by Maura Rose
“A pushover. An errand boy. Soft. I know I’m not the… typical sort of man that you find in our line of work, and I’m all right with that. But I didn’t want someone who would underestimate me. I wanted someone who knew I would take care of them, someone who felt safe with me, someone I could… feel important with.”
Natalia wasn’t sure what to say to that. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t choose this marriage.”
“I’m sorry because you deserve to feel that way,” she replied. “And you—I’m sorry for whatever happened, however you were treated, that made you feel inadequate. Made other people think you were inadequate.”
Pavel shrugged. “Everyone’s got their sob story.”
“I think you’re tough,” she added, speaking before she could second-guess herself. She scooted a little closer on the bench, until Pavel’s arm was definitely around her shoulders.
Pavel looked a little doubtful, like he thought she was just placating him, so she added, “I’m serious. You didn’t rise to my bait. You could have gotten angry back at me and said a bunch of horrible things, but you had a good temper. I think in our world, people underestimate how valuable that is. You don’t just need to be violent. You need to be patient and you can’t just let your temper dictate things when you’re at a table negotiating.”
“You know a lot about how things are run.”
“Irena explains things to me. She should be the heir but… Father’s old-fashioned.” Natalia rolled her eyes.
“I know plenty of girls who don’t know a thing about how the family business operates and it’s not from their fathers being old-fashioned. It’s good that you know this sort of stuff.”
“I could find out anything I wanted about my family business,” Natalia replied, leaning in conspiratorially. “I’m just too damned lazy. What’s the point if your father won’t let you prove you can help out?”
“You could smuggle things in your paintings.”
Natalia laughed, that warm feeling returning to her chest when she saw the pleased look on Pavel’s face. He liked making her laugh, and she liked that he liked that.
“Do you have any work that you could show me?” Pavel immediately put up a hand, as if in surrender. “Only if you want to. I have to warn you—I don’t know anything about art.”
“I could explain it to you but you don’t have to actually know anything about art to appreciate it. Don’t tell anyone that, though. Trade secret.” She leaned in and winked at him.
And that was when she realized, like an idiot—
She was flirting.
She was actually flirting with him, and she liked it, and she wanted to keep doing it. For a moment it was so easy to pretend, sitting on a park bench with no one around except the occasional jogger or dog walker, that they were two normal people. That he was someone she’d met in a coffee shop and was getting to know because she wanted to.
Natalia could almost imagine how it would be. They’d be in line together and he’d bump her and she’d be snippy about it, but his accent would intrigue her and she’d speak to him in Russian. He’d reply, and they’d strike up a conversation, and keep talking as they ordered and then picked up their coffees. They’d walk to this park and sit down on the bench and then…
And now.
Now they were here, and somehow she’d migrated across the bench until she was almost curled up into his side, and their faces were only a few inches apart, and all it would take for her to be in his lap would be to swing her legs up over his.
She could hear her heart beating frantically in her ears. It had been ages, honestly, since she’d flirted. Who was she going to flirt with when she knew she couldn’t take a guy home and it was exhausting going out to bars and clubs in the hopes of finding someone to sleep with?
Pavel was staring into her eyes like he was seeing something miraculous in them, something profound like the secrets of the universe. She had a feeling he’d also just realized they were flirting.
Irena wouldn’t find this funny but Anastasia definitely would, her middle sister. Not that any of her sisters would be hearing about this.
“You…” Natalia didn’t know what else to say. “Uh. But you didn’t lose your temper with me. That was impressive.”
“You said that already,” Pavel teased her, his voice pitched low again. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d figured out that she liked it when he did that.
“Right.” Fuck, she wasn’t usually this nervous.
You know what, she thought, fuck it. If she was flirting, then she was flirting. She was going to marry this person, if she ended up enjoying flirting with him and maybe even doing more than just flirting then it was all a good thing, wasn’t it?
“You know,” she said, “you haven’t asked me what I wanted in someone I was dating.”
She honestly expected Pavel to look a bit alarmed, but he took it in stride. He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to?”
“Fair’s fair.”
“I’d hate to earn your wrath. I hear it’s ferocious.”
He was poking fun at her, but gently, like he could do it because he knew and respected her frustrations.
“Well, we did say that we could ask each other questions, see if we could become friends.”
“You know, asking each other about our romantic ideals isn’t exactly… friendly.”
“Of course it’s friendly.”
“It’s more than friendly,” Pavel clarified.
Natalia shrugged. “And would that be such a bad thing? If we did like each other as more than friends?”
Pavel got a mischievous gleam in his eye. “You hated me.”
“I didn’t hate you.”
“All right, then.” Pavel crooked two fingers at her as if to say go on. “Let me have it. What kind of guy were you thinking of?”
Now that he’d said it, it felt like a much more serious question instead of a flirtatious one. “I wanted someone who was my equal. Not someone who let me walk all over him but who listened to me and didn’t try to be one of those macho guys who think they’re hot shit just because they’re in a bratva. They’re a dime a dozen. I wanted someone who was different.”
Pavel looked down at himself. “Well… you got different.”
Natalia could hear the hint of self-deprecation in his tone. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Pavel looked up at her and her breath caught. She could have sworn in that moment that he was going to kiss her.
“And what about when it came to…” Pavel paused, as if weighing his words. It felt, at least to Natalia, like they were on the edge of a cliff. He reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, before retreating again.
Natalia took a deep breath. It felt like her skin was beginning to buzz and she couldn’t stop staring into his eyes.
“I wanted someone who wouldn’t treat me like a princess, at least not in the bedroom,” she admitted. “But I also wanted someone who would respect me, treat me like an equal. And it didn’t feel like I could ever have both. Men either didn’t respect me or they treated me like I was glass because of my father. I just wanted someone who treated me like a human.”
Pavel shrugged. “Someone who treats you a certain way in the bedroom… it should be because they know that’s what you want. Not because they do or don’t respect you. If you want the man to get rough with you then that shouldn’t be a reflection of how he sees you as a person. It should only reflect how he likes to pleasure you.”
“Pleasure me,” Natalia repeated. “I didn’t think anyone spoke like that anymore.”
Pavel blushed a little. “It’s the English, or so Kate says. I sometimes speak too formally.”
Natalia found that she liked it. It was a little odd, all right, but it made him sound—of all things—like a gentleman.
“Now that we’re getting into the good stuff,” she said, trying to distract from the embarrassment they were both feeling, “wha
t about you?”
Pavel gave a self-deprecating laugh and scratched the back of his head. She could have sworn his cheeks flushed a bit crimson under his stubble. “I… it’s… ah. It varies from person to person.”
“Well…” Natalia knew that Irena would kill her if she found out they were doing this, but Irena would kill her just for meeting Pavel again, anyway, so what was the harm? She scooted closer to him on the park bench. “…if it were me, then.” She reached up, ghosting her fingers along the back of his neck. “What would you do?”
Pavel turned and looked at her, his eyes going dark as his gaze slid over her form. “I’d give you what you wanted,” he replied, his voice low. “Because it’s what you want and because it’s what I want. Because you frustrate me, and I’d want to pin you down, get a little rough with you.”
Natalia could feel heat starting to spread through her. “Oh?”
Pavel’s eyes locked onto hers. “I’d… kiss every inch of you. I’d want to get you to be good for me because you know I’ll make it good for you, and you’ll make me earn it. I’d have to earn being in charge with you, and I’d want to do that. I’d want to prove to you that if you trust me, I’ll fuck you the way you want, give you that bit of edge because you’ve got a bit of edge too.”
Natalia’s breath was shallow. Pavel’s hand fell to her knee, almost unconsciously, like he didn’t even realize he was touching her like that. Natalia felt a rush of recklessness in her like fire and she grabbed his wrist, sliding his hand higher up her leg, just underneath the skirt of her dress. She could see Pavel swallow, see the way he looked at her—like he wanted to make her come over and over again until she was shaking apart with it.
She leaned in, brushing her mouth against his shoulder. Even though he was wearing his jacket, the heat in his eyes as he gazed at her made it feel like they were both already naked.
How she’d ever doubted this man’s ability to be the kind of sexy, commanding person she needed in the bedroom, she didn’t know. But she wanted to take him for a test drive immediately.
“Take me to your place,” she whispered in a rush. They couldn’t go to hers, she lived at home with her sisters. But she wanted to see… if they really were as compatible as they seemed to be, at least sexually, if they could actually make this work, make this a thing. Her whole life she’d been told how to behave, what to do, what her life would be like. All according to Father’s plan.
But now she wanted to do exactly what she wanted. Nothing more, nothing less. And right now she wanted to go home with Pavel and see if he could make good on the things he was telling her. She wanted to let go, to get manhandled, to forget about this mess and pretend they were just two people who’d met in a bar, had been attracted to one another, and decided to go back home together.
Pavel turned, his arm falling along the back of the bench, almost but not quite around her shoulders. “Are you sure?” His eyes were gentle, his voice soft. It was that softness in him that made her trust him, even as she wanted him to bring out the rougher side of him.
Natalia nodded.
Pavel leaned in until his lips just barely brushed against the corner of her mouth. “Then let’s go.”
He stood, offering his arm to her. Natalia laughed and looped her arm through his. They probably looked like an honest-to-god couple to those walking by. And for the first time, she decided she didn’t mind.
Maybe, at least as far as chemistry went, they could make this work.
Chapter Seven
Pavel stepped out of the elevator just ahead of Natalia. They were in the heart of Sokolov territory, but he’d been careful not to let anyone see them. If word got out that he and Natalia were seeing each other when the marriage hadn’t even been officially announced it would be his head on the chopping block.
He unlocked the front door and paused, guilt invading his thoughts.
Was this really the right choice?
He wanted Natalia, wanted her so badly it was like fire was creeping up his legs, filling his entire body. He wanted to give her what she wanted. But would it just cause more problems for them both?
Natalia seemed to sense his hesitation, because she stepped closer to him as he turned to face her. “Doubts?” she asked.
“I just want to make sure we won’t regret this. It’s… impulsive.”
Natalia shook her head. “I would say it’s the opposite of impulsive,” she replied, her voice low.
“Oh?”
“It’s just… just sensible,” Natalia breathed, her soft, perfect body barely an inch from his. He could feel the heat radiating off her soft, creamy skin, igniting a fire inside him with its slow burn. He reached out, gripping her hips, then slid his hands up her sides. Feeling out the curves of her. “We should… test each other out…”
A shudder passed through him and he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He moved at the same moment that Natalia did, the two of them crashing into each other, mouths sealing together, his tongue sliding into her mouth as she shook violently in his arms.
She kissed like wildfire, like honey and paprika, her hands yanking at him as her mouth did its best to devour him. They stumbled through the front door and he turned, pressing her against it as it closed, pressing them together. He could feel every inch of her and he shivered, his cock filling between his legs, getting stiff and hot and—fuck, he wanted to bend her over and make her scream.
Natalia managed to shove his jacket off, her eyes dark as she pulled at his shirt. “I want—”
Pavel growled, something primal surging up in him as he yanked the shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side, grabbing her and kissing down her neck. “I want my mouth all over you,” he admitted. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he’d been this wild about someone. He wanted to hear her scream, he wanted to be inside of her tight, wet heat, he wanted to forget that they were separate and wanted to be so close to her that he could taste her heartbeat.
Natalia shuddered in his arms and helped him to get her dress undone, his hands finally sliding along that silky, warm skin. He sank down to his knees, kissing up the inside of her thighs. Natalia gave a quaking gasp and tangled her fingers in his hair.
He wanted to lick right into her but he focused on teasing her instead, kissing her stomach, along the line of her underwear, biting softly at the juncture of her thigh. Natalia spread her legs, her body arching, clearly trying to get him to move along but Pavel was going to take his time. He wasn’t going to make this rushed. He wanted to savor this.
He took the top of her underwear in his teeth and pulled it down, trying not to grin at the noise Natalia made in response. He nosed at her wet, silky folds, darting his tongue out to tease, just sampling. Natalia made a kind of strangled whimper.
“I should’ve known you’d be a tease,” she murmured, her hand tightening its hold on his hair.
Pavel knew she might roll her eyes at him for this but he pulled back enough to wink at her before getting his hands on her thighs and parting her legs further, dragging his tongue through her folds and then swirling it around her clit.
Natalia gave a sob of relief and her legs shook. “Please,” she whispered. Pavel felt a bolt of heat shoot through him at her voice, the rough wanton tone of it, the way she begged. He twisted his tongue inside of her, hearing and feeling the pleased sigh she gave, and he hummed against her skin.
The vibrations made Natalia jolt and he did it again, pressing his mouth right up against her clit, and she made a small noise of overwhelmed pleasure. Pavel let go of her with one hand so that he could slide the tip of his finger inside of her, curling it, seeking out the spot that made her—
Natalia jolted, moaning, and Pavel grinned. Yup, just like that.
He worked her with his finger until Natalia was twisting her hips down onto him, his tongue licking at her clit, until she was shaking in his arms and he had to brace his forearm at her waist to keep her upright. He slid a second finger in and she gasped, then
hooked her leg over his shoulder, giving him a better angle. He picked up his pace, his hand and wrist slick with her, until Natalia was biting at her lip to try and keep the sound in.
That just wouldn’t do. He wanted to hear her.
Pavel sealed his mouth over her clit, sucking, as he buried his fingers deep inside of her and curled them, massaging them along that perfect spot inside of her.
Natalia cried out, her knees buckling as she came.
Pavel pulled back, still holding her so that she wouldn’t fall to the floor. Natalia’s eyes were wild, her face flushed, her chest heaving.
She looked beautiful.
For a moment she just breathed, overwhelmed, but then she was grabbing at him again. “Get inside me,” she ordered, and for once that princess routine did the opposite of annoy him. Yes, ma’am.
Pavel got to his feet, helping her to push her dress off the rest of the way and then letting her undo his pants with feverishly fast hands. He was so hard it almost hurt, seeing her fall apart like that, feeling how desperate she was—he wanted her more than he’d thought it was possible to want anyone.
Natalia ran her hands all over his chest, his shoulders, down his stomach, her nails scraping lightly. “You are nothing like I thought you’d be,” she admitted. A wicked grin slid over her face. “Lucky me.”
Pavel got his arm around her waist and turned her, pressing her down onto the bed as Natalia spread her legs, letting him fall between them, kissing her way down his neck and across his shoulder. Pavel moved his mouth down her throat, her breasts, wanting to feel her everywhere, wanting to find all the spots that made her arch and shake underneath him.
Natalia slid her hand between the two of them, stroking him, and Pavel had to grit his teeth to maintain his composure. Fuck, it had been ages—but even if it hadn’t been, he suspected that he would still be overwhelmed by her. Natalia’s grip was loose, teasing him, and as she kissed and sucked along his skin there was the slightest hint of teeth now and again. This was a wildcat he had in his hands, and he was damned lucky she was willing to be a purring kitten and play nice.
