Love.
It didn’t just creep up on me. It’s always been there, quiet and constant. I’ve always loved him. Always had a soft spot for him. It just changed shape somewhere along the way, became something deeper, something…inevitable. The way it was always meant to be.
Maybe he’s not ready to hear me say it. Or ready to say it himself.
But that’s okay—for now.
I feel it anyway. His love, his passion, his devotion.
It hums beneath my skin in every touch and every word that leaves his mouth.
Nuzzling into his neck, I breathe in the mix of cologne and the night air and press soft kisses along his pulse.
“How’s your leg?”
“It’s fine. Just like I told you it was. Don’t kill the mood, Ruso. I’m swooning over here.”
When he laughs, the sound vibrates, sending a jolt straight to my pussy. I instinctively roll my hips into him, a moan rising.
“What do you want, Ptichka?”
“You,” I whisper, another slow grind against him.
His hands grip my ass cheeks, and he stands, holding me against him as he heads for the bathroom.
“I’m going to miss this, you carrying me around.”
“You think I did that just because of your leg? Maybe I just like having you close, your warm cunt wrapped around me.”
My bottom lip slips between my teeth as I try to steady my breath. Maksim leans in, catching it gently between his before pulling it free.
There isn’t a moment to think, to breathe. He claims my mouth in a greedy kiss, leaving no space between us, and no question of what he wants.
His boot kicks the door open, then slams it shut. A soft whine and light scratches echo from the other side. Hermes. Poor baby. He’ll have to learn to share, because if what I’m feeling is real, Maksim’s here for the long game. He’s mine. And he’s not going anywhere.
“You scared the hell out of me today,” he rasps, twisting the shower handle.
Steam curls through the air as he steps inside, pulling me with him. “When you didn’t come around that corner with everyone else, I thought the worst.”
My shirt hits the tile. His mouth finds my throat, my pulse, and trails down across my shoulder.
“I’m right here,” I whisper, eyes fluttering shut when his lips close over my nipple and his teeth tug at the piercing. “Fuck.”
“He deserved what he got. You have no idea how much restraint it took not to bash his skull in right there in the open, for everyone to see.”
“Thank you.” My nails dig into his scalp as he drops to his knees and slides my thong down my legs, tossing it beside my shirt. “For letting me handle him.”
“It wasn’t easy,” he groans, spreading me open and running his tongue up my slit. “I can see the way they respect you. And I know that was earned.”
I nod, clutching his hair between my fingers as he swirls his tongue around my belly button ring. “Respect is everything on that track.”
Maksim rises, mouth gliding up my abdomen. His hand wraps around my throat, and I meet his gaze.
“They look at you like you’re some prize, Valentina. But you’re not theirs to win—you’re mine to ruin.”
He spins me around, fists a hand in my ponytail, and shoves me forward. I brace against the bench as water cascades around us, dripping down my skin.
“Stay just like that,” he orders, palms gliding over my ass.
