Crossroads

by Blake Haugen

  “Yes, Vanya,” Persephone smiled. She was very playful this morning and more than ready for a game. Her legs were pliant as he got on his knees, curled his strong arms around her thighs, and brought her pussy to his mouth.

  Vanya didn’t mess around. His tongue stabbed into her channel over and over. His mouth was wet and warm on her pussy lips and his tongue made the sweetest, slickest, swirling sensation in her opening. Soon, she was wet enough for two of his fingers to slip in and stroke her.

  “If you’re so concerned about who’s been in this bed, then squirt for me and mark your territory,” Vanya commanded as his fingers moved at a blurring pace inside of her. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Making a mess on my sheets, or all over my mouth? Heh – or on my cock.”

  His words were like gas fueling her fire. Persephone felt the first slip into orgasm and called out to him. “Oh, yeah, right there!”

  Her enthusiasm was met with a swift smack to her ass. It wasn’t awful but it had certainly stung. Vanya paused the movement of his fingers and she rose on her elbows to look up in question. By the steely look in his blue eyes she knew he thought she’d made some infraction. Persephone waited patiently for her correction; she wanted to come so badly and needed to get this over with.

  “I believe I said, ‘Yes, Vanya’ or ‘No, Vanya.’ Isn’t that right, babe?”

  “Yes, Vanya,” she replied, arching a brow. If he wanted to play Simon Says, she wouldn’t stop him. Hell, she thought, Simon didn’t say I couldn’t have my own fun. “Mmm, yes, Vanya!”

  Persephone lay back on the soft pillow top and began to fondle her breasts. At first, she simply squeezed, but it wasn’t long before she began running each of her fingertips over her nipples. She pinched them until they were hardened to her satisfaction. Her neck lifted and strained and she took one nipple into her mouth and then the other. Her mouth remained closed so that she wouldn’t be accused of speaking, but grunts and hums of pleasure were still audible.

  To say that Vanya was mad with lust would have been an understatement. Persephone loved the way he masturbated above her; she reveled in how intently he looked down on her. She wondered if he was aware of how vigorously he was stroking his cock. He fisted his member as he crouched over her body. His body jerked involuntarily and the taut skin that stretched over his pectoral muscles was red with heat.

  “You want it so bad, don’t you, sweetpea?” Vanya growled low.

  “Yes, Vanya,” she answered in frustration. She was a wordy girl and it annoyed her that he understood that so well about her. Using her body to beg wasn’t something she had consciously done before, but Vanya was obviously ready for her to try. She clambered up his body and quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Using one hand, she pulled his face down to hers and took his mouth with the most scorching, pleading kiss she could muster. Her other hand took his cock and glided up and down his length.

  For a moment, she savored the feel of his organ under her hands. Persephone loved Vanya’s cock. She knew it was dumb and cliché, but she thought it was the most perfect penis she’d ever seen. It was always quick to rise for her. His testicles would tighten into two distinct red orbs. The color matched the hue of his veiny shaft, high cheekbones, the thick Adam’s apple on his long neck, and his broad chest. It was an erotic contrast to his fair skin and an assurance that he was hot for her.

  His hands gripped her ass and brought her against him. Teasingly, she rubbed her pussy lips against his shaft, moving her hand to cup his balls. As Persephone rose to bite his earlobe, she wondered who was actually doing the teasing. Vanya looked as if he was on edge, but he would only let her get so close to taking him into her body. His kneading hands pushed and pulled her away, building torturous want within her.

  Vanya fell on his back and sat her right on his cock. They both paused for a moment, taking deep breaths and enjoying the feelings of pleasure they generated in one another. Persephone’s eyes rolled under closed lids and she let her head fall back. Vanya felt good. Too good.

  Something between a grunt and a hum permeated her smile and she began to lift herself up and down, rocking back every so often. When they struck a rhythm, she looked down at Vanya and picked up the pace. His eyes blazed with lust and something else. His glare was constant and she couldn’t quite pin its meaning.

  It was somewhere between determination and possessiveness. His grip had moved to her hips; stroke by stroke he was taking control of their lovemaking. Persephone rarely rode him; Vanya was definitely the ‘top’ in all aspects of the bedroom. She found riding Gigantor to be a hard, but rewarding task. Her arousal was building in places she hadn’t expected. Her ass and toes were much more sensitive and engaged in this position. Vanya urged her to take him faster and deeper.

  “Faster, Percy,” he barked at her. “Ride my cock and make me come inside you. You like losing control on top of me don’t you?”

  “Yes, Vanya!” she shouted out. She fell forward and clawed the flesh of his pectorals. Just the look of Vanya increased her arousal. The rising sun fell on his skin. He was luminescent underneath her, and she was driven to fuck him even faster. His words echoed her thoughts.

  “God, you look so fucking hot, you little spinner. You make me so hot for you,” he encouraged. “Work for it, sweetpea, harder. Let me see those titties bounce around.” Vanya’s skin was covered in sweat and he glowed as he pistoned up into her. Persephone wanted to obey each edict that came through his clenched teeth. It would only serve to give her more pleasure.

  She rose again and let her breast move freely. Vanya took them in his hands, then in his mouth, and it was all suddenly too much for her. Persephone wasn’t ready to come yet. Every time her clit scraped the surface of his abdominal muscles a jolt struck her core, pushing her further to the edge. She lifted herself to hover above him, dislodging his cock in the process.

  Vanya lifted his head from her breast to see what caused the disruption. Persephone merely puffed out breaths, adhering his rule to answer “yes” or “no.” As the situation called for neither, she simply looked upon him and waited for her breathing to steady. His brows knitted and he slammed her body back down to his. He was aided by her wetness and met little resistance. Persephone clung to him as he rolled them over and pounded into her when he regained the dominant position.

  “Where are you going? Hmm? You’re not going anywhere. This is where you belong. Here, with me, always. Do you understand me?” Vanya punctuated each statement with a thrust.

  “Hoh! Yes, Vanya!” Persephone cried. He took her calves to his biceps and reached that spot – that special, delectable spot that pushed her past the height of pleasure. Grabbing the back of her neck, Vanya plunged deeper and growled in her ear.

  “Damn right. Come all over this cock, sweetpea. Give it all to me, любимая. Everything, every last bit.”

  Persephone continued to cry out in ecstasy as Vanya unleashed great force against her body. She clung to the soft of cotton of the pillowcases above her head and was mesmerized by the corona that surrounded his body in the morning light. Vanya was god-like and his ongoing fucking pushed her into another orgasm.

  “Ты моя. Я вас буду защищать. Никто никогда не повредит вам, любимая. Ты моя. Ты моя. Ах, моя!”

  Persephone’s body twisted underneath Vanya and with three rapid strokes he filled her with his seed. He fell on her body and freed her legs, allowing them to fall at his sides. As always, she welcomed his weight and savored the hot come lodged within her. She was distracted from their afterglow by his kisses and whispers against her neck. He spoke in Russian, which was something he only did when she really laid it on him or he didn’t want her to know what he was talking about.

  “Я не позволю ему причинить тебе боль. Я всегда буду защищать тебя.,” he mumbled quietly against her skin.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Hmm?” Vanya
raised his head, feigning ignorance. He looked down on her with question in his eyes. She could tell he was pretending he hadn’t heard her. He merely moved hair off her forehead, continually kissing her face.

  “What were you saying just now?”

  “Just now? I said, ‘I love you.’ …And I do love you, so much,” he smiled, leaning in for a kiss. Persephone returned it, but she pulled back before he could continue.

  “Nuh uh. I love you is ‘Я тебя люблю.’ I learned that on TV,” she challenged.

  “Well, then, you’ve been watching too much TV,” Vanya chided. “There are many, many ways to say I love you. Like this, for instance.” Vanya took her lips in a deep, sensual kiss that had her wrapping her legs around his waist again. He had slipped out of her, but with some encouragement she was sure could have him ready in twenty minutes.

  “Or this!” Vanya laughed and pulled away. Before she could figure out what was going on, she was over his shoulder caveman style. He sauntered into the en suite bathroom, never taking his massaging hand from the flesh of her ass.

  He lowered her to the herringbone tile floor and had her test the water’s temperature before filling the tub with sudsy substances. A d’iris scent filled the air and Persephone was shocked that he had stocked the variances of her favorite perfume at his home. It related a permanence that she hadn’t thought of before. The mark she had left on Vanya was indelible, just as everlasting as the one he had left on her. She ran her fingers through his hair and over his skin as he washed and pampered her. It was difficult to resist taking him back to bed, but by seven-thirty they were dressed and headed downstairs.

  “Are you sure you won’t stay today? It’s going to be even better than yesterday. It’s all family and friends and joking and music. You’ll get to meet more people,” Vanya asked as he reached the bottom of the stairs with her overnight bag.

  “I know. I really want to, but I’m not a super genius like you. I actually have to study to make decent grades.” Persephone waited for Vanya’s response, but when she heard him start speaking in Russian she looked beyond the staircase to see to whom he was speaking. Her stomach lurched at seeing Kirill standing a few feet from Vanya.

  He was already dressed for the day in a crisp blue shirt, gray slacks, and black leather suspenders. She’d never seen him wear glasses before. The Buddy Holly specs humanized Kirill somehow, but she was still on edge around him. If Kirill was in any way associated with her unwanted acquaintance from the previous evening, she knew she wanted nothing to do with him.

  What a nightmare that had been! Persephone knew Vanya was dying to know who the man was to her and wondered how long he would put up with her silence on the subject. Technically, she hadn’t lied to him yet. There were glaring omissions, of course, but glaring omissions were a huge part of their relationship. They’d made it work so far.

  “Доброе утро, Miss Peterson,” Kirill said politely in his deeply accented voice. His hands were in his pockets as he came closer to her and Vanya. It did nothing to make him less formidable. Sure, he was pushing sixty, but he was still a tall, fit man. Acknowledging his likeness to Vanya was unsettling. It was like looking at a mean version of Vanya from the far future.

  Persephone had no idea what ‘Доброе утро’ meant and stared at Kirill with expectation. Despite his kind smile, the vibe she caught from him wasn’t quite friendly. As if he sensed this, Vanya placed an arm across her shoulders.

  “Доброе утро means good morning. Good morning, Papa, we were just headed out.”

  “Have a good morning, Mr. Pravdin,” Persephone returned Kirill’s nicety. She was definitely embarrassed to walk out of this man’s house not knowing the proper girlfriend sleepover etiquette. Was it even allowed in this household? The Pravdin high school rule of no friends of the opposite sex upstairs popped into her head. She tried to remind herself she was a grown-ass woman and hadn’t done anything wrong, but it was no use. The thought of committing some sort of faux pas was niggling at the back of her head.

  “Really? So soon, Miss Peterson? I must tell you, the second day of a Russian wedding is the best. It’s much more relaxed than yesterday. A lot more food, more drinking.”

  “Hah, thanks, Mr. Pravdin, but I don’t think I could take any more drinking. I have to get back to the city. I’m driving back to school with some classmates later this morning. There’s a lot to study for, and unfortunately, I’m not a voracious reader like Vanya. You’ve got a brilliant man on your hands here.” Persephone looked up at Vanya with admiration. He squeezed her shoulder and suddenly the whole encounter wasn’t so nerve-racking anymore. She let her eyes wander back to Kirill, daring him to do anything but concur.

  “So I’ve been told,” Kirill mused. “Well, I’ll let you two be off then. Vanya has to get back before brunch begins, I suppose. Are you sure, Miss Peterson? You could stay for brunch and have Max drive you back directly to the school. I promise, you won’t have to dance with Yulian at all.”

  At that, Persephone gave him a laugh. His nephew was nothing if not persistent. Before she could reconsider, however, Vanya answered for them.

  “She’s sure, Papa. I’ll be back in two and a half hours,” Vanya smirked and turned away from his father. He led Persephone through the house to the garage entrance. When the door was closed he opened his mouth to comment, but Persephone stopped him.

  “Wait ‘til we drive off.”

  Vanya gave a begrudging frown, but did as he was told. He maintained silence until they drove off of the Pravdin estate. She was surprised he could hold it in that long.

  “You’re being silly, you know. It’s not as if he can hear us.”

  “You never know who’s listening! I don’t want to get caught gossiping about how incredibly awkward that was. And it was awkward, right? I was so nervous.”

  “Yeah, it was at first,” Vanya sighed, “but not so much toward the end. That’s better than him being rude to you. I don’t know. I guess all this wedding stuff has softened him up. I asked him about that guy last night and told him not to let him come near you again… not that I see that happening. His name is Ryan Trask, just in case you were wondering.”

  “I wasn’t, but thanks. Thanks for looking out for me.” Persephone looked over at Vanya and covered the hand on the stick shift with her own. Keeping his eyes on the road, he took her hand to his lips for a quick kiss.

  “Always, babe. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Persephone smiled and took her sunglasses from her purse. The sun was shining and she was in love. She wasn’t going to let anyone ruin that. Not Kirill, whatever his intentions were, and certainly not Ryan Trask. It wasn’t clear if their meeting again was a coincidence, but his was a face she had hoped to never see again. If she had to face him down again, she would. She’d do anything to protect Vanya and what they had – everyone else be damned.

  Chapter Five

  July 5, 2014

  July 5, 2014

  Confirm arrival and check-in. Persephone took a deep breath and clicked the confirmation button for the hotel suite in Madrid. She was happy to cross this item off her to-do list, but she was sure this booking was the most she would ever spend on any one thing. Nearly 68,000€. Not dollars; euros. She’d had to call the credit card company before running the card to make sure the authorization went through on the first try. Ever the conservative saver, she’d made sure to get a discount of 4,000€ for prepaying. The purchase hadn’t put a dent in the money bequeathed from her parents, but it still seemed insane to spend this much on just a hotel. She was sure that could buy a house somewhere.

  Vanya would scold her and try to pay for it all, but she was determined not to let him. Although he liked it when she bought him little presents, he preferred to take care of any big-ticket items himself. When she’d first begun planning his secret birthday voyage, she’d chosen a nice boutique hotel. It was away from the hustle and bustle of tourist sites, and embedded in the local scene. Afte
r going out to dinner with Vanya, Lina, and Austin a couple of weeks ago at some fancy new restaurant, Persephone had realized that type of lodging was not Vanya’s taste at all.

  Vanya would want luxury, twenty-four hour room service, gourmet food – the works. He’d want a chance of spotting a member of a European royal family or a player for a great football club. Only the best; that’s how he traveled. She was determined to make this trip unforgettable after the wonderful year she’d had with him. Vanya had made it truly special.

  During the summer following Lina’s wedding, Ariana, John Mark Benson’s girlfriend, had gotten a job with a ballet company in the city. It was Vanya who had made a couple of calls and landed John Mark an interview with an oil company. With a Bachelor’s in Engineering, a Master’s in Computer Science, and the motivation of an ambitious twenty-three year old, John Mark was more than qualified to serve as a Computing Automation Engineer. The position was a fifty-minute drive from the city, but John Mark had been able to find a well-priced apartment at the midpoint of the two locations.

  Emma, who had no desire to be left alone in Texas with her parents, opted to share a place with Ariana. Ariana enjoyed having someone who wasn’t immersed in the competitive ballet world to come home to. Emma was sober and she adjusted well to city life. Deciding to put her degree to good use, she worked at a gallery in addition to waitressing. Peter and Margie Benson had come up three times to visit and brought Zenovia with them once. The elderly woman didn’t return, citing pollution, overcrowding, and an abundance of “crazy liberals” – no offense to Persephone, of course.

  Vanya had kept her friends closer to her when he didn’t have to. For that, Persephone was forever grateful. This year, he hadn’t put too much pressure on her to move in with him. He’d convinced her to live with him in his apartment while they both interned in the city that summer. It made sense; they both worked long hours and sharing a place had allowed them to have time together every day. Persephone had a sneaking suspicion this was a trial run for life after graduation. Vanya was moving full steam ahead and talked about marriage as if it was a foregone conclusion.