Alexandr's Cherished Submissive (29 page)

It was crazy. It was excessive, but if she was being honest, it also brought a welcome sense of safety.

“Jessica?” Alex asked again with a little more concern in his tone.

“What are we doing here?”

He took in her expression, and the corners of his lips curled up. She noticed that when they were out in public among strangers, he rarely, if ever, smiled. The most she got usually was a small twist of his lips. His don’t-fuck-with-me vibe was out in full force, seemingly strong enough to dissuade anyone from getting near her. But as he slipped off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket, his gunmetal gray eyes softened to silver while his gaze roamed her face.

“If I told you, would not be surprise.”

As they approached the front doors, they were held open by a tall, well-built Italian man who was almost as stone-faced as Alex.

Definitely hired muscle.

As soon as they were inside, an elegantly dressed brunette woman in her early forties escorted them back to what looked like a private room. She chatted with Alex in Italian while Maks trailed behind them. The lovely scent of lilacs flavored the air, and Jessica noticed a big silver vase on a small table stuffed full of purple and white lilacs artfully arranged with some greens. The woman took them through yet another door and down a short hallway where she opened a door to the left. Once they reached the well-appointed room, Jessica focused on the two comfortable cream leather chairs that had been set before a desk with a pristine black velvet mat. Beautiful classic art graced two of the walls, pastoral scenes that were a soothing blend of colors. A bottle of champagne had been opened and chilled in an ice bucket, along with two glasses and some beautiful strawberries.

Jessica was contemplating whether or not she should have a drink—after all, it would go to waste if she didn’t—when she heard Alex say her name.

Calming the butterflies in her stomach, she turned and smiled, the tilt of her lips becoming genuine when she saw Alex gazing warmly at her, but faded a bit when she noticed they had unexpected company. Next to Alex stood an enormous man with the build of a bulldozer. His nose had been broken more than once, and he reeked of danger. It was only when she looked into his really pretty teal blue eyes that she noticed he was dressed in a suit as nice as Alex’s, and that he was giving her an appreciative look that made heat prickle in her lower belly.

She couldn’t help but lower her gaze and bit her lower lip, an action that made Alex chuckle.

“Ivan, she likes you.”

“What is not to like?” Ivan remarked with a slow smile.

Goodness, he was handsome in a non-traditional way. No, not handsome...memorable. She tried to keep her heart from racing, but with Alex and this Ivan guy staring at her, she could almost feel their hot looks like a physical touch. The only consolation over her fluttering pulse was that the über-professional woman who worked here also looked a little glassy-eyed and stunned as she stared at the men. Not that Jessica could fault her. The chance of seeing two guys this striking together in a lifetime was rare, at least it was in Iowa. Then again, all of Alex’s friends she’d met were hot.

Even his bodyguards.

Well, except for Oleg, because that was just ewww since he was kind of like an uncle to her now, but the rest were pretty fine in their own different ways.

“Lovely, isn’t she?” Alex murmured in English.

“Stunning.” Ivan gave her a little incline of his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jessica. My name is Ivan, and I have known this bastard next to me for as long as I can remember. He does not deserve you.”

To her surprise, Ivan’s English was excellent. “I…that is…thank you-I think, but trust me when I say if anyone is unworthy, it’s me. Alex is wonderful.”

Alex frowned, but before he could say anything, Ivan chuckled and looked at his friend with a raised brow. “Lucky bastard. Sweet and charming, with beautiful legs I would like wrapped around me.”

Instead of being pissed, Alex seemed proud, his shoulders straightened and his chest puffed out as the men chuckled and said something to each other in Russian. She was quickly realizing he liked showing her off like she was the treasured prize in some mighty conquest. There was a definite possessive gleam in his eyes, yet he seemed almost pleased that Ivan was openly devouring her with his gaze. The fact that this was taking place in the most elegant of establishments only made her body heat faster.

So forbidden.

So taboo.

So hot.

“Come here,
prinsessa moya
,” Alex purred.

The carpet softened her footsteps as she went to him, taking his hand when he held it out to her. He pulled her to his side in a blatantly possessive move. As if to reinforce this, his hand slipped around her waist, his fingers resting on her hip. Ivan took all of this in with an amused look, and she could see Maks across the room trying to hide a smirk. It was good to see him smiling again. For a while there, she thought he was going to be stuck in a constant pissed off I-failed-you angst mode. That attitude would have driven her nuts.

Alex looked over at the saleswoman openly observing them with great interest. “Bring me the first two sets from her collection.”

The woman blinked at his curt tone then scurried off.

Jessica frowned up at Alex. “What collection?”

“I had line of your own jewelry started. Unique pieces that you can pass down to your children. Things that will become treasures they will cherish as the years pass.”

“Alex, that’s outrageous!” She could feel her eyes grow wide, and Alex frowned when she squeaked out, “You can’t do that!”

“I can do whatever I want, Jessica.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with a kiss then whispered against her lips, “Let me do this for you. It brings me pleasure.”

“But it’s too much. I don’t want you thinking I’m using you for your money.”

He laughed against her mouth. “Jessica, I believe you. I know many, many women that are gold diggers. You are nothing like them. Let me spoil you, please.”

Before she could respond, he proceeded to kiss her into a near-stupor, sucking on her lips, biting her tongue, mauling her in the most delicious way. By the time he eased off, she was swaying with her hand pressed to her lips. They were tender to touch, but she could still taste him.

“Will you let me do this for you?”

Completely dazzled by his kiss, she nodded slowly and murmured, “Okay.”

Ivan laughed then patted Alex on the shoulder. “You will have your hands full with this one, but I think you will be all right.”

She narrowed her eyes at Ivan, but before she could say anything, the saleswoman returned with two middle-aged men. Each of them carried a small stack of boxes. Some long, some square, and a couple small ones. A tremor ran through her, and she fought the urge to flee when they set the boxes down on the table to the left of the square of black velvet. She had a feeling Alex had done something extravagant, outrageous even, and she swallowed hard.

Ivan cleared his throat. “Jessica, it was my pleasure to meet you. I am glad to see reason behind my friend’s happiness. Be good to him, yes?”

Still dazed by the sight of all those boxes, she nodded, her gaze darting between Ivan and Alex, who now sat in one of the chairs in front of the black velvet table. He didn’t look uncomfortable in the least. No, he was the master of his world, in control of every situation. Once again, the clerks were kissing his ass as they waited on her. That only made her more nervous, and she almost jumped when something cold and smooth was put in her hand.

Ivan wrapped his big hand over hers to hold a full champagne glass in her hand. She noticed the scars on his knuckles.

Yep, definitely a fighter. Big time by the looks of it.

“Drink,” Ivan prompted.

There was something about him that reminded her of Alex, an intangible force that compelled her to drain the glass of the crisp champagne. She handed the empty flute to Ivan who smiled, his blue eyes lighting up. Once she got past his scary appearance, he seemed like a nice guy.

“I must go, but I hope to see you again soon, Jessica.”

“Nice meeting you, Ivan.”

He tossed a strawberry at her before he left, which she caught with a grin. Taking a bite of the tart fruit, the champagne already warming her blood, she sauntered over to the table with a sway to her step thanks to the tall wedge heels, but she wasn’t complaining. The way Alex watched her made up for any lingering self-doubt, and his open admiration made her brave.

As she sat in the chair next to his then arranged her dress around her legs, she looked up at Alex from beneath her lashes. “Open.”

She popped the last bite of the strawberry in his mouth then smiled at him.

The woman across the desk cleared her throat. “Mr. Gorev, which set would you like to start with?”

Her nerves began to clamor again, but before she could freak out, Alex leaned over and whispered into her ear, “For the last few months, I’ve known you would be mine, so I began to design your line of jewelry.”

“You…you had this made when we hadn’t even…”—she cut a glance to the people watching them with feigned disinterest then back to Alex who was watching her intently—“kissed yet?”

“Yes.” He leaned forward, his chair creaking slightly as his weight shifted. “You already belonged to me. I just had not claimed you yet.”

“What?”

He laughed, then held her hand in his, and kissed her knuckles. “
Prinsessa moya
, I am trying to shower you with jewels. The least you could do is pretend to be excited.”

When he put it that way, she felt like an ungrateful shit. “I-I’m sorry. Thank you. I’m just not used to this. People don’t live like this where I’m from. Guys don’t do things like this.”

“Is not true. If your adoptive father had financial means, would he not have done same thing for his wife?”

“Well, yeah, he would.” She sighed in defeat and tried to shake off her negative thoughts. He was right. Her dad would have given her mom the sun, moon, and stars if he could have. Her parents had the kind of loving relationship she wanted, but she hadn’t realized what being with Alex would mean financially to her. If him giving her nice things was going to be a way of life with them, if he truly needed to do it in order to feel happy, she could at least be gracious about it. Hell, he was giving her a personal jewelry line.

And he said he’d had them made just for her.

If she wasn’t already sitting down, she was sure she would have been swooning like some leading lady in an old black and white movie. “Alex, did you really design these pieces?”

“I gave them ideas on what I wanted. We have great deal of jewelry in my family. Is tradition to buy our women beautiful things, and I have seen many pieces that belonged to my ancestors. And you,
dorogoya
, are an excellent muse.”

A frisson of excitement heated her blood, and she gave him a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

Alex jerked his chin. “I want the Spring Collection first.”

“Of course, Mr. Gorev,” the woman murmured, giving Jessica a quick, envious look before nodding to the two men standing on either side of the table.

With perfect synchronization, the two men placed boxes on the velvet before Jessica. The boxes were what looked like black leather with the Bvlgari name in gold on the top. The chair Jessica sat in creaked a bit as she leaned forward, eager to see what she’d inspired Alex to make more than the actual jewelry itself. The woman slipped on a pair of what looked like white silk gloves and opened the first case.

Her English was decent as she said, “The first piece in the Spring Collection is a pair of pink diamond and pearl earrings. The main stones are one and a half carats while the pearls are an exceptional South Sea natural pearl.”

Jessica blinked rapidly, dazzled by the elegant beauty of the jewelry. It was simple, the pink diamond studs with the pinky sized white pearls dangling beneath, but at the same time crazy extravagant because those were
pink
fucking diamonds. She tried to slow her breathing, and Alex squeezed her hand.

He leaned over, his citrus and sandalwood cologne somehow reassuring her and whispered, “Someday, you will get used to this and enjoy it.”

She was spared from answering by the woman revealing a stunning white pearl necklace with a large pink diamond in the center. The woman rattled on about the details then showed Jessica a bracelet that went with it, as well as two cocktail rings. Her mind couldn’t comprehend that these exquisite things now belonged to her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to clap and giggle just a little bit.

They were so
pretty
.

Alex said something in Italian, and the staff as well as Maks left the room, closing the door behind them and leaving her alone with him. It took some effort to tear her eyes away from the sparkly jewelry that seemed to call her name, but she managed to look at Alex with a big, genuine smile. “It is amazing, Alex. Really. It takes my breath away. I can’t believe you made this for me. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

She didn’t even realize she was crying until he brushed his thumb beneath her eye. “Shhh, no tears. Will ruin makeup.”

“Crap,” she said with a shaky laugh while she got herself under control. “Right. Okay. I’m okay. It’s just kind of overwhelming, but very much appreciated. Holy cow.”

He stood and grabbed another box, this one a long rectangle. As soon as he sat down he tugged her out of her chair then pushed his chair back. “Kneel before me.”

She swayed on her heels in shock. “What?”

“I have a gift for you, but it will only be given to you if you are on your knees.”

“We are in a public place, Alex, a fancy one! We can’t do that here.”

“Jessica, I will not tell you again. On your knees. Now. No one will come in. Maks will make sure of it.”

Swallowing hard, she nervously knelt before him, ready to leap to her feet the moment anyone came in. “They won’t leave us alone with all of this stuff. They’ll come back for it, and I really don’t want to be on my knees in front of them. It doesn’t turn me on, Alex.”