by Evie Monroe
Turned out, maybe all I needed was a night of really good sex.
I looked back at Zain, hardly able to believe that the night had been real. He lay flat on his back, his gorgeous chest exposed, one arm folded under his head. He was even more of a work of art in the light of day.
I gazed at his stunning profile; he looked somehow sexier with his hair all mussed and stretching out in different directions.
I inhaled sharply as I stared, and as memories of last night came back, my heart fluttered.
Oh, my God.
I blushed just thinking of it. I’d always been such a good girl, before. Raised by my parents to do everything right and not have one-night-stands. Actually, raised to only have sex with one man, the man I married. Hell, I’d waited until I was engaged to Viktor before sleeping with him.
As bad as I knew this was, why did it feel so incredibly good?
And why did I desperately want to fuck Zain again, despite feeling sore from all the many, many times before?
I wondered if he even did repeat engagements.
It was hard to believe he didn’t. Because last night? He’d succeeded in making me feel like I was the only woman on earth.
How was it that some men had no clue how to treat women in bed, and then others were masters, like Zain?
I slipped out of the bed and scooted off to the bathroom, where I peed, then nearly gagged at my reflection in the mirror as I was washing up. He might have looked hotter in the morning, but I’d gone the other way.
I felt like whatever magic we’d had last night was souring now. I didn’t want it to, but it was. I needed to leave before he woke up.
Quickly, I found my underwear, skirt, and sweater. Slipping them on, I looked at his sleeping form again.
I didn’t want to let him go.
And maybe I didn’t have to.
I scribbled out my number on a piece of paper I found in his night table and left it on the dresser.
The Wall was only a few blocks from downtown Aveline Bay, so I could easily walk back to my car.
As I opened the back door and crept down the steps, I sighed. If he didn’t call, it was probably for the best. He was obviously a bad boy, and I didn’t need to get tied up with that when I had Alena. Besides, if I ever found a steady guy, I’d never hear the end of it from Viktor.
So, it was probably better if we didn’t see each other again.
Then I thought of him, kneeling over me, with that giant cock and that hot, smug look on his face, promising me pleasure, and I changed my mind.
Maybe it wasn’t better?
Chapter Seven
Zain
I woke up in bed, on my stomach, and blinked at the bright sun streaming in through the shades.
Rolling over, I reached out to touch the sweet little Russian princess I’d so thoroughly fucked last night.
I felt nothing, so I opened my eyes. I saw nothing but crumpled sheets and an empty bed.
I couldn’t explain the feeling of disappointment that rippled through me at that moment. So this was what payback felt like. I’d usually leave first. Or, at least I’d tell the girl it was time to get the hell out. I didn’t like not being in control.
But then again, a woman being in control? Goddamn sexy. Because so few women ever took the initiative with me.
God, I wanted her again.
I sat up, listening, wondering if she’d just gone to the bathroom. But all I heard was cars going by over on Main Street.
I shucked off the sheets and threw my legs over the side of the bed, stretching my aching muscles. Hell, she’d put me through a good workout last night. I wouldn’t have minded having another one.
I stood up and walked naked to the bathroom, thinking about that tiny girl riding this big cock. And crying out for more. Damn. Why wasn’t she here?
Fuck.
As I took a leak, I thought of the way she’d bounced on my cock, the way she’d been so fucking eager. I’d gotten her in every position I knew of, and she was game for them all.
She didn’t argue with me at any of it. Are you kidding me? She constantly surprised me how much she’d been into it. More, faster, harder, again. I never thought I’d find a woman who would tire me out, but shit.
As tired as I was, I was also hungry as hell. I wouldn’t have minded sitting her cute little ass on my face and going to town.
I splashed some water on my face and then went halfway down the stairs but everything looked just the way I’d left it. I listened for sounds of her moving but heard nothing.
I traipsed back to the bedroom. Sure enough, she’d taken all of her shit and left.
Thoughts of another round fizzled in my head, and I felt something unfamiliar grabbing at me. Disappointment.
Also, hunger.
Then I saw the piece of paper on top of my dresser. Her name and phone number. Sasha, with a little smiley face next to it.
Jack-fucking-pot.
Smiling, I looked around for my phone and realized I must’ve left it in my jeans. That girl had captivated me so much that I hadn’t even thought of looking at my phone since . . . holy shit. I hadn’t looked at it since I got to The Wall.
That had to be a record for me.
I found my jeans in a pile with my other clothes and yanked my phone out of the pocket. I had at least a dozen messages, all from my brothers. All forms of: What the fuck happened to you.
I opened up Cullen’s first. Since he was the president, he was the priority. He’d called me twice, too. It was after ten in the morning, and he had a kid, so I wasn’t worried about waking him up with a phone call. I decided to take the pussy route, though, and text him. All’s good. Just needed to blow off some steam.
I went into the bathroom and took a shower. When I came out five minutes later, my cell phone display lit up with a call from Cullen. “Hey,” I said as I sorted through my stuff for clean clothes.
“Zain.” Cullen’s voice was gruff.
I opened up my drawers and pulled out clean jeans, a t-shirt, and underwear, preparing for the tirade.
“Mind telling me what that little performance was last night?”
I let out a long breath. “Nothing. Just needed to get some air.”
“All right, man. But that ain’t cool. You need to answer your phone. With all the bullshit going on with the Fury, you can’t just disappear like that.”
I clenched my fists. Yeah, they were my brothers, and just looking out for me. But I looked out pretty fucking well for myself. I hated having people keeping tabs on me. And why the fuck did they need to know where I was all the time? “You want to know when I take a shit, too?”
“Zain.” That was Cullen. All he had to do was say our name, and he got his message across. Don’t give me shit.
“Fine. I get it.”
“No, I don’t think you do, man,” he said, his voice hard. “In case you haven’t heard, we’re in the middle of a goddamn war with the Fury.”
Of course I knew that. I was the one who’d fucking started it.
“And either you’re with us, or you’re against us. We have better things to do than to worry about whether or not we hurt your goddamn feelings, which is what we all thought when you left like a pussy before I adjourned. You catch my drift?”
“I’m sure as hell not with the Fury,” I muttered, putting the phone on speaker and setting it down on my dresser as I looked around for my shit. Wallet? In my jeans still, from last night. Keys? No clue, but hopefully on the kitchen table. Hot girl? Fuck, what I wouldn’t do to be with her instead of getting my ass reamed by Cullen.
“Right. You guys have a lot of bad blood. And that’s why you of all people can’t go MIA on us. They want Cobra blood, but to them, yours is the sweetest of all.”
He was right about that. I hitched a shoulder, dropped the towel from my waist, and crossed the room, peering out the window. The morning was perfect, but I could never forget that no matter how perfect the day was, there were assholes in this town wh
o wanted me dead. Not only dead but offed in the most painful way possible.
The Fury might have been after me, but they hadn’t gotten to me yet. If I’d survived this long, I figured I was damn near invincible.
And I sure as hell didn’t need the other Cobras playing mommy to me and putting themselves in danger in the process.
“I get it. But I don’t need you guys to protect me. I can look out for myself,” I assured him, jumping into my boxers and jeans, then pulling a t-shirt over my head.
“Sorry, Zain. But you should know by now it doesn’t work that way. No man in this club is on his own. Someone fucks with you; they fuck with all of us. That’s how it works. So I don’t want you disappearing on us again. Got it?”
There was no point in arguing. I went to the mirror, running a hand through the still-damp hair at the top of my head. “Yep. Clear.”
“All right. See you down here for church in fifteen.”
“Church?” Shit. I’d missed the message where he’d called it.
Cullen let out an annoyed groan. “Yeah. Church. Oh, right. I forgot. You’d left last night early and didn’t get the message.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Your ass better be, fucker,” he growled. “And I swear if you’re even a minute late, I ain’t gonna be happy. You’ll be pulling garbage duty for the rest of the year.”
My insides felt like a lead weight. Garbage duty was the worst. Cleaning up the clubhouse after my brothers wreaked havoc on it was almost a full-time job. Cullen usually gave the job to our prospects, but sometimes he’d let one of us have it, whenever we fucked up. I’d done it for two weeks, last year. But for the whole year? Fuck no.
But not being late was easier said than done. I was perpetually at least a half hour late for just about everything. It was rare for me to have missed the end of last night’s meeting. Usually, I missed most of the beginnings. It was the way I was wired. I never rushed. I liked to take my time.
I ended the call, stepped into my boots, and gave myself one last look in the mirror, running a hand through my thick hair. I picked up my phone and pocketed it in my jeans as I ran down the stairs. I’d wanted to call my Russian princess, but that would have to wait. Cullen was not a patient man.
Chapter Eight
Sasha
I drove home early that morning, feeling giddy and almost drunk.
As I did, I found myself bopping along and banging the steering wheel to a Queen song, with the windows down and the wind blowing through my hair. When I stopped at a light, I noticed a bunch of young tween girls with their mom in the car next to me, giggling at me.
I smiled and waved at them as their car drove past me. They just rolled their eyes.
I didn’t care. I peered at my reflection in the rear-view mirror. Who was this wild girl? The girl who let a guy tongue-fuck her in public. In a damn alley? Who slept with someone she barely knew and loved it? I looked relaxed, happy, and like someone had finally removed the stick that Viktor had wedged up my ass.
Oh, shit. Viktor.
And more importantly, Alena.
How could I have just forgotten her like that?
I pulled out my phone as I got to my apartment and dialed his number. Viktor answered on the first ring.
“Solnyshka.” He didn’t sound happy.
“Hi,” I said cheerfully. “How was your night last night?”
“It was fine. But I suppose you don’t want to hear it from me. Let me put Alena on. She’s just right here.”
A moment’s pause. “Mommy?”
My heart jumped. “Hi, myshka!” I said, smiling as I shoved my key into the door and pushed it open. “How is my little girl this morning?”
“Fine.” For my marathon-talker, that sounded suspicious.
“Fine as in, good?”
She was quiet for a while. “It was okay. Daddy’s housekeeper made macaroni for me but it had weird hard things in it, so I didn’t want to eat it. But she made me. She’s so mean.”
“Oh . . .” I said, frowning. “Did you do anything fun with Daddy?”
“I watched a movie. Frozen.”
I raised an eyebrow. “With Daddy?”
“No. He was working in the other room.”
I didn’t think she’d have the power to get him to interrupt his work for a kid’s movie, even with a bat of her big brown eyes. I was much more tolerant of children’s games and movies than Viktor. I had to admit, though, even I was sick of Frozen after watching it for the five-thousandth time on repeat.
“Well, what are you doing now?”
“Watching television.”
That really didn’t sound good. “Doing anything fun today?”
“I don’t think so.”
I shook my head in frustration. If Viktor wanted Alena to warm up to him and not constantly dread going to his house, he needed to work with me. Take her places. Let her do stuff she actually enjoyed.
“All right. Well, remember, I’ll be picking you up tomorrow afternoon,” I said as cheerily as I could manage. “Can you put me on with Daddy again?”
“Okay.” Then a few seconds later. “Here. I love you.”
“I love you, baby. I miss you every second,” I said to her, my heart twisting as I imagined her not having a good time. “And I—”
Viktor’s growl interrupted my message. “What is it, Sasha?”
“Viktor. How do you expect her to be happy when she comes to see you if you toss her aside and pay her no attention while she’s there?” I demanded.
He groaned. “I will. It’s a bad time. I have meetings all weekend. And—”
“Then you shouldn’t have taken her. It’s a sacrifice, Viktor. You have to make time for her. There are many things I’ve given up in order to be a good mother to Alena, to be present in—”
“Not your job, though.”
I threw myself on my couch and rolled my eyes. “Of course not. I need that, because your child support payments aren’t enough.”
That was another can of worms. Something told me he’d scammed the system during our divorce. He lived in the lap of luxury, and yet the court had investigated his income and ordered him to pay me less than five hundred dollars a month. It barely covered the rent in my awful little apartment. I’d been so happy to escape him and so new to the country that I didn’t fight it. Now, I wished I had.
But it was too late for regrets. My stomach churned when he replied with the words I’d expected. “You wanted the divorce. If it were up to me, we’d be living together and none of that would be necessary, Solnyshka.”
“Viktor—”
“Right. You don’t want it. Because you want your freedom. So you have it now. Where were you last night?” he breathed out, his voice hard and taunting. “Were you with another man?”
“Viktor, I—”
“Did you let him fuck you? Did you spread your legs for him? That’s a good example to set for you daughter when you could be—”
“Stop it, Viktor,” I bit out. “We’re done. We’re through. And what I do is none of your business anymore. You understand?”
“It is my business. Since you’re still mine.”
“Viktor—”
“You may have a paper that says we’re not married anymore. But in my head and in my heart, I know you will always be mine. You belong to—”
“Viktor, stop it!” I nearly screamed. “For the last time, I am not yours!”
He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, I thought maybe he’d gotten the reality into his head. But it was just more of the same.
“You’re so worried about Alena’s happiness. But, you’re the one who tore her parents apart. You know what kind of damaging effect that has on a child? Do you--”
“Viktor,” I repeated, dangerously close to hanging up. “I’m not going over this with you again!”
His voice was tight. “Then don’t fucking lecture me about whether I’m doing enough to make Alena happy. You committed the worst b
etrayal of them all in the eyes of a child.”
I tried not to let the weight of his words flatten me. It felt like a broken record, so I should’ve been used to this song and dance by now. But his accusations still stung.
“All right. Whatever.”
“We’re going to the zoo in L.A. tomorrow. We may get back late so I can just keep her another day and drop her off at daycare Monday morning.”
I swallowed. The zoo would be nice for her. It sure beat sitting around, watching television all day. I almost felt guilty for opening the can of worms and calling him out for not paying attention to his daughter. But I’d just told her I’d pick her up tomorrow.
“Is Alena okay with that?”
“Yes. Of course.”
I wasn’t so sure she was. Alena made everything seem peachy for Viktor because she was too afraid of upsetting me. I’d hate to let her stay and then hear about it Monday afternoon. “I suppose.”
“Alena would like to call you tonight since she won’t have a chance tomorrow. Please be available.”
And then he hung up.
I threw my phone down on the couch, ready to scream I was so angry. I needed a hot shower. In the bathroom, I turned on the water and stepped out of yesterday’s clothes. The stream of hot water drummed on my back, and I tried to will it to relax me.
Fucking Viktor. I knew how he operated. He lived to worm his way under my skin. Why was I still letting him? Why did I give him that power?
Alena. That was why.
I ran my head under the water, lathering my wet hair with the sweet-scented shampoo. Sadly, I said goodbye to the smell of Zain on my skin. That spicy cologne he wore was enough to get my senses spiraling. As intoxicating as it was, I needed to wipe him totally from my body. From my memory. I couldn’t afford to get caught.
When Viktor and I first ironed out the details of the divorce, Viktor said that he’d kill any man who ever touched me. When the lawyer got to him and told him he needed to calm down and change his rhetoric, he did. I thought the matter was settled, until the final hearing, when he pulled me aside and told me that if I brought any man into Alena’s orbit, he’d rip his balls off and feed them to the man until he choked.
