Confused, I ask, “What dark thoughts?”
“I would never hurt you,zolotse.” He cups my face, dragging his thumb over my healing lip. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could kiss you hard enough to open this wound so I could taste your blood on my tongue. I want your body to be mine. I want to claim and own every goddamn inch of it. I want to hear you scream my name as I slam into you and you come around my cock. I want so many things.”
My heart races at his words. I’ve made the mistake of thinking of Vasily as a tame man, but it’s painfully clear he’s not. He’s savage and feral, a man who’s barely keeping himself in check, and if I had any sense at all, I’d get the hell out of here, but I can’t bring myself to move. The heat in his eyes is unmistakable, and when he shifts my weight in his lap and I feel the hard length of him beneath my ass, I let out a soft gasp as a trickle of fear starts to work its way down my spine. He’s big, huge even, bigger than any of the men at Ruby’s, and it’s the thought of how much pain he can inflict on me with that thing that has my body starting to shake.
His eyes soften when he feels me tremble. “You have nothing to fear from me,zolotse. I promise. Just because I want you doesn’t mean I’m going to take you without your permission. I can control myself, and when I do fuck you, it’s going to be after you’ve begged me to.”
He doesn’t even state it as anif we fuckkind of thing. It’s happening at some point. We both know it, but he’s handed the control over to me, and knowing that has me letting out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You don’t need to thank me for treating you how you deserve to be treated.” He threads his fingers through my hair, cupping the back of my head and pulling me closer. His lips gently brush against mine in a sweet, gentle kiss. Despite what he admitted just a few minutes ago, he doesn’t kiss me hard. I think about the man I saw in the driveway, skinning a tattoo off a rapist, and then compare it to the man who’s lightly brushing his tongue along my upper lip, being so damn gentle and careful with me, and it’s hard to believe they’re the same person. The nickname is true. He is a devil, but like everyone else, he isn’t just one thing. He can’t be summed up in one word. Life isn’t that simple or straightforward. He may have dark in him, but there’s also so much light, and that’s what I embrace as I part my lips and dare to kiss him back.
The deep groan he gives sends a flush of heat through every part of my body before settling right between my legs. I know I’m not ready for more, but just this one kiss, this small glimpse into what it would be like to be with him, coupled with my body’s reaction, is enough to give me some hope that one day I’ll be able to give myself fully to him.
I run my tongue over his full lips before dipping gently inside. When he sucks my tongue, pulling it further in, I let out a moan and tighten my arms around him. He keeps one hand cupping the back of my head while the other lightly runs over my back, being careful to not touch me anywhere else. His movements are slow and sweet, and when I start to pull back, he immediately lets me go.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my head spinning from everything that just happened. I’m torn between wanting more and wanting to stop. It’s too much, too many emotions all at once, and I have no idea how to handle any of it.
“No more apologies,zolotse. We’re taking this slowly, remember?”
His hard cock still presses into my ass, and I know he must be miserable, but the small smile playing at his lips and the sweet look in his eyes makes it clear he’s not upset with me about not being able to do more.
“Thank you for letting me kiss you,” he says, and I half expect him to start laughing, but he doesn’t. He’s being completely serious, looking at me like I’ve given him a precious gift.
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” I tell him. “I should be the one thanking you. Women probably line up for the chance to kiss you.” I’m only half kidding when I say it. He’s so far out of my league it’s not even funny.
“I don’t want to kiss any of them, though. I only want to kiss you,zolotse.”
I laugh before I can stop myself.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s just very hard for me to believe that.”
He shrugs his broad shoulders and brushes his thumb along my jaw. “You’re my wife, and I only want to kiss you. Whether you believe it or not, it doesn’t change the truth of it. I don’t fear monogamy like some men. I’m perfectly content to just have you.”
I have no idea what to say to that, so I don’t say anything. Instead, I wrap my arms around him and pull him against me, hugging him tightly. He holds me as I bury my face in his neck and breathe in the scent that’s become such a comfort to me. This is the only place I feel completely safe, and I’m in no hurry to leave. His strong arms protect me. They form a barrier between me and everything else. Instead of being horrified by what I saw him do earlier, I’m relieved because I know that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe. I don’t need a knight in shining armor to come in and rescue me, because it’s too late for that. I need a villain who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, a man who will get revenge for what’s been done to me.
He holds me until we hear the boat return. The sound of the engine has me lifting my head to watch them as they coast to a stop near the boathouse before carefully steering it inside and out of view.
“Would you be willing to look at some photos for me?” Vasily asks, pulling my attention away from the water.
“Photos of what?”
“I asked one of my men to create a file for me of all the prominent men in the city, ones who I think might have frequented Ruby’s, men who value discretion because they have a lot to lose, but they don’t value it so much that they’ll resist going into a place like that.”
“You want me to go through the photos and point out the men who raped me?”
“Yes, I do. I want to make a list, and then we’re going to cross them off one by one.”
I’m not in a hurry to see any of their faces again, but I know this needs to be done, and I’d rather get it over with as quickly as possible.
“I’ll do it,” I tell him.
He smiles and stands up, taking me with him. I expect him to put me down, but he doesn’t. He carries me as if I weigh nothing to one of the rooms downstairs. I’ve never been in this part of the house, and the beauty of the place still surprises me. It’s all light colors and large windows, making the place seem even bigger than it is. The room we’re in now is clearly being used as an office. He sits behind a large desk with a laptop that’s connected to a huge monitor. Keeping me on his lap, he types in his password, bringing the screen to life. After a few quick clicks, he opens the file, revealing a screen full of photos. He scoots the mouse over to me.
“Take your time,zolotse, and when you recognize one, let me know.”
