Alexei’s anger.
“Then why did you kiss me?”
Mike looked at him, into him, from where he slouched against the fridge. His hands pressed to the stainless steel. Cheeks pink, chin tucked, a little smile playing on his lips. Goddamn, he got under Alexei’s skin like someone had given him the operator’s manual.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t kiss me.”
Alexei gulped. “You have no idea what you’re asking for.”
Mike gripped the front of his shirt and towed him closer. “Show me.”
Alexei sighed and pressed his forehead to Mike’s.
“Alexei—”
“No, I’ll hurt you. I won’t be able to resist. I can’t…I can’t not hurt you,” he confessed, almost wishing it wasn’t true. To be with this man…But no, Alexei couldn’t change who he was any more than he would force Mike to do things he wasn’t comfortable doing.
Mike leaned back and cocked his head. “Like, whips and chains and stuff?”
“No, none of that shit. Just… rough .”
“Tell me what you mean.”
At long fucking last, Mike looked serious. Almost wary.
Dancing around the truth hadn’t worked, so Alexei went with brutal honesty. “I like to be in charge. I want you do what I say, as soon as I say it. I want you to feel me—my hands, my teeth—for days afterward. To know your ass is sore from my cock and glowing red from the palm of my hand. I want you to wince when you sit, and then think of me. Do you understand?” He looked down Mike’s long, lean body and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I could not possibly touch you again and not bite your perfect ass. Hard .”
Alexei watched Mike’s face, waiting for the distaste, maybe outright disgust, to show. His breath caught in his throat when Mike’s lips curved in a slow smile.
Mike wanted to laugh. Hell, he wanted to jump up and down and whoop and then tackle Alexei to the floor and beg him to have his way with Mike. Instead, he smothered his grin—while still not being able to completely mask his smile—and watched the mixture of frustration and determination on Alexei’s face turn into panic.
It didn’t take a genius to figure that Alexei had believed Mike would run screaming when he told him the truth.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not when Mike wanted exactly what Alexei wanted. Jesus, Mike was so fucking lucky. Maybe this was some attempt by the universe to restore balance, a little slice of karmic payback for the shit in Quebec City.
Whatever it was, there was only one answer. One thing Mike needed to say.
“Yes.”
Alexei blinked. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, please?”
“You can’t mean—”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Alexei shook his head, scowling. “No.”
“Yes. And not because it’s what you want,” Mike said quickly. Honestly. He ran his thumb over Alexei’s cheekbone and wrapped his hand around his jaw. Because he could. And because he didn’t want Alexei to run away. “I’m not saying yes because I think that’s what you want to hear.” In fact, it was fairly obvious the opposite was true, though Mike still couldn’t quite figure out why. “I want this for me. This is what I’ve always wanted. It’s just beautiful fucking kismet that what you just said, the things you want to do, I want you to do that. To me.”
“Mike, you love to argue with me. You’re arguing with me right now.”
Mike smiled. “I do. I am.”
Alexei rolled his eyes.
Mike slid his hand down Alexei’s neck and chest, feeling a thrill of power when he cupped Alexei’s erection in his palm. “And you like it.”
“Not in bed, I won’t.”
“Not in bed,” Mike agreed, a shiver working down his spine. “I promise, it never even crossed my mind to argue with you then.”
“You were upset. I took advantage of that, and I didn’t realize you’d never—”
Mike stroked his hand over Alexei’s cock again, harder. “You didn’t take advantage of me.”
“I did. That was too rough for your first time. I should
“Then why did you kiss me?”
Mike looked at him, into him, from where he slouched against the fridge. His hands pressed to the stainless steel. Cheeks pink, chin tucked, a little smile playing on his lips. Goddamn, he got under Alexei’s skin like someone had given him the operator’s manual.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t kiss me.”
Alexei gulped. “You have no idea what you’re asking for.”
Mike gripped the front of his shirt and towed him closer. “Show me.”
Alexei sighed and pressed his forehead to Mike’s.
“Alexei—”
“No, I’ll hurt you. I won’t be able to resist. I can’t…I can’t not hurt you,” he confessed, almost wishing it wasn’t true. To be with this man…But no, Alexei couldn’t change who he was any more than he would force Mike to do things he wasn’t comfortable doing.
Mike leaned back and cocked his head. “Like, whips and chains and stuff?”
“No, none of that shit. Just… rough .”
“Tell me what you mean.”
At long fucking last, Mike looked serious. Almost wary.
Dancing around the truth hadn’t worked, so Alexei went with brutal honesty. “I like to be in charge. I want you do what I say, as soon as I say it. I want you to feel me—my hands, my teeth—for days afterward. To know your ass is sore from my cock and glowing red from the palm of my hand. I want you to wince when you sit, and then think of me. Do you understand?” He looked down Mike’s long, lean body and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I could not possibly touch you again and not bite your perfect ass. Hard .”
Alexei watched Mike’s face, waiting for the distaste, maybe outright disgust, to show. His breath caught in his throat when Mike’s lips curved in a slow smile.
Mike wanted to laugh. Hell, he wanted to jump up and down and whoop and then tackle Alexei to the floor and beg him to have his way with Mike. Instead, he smothered his grin—while still not being able to completely mask his smile—and watched the mixture of frustration and determination on Alexei’s face turn into panic.
It didn’t take a genius to figure that Alexei had believed Mike would run screaming when he told him the truth.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not when Mike wanted exactly what Alexei wanted. Jesus, Mike was so fucking lucky. Maybe this was some attempt by the universe to restore balance, a little slice of karmic payback for the shit in Quebec City.
Whatever it was, there was only one answer. One thing Mike needed to say.
“Yes.”
Alexei blinked. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, please?”
“You can’t mean—”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Alexei shook his head, scowling. “No.”
“Yes. And not because it’s what you want,” Mike said quickly. Honestly. He ran his thumb over Alexei’s cheekbone and wrapped his hand around his jaw. Because he could. And because he didn’t want Alexei to run away. “I’m not saying yes because I think that’s what you want to hear.” In fact, it was fairly obvious the opposite was true, though Mike still couldn’t quite figure out why. “I want this for me. This is what I’ve always wanted. It’s just beautiful fucking kismet that what you just said, the things you want to do, I want you to do that. To me.”
“Mike, you love to argue with me. You’re arguing with me right now.”
Mike smiled. “I do. I am.”
Alexei rolled his eyes.
Mike slid his hand down Alexei’s neck and chest, feeling a thrill of power when he cupped Alexei’s erection in his palm. “And you like it.”
“Not in bed, I won’t.”
“Not in bed,” Mike agreed, a shiver working down his spine. “I promise, it never even crossed my mind to argue with you then.”
“You were upset. I took advantage of that, and I didn’t realize you’d never—”
Mike stroked his hand over Alexei’s cock again, harder. “You didn’t take advantage of me.”
“I did. That was too rough for your first time. I should
Similar Books
