“Breathe,” I murmur, kissing away the stray tears that spill from the corners of her eyes. “Tell me if you want to stop.”
She doesn’t. She holds me tighter instead.
“Look at me,” I say.
And she does.
I ease deeper, inch by inch, awe gripping me at the sight of her opening for me, at the gift she’s giving me.
A gift she chose to give tome.
An enemy to her family.
A man who once paid her like a whore.
The thought twists my gut.
“You’re not a whore,” I say, the words coming out rougher than I intend.
Her eyes flicker. I soften my voice. “I need you to know that. I can see it bothers you. I was grateful for every moment you chose to give me. The money…” I pause, searching. “…money was all I had to offer then. I know that sounds cold, but it’s the truth.”
I brush my thumb over her cheek, still moving slowly inside her. “But none of that changes what you are to me,” I murmur. “This… whatever we are… It’s always been more than that. Mask or no mask. Money or no money. Name or no name…”
“We are connected,” she breathes, exhaling the words just as I slide fully into her.
“Connected,” I echo, my voice breaking. “Ty moya.”
Her lips part, her eyes locked on mine as she answers, “Ya ves’ tvoy.”
I am yours.
My eyes go wide, and she gives me a sly smile. “Have I ever mentioned I have a talent for languages?”
I laugh, my forehead falling to hers. I kiss her deeply and slowly, and start to move. This time, she’s had time to adjust, and her hips move to meet mine.
I thrust slowly because I do not want to hurt her. It’s okay. This is not Ahren.
We are not just Nike and Ana; we are Nikolai and Leanna, and we are crossing that line. There is no going back from this, so I want it to last as long as possible.
“Nik?” she says my name like a question.
“Yes?”
“Don’t be careful with me.”
I freeze, narrowing my eyes. “This is your first time.”
Her lips part; she drags the tip of her tongue slowly across the bottom one. “It’s good.I’mgood,” she says. “What I found with you in that club… I liked it. I like your darkness. I like what we’ve done. It wasn’t gentle or sweet; it was raw. Sometimes it hurt, but only in ways that made us both feel alive. That’s what I want. Don’t change it. I’m not a china doll. I won’t break. So… don’t be gentle with me. Okay?”
“Oh, Ana…” My voice drops, darker, and thick with the promise of everything she’s asking for. My cock throbs inside her, impossibly harder.
Her arms slide from my biceps down to grip my ass, nails digging in just enough to make me groan. She growls at me, low and wild.
“You asked for it,” I say. “Remember your safe word.”
28
LEANNA
