites of food in between my speech. I’m suddenly beyond starving, and I can’t eat fast enough.
“This is good,” he grunts. “You know I want you home, taking care of the house and things, but I don’t want you to be unhappy. This seems as though it can be more of a compromise, yeah?”
“Completely. It’ll give me a little more freedom with my schedule, and I’ll still be doing what I love and building my business,” I explain.
“Today, you stay home and search listings for a house in Scarsdale,” he announces as he stands and cups my cheek.
“Dominik—.”
“Nyet, Inessa. You do this, yeah? It’s nonnegotiable. I’m willing to compromise on things that most men in my position would not do, but this is not one of them. I want a house. I want a good, clean, safe house for my family. I want to give this baby what I never had,” he murmurs before he bends down, brushing his lips against mine. He then straightens and walks out of the room.
I stare after him in surprise for about two seconds before I reach for my iPad and open it, logging into my MLS site and plugging in the information I wish to add to my search. I continue to eat and drink while it searches through the thousands of listings, and then it shows only five homes that meet my criteria.
The first house that comes onto my screen is an all brick, Georgian Modern Colonial style house. It’s big and beautiful and surrounded by an acre and a half of land, which includes a private tennis court. It has a circle drive, which I absolutely love. It was built in 1999, but it has been recently remodeled, so it doesn’t look the least bit dated. However, it doesn’t look like Dominik to me, so I continue on down the list.
My smile widens when I come across a house that’s only ten years old. It, too, sits on an acre and a half, and it has a swimming pool. It’s an all white, colonial, two-story with a complete basement. It’s absolutely stunning, and I gasp as I continue to click through the photos, each one surpassing my expectation.
“What’s got you so excited?” Dominik asks on a chuckle as he walks over to my side of the bed and sits down next to me. He takes my now empty tray away, and I bring the iPad closer to show him.
“I found this. I think it could be it,” I whisper.
I chew on my bottom lip as he searches through the pictures and then nods.
“Can we see it today?”
“Yeah. I mean, I have to call the residents to make sure, but I don’t see why not,” I shrug.
“Set it up,” he murmurs before he sets the iPad down on my nightstand.
“Okay,” I breathe as his fingers wrap around my sheet and pulls it down.
“Dominik,” I gasp.
“Shhh, I’m hungry,” he whispers.
I blink as he climbs on the bed and spreads my legs wide before his mouth is between my thighs and his tongue is instantly sliding through my center. Moaning, I slide my fingers through his hair and hold onto the strands as he fucks me with his mouth.
When I come, he slides up my body and makes love to me. He’s slow and gentle, the complete opposite of last night, and his eyes—they stay glued to mine the entire time. When he comes, he kisses me long and deep, his tongue invading my mouth and swallowing my own climax, which follows seconds later.
Inessa and I drive up to the house. It’s even more beautiful outside then the pictures portrayed. I hope that it meets our expectations when we walk inside of the front door. I feel her cool hand wrap around mine, and I
look down at it before I look into her eyes.
“Are you ready?” she asks.
Looking at Inessa’s face, I completely understand that pregnant glow that people talk about. She looks absolutely stunning right now. I move my hand from underneath hers and wrap it around the side of her neck before I pull her a bit closer to me and press my lips to hers.
“I’m ready, yagodka,” I murmur against her lips.
“Let’s go look at this house,” she grins, sliding out of the car.
I curse in irritation that she doesn’t let me open the door for her as I quickly make my way to her side. Once again, she’s wearing heels that make her ass and legs look fantastic, but they aren’t fucking safe. I wrap my hand around her waist and hold her close to my side as we walk up to the house. There’s a lock box that she holds her new phone up to once she’s punched some buttons, and she grins when it opens. Taking the key out, she unlocks the door and together we walk inside.
This is it.
I know it without stepping past the foyer.
This feels like home to me.
Inessa starts talking, pointing out things as we walk through the home. I’m not listening to her, my mind already made up and set. She suddenly stops and turns to face me when we’re in the master bedroom and cocks her head to the side.
“Well, what do you think?” she asks. I shrug.
“About what?” I ask. I, obviously, was not paying attention.
“The whole place? This is the last room to see. What do you think?” she asks.
“I want it,” I state firmly.
“Really?” she asks as her mouth opens in a little O shape that’s so fucking tempting.
“It feels like home.”
I watch as her face softens and then water wells up in her eyes and she sucks in a deep breath.
“And you’ve never had a real home, right, not like this?” she asks, waving a hand around.
“Never,” I simply say.
“Okay, Nik. Then this will be ours,” she whispers. I watch as a tear falls.
I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her against my chest before I slant my head and press my lips to hers. She tastes like sweet, sweet fucking berries, and I can’t wait to have more of her again. I’ll never get enough—not of her taste, her scent, or her body.
Tempting the Badman (Russian Bratva #5) Page 24
