by India Kells
His black hair teased her cheek as his face turned to her once more and she could only wait. Of course, hitting him in a sore spot would have done the trick or a knee in the crotch, but anger battled interest, and as if the saying was true... she was done either way.
Instead of pushing him away, Deva let her hands travel his arms ups, her fingers tracing his well-defined muscles, her palm rubbing against his ink until she framed his face.
Clenching his teeth, Aleksei almost growled at her. “Trying to seduce me won’t save you if it’s a trick.”
“I’m not trying to trick you. And this is only for me.”
Deva pulled herself up to press her lips against his snarl. It was stupid, she knew it. Beyond stupid, and all caused by the fatigue messing with her head. Or was it? From the moment she was born, she had been forced to conform, and when she’d fled, she’d needed to grow up and become an adult quickly. And now, as her world was on the verge of crumbling down once more, sensations were the only things real. Another form of escape.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Aleksei’s doubts about her had put a damper on his lust as he didn’t return her kiss. Lowering herself back on the bed, she was thinking about something to salvage what was left of her pride when he pushed her to the mattress and crushed his lips to hers. Breath left her in a whoosh.
There wasn’t anything subtle about this kiss. It was rough, brutal, and as soon as she moaned, opening her lips, his tongue invaded her mouth. And she loved it. His lips were warm, demanding and he tasted like sin. Being fully clothed while he only had his sweatpants on, Deva started roaming her hands over his exposed body, as she had dreamed of doing, trailing her fingers nails as he groaned in her mouth. However, her exploration was cut short, as when she circled his hips, wanting to get her hands on him again, he grabbed her wrists, bringing them above her head.
“You had your chance, and you let it pass. Now playtime for you is over.” Locking both her wrists in one of his hands, he started unbuttoning her jeans, pushing it down around her knees with her panties.”
“Get them off. Now, Deva.”
His order was gruff, but she obeyed clumsily with her legs, craving to feel his heated skin against her. As she twisted out of her pants, he tugged at her t-shirt until it slid off her head and wrapped it around her wrists, twisting it until it hurt.
Only then did he slide his free arm around her to unclasp her bra and pushed it up above her head as well. And there he was, half beside her, looking at her body at his leisure. This situation made her shiver and blush, so she started tugging at her bound hands, but Aleksei kept her in place.
“You’re going nowhere, little spy. Not until I’m done with you.” And as he spoke, his calloused hand cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing her nipple. Her breath accelerated in anticipation. Releasing her, he moved his palm against her ribs, making her quiver at the touch.
“You’re ticklish, lyubimaya. How interesting.” As if to emphasize his words, he started to tickle her faster, putting one heavy leg on her thighs to keep her still. Wriggling under his touch, she fought to get away. Breathless, she demanded that he stop, but he didn’t. Desperate, she felt him move until his lips were by her ear again.
“You suffer beautifully, Deva. And you are giving me fresh ideas to torture you until you tell me your deepest, darkest and dirtiest secrets. Shall we test your limits, solnyshka?”
Deva was desperate for him to stop when his hand finally stilled, and she could draw a breath, blinking the tears from her eyes. His lips started kissing and licking her neck as she calmed down, but Deva knew it was only a reprieve before his twisted mind found another weakness in her. She shouldn’t have unleashed the beast, she thought, as fear heightened the sensations of his skin rubbing against hers.
His hand slid to her belly as he nuzzled her cheek, before looking deep into her eyes. “Open your legs for me, Deva.”
She resisted the command, remembering his last trick. “No, you’re set on torturing me.”
“Yes, I am. Open your legs, Deva.”
“Aleksei...”
“Yes?” His lips were so close, his breath fanned across her face. But she wasn’t about to confess anything, torture or not. Giving him any leeway was out of the question.
He smiled and kissed her again. Her head buzzed as he moved to position himself on top of her once more, still keeping her hands trapped. His tongue played with hers, and his hand squeezed her hip as he started to rub rhythmically against her skin, mimicking what he could do if she dared open her legs. She could feel his hard cock against her lower belly, stirring under his loose pants. When he moaned, she bit his lips, lost once more in the powerful warrior above her. She forgot about everything else and wrapped her legs around his trim waist, digging her heels in the small of his back, silently pleading for him.
Her second mistake. As he was now in place, it was impossible to close her legs anymore, and he knew it. He broke their kiss and grinned down at her.
Without another word, he reared back and let his hand slid between them, his fingers barely skimming over her sex.
“Ah. As I suspected, solnyshka. You are wet for me. For my body, and my twisted, devious mind.”
And without breaking eye contact, his eyes swirling even darker, he parted her lips with his fingers, plunging into her heat. Caught between fear and lust, Deva couldn’t react, and her body took over, her hips seeking his touch. At her movement, he retreated slightly, until her hips settled on the bed once more, only then did he move again. His fingers traced her opening, becoming slick with her lubrication, but not entering her. Instead, he started making leisurely circles around her clit. Maddeningly slow, the pressure was far from what she needed. Realizing through her sexual haze that it was another torture of his that was beginning, she tried to close her legs, pushing away from his touch, but it was like trying to move a car.
Once more he leaned over her, analyzing her reactions. “Deva, you are like fire under my touch. Would you like more?” And just as he spoke, he kissed her neck and let one of his fingers rasp against her sensitive nub. She bowed and panted.
“Aleksei. Please.”
“Please what? Please stop? Please continue? Please let me come? Tell me all, and I’ll grant your wish.”
“There is nothing to say.”
“Isn’t there?” And his hand moved, sliding one and then two fingers inside her. Quivering, he pushed the heel of his hand against her clit and pressed slowly in circles. This time, pleasure rose fast, and she gasped as his fingers curled inside her, starting to rub at a maddening speed. Deva arched at his touch, but as she was about to surrender to her orgasm, he stopped. A few seconds were enough to pull her away from the edge, and then he started again. And again.
Deva thrashed against him, trying to get away from his touch, but she was pinned in place, forced to endure his assault.
Drenched in sweat, she cursed and yelled at him as he forced her to climb close to climax once more, his fingers relentless, his focus telling him when to retreat, leaving her in a frenzied state of madness.
“Aleksei, I swear. I’m not trying to trick you, I’m not against you. Damn it. You have to believe me.”
“And why would I believe you when everything I see is telling me you are a liar.”
Words poured out of her before she realized it. “Aleksei. If there is something, it’s that I’m trying to protect you. Yes, I have old ties to the criminal underworld. I walked away from it a long time ago. Fled, hid. I don’t want to return to that, but I couldn’t help it. I had to help you. Please, Aleksei.”
His movement halted for a brief moment, and Deva maintained his gaze. Her body was shaking, and she hoped she had said enough. Another part of her hated to be betrayed by her body so easily. That was all she could share, and still be able to live with herself.
Aleksei’s eyes steeled for a second before he cursed under his breath and released her bound hands. Deva almost sobbed in relief when she understood he believed he
r. Instead of getting off the bed, the fighter kissed her once more and trailed his mouth until he reached the apex of her thighs. When his fingers spread her lips, and his mouth sucked her clit, she almost bucked him out the bed. Wrapping his thick arms around her legs to keep her in place, she freed her hands and put her fingers into his mane of black hair and fisted the silky strands with brute force. There was no finesse in the man’s touch, he wanted her to orgasm and fast. One of his arms moved, and she felt his fingers once more inside her, pounding as fast as he was sucking her with his mouth.
Pleasure exploded, rendering her blind as her body shook and she kept on grinding herself against his face. He continued licking her for a while longer, as her body softened and the sensation abated. Lost, Deva felt him kissing her thigh, her stomach, tugging gently at her nipples until his body covered hers once more. Haze dissipated too quickly making her realize what had happened, and she pushed him away with all the rage she could muster.
“Get off me, you sick monster.”
Before he could react, she scrambled out of bed, grabbed her t-shirt and bra that had been discarded moments before, and put them on. Reassured that she was properly covered, she located her jeans.
Aleksei made a move toward her, but she warded him off. “Stay away.”
But as she suspected, he didn’t listen. “Deva, you are not leaving.”
She snickered at him. “Yeah? Watch me!”
He positioned himself between her and the door. “You won’t leave until you tell me why you made contact with me. I’m sorry if…”
As she searched for something big enough to knock him unconscious, someone rang the doorbell.
Aleksei froze before turning to her. “Stay here. Don’t let yourself be seen, do you understand?”
Deva was about to tell him to kiss her ass, but the look on his face made her hesitate. He readjusted his sweatpants and pulled a t-shirt from a drawer before closing the bedroom door behind him.
Once more, Deva hesitated, but she noticed it wasn’t the overbearing, dominant man who gave her the order to stay put. Aleksei was truly worried. Protective.
When a new male voice sounded in the other room, she leaned toward the bedroom door to listen.
“You look well. After your last fight, I thought you wouldn’t recover quickly enough.”
“You mean for the next fight tomorrow.”
“Well, yes. The stakes are going up, which is good for you. If you defeat your next opponent, you are getting closer to your ultimate goal.
“And yours too.” Aleksei’s voice was low with a hint of sarcasm in it.
“Nothing is free in this world. You above all others should know about it. I just came to confirm that we still understood each other. Check your emails, you should receive the location of the next fight tonight. Keep sharp. And don’t lose.”
“No father, I won’t”
Chapter 12
Deva refrained from banging her head against the bedroom door when she realized that Jamieson Finch was on the other side. Aleksei and Lazarus’ father. And what twisted her, even more, was listening to Aleksei clearly trusting the creep. What hold did he have on his son? Gabrielle, Beatrice, and Lazarus had told her about the man, he was the worst psycho she had ever heard of, even with everything she knew about her own father, the mob, and the criminals she had crossed paths with over the years. There was honor among villains and thieves, but there was none in Finch. From what she had discovered, he would rape, sell, and kill his own mother if he found profit in the transaction. And he had almost done exactly that with Lazarus’s mother not so long ago.
But what was the deal between Aleksei and him? Why was he forcing him to fight? What was that debt?
Her internal questioning halted as she heard the front door closing. She scrambled back, going to the dresser to rearrange her ponytail and gather her thoughts. She had to contact Gabrielle. There was a trap somewhere, a big gaping hole that she couldn’t see yet, and it made her fear for Aleksei.
The thought unsettled her and Deva shook her head as she looked at her reflection. She cared about Aleksei and was surprised by how suddenly it had taken hold. He might be an asshole and a complete jerk at times, but he didn’t deserve to be tricked by his father. Or by her.
The bedroom door opened and closed, but she didn’t look at him. She only stared at herself, both hands on the dresser. The Russian didn’t say a word and came to stand behind her. He looked closed off, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. Locking his gaze with hers over the mirror, he put both hands on either side of hers. Slowly he pressed his front against her back and hunched to place his chin in the crook of her neck. Black hair tousled, he scratched her skin with his stubble, looking at her with laser focus.
“We need to talk, solnyshka.”
Deva shook her head, trying to ignore the scent of his skin enveloping her or the soft brush of his hair against her chin. Instead of arguing, she tried to deflect.
“Who was that?”
He angled his head and arched an eyebrow. “You know who it was, I don’t believe you weren’t curious enough not to have put your ear to the door.”
“Then, why is your father forcing you to fight in the cage? An illegal fight?”
It was his turn to shake his head. But he wasn’t the only one with a stubborn streak, and she could play dirty when needed. “Your body hasn’t completely recovered. You’re pumped with medication helping you move without pain. If you fight again, you may end up seriously injured. Do you realize the implications? Is it really worth it? Is he?”
Anger flashed in his eyes before his hand was lightning quick around her neck. “Don’t think that because you just got off from my mouth that you have the right to voice your opinion.”
Deva pushed his hand away, not at all impressed. “That was just a pity orgasm after you tortured me to admit my sins. But you are so right. I don’t owe you anything. Go beat yourself bloody, or fill some nameless hole with your cock. Honestly, I don’t give a fuck. Sorry to have cared even a little bit about your well-being. My mistake, I won’t do it again. I should have known better. I should have known you were no better than the others. Hope you don’t die tomorrow night and if you do, that what your father promised you was worth it.”
Without waiting for his reaction, Deva turned, grabbed her bag and walked out. And the fact that he didn’t follow proved her right. In fact, once outside, she kept walking, trying to keep her temper in check, cursing under her breath against stupid men and the even stupider women who couldn’t handle them. The night was young and the crowd vibrant around her. Normally she would feed off this kind of energy, but tonight, her emotions and body were a complete mess, sending each other mixed signals about the Russian fighter. Not wanting to stop walking, she pulled out her phone and headset and called Gabrielle.
“Hey! Deva! What’s up?”
“How’s your vacation with your family going?”
“Actually, better than expected. Sully found us a boat, and we spent most of the day on Lake Michigan. Arthur ate so many hot dogs he barfed them all overboard and laughed about it. So, at the end of the day, my two men are happy, it was all worth it. But you’re not calling me to talk about my day. What’s going on?”
Deva started from the moment Rusty came into her office until she left Aleksei’s apartment, toning down as much as she could about the rough sex, and putting emphasis on Aleksei’s distrust of her. And how she had probably messed the whole thing up.
“And are you sure it was Finch in his apartment?”
“No, not at all. He called him father. That’s about it.”
“I’ll have someone here track Voronov’s phone. With some luck, we’ll know where the next fight is.”
“And then what? None of your super agents will be able to get in. There is a special protocol and specific codes. You don’t have them when you show up, you die.”
Gabrielle paused. “But you know how to get in.”
A statemen
t. And a true one. Deva winced. “I do, but if I use them, it will probably open my own Pandora’s box, and I’m not sure I want to. Aleksei doesn’t seem to be willing to even step out of the fight. I don’t know his Bratva connection, but there had to be some sort of link there otherwise he wouldn’t risk his life once more. In underground fights, the fighters are either attached to the mob family and fighting in their name or having a debt that needs to be repaid. Whatever it is, Aleksei seemed to be knee-deep in it.”
“I’ll contact Oz and let him know. And about your cousin Sasha, could she be a problem?”
Deva sidestepped a mother pushing a stroller. “Nah, she was the only one who knew about my disappearance, and we kept contact throughout the years without a problem. She knows how to keep a secret.”
“Good, we may need a doctor tomorrow. I’ll dig up more information and keep in touch. Stay safe, Deva.”
“I will.”
Deva slid her phone into her bag and realized she was back in front of the gym. Full circle. Lights were still on, and she debated going in. She didn’t want to see Rusty. Not yet. She was raw and abrasive, and the men would be suspicious of her attitude. This job was a bridge she didn’t want to burn. Not until she could figure out the Aleksei problem. However, she would need to speak with the man and maybe admit more than she was willing to. Before she had time to sort through her thoughts, she went in.
Luck was on her side. She passed Andy on his way out, and he gave her a curt salute. However, Hector didn’t let her off the hook so easily. He was leaving the locker room when he saw her.
“Deva! Rusty told us you were gone on personal business for a few days. Is everything alright? Are you well?”
She hesitated, not knowing what the fiery Puerto Rican knew about his friend, so she decided to play it safe.
“All is good, Hector. Everything is under control now. How’s your thigh?”
