was...how much I needed the warm hardness of his chest against my breasts. But I can’t! This is crazy! Remember who he is!
I put my palms on his chest to push him back.
He captured my wrists and pulled them up above my head, pinning them to the tree. He leaned in, his eyes searching mine. “You say you don’t want this,” he said. “Fine. You tell me straight, Irina. Tell me right now that you never want to see me again and I’m gone. No one ever has to know what happened.”
He was giving me an out. All I had to do was say the words. I drew on everything Vasiliy had taught me, dragging up layer after layer of impenetrable Malakov ice to shield me. Just say the words.
But whenever I looked at him, the heat was like a blowtorch. It seared through the ice like it wasn’t there. I had to look away. I can say it if I look away—
He released my wrists with one hand and captured my chin. He turned my head so that I had to look at him. “But you know what I think, Irina?”
I stared at him, my heart thundering.
“I think you need this as much as I do.”
I didn’t answer. And that was all the answer he needed. He leaned down, one big hand still holding my wrists tight against the rough trunk of the tree. He moved more gently than I would have thought possible, given his size. His lips brushed mine—
Don’t! Don’t let him— I felt both of us teetering on the brink of a bottomless ravine. We both knew it was wrong. We both knew how much danger this would bring and it wasn’t that we didn’t care. It was that we were utterly helpless to resist.
My lips parted...and I was lost. Our tongues touched and my own groan of need was matched by his. The kiss took hold of me, my whole body moving in time with the soft rhythm of his lips. Above my head, my hands tightened into fists at how good it felt. The pleasure rippled down my body, blossoming and spreading, pushing back the cold. The kiss was slow and romantic, but edged with molten heat.
I broke away, breathless. “I need to get back,” I told him, my voice throaty.
He squeezed my wrists for a second, reluctant to release me...then let me go. My skin glowed warm where he’d held me and the cold air didn’t seem to make it fade. “I’ll call you,” he told me.
I swallowed...and nodded.
As I went to step past him again, he caught my arm. “Mikhail,” he growled. “Are you... with him?”
I shook my head. “Vasiliy wants me to marry him,” I said. “I came with him to the party, to keep Vasiliy happy. But I don’t feel anything for him.”
Angelo gave me a slow nod. “He ever grabs you like that again, I’ll kill him.”
I nodded. And then I was away, walking quickly through the night, praying the freezing air would cool my face. I tried to slow my breathing, to make my face its usual cold, indifferent mask. I needed to control my emotions more than ever.
I was a Malakov. But I was kissing the enemy.
14
Angelo
T he sand squished between my toes, the surf tugging at my ankles as it rolled in and out. Irina hadn’t seen me yet. She was looking out to sea, watching the sun sink below the horizon.
I took two running steps towards her and scooped her up into my arms. She yelped and then giggled, the sound like music. I carried her out into the waves, the water breaking over her smooth tan thighs and making them gleam. Beneath her turquoise swimsuit, her breasts were perfect, lush swells... I could feel my cock hardening in my trunks. I didn’t give a shit who was watching from the beach, as soon as we got out into deeper water, that swimsuit was coming off.
My phone rang.
I waded for another step or so, frowning and looking around for the source of the noise, and then the sunset dissolved into dawn and I was lying in my bed, the sheets tangled around me. There was a sudden cold emptiness where Irina’s warm, wet body had been a second before.
Fuck!
I never dreamed. Nightmares, now and again, about my folks. But not idyllic, Technicolor
I put my palms on his chest to push him back.
He captured my wrists and pulled them up above my head, pinning them to the tree. He leaned in, his eyes searching mine. “You say you don’t want this,” he said. “Fine. You tell me straight, Irina. Tell me right now that you never want to see me again and I’m gone. No one ever has to know what happened.”
He was giving me an out. All I had to do was say the words. I drew on everything Vasiliy had taught me, dragging up layer after layer of impenetrable Malakov ice to shield me. Just say the words.
But whenever I looked at him, the heat was like a blowtorch. It seared through the ice like it wasn’t there. I had to look away. I can say it if I look away—
He released my wrists with one hand and captured my chin. He turned my head so that I had to look at him. “But you know what I think, Irina?”
I stared at him, my heart thundering.
“I think you need this as much as I do.”
I didn’t answer. And that was all the answer he needed. He leaned down, one big hand still holding my wrists tight against the rough trunk of the tree. He moved more gently than I would have thought possible, given his size. His lips brushed mine—
Don’t! Don’t let him— I felt both of us teetering on the brink of a bottomless ravine. We both knew it was wrong. We both knew how much danger this would bring and it wasn’t that we didn’t care. It was that we were utterly helpless to resist.
My lips parted...and I was lost. Our tongues touched and my own groan of need was matched by his. The kiss took hold of me, my whole body moving in time with the soft rhythm of his lips. Above my head, my hands tightened into fists at how good it felt. The pleasure rippled down my body, blossoming and spreading, pushing back the cold. The kiss was slow and romantic, but edged with molten heat.
I broke away, breathless. “I need to get back,” I told him, my voice throaty.
He squeezed my wrists for a second, reluctant to release me...then let me go. My skin glowed warm where he’d held me and the cold air didn’t seem to make it fade. “I’ll call you,” he told me.
I swallowed...and nodded.
As I went to step past him again, he caught my arm. “Mikhail,” he growled. “Are you... with him?”
I shook my head. “Vasiliy wants me to marry him,” I said. “I came with him to the party, to keep Vasiliy happy. But I don’t feel anything for him.”
Angelo gave me a slow nod. “He ever grabs you like that again, I’ll kill him.”
I nodded. And then I was away, walking quickly through the night, praying the freezing air would cool my face. I tried to slow my breathing, to make my face its usual cold, indifferent mask. I needed to control my emotions more than ever.
I was a Malakov. But I was kissing the enemy.
14
Angelo
T he sand squished between my toes, the surf tugging at my ankles as it rolled in and out. Irina hadn’t seen me yet. She was looking out to sea, watching the sun sink below the horizon.
I took two running steps towards her and scooped her up into my arms. She yelped and then giggled, the sound like music. I carried her out into the waves, the water breaking over her smooth tan thighs and making them gleam. Beneath her turquoise swimsuit, her breasts were perfect, lush swells... I could feel my cock hardening in my trunks. I didn’t give a shit who was watching from the beach, as soon as we got out into deeper water, that swimsuit was coming off.
My phone rang.
I waded for another step or so, frowning and looking around for the source of the noise, and then the sunset dissolved into dawn and I was lying in my bed, the sheets tangled around me. There was a sudden cold emptiness where Irina’s warm, wet body had been a second before.
Fuck!
I never dreamed. Nightmares, now and again, about my folks. But not idyllic, Technicolor
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