Matias slipped his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her head so she was looking at him. “Silly woman. I will always want you.”
“Good. Let’s go home.”
Ithadbeenthreemonths since Katya’s father had put them through that nightmare. They suspected Dmitri had returned to Vegas, but the Anastasi’s were taking care of finding him and told them not to stress. Katya had grown close to Cristian by throwing herself into helping him find the women Dmitri had sold over the years. They had made it their mission to save as many women as they could. Matias watched as they laughed about something Cristian was staring at on his laptop.
As juvenile as it was, Matias felt a slight pang of hurt when he watched them together. She was always so relaxed around his brothers, allowing them to touch her and invade her space. Matias knew she withdrew from him because she worried, he looked at her differently since the abuse she endured—but he didn’t.
“What’s so funny?”
“Matias.” Katya jumped up from her perch on Cristian’s desk and hurried toward him. He was caught off guard when she launchedherself into his arms, nearly knocking him to the floor.
“Katya. What’s gotten into you?”
“I just missed you. Is this not ok?”
“You can do this anytime you want. I’ve missed this.”
Katya buried her face in the crook of his neck and whispered against his skin. “I think I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” Matias tilted his head, glancing down at her.
“Ready for… you know.”
Matias looked over to his brother, who was grinning. “I think you two need a room.”
Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. “We will be upstairs. Don’t bother us unless the house catches on fire.”
Katya giggled against him as he practically ran from the room carrying her. They could still hear the deep timbre of Cristian’s laugh as Matias slammed the bedroom door shut.
He set her down on the bed and stepped back. “Katya, are you sure? What’s changed?”
“The counselor said I have to try sometime. If I don’t, I may never feel whole again.”
She’d been going to a counselor once a week since they returned to Chile. He attended a fewof the sessions with her, at her request, but mostly she went alone. Between the sessions with the counselor and the work she was doing with Cristian, Matias had started to see the old Katya returning.
“If you need to stop, tell me. I don’t want to push you. You’re in control.”
She nodded at him.
“No, Katya. I need to hear your words.”
She held his gaze as she spoke, simultaneously stripping her shirt off. “I understand.”
Matias barely held himself together after seeing her in the sheer lace bra she wore. Her skin was finally back to its milky white tone, free of bruises or reminders of the past. Her blonde hair fell loosely down her back as she leaned onto her elbows.
“You can touch me. I promise I won’t break.”
Matias pressed his knee between her thighs and ran his hands down her arms. He leaned in and captured her lips in his. Every nerve in his system was firing on overload with the excitement of having her mouth against his. Katya wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her.
“You have too many clothes on, Matias. I need to feel you.”
Matias pulled free and stripped off his shirt. He kicked off his shoes and removed his jeans. Katya whimpered as she took in his arousal hidden beneath his boxer briefs. Running his hand over himself, Matias grinned.
“Are you sure you want this? We can start slower, Katya.”
Her response was to remove her remaining articles of clothing, including her bra and panties. Completely bare to him, she spread her legs and closed her eyes.
“I don’t want slow. I want to remember what it’s like to feel alive. I want to remember what pleasure feels like. I’ve been hiding because I was afraid.”
