by K. D Clark
Ivan will take that flame inside her and kill it. Marrying someone like him will end the Delaney that I know, and I can’t let that happen. I have to figure something out. I continue to watch until a man approaches them. His hands land on her hips, and the anger that I just managed to get under control comes roaring back. I leave the room and rush down the two flights of steps. I push through the crowd of people, but when I get to the spot she was just at, she’s nowhere to be found.
What the fuck? If that guy she was dancing with put his hands on her...I head towards the bar on the outskirts of the dance floor to try to get a better look out at the crowd. That’s when I see her leaning against the bar next to Jessica. They both have newly refilled drinks in their hands, and the guy who just had his hand on Delaney’s hip hovers close by. I’m relieved that she’s not paying him any attention, but not by much. What the hell does she think she’s doing? She is an engagement woman in a club full of Vory, who will probably be too happy to report back to Ivan her behavior. I’m not sure if Ivan cares, nor should I, but it’s the principal.
Jessica lightly shoves Delaney’s shoulder as I walk towards them. Delaney turns to look at me, her features relaxed and happy, but as she gets a look at my angry expression, her face falls.
“Hey Alek,” Jessica says in a high pitched voice that sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
I nod. “Jessica. Where’s Sergey?”
She shoots me a glare, and I can tell she’s holding back whatever she wants to say to me. She wouldn’t dare insult a Bratva man. Especially not here. Her hair whips the air as she turns on her heels and walks away.
“Really? Now, who am I supposed to hang out with while you’re off doing business?” Delaney whines.
“This guy bothering you?” the douchebag next to her asks as if I’m not even there. Is everyone intent on pissing me off tonight? Delaney must see the murderous look in my eyes because she quickly steps between the guy who’s about to get his throat ripped out and me.
“I’m fine. You should probably go away.”
The guy looks back and forth between us before making the smart decision to head back out to the dance floor. Probably, to try to pick up another woman that doesn’t belong to him.
“What is your problem? I’m not allowed to have fun? I’ve been cooped up in your house-”
“You’re being watched,” I snap.
She scrunches up her nose. “What?”
I bend down to whisper in her ear. “See that guy at the end of the bar in the white shirt? That’s Adam; he works closely with Ivan.” She turns her head slightly to look at the man that’s been nursing a Whiskey. “See that man in the green jacket stationed by the door? He’s one of us too. We’re at a Bratva club, Delaney. Don’t act so surprised. Bratva men are crawling all over this place, and they’d be too happy to run to Ivan and tell them you’re getting drunk and dancing with other men.”
She shoves at my chest, and I take a step back. “You think I give a fuck if they tattle on me? I’m tired of everyone treating me like a fucking child. I get shamed for having a good night out, but yet I’m not too young to be married off and carry baby Bratva members?”
Redness starts to creep up her neck and flush her face. Good. Now her anger can match mine.
I grab her arm, not hard enough to hurt, just enough, so she knows I’m serious. “We need to leave.”
She jerks out of my hold, swooshing the drink in her hand. Her eyes are wild as they drill into me. My jaw twitches as I grind my teeth together. I take a few deep breaths before plucking the drink out of her hand and setting it down on the bar. I take a couple of steps closer to her, crowding her, so she has nowhere to go. The hint of vanilla mixed with Tequila fills my nose as I place both of my hands beside her. Her tits rub against my shirt as she breathes. I glance down to see her nipples poking through the thin dress. She didn’t even wear a bra with this short ass dress? I wonder if she’s wearing panties underneath. It would be too easy for me to run my hand over her thigh and check.
“Alek,” she warns as if reading my thoughts.
I run my tongue over my lips. Her hair is pushed behind her, so it hits the bar. I lift my hand and run it through her soft strands. She tilts her chin up as a tug gently.
“We need to leave,” I repeat. By the way her breathing has slowed, and her nipples are still at attention, I know she’s not unaffected by me.
She swallows, and I release her hair before taking a step back. I wave for her to walk ahead of me. I try to keep my eyes off her ass as we leave the club.
It takes the entire ride home for me to get my anger under control. Delaney falls asleep in the passenger seat. I put the rover in park and turn the engine off.
“Delaney,” I say. She doesn’t move. I climb out and open the passenger side door. She nearly falls out before I catch her. After lifting her petite body into my arms, I walk into the house. Her eyes crack open at the sound of the front door closing, but she instantly falls back asleep again.
A chuckle escapes my lips. I stop at the top of the steps. I should drop her off in the guest bedroom, close the door, and leave her alone. That’s what a good man would do. But I’m not a good man, and I’ve never claimed to be. Ever since I left the guest room the night she came back from her date, I’ve been holding myself back from getting back in bed with her. I turn away from the guest room and head towards the master. I pull back the cover and lay her down on the cool sheet. Her eyes open as her body hits the mattress. There’s a flash of panic in them before she calms down again.
“You carried me?” she asks, bunching her eyebrows together.
“I tried to wake you first,” I grumble. For what feels like the hundredth time, I ask myself what the fuck I’m doing? I’ll go. She can stay in the master tonight, and I’ll take one of the other guest rooms. I turn to leave, and her soft hand grabs my arm.
“Stay.”
One word. I should be able to ignore it. Something about her has me breaking all the rules. She’s in my house, in my bed, yet promised to another man—a man who will never deserve her. I start to take off my shoes, and her hand falls from my arm. My dick throbs from the hard-on I always have when I’m around her. I pull my shirt over my head, and her eyes roam over my abs. I’m mostly used to women looking at me with a hint of desire in their eyes, but with Delaney, it’s like she owns me...because she does. I flip the light switch on the wall, bathing the room in darkness. I take off my pants before crawling in bed next to her. Her petite frame barely takes up any space in my California king size bed. It would be easy for us to sleep without ever touching each other. But we both know that’s not what she meant when she asked me to stay.
I reach a handout, and my fingers are met with the bare skin on her thighs. I rub up and down, bringing goosebumps to the surface. She takes a sharp intake of breath—my hand stills. Maybe I’d misread her.
“Keep going,” she encourages. I pull her body close to mine. My hard dick rests on her belly, and I know she can feel the bulge.
“Pull it out. Feel what you’ve been doing to me since the moment you stepped foot in this house.”
Her warm hand tickles my chest before trailing down to the edge of my boxers. My dick twitches in anticipation. Her soft hand wraps around my cock but not nearly as tight as I need. I place my hand over hers and squeeze to the point that I like.
“Like that.”
She begins to stroke, and a guttural sound works its way from my chest and out of my mouth. Fuck, that feels good.
“Did I_”
“Keep going,” I grunt. She continues to stroke me, this time with more confidence. When my balls start to tighten up, I push her hand away. I roll her to her back, holding my weight on my elbows. My dick digs into her thigh.
“You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined this.”
Even in the darkroom, I can see the redness creep into her cheeks. Delaney’s so tough, but right now, I can see her clamming up. She’s nervous—an emotion I’ve
never seen from her. I lean down and press my lips to hers. My tongue jets out against her lips, demanding entrance. She opens. The taste of the Tequila she’s been drinking mixes with the Vodka I’ve had. Drunk off our kiss, I lean all my weight to one arm and move my hand in between our bodies. She lets out a soft moan into my mouth as I cup one of her breasts. I circle her nipple from over the fabric, feeling as it gets harder under my touch. I love how her body responds to my touch.
I break our kiss so I can whisper in her ear. “I bet you’re soaking right now.”
Her legs twitch as if wanting to close them shut, but I’m in between them. I chuckle before moving my hand from her breast down the rest of her body. I stop at the hem of her dress and pull it up, so it’s bunched around her waist. I don’t have the patience to remove the entire thing. Not when my dick is begging me to bury myself in her sweet pussy. I move her panties to the side and run my fingers through her slit. She lets out another moan as I feel the wetness.
“Alek...shit...” she shutters as I begin a lazy pattern from her entrance up to her clit.
“Next time, I want to devour you, but right now, I don’t have the patience.”
I look into her eyes, waiting for a response.
“What do you want, Bunny?” I ask before slipping a finger inside of her. She sucks in a breath at the intrusion. She’s already so tight just around one of my fingers. I begin to finger fuck her, and she lifts her hips as if trying to get more. I add a second finger, and she freezes. I wait until her body relaxes again before moving in and out.
“What do you want?” I ask her again. My dick is so hard at this point it’s embarrassing like I’m a teenage boy and not a grown man.
“You,” she moans. I remove my finger and shift to line my cock up with her entrance. She grabs my biceps as I begin to push inside. She’s so fucking tight that I know I won’t last long.
“Tell me if it’s too much.”
She nods, and I continue to push inside of her. Her nails dig into my arm, but she doesn’t tell me to stop.
“You okay?” I ask once my dick is fully seated inside her.
She bites her lip, and my dick twitches in response. I reach between us to rub her clit, and she seems to relax a little. The stillness is damn near killing me.
“I need to move, Bunny,” I say.
“Okay.”
I thrust painfully slow while continuing to rub her clit. Her body relaxes more until we’re both on edge. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me close.
“Shit, Alek...”
“Come for me.”
Her legs vibrate, and I increase my speed. She digs her nails into my back as her walls clamp around my dick like a vise.
“Alek...” my name on her tongue sends me over the edge. I pull out and come all over her body, marking her as mine.
Delaney
The sound of shuffling wakes me from my deep sleep. I vaguely remember Alek grabbing a washcloth and running it over my bare stomach and in between my legs before I fell back asleep. I turn over to face the source of the noise and winch at the pain between my legs. Alek stands up straight with a duffle bag at his feet.
“Hey,” he says.
“Um...hey.” I pull the blanket closer to my naked body. He goes back to grabbing clothes from the closet and stuffing them into the bag.
“Where are you going?” I ask, confused by the sudden change in his attitude. It’s not like I expected chocolate and roses, but I thought he’d at least still be in bed with me.
“Miami. Business trip.”
A cold draft cuts through the room. Alex’s slept with plenty of women. I’m sure that last night didn’t mean the same thing to him as it did to me, but the thought still feels like a punch to the gut. I asked him to fulfill the promise he made last night. I shouldn’t be surprised by his sudden change in mood.
“Don’t do that.” He’s stopped packing to look at me.
“Do what?” I ask.
“That look. You’re overthinking something. What is it, Bunny?”
“It’s nothing... it’s just stupid.”
“It’s not stupid if it’s on your mind. Talk to me.”
I take a deep breath trying to gather my thoughts. How am I supposed to tell him that last night felt like more to me? More than just sex. It felt like we’re supposed to be together.
“It’s about last night isn’t it? Did you not want-”
“No I did,” I rush out, interrupting any thought he might have about taking advantage of me. “I’m not one of those stupid girls who falls in love with the first guy I have sex with.”
“Ahh,” he says as if understanding everything I’m not saying. Standing to his full height, he walks over to me and grabs my chin in between two of his fingers. “Last night wasn’t just some random fuck for me, and you’re a fool if you think that. I basically signed over my life. If anyone found out about what we did, Ivan would have every right to kill me. And I don’t regret a minute of it.”
I let his words soak into my skin and spread throughout my body. He feels the same way I do. He let go of my chin and stands back up to finish packing.
“Then, why are you leaving?” I ask.
“I have business to handle.”
I sit up on the bed and wrap the comforter around me. “Take me with you.”
He rubs the bridge of his nose.
“Stop acting like you’re annoyed. Admit it, you’d feel better with me in Miami versus sitting here alone.”
His facial expression doesn’t change as he continues to pack. “Fine. Pack your shit. The flight leaves tonight.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
*****
The plane shakes as the tiny wheels hit the runway. I barely move my face from the window as I watch them screech to a halt. I’ve always loved flying. With my father as a senator, I’ve been pretty much everywhere. From an early age, we’ve traveled as a family to different events across the country. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that my parents allowed me to stay home with the Nanny.
Around this age, I also realized how much I hate the fake plastic life my parents live. Alek grabs our two bags from the overhang, and I follow him off the plane and into Miami airport. The sun has already gone down, and it’s pretty empty compared to how the Boston airport looked when we left. Alek wasted no time getting us first-class tickets and leaving. I barely had time to pack everything. I’m not entirely sure what the rush is, but whatever he came to do in Miami must be urgent.
“Are you sure Mikhail is going to okay watching Harriet?” I ask him. I’d offered Robin to come by the house and watch my new kitten, but Alek insisted Mikhail would be fine. I wonder if Mikhail was in some trouble to be on kitten babysitting duty for Alek.
“He’ll be fine. If he can’t handle bottle-feeding a cat, I’d seriously worry about his competency.”
I guess that makes sense. Alek wraps a hand around my waist and tugs me close to his body. He smells like fresh soap and aftershave. We continue walking out the door, where a black SUV waits for us. I have no idea how Alek has set this whole thing up this morning. A man standing in front of the SUV in an all-black suit takes the bags from Alek.
“Thanks,” Alek says before opening the door for me and waving me inside.
Once we’re both inside, I look out the window at the palm trees that line the airport. Alek threads his fingers through mine. I look down at them and smile before looking back out the window. Excitement bubbles in my stomach. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Florida and never to Miami. Usually, we went to Orlando or Palm Springs when we took family trips, depending on the vacation’s agenda. I’m reminded that I haven’t talked to my parents in almost two weeks, and they haven’t reached out to me either. The thought hurts, but I’m also not surprised. They’re both too wrapped up in their fake lives to care about what I’m off doing. They don’t even know I’m in Miami.
“Does anyone know we’re in Miami?” I turn
to ask Alek.
His jaw clenches for just a moment. “No and nobody can know.”
“Why not?”
“Bratva business.”
“Well if it’s Bratva business, why doesn’t the Bratva know?”
His eyes bore into mine, and a shiver runs down my spine. He’s never looked at me this way before like he wants to scare me. I bet it’s the same look he gives his men. Suddenly I don’t feel as excited for our time in Miami as I did before.
“Forget I asked,” I mumble, turning my back on his cold stare. But I can still feel him drilling holes into me. We ride to the hotel in an uncomfortable silence. It isn’t until he closes the door to our suite that I speak.
“Am I not allowed to ask questions? Is that it?” I snap.
He ignores me, but I can see that I’m getting to him because his hand tightens around the straps of the bags he’s holding. The veins are clearly visible under his ink-covered arms. He sets the bags down in the living area before coming towards me. He’s fast, and I don’t have time to register before he’s backed me into the wall. My heartbeat quickens, and it’s all I can hear in my ears. His eyes are cold as ice again, just like in the car.
“I won’t lie to you,” he says, his voice deep and husky. Despite his anger, a fire starts in my belly. The same fire that was there last night when I asked him to stay with me. “So stop asking questions. If you know why I’m here, someone might try to get information out of you, and I won’t put you in that situation. Knowledge is power, but it can also be dangerous. We’re here because I have to do something that I’m not supposed to be doing. That’s the only answer I can give you.” By the end of his speech, his eyes have softened a bit.
