Alexandr's Cherished Submissive (26 page)

He crouched down in front of her at the edge of the sofa, sitting back on his haunches, his thigh muscles bulging. Unable to help it, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged him closer. Her pussy was in total control, and that little bitch had it bad for Alex. She also had to admit she felt so much better when touching him. Alex drew her like a magnet, and she couldn’t be near him without wanting to feel him. All throughout brunch he’d held her hand or stroked the exposed skin of her thigh, shoulder, neck, or her inner wrist. He’d stolen a few kisses, and each time, she’d flushed so hard her ears burned, which only amused those watching them.

“You belong to me because I am claiming you as mine. The world I live in is different, not what you are used to. The rules different, also, like fact that once man like me claims woman like you, it means you belong to me alone, and no one will dispute that fact.”

She went to ask him what the hell a man like him meant, but he cut her off by raising his hand.

“To answer next question, no, we are not dating. You are mine. Is more than being girlfriend, is being everything.” He spoke louder as she opened her mouth. “We are in Rome because I have business to do here, and I wanted to share with you. To see this place through your eyes, your wonder. I have so much to show you, but only if is what you want. Never will I force you to do anything you do not wish. My greatest joy is for you to trust me enough to protect, to keep safe, and to let me take care of you. I want to give you everything you ever desire. Everything.”

This time when he paused, she didn’t interrupt him. Instead, she curled her fingers through his hair.

“And what I want in return”—he leaned closer so they were nearly kissing as he spoke—“is you. All of you, heart, soul, and body. I want wake up with you whenever possible and fall asleep with you cuddled to my chest like kitten. Never have I felt happiness like I have with you. I did not know was possible to feel like this.”

Emotion threatened to overwhelm her, and she took in a quick breath, her mouth moving before her mind caught up. “Alex, what do you and Peter really do? You’re asking for my trust, but I don’t think you’re telling me everything I need to know about you. You’re obviously way more than a bodyguard.”

He froze, but didn’t move away. His breathing increasing against her lips, but he was otherwise calm. “I cannot tell you…yet.”

Irritated, she leaned back so she could study his face in the strong afternoon light. “What? Why not?”

He closed his eyes and sat back, widening the gulf between them. “I will tell you, eventually, I promise, but not now. Things must be dealt with, things I do not wish for you to know.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”

He hesitated. “To some is bad, to some is life.”

“So I’m just supposed to sit back and twiddle my thumbs until you decide it’s time for me to know?” She clenched her hands into fists and stared at him. “Really? You talk about how much you cherish me, but
you
don’t trust me with your secrets. A little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“Jessica.” The scary tone of his voice clued her in that she might have just pissed him off. His next words confirmed it. “I will tell you when I can. Not because I playing game, but to protect you. Is hard for you to understand, but ignorance could save life. You are smart, you will figure things out, but I can confirm nothing until…certain events happen. I swear, is for own protection. I do trust you, more than I have every trusted anyone outside of my family. Please trust me.”

Blowing out a harsh breath, trying to ignore his scent clinging to her skin, she pushed up on her elbows then frowned while tugging her top back into place. “Whatever. Sounds like a total cop-out to me.”

“What happened to you in alley? It will happen again if I do not keep you innocent.” He leaned toward her then ran his fingers through her hair with a soothing touch, the sudden fear filling her probably easy to read. “I will do anything to protect you, but I need you to be patient with me. Can you do that?”

She debated for a moment then sighed. “For how long?”

“I do not know.”

“Let me get this straight, you want us to basically move in together, for me to be your woman, but I don’t get to know anything about you? Are you trying to hide me?” Her heart plummeted. “Oh shit, are you married? Is that why you didn’t want the paparazzi taking pictures of us?”

“
Nyet
, I am no married. You are only woman I care for, only woman I ever care for.” He ignored her snort of disbelief. “You know much about me, Jessica. Feel deep in heart. You met my brother, my friends, and we had public lunch in very public place with two people the paparazzi love to photograph. I would never be ashamed of you, am proud to have you on my arm, love to show world the beauty that is mine.”

She tried to ignore the warm tingle his words gave her. “People took pictures of us?”

“No doubt there are images of you and I on Internet by now.” He gave her a bitter smile. “I am not unknown.”

“Great,” she muttered, her gaze tracing over his tattoos, both new and old.

“Jessica, all I ask for is time in Rome be about us. To learn each other before I move you into my home.”

“Home? What home? You mean move to Minsk with you?” Irritated, she frowned at him. “How do you know I want to live with you?”

“
Laskovaya
, I know you better than you know yourself, and no, not Minsk. We buy home in Ireland, or in America if is what you want. Jessica, you know what is between us is special. You know you want to be mine as much as I want to be yours.”

“God, you can be such an arrogant prick sometimes,” she huffed out, trying to ignore the warm, squishy feelings filling her at the tender tone in his voice.

The edges of his lips curved upward, and she had to bite back a sigh at the way his eyes grew heavy lidded. “I have studied you, what you like and what you do not.”

“What?”

“We have talked great deal, and you have told me many things about you. Things I remember.” He smiled and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the nose that increased the tingling buzz of happiness trying to spin through her. “And I told you more about myself than I have ever shared with another woman.”

She snorted and had to bite back a smile. Okay, so she liked the fact that she was different from the other women he’d been with, and he trusted her with personal thoughts and feelings. She’d done the same with him. Damn, he did know a lot about her because they’d been friends for months before becoming lovers.

“You’re my friend,” she whispered, her heart threatening to burst with the intensity of her feelings.

Puzzled, he pursed his lips. “More than friend.”

“No, no, I know that. What I meant is I do trust you, Alex, because you’re right. I do know you...sort of. I know that you hate sunflower seeds because one of your tutors chewed them and constantly had the husk in his teeth. I know that your first dog was a Dalmatian, and you love the scent of apples.”

He laughed unexpectedly. “I love the smell of apples because is what you wear. Your scent is like baked apples with spice.”

She flushed. “Oh, yeah. It’s just some cheap stuff I got at the mall.”

To her surprise, he cupped her chin and made her look at him as he lowered himself onto her body, his weight pressing her into the cushions. “Nothing about you is cheap. Everything you touch, everything you wear, becomes exquisite because of you.”

Her lower lip quivered while he gently ran his thumb over her bruised cheek. “Thanks.”

“I think I should show you now how delicious you are. Your skin is so smooth I could spend all day petting you, stroking you. Sometime we will go to my home in Siberia. I will lock us in my room with roaring fire to keep us warm then fuck you until you beg me to stop. I will give you so many orgasms your body will not be able to take it, and you will faint. This, I promise.”

“Uhn…” Well, that wasn’t the most eloquent response, but he’d struck her dumb with his carnal words.

The faint lines around his eyes deepened. “Relax, Jessica. We do this, as you Americans say, one day at a time. Yes?”

Closing her eyes, unable to handle the intensity of his gaze, she tried to process their conversation, but her body was more interested in having him inside of her again. He shifted slightly, his thick erection pressing into her mound. One twitch of her hips and now his dick was sliding against her, separated only by his thin pants and her practically non-existent panties. All attempts to focus on anything but enjoying his touch fled when he groaned then rubbed his hips in a circle against her needy sex.

His voice was strained as he whispered, “Jessica, the things you do to me.”

She ran her fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the lush feel of it against her skin, her heart rate slowing as she took in deep breaths. This brought a hint of his cologne to her, and she leaned forward to rub her nose against his. He didn’t respond verbally, but he did give her a slow, sexy smile when she pulled back. Her whole body ached for him, but she had calmed down enough that she could kinda, sorta think.

Before she got carried away again, she took a deep breath, glad to see some of the tension gone from Alex’s face. In her heart of hearts, she had a feeling that what Alex and Peter did wasn’t exactly legal. It was such an absurd thought she kept rejecting it, but she was also pretty sure she was in some serious denial. She noticed little things, discrepancies that had caught her attention. Like the fact that no one treated Alex like a bodyguard. Oleg, Luka, and Maks, yes, but when Alex was with her, people were deferential to him. She was so googly-eyed over him she didn’t notice it at first, but once she’d relaxed around him, she saw that Alex was given preferential treatment all the time. Of course, people kissed her ass because her Uncle Peter was in politics, but there was no reason for Alex to have the kind of…notoriety like he did.

People knew who he was and were afraid of him.

Probably for a good reason.

But she wasn’t.

Probably never would be.

Something deep inside her belly settled, and a sense of acceptance filled her. She smiled at him, a slow curve of her lips that seemed to coax his mouth into tipping up at the corners. She loved that about him, that he couldn’t help responding to her smile. It gave her a heady sense of power to realize she made this broody, dangerous man happy. No man had ever responded to her like Alex did, and despite their differences, they blended together just right.

“I’ve come to a decision.” She brushed his dark hair off his forehead, keeping her gaze on her fingers. “I would love to spend time in Rome, Alex. There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be than with you. Just…be patient with me, okay? You’re a global playboy, but I’m still new to all of this. And promise me you won’t keep me in the dark forever, that you’ll tell me the truth.”

“I swear to you, Jessica, I will tell you as soon as I can.” He held her hand then brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, his facial hair tickling her skin. “You have nothing to worry about. I know you do not understand now—you are young—but you will.”

That took away some of her happy glow. “Stop with that too young bullshit. I’m old enough for you to fuck, aren’t I?”

His jaw twitched, but his amused smirk irritated her. “Yes. Perhaps I need to fuck you more. I think you are woman with vast sexual appetites. Tastes for things you do not even know you crave. Things that I will teach you.”

Her mind skipped back to the overheard conversations about Alex’s fondness for being dominant in the bedroom. “What kind of things?”

Her body was tired of his teasing talk, and she wanted him to slip that wonderful dick he kept teasing her with into her wet pussy. She felt tender down there, more sensitive, her arousal driven to the point that she was going to finger fuck herself soon if he didn’t do something. Her hips tilted up of their own accord to grind against him, and his nostrils flared.

He captured her other hand and brought it to his lush lips, kissing the veins visible in her wrist through her pale skin. “Anything you want to do Jessica, any pleasure you want to explore, tell me. I want you to be honest about what turns you on. We will only do what you want, but I will ask for your trust to push you a little bit, to expand your horizons.”

She bit her lower lip, knowing there was no way in hell she’d tell Alex about some of the kinkier fantasies she’d had. Yeah, an orgy was fun to imagine…but to actually do? Dirty, explicit mental images of fucking Alex while people fucked around them and watched set her body on fire, and moisture welled between her legs. Thank goodness Alex was kinky ’cause it looked like she was as well.

Looking up at Alex, she bit her lower lip then whispered, “Okay. I’ll tell you.”

“Okay?” He smirked. “Did not sound very convincing.”

She resisted the urge to squirm beneath his gaze. “What?”

His grin was downright wicked as he said, “We going to play interrogation.”

Jessica pushed her hair off her face, trying to see if he was serious. “What?”

He stood abruptly, hauled her up, and tossed her over his shoulder with her ass in the air and her face against his back. “Alex!”

“Hush, my captured spy. You need to know this now. In bedroom, I like complete control. That does not mean we will not play your games or I will not indulge your curiosity, but I own you, and that includes your pleasure. You are mine.”

She was starting to find the whole you-are-mine thing arousing, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. He couldn’t just haul her around and demand things of her. And if she didn’t want to tell him, that was none of his business. The thought didn’t even make sense to her, and she sighed then watched the floor pass as he hauled her to their bedroom.

Before he set her down on the bed, he gave her butt a slap.

She yelped and glared at him when he gave her nipple a tweak. “Stop that!”

The lines around his mouth disappeared as his smile dropped from his face. “You need safe word.”

“What?” She rubbed her sore nipple, trying not to acknowledge how strangely good it felt as her palms soothed the hard tips.