Best of 2017

by Alexa Riley

  She’s a treasure I want but can’t have. I’m not good enough for her and I know it. I found out she worked at a church and was the daughter of the preacher. Of course she is. She’s an angel. She shines, and when I watch her, it feels like she bathes me in light.

  I’ve watched her every spare moment I have. I’ve even started working less. I only take jobs here and there, but I was stupid. I should’ve quit from that very first day. I knew she needed someone to watch over her.

  Or maybe I brought the darkness to her. That’s what I fear most, that somehow someone saw what I coveted and they’re going to use it against me. The one thing in my life that makes me vulnerable and suddenly it’s out of my grasp.

  I clench my teeth. I’m not sure who would dare, but there are always men trying to make a name for themselves. I’m not one to be fucked with, but there’s a new idiot for hire every day of the week. If even a hair on her head has been hurt, I will never forgive myself.

  My phone rings and adrenaline hits my blood. Only one person has this number, so I answer quickly.

  “Speak.”

  “Well, aren’t we chipper.”

  “Are you sure you want to play this game with me, Saint?” I say coldly. I like Saint, but I would never let him know that. We traded a favor. I bring him the man who likes blonde girls, make him cry, and hand him over to Saint. Then Saint tells me the location of my angel.

  I only left him with the rapist an hour ago, so I’m surprised to hear from him so soon. But maybe he was worried I’d come back and physically make him carry out my favor.

  “All right. All right, Fixer. Let me start by telling you this. She’s safe.” I feel a drop hit my cheek, my eyes welling with relief. It’s something that hasn’t happened since I was a child and I lost my sister. “I’m going to tell you the story, but make sure you’re headed toward Cranberry, Colorado.”

  Luck is on my side because I’m already headed that way. I hit the gas, looking at the navigation to see it’s not even an hour from her home. Four from me, but I’ll make it in three. I need to see her with my own eyes.

  “I didn’t think anyone took her, because her father hasn’t reported her missing. I feel like if your daughter is missing for three days, you’d do that.”

  I nod in agreement even though I know he can’t see me. I’m not a man of many words. I don’t talk when it’s not needed.

  “So I started digging into the preacher’s daughter.”

  “She doesn’t belong to him,” I correct.

  I hear a snort and clench my teeth once again. “I started looking into your girl.” He emphasizes the last word. “Since her mom up and left him, which we’ll get back to in a minute, she stayed with her grandparents until she was in her early teens, then her dad brought her back home to the church. The grandparents ended up dying a while back. Their house is still there and still in their names. It shouldn’t be, because according to their will, it was left to your girl when she turned eighteen. But from what I can tell, I don’t think she knows that.”

  My mind starts working. I didn’t pay him much attention. My angel always seemed so happy.

  “How can you be sure?” I ask, still worried. I’ll stay that way until I get my eyes on her. They will never leave her again.

  “She didn’t have a car in her name, and the dad seems like a dick, so I’m guessing he isn’t letting her use his. I went digging at the bus station and got into their shit. I pulled up the cameras and did some more shit you don’t care about until I spotted her. She bought a ticket with cash, headed for Cranberry.”

  The piece of information makes me feel a little better, but still I ache. Saint rattles off the address to me.

  “Don’t hang up,” he orders.

  I don’t, but I don’t speak either.

  “I don’t think her mom skipped town,” he adds. I pop my neck, getting ready for what’s coming. “From what I can tell, the preacher’s wife seemed awful fucking clumsy. Always in and out of the hospital with injuries. Then one day, poof.”

  A rumble leaves my chest. He must have killed her mom.

  “If he’s touched her…”

  “Yeah,” Saint agrees.

  I’m shocked I said that out loud, but like always, my control isn’t great when it comes to my angel.

  “Fixer, if you ever need something, don’t hesitate.”

  I don’t return the favor. I already did my deed for Saint, and I have a feeling I might be retiring very soon.

  I roll down the window and toss the phone out of it. I push the gas even harder, eating up the miles that separate us.

  I have no plan for what I’m going to do when I get there. She doesn’t even know who I am. A few times I thought she caught me looking at her. Or maybe I was being stupid like I often am with her. How could she have not seen me? I’ve been following her for a year. Sometimes it isn’t easy to stay hidden, and with my size it’s even harder.

  I run my hand down my face. I thought leaving my angel alone and watching her was for her own good. But now I see the error of my ways. I’ve been letting her live with a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  The right thing to do would be to kill him and then she would be free. She could go on and live a normal life. But I’ve never been the kind of man that does the right thing. After losing her for days, I see that I can’t live without her, and I know I can’t live with only watching. What if someone else tried to take her? What if another man tried to make her his?

  Rage makes my neck hot. I would end up killing someone, and that would cause my angel pain.

  There is only one choice. She has to be mine.

  I park about half a mile from the house in a docking area. I grab my bag and make the walk. I pick up speed with each step, and before I know what’s happening I have her cheap alarm disabled and the lock popped on her front door. I slide inside and close the door behind me. My heart is pounding. I hear someone moving around in the kitchen. I place my bag on the floor by the door and step into the living room.

  The weight on my chest lifts. She’s perfect as always. She turns around and takes a few steps before she notices me standing there. When her face turns in my direction, she freezes and her mouth drops open. She doesn’t look scared. I try to read her expression, but there’s too much to take in. When I see the light in her green eyes sparkle, I know I’ve got her.

  She drops everything she has in her hands and runs at me, jumping into my arms.

  I catch her easily as she wraps her arms around my neck. When she presses her lips to mine, I fall to my knees on the floor.

  CHAPTER THREE

  LONDON

  HIS HANDS HOLD ME TIGHT, and I bring my mouth down on his. I hear him gasp as he falls to the floor. His hands snake up my back, pulling me into his lap. I open my mouth a little and he slides his tongue in. I moan, his taste warm and sweet. He’s soft at first, but when my tongue touches his, it breaks him.

  Gone is the gentle first touch and in its place is hunger. He eats at my mouth as if he’s starving for me. I slide my hands up, wanting to feel his hair. I run my fingertips over his buzzcut. We press against one another as much as we can; the space between us is offensive. His fingers dig into my back, and I find myself starting to rock against him. I can feel the stiff length in his pants, and though its size should scare me, I only move against it harder. I place my elbows on his shoulder to help steady my body as I rock faster.

  “Fuck,” he grunts, sounding like he’s out of breath.

  I bury my face in his neck, my body still moving against his. My hormones are racing and I can’t slow them down. Embarrassed heat stains my cheeks, but I don’t know how to stop. In one swift motion of strength he stands, easily walking over to the sofa and sitting down with me straddling him. He rubs his hands up and down my back softly, his voice low and purring. He says words in Russian that I don’t understand, but I stay with my head in his neck, breathing him in.

  I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. He’s he
re. He actually came.

  “You know who I am?” He finally speaks in English. His rough words are thick and sexy and filled with need. I wrap around him even tighter.

  “My mystery man,” I whisper, then I kiss his neck. He stops rubbing and instead digs his hands possessively into my skin.

  “You don’t fear me?”

  I lean back and shake my head before placing my lips on his neck once again. His warm flavor is everything I’ve dreamed it would be.

  “I can’t think when you do that, my angel.”

  “You want me to stop?” I ask.

  “Never,” he answers.

  He moans and leans back as his hands go to my ass, pulling me closer. Another string of Russian words leaves his mouth, making me smile. I’m making him lose control, and I have no idea what I’m doing.

  “I didn’t think you would come,” I admit.

  “It took some time to find you.” His hands move to my thighs, rubbing up and down my bare skin. His touch is possessive, like he’s owning every inch, like he’s touched me for as long as he’s been watching me.

  “Good.” Our eyes lock. I didn’t know eyes could be so dark. If I didn’t think of him as my guardian angel, I’d probably fear them. I raise my eyebrows in challenge. “I did it on purpose.”

  He studies me for a moment. “You hid from me?”

  “Yes!” I yell. “You never talk to me. I mean, I try walking by you or getting close.” I hold my hands up in frustration. “Then nothing. A few times I even stood in creepy places thinking, okay any moment now he’s going to grab me.”

  “You thought I’d kidnap you?” He looks at me, a little shocked.

  My gaze falls to my lap and I feel embarrassed again. “I don’t know what I thought. I just wanted you.”

  “Look at me, angel.” He slides his hands up to the hem of my dress, to where the tops of my thighs meet my hips. His palms are so big they wrap around me there. Our size difference is major.

  “I have—” He stops mid-sentence, his whole face going hard. “I will kill him.”

  His eyes are on my cheek, and I reach up to cover it. He pulls at my wrist softly, making me move my hand. He leans forward to get a better look at the bruise. His face shows pure rage like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

  “I don’t even know your name,” I whisper as his eyes come to mine. The hard rage slips just a little before he places a kiss on my cheek.

  “Viktor.”

  “Viktor, can we not do this right now? The whole cheek thing. I-I…” I stumble over my words a little. “I don’t want to talk about my father. That can be later. Today is us.”

  I reach out and run my finger along his lips. They’re so full for a man. A scar runs from the top of left lip down to the bottom. He looks down when I touch it, like he’s embarrassed.

  I kiss it. Then I kiss the other side of his mouth. Then I kiss him. His hands tangle in my hair and he takes control. I melt into his touch, craving his strength.

  “Angel,” he growls. “If you do not stop I will cum.”

  It’s then I realize I’m rocking against him, trying to ease that deep ache that’s between my legs.

  “Yes, I want that.”

  He slides his hands around to my ass and his mouth goes to my neck. I feel his power everywhere. The heat from his big body warms me, and he moves me against him. His hard length rubs my bare panties, and I feel myself soak the cotton material.

  “Viktor,” I moan as I throw my head back. His teeth graze my neck and it sends a chill down my back. My nipples chafe against my bra and my breasts feel heavy.

  Lava rumbles in my center before it breaks free and I explode. I scream out his name and he jerks under me, and words I don’t understand fall from his lips. The orgasm is coming in powerful waves, and all I can do is ride out the pleasure.

  “I’m going to have to learn Russian,” I say on a laugh as I lay my head against his chest. He leans back, wrapping his arms around my back and keeping me in place.

  “I don’t think I can let you go, angel. Maybe you weren’t wrong with your kidnap idea.”

  “Then don’t.” I let out a sigh of contentment, completely at peace for the first time in a long time. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever had this feeling. I don’t know what it is about him.

  “Please look at me.”

  “Your ‘please’ sounded forced,” I giggle.

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I can’t remember the last time I used the word. I don’t have to. Other people are usually saying it over and over to me.”

  I sit back and look at him, my jealousy firing through me.

  “You’re upset,” he says, reading my expression.

  “Are you talking about women saying that to you?” There’s no way to keep the sass out of my voice.

  “You’re jealous?”

  I smack his chest.

  He smiles. “I can’t remember the last time someone smacked me and didn’t pay the price. But you, my angel, may do with me as you desire.”

  I do it again, irritated at his non-answer. “It’s not funny. You can’t stalk someone and sleep with other women.”

  He lets out a sound of disgust. “I did no such thing. I spend all free time as you say, stalking you.” He leans up, cupping my face. “There is only you.”

  “Oh.”

  He leans forward, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “Lie on me. I like it very much,” he whispers against them.

  I smile and lay my head back down on his chest.

  “You don’t understand my words. I am not a good man, London.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “Angel,” he corrects.

  I kiss his neck when he says it.

  He lets out a breath, probably knowing I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t. Not right now at least. Digging into the past is something I want to avoid. I know we will, but not right now.

  “How did you know I would come for you?”

  “I got tired of waiting. This all seemed so crazy and I thought, okay, this might be even crazier, but what if you found me. If you came for me here, then it was meant to be.”

  “You don’t know the things I had to do to find you.”

  “Do I want to?”

  “Nyet.”

  “Then I don’t want to know.” I shrug, not needing to know all the details. Someone else may like to know every single thing, but I’m okay being in the dark. “Was it worth it?”

  “I would have done worse for this. I would have done anything.”

  The way he says “anything” makes goosebumps rise on my skin.

  I lean up. “We’ve waited long enough.” I move so my lips are barely touching his. “Make love to me, Viktor. Show me what it feels like to be connected to someone. Make me yours.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  VIKTOR

  “ANGEL, MY HANDS ARE—”

  “Perfect. I want you to touch me everywhere with them.”

  I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever been shocked. Nor can I remember the last time I felt unsteady. But I feel both as I try to keep my hold on her.

  “I never want to hurt you,” I try to tell her. She doesn’t see the pleading in my eyes.

  It’s not that I don’t want to be inside her, because every cell in my body is screaming for it. It’s that I’ve dreamed about this moment more than I should have. Once I laid eyes on her, my dark dreams melted away and they were only filled with her. She made me cum in my pants merely by rubbing her body against mine. Even after that, I’m still hard as steel.

  “I’ve always heard it hurts the first time so…” She licks her lips and trails off.

  I groan and before I know it I’m on my feet carrying her in my arms.

  She giggles as she wraps her arms around me. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

  “I still can’t believe you want me here.” I move down the hallway, careful not to jostle her.

  “Don’t say that kind of stuff. I do
n’t like it. I want you, Viktor. I want you so much I hatched a plan to get you here because you wouldn’t make a move.”

  Something deep inside of me warms. No one has ever wanted me. Unless they want me to fix something or hurt someone.

  “I want you more than you will ever know, angel. If I hadn’t found you—” I shake my head. “I would have searched until the end of time.”

  I find the room at the end of the hallway and lay her down on the bed. I move over her and wonder if she knows one of the world’s deadliest killers is about to take her innocence. Her big green eyes are filled with excitement. Her blonde hair is fanned out around her and it looks like a golden halo.

  “I tried to do the right thing. For once in my life I tried to be honorable. But you sealed your fate by luring me here, and I’ll never let you go.”

  “Liar.” There’s a knowing smirk pulling at her lips.

  I lower my weight on top of her to prove my point. She isn’t going anywhere.

  “You think I’d let you go?” I ask. My tone is stern, but it doesn’t seem to faze her. She’s completely unafraid of me, and something about that makes me love her even more, which I didn’t think was possible.

  “After seeing you here, I mean, I know you were never going to let me go, but watching would have only lasted so long. What if I went on a date with some guy and—”

  I growl, cutting off her words, and she smiles triumphantly.

  “See? Today didn’t seal my fate. I was yours from the first moment.” She’s never been more right.

  “I’m going to show you who you belong to.”

  I reach into my boot, grabbing the knife I keep hidden there. I sit back while still straddling her, and look down. There’s not a trace of fear on her face. In fact, she wiggles around like she’s excited. I slide the knife into her dress and I watch as her breathing picks up. I cut down the center, the sound of the ripping cotton loud in the quiet room.