The elevator doors open and close. Silence settles again, thick as fallen snow. I take a long drink of my water and wait for the elevator doors to open again.
I do a slow loop of the penthouse, trying to figure out which light switches do what. Past the library alcove and a wall of climate-casual wine racks, I find a glass door markedGYM. Inside, recessed lights glow over matte-black equipment. Everything smells faintly of rubber and eucalyptus.
A workout sounds better than pacing circles in my head, so I duck back to my suite, swap the sweater dress for leggings and a tank, and return to claim the treadmill facing the west windows. The Hudson glitters under the moonlight, cars threading along the West Side like fireflies.
I start at an easy jog, dialing up speed with every song on my playlist. Jack’s face flashes behind my eyes. Would he actually hurt me? Or is this all about money? And though he was trying to play it cool, what if he’s in trouble again, trouble he can’t get out of?
Worry takes hold as the treadmill ticks past two miles, three.
By the time I stop, lungs burning, ponytail plastered to my neck, the readout says five-point-eight miles. No wonder my legs feel like boiled spaghetti.
“Good form.”
I whirl around, my breath catching. Vlad leans against the doorway, drink in hand, dressed in dark jeans and a gray t-shirt stretched over a torso carved out of granite. Black ink curls out from under his sleeve, disappearing up his bicep.
“How long were you watching?” I ask, wiping my forehead with a towel.
He lifts one shoulder. “When you’ve got a view that good, you lose track.” He crosses the room, setting his glass on a weight bench. “You settling in?”
“I think so.” My pulse is already racing, his nearness kicking it higher. “Your gym is nicer than my old building’s entire first floor.”
“Good.” He steps closer, hands sliding to my hips, thumbs pressing just enough. “Because I plan to make the most of you being here.”
The words vibrate low, possessive. Before I can answer, he pulls me flush against him and claims my mouth—hard, hot, no hesitation. All the adrenaline from the run flips into something molten, and for the first time tonight, I stop thinking altogether.
CHAPTER 17
TERESA
“God, you taste good.”
Vlad’s kiss, his touch, quickly undo me.
His mouth, rough with stubble, devours mine. He’s pure hunger. My hands fist his t-shirt, the cotton taut over his chest, as I press myself closer.
His fingers dig into my hips, possessive, pulling me tight against the hard ridge of his cock straining through his jeans. My pussy clenches, heat pooling low, every nerve sparking from his touch.
“Fuck,” he growls against my mouth, voice thick with want. “You have no idea what you do to me.” He breaks the kiss, eyes dark and molten, scanning me like I’m prey he’s already claimed.
I nod, pulse hammering, unable to say a word. He just smirks, a dangerous edge that makes my thighs squeeze together.
He backs me toward the gym’s mirrored wall, the cold glass biting my bare shoulders. His hands slide under the fabric of my tank, calluses scraping my skin as he yanks it over my head, tossing it aside. My sports bra follows, and he groans as hepalms my breasts, thumbs circling my nipples until they’re hard, aching points.
“These tits,” he growls, “are fucking perfect.” His mouth descends, sucking one nipple hard, teeth grazing just enough to make me gasp, my pussy throbbing with need.
He drops to his knees, tugging my leggings and panties down in one swift motion. My heart races as he spreads my thighs, his breath hot against my slick folds. “Look at this gorgeous pussy,” he says, voice rough, reverent. His tongue flicks out, teasing my clit, slow and deliberate, before he dives in, lapping with a hunger that makes my head spin.
I moan, fingers knotting in his hair, hips bucking as he sucks and licks relentlessly, reading every shudder. He slides two fingers inside, curling them against the spot that makes my vision blur, pumping in time with his tongue until I’m trembling, so close I can’t breathe. When I come, it’s a tidal wave, my pussy pulsing around his fingers as I scream his name, legs nearly giving out.
He rises, lips wet with my arousal, and kisses me, deep and filthy, letting me taste myself. His hands grip my ass, lifting me against the mirror, the cold glass a shock against my back.
“I’m not done,kotenok,” he says, eyes blazing. “I’m gonna fuck you until you forget everything but me.”
I wrap my legs around his waist, desperate. He shoves his jeans down, cock springing free—thick, veined, so hard it makes my mouth water. He lines himself up, teasing my entrance with the tip.
“You want this? Say it.”
“Fuck, yes, I want it,” I gasp, nails digging into his shoulders.
