“Is that wise?” Maxim asks.
“Well, I am a very good fighter,” I remind him, my voice just above a whisper.
“You are,” Maxim says.
We stand in front of each other, quiet and still, and I guess we are doing this, because I turn around and look over my shoulder. “The zipper.”
12
MAXIM
When Marianna’sred dress slips from her pale shoulders and falls in a satin pool on the ground, it leaves in its wake lacy white lingerie that could technically be called a dress, but is practically see-through and ends just over the base of her ass, showing me all of her thighs beneath. In refraining from running my palms up her sides, I bite my cheek so hard I almost draw blood.
My cock is already hard in my pants, tenting my slacks like a teenager. Marianna attempts to turn toward me, but I grip her shoulder to stop her.
“Wait,” I manage. “Just—give me a moment to look at you.”
She does as she’s told, which surprises me, and I realize I can’t just stand still and try not to pass out from all of the blood in my body rushing to my dick. So I do what my hand is begging for me to do and slide it down her back, then over her hip.
“You’re sure about this?” I ask. “You want to do this?”
“I do.”
Marianna lifts her hair off her neck and pulls it over one shoulder, revealing the perfect slope of her neck. I drag my index finger down her skin, thrilling to see the goosebumps that rise there.
“I know this isn’t real,” Marianna says, the reminder like cold water poured over me. “Not real feelings, real newlyweds, but we can pretend. If that makes it easier for you.”
I mutter curse words in Russian, hoping that if the language is different, then she might not hear so transparently how desperate I am for her. My hand has tightened on her waist without me noticing, pulling her back closer to me. “Pretend how?”
“You pretend you want me, I pretend to be the wife you wanted.”
I attempt to swallow the dryness in my throat. If I tug her any closer, then she will see just how real my want for her is, how there’s nothingpretendabout the heat coursing through my extremities from her presence. Ducking my head low, I press a kiss against her shoulder, and then her neck, inciting from her a gasp that makes me sick with power.
“Like this?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“Yes.”
I wrap my arm around her front, spreading my palm out over her stomach and pulling her against me, boner be damned. I suck her skin into my mouth, then glide my tongue against the red spot I left there.
“Like that,” Marianna breathes, resting her head back against my shoulder.
I turn her to face me and roam my eyes over her face, not as guarded as usual now that her cheeks and neck are flushed pink; her eyes betray the desire she feels. I wonder if I reached between her legs, would I find her wet already?
“And like this?” I ask before I lower my mouth to hers, kissing her long and deep, pressing her lips open with my tongue and then tangling it with hers. She kisses me back, just as deep, and her hands raise from her sides to hold onto me, one in my hair, the other clutching the front of my shirt. I lift her off theground, her legs wrapping around my waist, kissing and kissing as I take us to the bed.
My mouth still moves over hers as I place Marianna on the comforter and position myself over her. My hands want to explore her everywhere, and I can’t keep myself from roaming over the front of her, her tits, her stomach.
“Well?” I ask, pulling away from her.
“What?” She’s breathless, same as me.
“Is this how we pretend?” I ask. She’s quiet for a long moment before nodding. My eyes trail over her body, then do a double take becauseholy fucking shit. I didn’t think it was possible for more blood to rush to my dick, but the sight of her nipples beneath the white lace bra ruins me. Her tits are practically spilling out of the cups, laid out as she is, and the red bow between them is what does me in.
I exhale a hard breath and cup one, squeezing until her nipple pebbles beneath my thumb.
“Wedding gift from my sisters,” she says, wearing an almost nervous smirk.
“We’ll have to send them a card.” I pull the fabric down, revealing the dark pink and, in the name of pretending, drop my head and pull the bud into my mouth.
