Thrust

by Becca Jameson

  “Would you feel better if I dated someone you didn’t even know?”

  “Of course not. But you haven’t known Ivan long, and he’s…intense.”

  This time she rolled her eyes. “Mikhail, I’ve known him for months. We’ve been living in the same apartment that entire time. And I’m super clear on just how intense he is. How intense all of you are. I’m not as naïve as you think.”

  He smiled. “That may be, but you’re still as inexperienced as I think.”

  “I’ll give you that, but I don’t plan to become an old maid or anything just so you don’t have to visualize me with a man.”

  He chuckled and then shuddered. “Please. Spare me the images. I can’t go there.”

  Neither of them spoke again for a few seconds, and then Mikhail continued. “I want you to be happy, Alena.”

  “I am. But even if I wasn’t, it’s not your responsibility to ensure it.”

  “Be careful. Please. You’re my sister. My only family. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She cocked her head to one side. “And you think Ivan would ever do anything to hurt me?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Never. Not intentionally. I just… I just want you both to be certain before you head down a path you can’t return from. If you haven’t already…”

  “I’m not going to respond to that half-assed question, but trust me. I’m fine. Better than fine. Better than I’ve been in a long time. Maybe forever.”

  Mikhail rounded the desk and wrapped her in his arms. “I love you, Alena.”

  “I love you too.”

  »»•««

  “What do you think?” Fedor asked.

  Vadim was staring at the clinic, his vision swimming from boredom. “About what?”

  “Dudko. You think Yenin has managed to get his hands on her in the last year and changed her chemical makeup?”

  “It’s possible.” Vadim turned his gaze from the clinic to Fedor. “It’s the reason we’re here, isn’t it?”

  Fedor shrugged. “I’m just wondering if it’s in vain. Could be Alena Dudko has the same blood workup she had last time we had our hands on her. Long way to come. Lot of effort. Ton of risk just to find out nothing.”

  “I don’t see it that way. Alena Dudko is obviously important to several people. All of Yenin’s fighters guard her like she’s royalty. Belinsky never leaves her side until she’s at the clinic. She’s valuable to someone and worth protecting.”

  Fedor swatted Vadim on the arm. “She’s Mikhail’s fucking sister. And she’s probably banging Belinsky. Of course they watch her like a hawk. They don’t want Yenin to get his grubby hands on her.”

  Vadim turned his gaze back out the window. “How badly do you think Yenin might want her?”

  “Pretty bad. Why?”

  “What would be better than capturing Alena Dudko?” He grinned at the windshield.

  “Yenin.”

  “Exactly.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You’re distracted.” Ivan nudged Alena’s thigh with his elbow before opening the fridge to grab a frozen pizza. He’d set her on the counter about two minutes ago, exactly in the spot he liked her to rest while he cooked.

  Didn’t matter that he had no intention of actually cooking tonight. He still liked her there. It put her closer to eye level with him and forced her to give him her undivided attention.

  Tonight’s special cuisine was going to have to be frozen pizza because he didn’t have the energy for anything else, and he wasn’t about to ask her to focus on cooking, either.

  “The FSB is after me,” she stated as though he were an idiot. She even shot him a glare as he opened the box next to her thigh.

  He dropped the package and reached for her chin to tip her face toward his. “Babe, I know. And I know it’s making you crazy. It’s making me insane too. I can’t stand the idea of the Russian government out there on the street in front of our apartment spying on us.

  “Knowing those same men snatched you off the street and held you prisoner for six months makes my blood boil. Trust me. I’d like nothing better than to stomp out the front door, approach the two of them from behind, and shoot them in the skull without asking questions.”

  She cringed. “Ivan, be reasonable.”

  “Babe.” He shot her a glare, tipping his head forward at the same time. “I didn’t say I was going to do it. I just said I wanted to.”

  She twisted her fingers together in her lap, dipped her face, and closed her eyes. “Every time I close my eyes, I slip back to that day. It’s as if I had almost forgotten my own abduction—or at least stuffed it to the back of my mind—but now it’s all flooding back to me, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  He left the pizza on the counter and stepped in front of her to tug her ass closer to the edge of the counter. He spread her knees so he could nestle between them and pull her body against his. When he wrapped his arms around her middle, threaded his fingers in her hair, and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, she sighed.

  Thank God.

  And then she started to cry. She gripped his T-shirt at his back near his jeans and fisted the material in her hands so tight he knew exactly what she was doing. The first sob was small, but then the floodgates opened, and she took a deep breath and really let go.

  Ivan wasn’t used to holding a woman while she cried. He couldn’t remember ever doing so in his life. But he didn’t feel awkward, either. Not with Alena. Not with this sweet, perfect woman who’d stolen his heart nearly two months ago with her innocence and joy.

  To see her torn up like this made his heart squeeze until it hurt. But he continued to hold her, stroking her back with one hand and the base of her head with his other.

  His shirt was wet. He didn’t care.

  She cried for several minutes before finally slumping more fully against him and easing down to an occasional sniffle.

  “I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you’re safe. You know that, right?”

  She nodded against him, taking another deep breath on a sharp sob as if his words broke the dam again.

  He held her tighter, easing his hand around from her hair to her cheek to brush the blonde locks off her face. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”

  She nodded again.

  After another minute, he eased back to meet her gaze, holding her face with both hands. “I want you to do something for me.”

  “What?”

  He searched her eyes, hoping he wasn’t about to freak her out with his suggestion. No. Not a suggestion. More like a demand. “Have you ever fired a gun?”

  She flinched, her eyes darting wide. “No. Of course not.”

  “Held one?”

  She shook her head.

  “I want you to learn. I want you to know how to fire a weapon. Just in case.”

  She shook her head again. “No thanks.”

  Ivan inhaled deeply. “Not asking if you want to, Alena. I need you to do this.”

  She bit her lower lip. A fresh tear slipped down her face. And then she nodded.

  Relief swept through him as his shoulders lowered after the stress of his announcement. “Great. Don’t move.”

  “What? Now?” she asked as he let go of her and hurried across the room to grab his gym bag where he kept his Springfield.

  He turned back around to find her trembling. “Yes, now. I don’t think it will do you any good for me to set up an appointment with a shooting range for some time next year, Alena. We’re in a crisis. You need to know how to fire a weapon.”

  She nodded again, subtly, but her eyes were narrowed.

  He returned to her side carrying the gun. When he got to her, he held the Springfield over the counter and hit the magazine release. He pulled the slide back to let the remaining round pop out.

  Alena jumped next to him where she sat on the counter. “Ivan…”

  He turned toward her and held the gun out with the barrel facing away from both of
them. “Even though it’s empty, never take chances. Don’t aim at anything you don’t intend to shoot.”

  “Okay.”

  “Grasp it with your right hand.”

  She trembled as she took it from him.

  “Good.” He stepped to one side of her to face the same way she was facing. “Hold it up, put your index finger alongside the gun toward the end of the barrel, and wrap your left hand over the top of your right hand around the grip and under the trigger.”

  She did as he said, although she was shaking. At least she didn’t argue. “Like this?” She lifted it into the air.

  “Yes. Line it up with your imaginary target, move your index finger to the trigger, and pull.”

  She glanced at him. “You’re sure there are no bullets in it?”

  “I’m sure.”

  She looked across the room and lifted the gun.

  “Now, the hardest part is to avoid lifting the barrel when you pull the trigger. You’ll miss your target. Stay steady. Don’t flinch and let it kick up when you fire. It won’t feel the same without a round in the chamber, but pretend.”

  “You want me to shoot?” She eyed him suspiciously without moving her head.

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  She pulled the trigger, flinching as though still afraid she would shoot a hole in the wall. It was good for her to have a certain amount of fear. No one should be too relaxed around a gun. There was always the possibility it would fire.

  “Good. That’s it. I’ll teach you more about how to load and unload it later. But for now, you can at least pick it up, aim, and shoot. Assume it’s always loaded. Lately, I haven’t been carrying around a useless gun.”

  “Right. Of course.”

  He took it from her, popped the magazine back in, and set it farther down the counter. And then he straddled her legs and faced her. He lifted her chin with his forefinger to meet her gaze. “I want you to be safe.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “I’m gonna put the pizza in, or we’ll never get to eat dinner.” He smiled.

  She smiled back. “Yeah. Right. It’s probably thawed now.”

  “It’ll just cook that much faster.” He released her to slide the pizza into the oven and then returned to the same spot. “I can’t begin to know what sort of demons have crept into your mind, and I’d do anything in my power to chase them away. But I want you to be as safe as possible. And knowing how to fire a weapon is important.”

  A lone tear tracked down her cheek again. “Can you not be so sweet? You’re making this worse.”

  He chuckled. “Can’t fix that. Not gonna be a shit just to make you feel better.” He leaned in and kissed her lips. “But I will let you change into something more comfortable while the pizza cooks.” He lifted her off the counter, knowing she would want to wash her face and regroup.

  “Something more comfortable?” she joked, looking down at her scrubs. “These are the most comfortable clothes on the planet. They simply aren’t attractive. The only way I could be more comfortable is if I lose the bra. Other than that, I’m just going for fashion.”

  “Well, in the name of comfort, don’t let me stop you from losing the bra.” He winked at her and swept his hand to indicate she should head for the hall.

  What he wanted to do was lose the bra for her, but he would accept seeing her in one of her tight tank tops with no bra on as a second runner up. Because that’s what he knew she would return in. He loved the look. But it made his dick so hard he couldn’t easily sit down.

  He turned toward the fridge and grabbed a beer while she changed. He was leaning against the counter, enjoying his beer and waiting on the pizza when she returned.

  Her face was washed so she was free of makeup—a look he enjoyed on her. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but not as bad. When he let his gaze roam down the rest of her body, he struggled to breathe and not drop his bottle. “Babe…” he closed his eyes and rolled his head toward the ceiling to block her image.

  She wasn’t wearing the usual tank top and boxer shorts. She was wearing some sort of pale blue baby-doll nighty with dainty straps and white lace edges. It dipped low in her cleavage and gathered under her breasts. He’d only allowed himself a glimpse, and he could describe it as if he were staring at a photo.

  God almighty.

  The bottom edge of it was also white lace and reached just below her butt. If he wasn’t mistaken, she had on a matching thong. No man could be expected to ignore the magnetic pull.

  Instead of pretending she wasn’t dressed to seduce—in a garment she must have purchased online—she padded right to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She set her chin on his chest. “Is the pizza done?”

  “What pizza?” he asked the ceiling.

  She giggled, and the sound went straight to his cock.

  He wrapped one arm around her middle to haul her tighter against him and reached with the other one to the center of her back where he couldn’t resist the urge to set his cold beer against her spine.

  She squealed, jumping in his arms.

  He didn’t release her. But he did lower his gaze to meet hers.

  Her eyes were dancing. Just like that, her sadness was gone.

  “I thought you went to remove your bra.”

  “I did.” She batted her eyes and leaned back a few inches to look down. “See?”

  Oh fuck yeah. He saw just fine. He saw her fantastic nipples standing at attention, all swollen and hard through the thin, see-through material of her nighty. He saw the swell of her breasts where the lace gathered beneath them. He didn’t need to see the bottom hem to remember how short the nighty was and realize that with her arms lifted to wrap around him, it wouldn’t be covering her ass.

  His cock wasn’t just hard. It was stone.

  He reached around to the front with his beer and took a long swig, and then he set it on the counter next to him. With that hand now free, he lowered it behind her to cup her bare ass cheek and squeeze. “Where did you get this and when?”

  “Get what?” she asked, batting her eyes again.

  He narrowed his gaze. “Don’t play dumb with me.”

  “This nightgown?”

  He tipped his head back and laughed hard. It did nothing to assuage his cock, but it still felt good to laugh.

  The timer went off behind them, making him pull his shit together and lower his gaze. Now his eyes were watering. “Nightgown? A nightgown is something a grandma wears to get the mail. This is not a nightgown.” He set his hands on her waist, spun her around, and lifted her ass back onto the counter.

  Two seconds later, he removed the pizza from the oven. He wasn’t nearly as hungry as he had been earlier. While it cooled enough to keep from burning their mouths, he turned his attention back to Alena. “What do you want to drink?”

  She picked up his beer and took a long swig. “I’ll just share with you.”

  His eyes went wide, and he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  When she lowered the beer, she added, “We might need another.”

  “You drink beer?” He’d never once seen her drink a beer in two months. She rarely drank at all, but never beer.

  She shrugged. “Sure.”

  “I’ve never seen you drink beer.”

  She pointed at him. “Correction, you’ve never actually offered me a beer.”

  “True.” She had a point.

  “Couldn’t afford vodka in Russia,” she continued. “I learned to like beer. American beer is more my style.”

  He grinned. “What other surprises do you have?” he asked as he maneuvered himself between her legs again. It wasn’t nearly the same now that she had ditched the scrubs. Her pussy was almost bare between her legs, the thong doing nothing to hide anything, and everything to make the view sexier than if she were completely bare.

  “Actually, I think this should be a give and take. I showed you mine. Your turn to show me yours.”

  He swallowed hard. “Showed me your wh
at?” he asked, his gaze between her legs at the spot where the lacy edge of her nighty danced right in the way of the view of her pussy.

  “My ability to drink beer,” she added, as if that were obvious. “Now, in return, I think it’s only fair you show me your naked body.”

  He jerked his gaze to hers. “What?” He shook his head. “Not a good plan.”

  “Why the hell not?” She sobered, her eyes narrowing in challenge. “You’ve seen me completely naked and vulnerable several times. You’ve seen me come completely undone in your arms. That’s beyond naked. Now, do a girl a favor and strip. It’s my turn.”

  Jesus. She wasn’t going to beat around the bush tonight. “Alena…”

  Her face went blank. No squinty lines of laughter. No narrowed eyes of aggravation. No tipped mouth in happiness. Just blank. And then she spoke. “This game is over, Ivan. Now. You played. You won several hands. I’m done.

  “I’ve had a rough day that started too early. Some assholes from Russia are sitting outside wanting to get their hands on me. Some other assholes who came here from Russia twenty-some-odd years ago to develop a drug to change the world as we know it are also sitting outside wanting to abduct me. A few protectors are sitting in their cars from the FBI, the local police, and probably the goddamn CIA. My brother even paid me a visit at the clinic today because he’s worried about me getting involved with you.

  “I’ve never had so much attention placed on me in my life. I’m in danger every time I breathe. My world is revolving like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle. I’m exhausted. I’m scared. I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring.

  “All I’m asking is for the man I’m in love with to please let me seduce him, take off his clothes, share his body with me the way I have offered mine, and fuck me until I can’t remember any of the other things I listed.

  “Do that for me. I’m done being a virgin. I’m done being innocent. I’m done having you tiptoe around my sexuality as if I need to be worshipped and savored slowly. This is the last time I’m going to beg you. Don’t disappoint me tonight. It will not end well.”

  God.

  She was so fucking sexy all riled up like that.

  He wasn’t in the habit of being bossed around by any woman. Ever. He was in charge, especially when it came to the bedroom. And right now the kitchen was the bedroom. His dick was hard. His brain cells were headed south. Instinct told him to set her straight and establish himself as the Dom.