Alexandr's Reluctant Submissive (6 page)

“I wasn’t with anyone else, ever.”

That seemed to throw him. “Not once?”

“Never. While you believed you were widowed, I was always still married to you in my heart and mind.”

Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against hers. “I do not deserve you.”

Tired of the constant emotional fireworks between them, she rubbed her nose against his. “No, you don’t. You’re lucky I let you hang around.”

His shoulders straightened and he seemed to grow bigger as he wrapped one large fist in her hair, tilting her head back enough that it strained her neck. An immediate burst of arousal struck her and she automatically arched into his touch. She remembered he liked it when she did that and melted inside when he gave her a pleased smile. Their eyes met and the strong, no-nonsense Master she knew so well gave her a very possessive look.

“This,” he stroked her neck where he’d sucked with a rough fingertip, chills skating down her spine, “will show everyone who looks that you belong to me.”

She stiffened. “I can’t let Tatiana see a giant hickey. She’ll think I’ve been hurt and it will upset her.”

His grip on her hair loosened and warmth flooded his expression like nothing she’d ever seen. “Do you think she will like me? I will not scare her?”

The insecurity in his voice drove her to soothe him and she ran her palm over his bristly cheek. “Of course she’ll like you. She is such a happy little girl and loves almost everyone she meets. I mean she’s still a four-year-old, so there are the usual tantrums and drama that you’ll have with any little kids, but I’m sure she’ll have you wrapped around her little finger in no time.”

Their embrace turned gentle again and she felt as if she was riding waves with Alex, one moment cresting with anger and hurt, the next rocking together in absolute bliss.

Dimly, the ringing of her phone came to her, the song she’d assigned Gwen filling the air. “Shit! Gwen!”

He released her and she dove across the room, fumbling through her bag until she got to her phone. “Gwen?”

Her nanny and best friend’s voice came shouting through the speaker. “What the hell is going on, Jessica?”

“Gwen, wha—”

The pissed-off woman continued on like she hadn’t even spoken. “It’s the butt crack of dawn am I have a giant scary dude who says his name is Krom—what kind of name is that?—sitting at the kitchen table telling me he’s come to take me and Tatiana to meet you and your
husband
in Russia.”

“Where’s Tatiana?”

“She’s fine, sleeping safe and sound, but I’m about five seconds away from shooting the asshole glaring at me.”

Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. “Gwen, put the gun away. Krom is there to help you. It’s all very complicated, but I need you not to shoot him please. He’s there to protect you and he can’t do that if he’s dead.”

Gwen was silent for a moment. “Protect us? From what? Jessica, this is really fucked up. Are you sure you’re okay? Do I need to call the police?”

“No!” She took a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice, “No. I need you to do exactly what Krom says and help get Tatiana to Russia as quickly as possible. This is very important, honey, you have to trust me, please. I promise I’ll explain everything once I see you in person.”

“Are we in danger?”

“No—well, yes. I can’t have this conversation with you on the phone.”

Krom’s deep voice came from the background and Gwen snapped, “No one asked you, Wolverine, for your opinion. You go back to just sitting there and looking scary. And stop scowling at me. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that your face would freeze that way?”

“Gwen,” Jessica groaned. “Please don’t give him attitude.”

“Tell him to stop being such a dick and I won’t have to.”

Someone pounded on the door to Alex and Jessica’s room, then yelled in Russian, “The helicopter is here.”

Alex looked up from where he was texting into his phone. “Come, Jessica, we have long travel day ahead of us and must go.”

“Crap. Gwen, I have to go. I’m so so sorry about all of this and I promise I’ll explain everything to you when you arrive. I know that’s lame, and you don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but—”

The stubborn streak Jessica knew so well filled Gwen’s voice, “Oh, I’m coming. Do you think I’d send
mi flora
off with a group of strangers? No way in Hell.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I owe you big time.”

“Yeah, you sure as heck do.”

She hung up the phone and sprinted to her suitcase, digging through it until she found a bra and a decorative silvery-blue scarf trimmed with lace. After putting her bra on and wrapping the scarf around her neck, she turned to go find Alex, only to run right into him.

She met his gaze and her pulse fluttered at the stern look he was giving her. With very deliberate, tight gestures, he unwound the scarf from her neck.

“Do not cover my mark.”

Sure her cheeks were bright red, she tried cover the hickey again, but he wouldn’t allow it. “Alex, I can’t parade around with a love bite on my neck!”

“You do not wear my ring or my collar,” he growled. “No man will look at you without knowing you are taken, that you are mine. I must have this, Jessica.”

She blinked at him and hesitated. “I don’t want people to think I’m a slut.”

He closed his eyes, and to her surprise, laughed before opening them again. “You came back from dead; I do not think my mark as big of deal.”

The absurdity of the situation made her lips twitch, but she didn’t fight Alex when he tossed the scarf to the floor. “We must leave now.”

She slipped on her ballet flats then glanced at her luggage. “What about my stuff?”

“Personal shopper has already stocked closet for you at our home.”

“Um—okay.”

Before she could question him further, they were out in the hallway where Luka and Maks waited for them, with two more unfamiliar people. The guy blended in with the rest of Alex’s bodyguards—big and scary—but it was the woman who caught her attention. Built like an Amazon, the female bodyguard had to be close to six feet tall and she was all muscles and curves. With her black hair, blue eyes, and no-bullshit attitude, she kind of reminded Jessica of Wonder Woman.

Maks and Luka just stared at Jessica, clearly not listening to Alex as he gave them instructions in Russian.

Her heart ached at the pain in her friends’ gazes and she tugged away from Alex then stood a pace away. What if they didn’t want her to touch them? What if they were mad at her that she’d followed along with Jorg’s wishes and hated her?

Lifting a hesitant hand in their direction, she said, “Can I have a hug, please?”

She didn’t even have a chance to draw a breath before she was enveloped by both of them, Luka pressing his face to one side of her head, Maks to the other. The men shook against her and she dimly heard Alex telling the other two guards to wait for them outside. Maks trembled against her back and Luka gripped her tight enough that she was struggling to draw a breath.

Thumping on his thigh, she said, “Hey, fragile human here. You two behemoths are going to squish me.”

Right away Luka’s grip loosened, but he didn’t step away. Maks had every inch of his body pressing into hers, and she was trying to ignore the fact that he was becoming aroused. She’d expected this reaction from him, given their past history, but it still made her uncomfortable—and if she was being honest, turned on. She couldn’t help it; he was a very good-looking man who she knew was great in bed, but his feelings for her went beyond friendship. Feelings she could never return.

Not wanting to tempt Maks with what he couldn’t have, she gently stepped away from them, brushing back tears.

“I missed you guys, so much.”

Maks gripped her by the back of the head and laid a kiss on her before she was even aware he’d moved. It was a brief kiss, but his erection now pressed into her as he groaned against her lips. Before she could twitch to push him away, Luka had her face cradled gently in his big hands. She studied the new scars that gave his handsome face a dangerous cast and wondered how he’d gotten them.

Maks was still at her back, but she ignored him as she nuzzled her face against Luka’s big hand, something she used to do when she was trying to be cute and get her way with him.

His voice came out rough, like boulders sliding against each other, as he said, “I thought I had failed you.”

Meeting his gaze, she held it and allowed him to see the truth of her words. “No, you didn’t. None of you failed me. I’m here, I’m alive, and I’m so happy to see you again.”

The large man sagged forward and if Maks hadn’t been bracing her body, she probably would have staggered beneath his weight. Luka was a big, solid man but he seemed unable to stand on his own for a moment. The sight of her proud friend struggling to deal with his intense emotions sent her into mother mode. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed taking care of these men in her own way, how much she’d loved their company. They were her constant companions, friends many times over bonded together through tense situations and just hanging out together. She’d missed coffee with Maks, going to clubs with Luka, and shopping with Oleg.

Not to mention the loss of Catrin and Nico, two people who had become family to her.

The list of people who Jorg Novikov had stolen from her mounted by the moment, and she asked God to forgive her for wishing to end his evil life.

Scraping herself together, she gave them each a hard hug before returning to Alex’s side. The proud look in his deep gray eyes warmed her from within and she had to look down to hide her smile. Part of her argued that she shouldn’t fall back into her old habits of living to please Alex, but she couldn’t help how making him happy made her feel fulfilled. Maybe it was just part of who she was, something she couldn’t change that had been hardwired into her DNA. At this point in her life, she was old enough to acknowledge that she had a taste for submission, that she loved taking care of a powerful man.

Holding out his hand, a look of open relief briefly flitted across his handsome, scarred face before she slipped her hand in his. Right away he raised her knuckles to his lips and kissed her fingertips softly. The scruff of his beard brushed against her skin, reminding her of how it felt against more delicate areas of her body, and she couldn’t help her besotted-sounding sigh.

The men chuckled behind her, while Alex gave her a roguish wink. “Is good to know I have not lost my touch.”

Rolling her eyes, she was about to make a good comeback when the door at the end of the hall burst open. The Wonder Woman-looking chick yelled out in Russian, “We have uninvited guests on their way, ETA fifteen minutes. We need to leave, Mr. Novikov, now. Plan Green has been engaged.”

Panic froze Jessica in place but Alex never even paused, simply scooped her limp form into his arms and practically sprinted down the hallway. The world blurred by in a rush of bodyguards swarming the building and guns everywhere. She clutched Alex’s jacket and shivered, her nightmares coming true already. Jorg must be behind this somehow, testing her, punishing her for seeing Alex again. The thought made no sense, but her default mode was to fear her father-in-law, greatly.

Bright sunlight blinded her as they moved out onto the helicopter pad/gigantic terrace. Men surrounded it while more seemed to be checking the chopper over. With her heart in her throat, she noticed a black helicopter with what looked like fucking missiles hovering not far away. Her scream was lost in the whine of blades and then she was practically thrown into the plush backseat of some crazy-luxurious corporate helicopter. Alex lunged in after her, along with Luka. Maks stayed behind, in full-on badass mode now as he directed people on the ground with hand gestures while holding a big, big gun.

She gasped in a breath of air then said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the faint hum of the helicopter blades, “There’s a black helicopter with missiles pointing at us.”

He gently placed her onto the long padded bench and strapped her in, seating himself right next to her. Luka sat across from them, with what looked like a submachine gun in his grip and cold murder in his gaze. She clutched Alex’s hand tight while he gave her a soothing murmur.

“
Dorogoya
, there are four of those black helicopters out there. They are watching over us.”

“You mean they’re on our side?”

“Yes.”

“That’s crazy.”

They began to lift off and she gave a little gasp at the sudden movement.

Luka didn’t look away from his window as he said, “Is not so crazy now that you actually need them, is it? Bet you are thinking right now that you are very lucky woman to have smart man like your husband here to protect you.”

That wry observation almost startled a laugh out of her. “Yes, yes I am.”

Alex turned her gently in his arms and pulled her into a hug, raining soft kisses over her face. “I am sorry, but I must do this. I can only pray you will forgive me. Is for your own good, I swear.”

“What?”

Something stung her upper arm, and she went to reach up to touch it when Alex grabbed her wrist. “No, let it work. You will sleep, safe and sound, and when you wake we will be in Moscow.”

Already her eyelids were fluttering, but she forced herself to say, “Fuck you,” before the darkness took her.

The scent of cleaning supplies stung her nose as Jessica looked around the small bathroom/changing area of whatever airport they were at. She’d woken not too long ago, held in Alex’s arms as he spoke with his men in Russian too rapid for her still woozy mind to grasp. That numbness was quickly fading, burned away by her rage.

Jessica snarled at Alex as he tried to touch her, angrily shoving her still oddly numb and tingly limbs into a pair of clean black dress pants he’d provided her with. She already wore the top he’d given her, a chocolate-brown silk blouse that consisted of artfully draped panels of fabric accenting her lean frame. Add the giant diamond stud earrings he’d insisted she put on and she actually would have felt rather stylish and sexy, if it hadn’t been for the huge hickey on her throat. Purple and black now, the bruise stuck out like a neon sign on her pale skin and she hated the way some people smirked when they saw it. Like it was the badge of being a loose woman.