An hour later, the apartment door swung open. I smiled when Dmitri’s huge form swallowed all the light from the hallway.
“How are you feeling?” he asked the moment the door closed behind him.
How did I feel? Natalya’s betrayal burned into my stomach, the fear of Roman’s closeness was never far from my mind, but there was one emotion that rose above all the others.
“I want you,” I said.
Dmitri blinked, something like surprise flickering across his usually impassive face. I got up from the comfort of the couch and moved towards the one thing in the room that was far more tempting.
Dmitri remained completely still as I approached him, his eyes taking in every movement and detail. I touched the hard lines of his forearms, and heat shifted low in my belly.
“Please.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Something snapped in his expression. Dmitri dragged my body against his own. His hand wrapped roughly around my hair as he kissed me hard. All the fears and doubts faded into oblivion when his other hand inched towards my panties.
I moaned as he dominated the cave of my mouth. When he reached the lace of my underwear, he teased his fingers along the edges. My moans grew louder. Finally, when I was ready to shove his hand down lower, he slipped his hand underneath.
His fingers were quick and deft against my clit. It was like he was playing the guitar, and hitting all the high points. When I jerked my mound against his skillful fingers, he smiled against my lips.
“Such a needy little kitten.”
Dmitri’s fingers teased into my opening, and I quivered at the sensation. The heel of his hand continued its ministrations on my clit while he jerked two fingers through my pliant hole. Even as his movements grew rougher, I ground up and down on his hand, needing more.
I needed all of him.
“I’ll give you what you need, kotenok,” he whispered into my ear before slowly withdrawing his hand from underneath my underwear.
When his hand brushed against my stomach, I stared at it, praying that I was hallucinating.
Blood.
A few droplets of blood dribbled down his fingers. I jerked away from him, my body turning hot and cold at the same time.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, biting down on the soft flesh of my cheek to keep from crying. My period wasn’t supposed to come for a few days. “I-I didn’t-”
“Why are you so upset?” Dmitri asked, his clean fingers ghosting across my cheek.
Memories flashed in my mind. Roman’s disgust when he’d discovered my period. The way I’d felt almost guilty when I hadn’t even wanted him to see that part of me. Revulsion still soured my stomach whenever I got my period.
“My period wasn’t supposed to start yet. I d-didn’t know,” I said, stepping further back.
A line dented between his eyebrows. Then he tilted his head as he stared down at me.
“Do you know how many men I’ve killed?” he said, raising the bloody hand into the air.
I looked away as Dmitri continued, “Do youreallythink some blood is going to bother me?”
My head whipped back to him, sure that I’d misheard him.
“It doesn’t b-bother you?”
Internally I tensed, waiting for him to laugh and sayof courseit bothered him. That I was disgusting and-
“No.” His eyes turned molten as he stared at me. “I likemessy.”
Dmitri wrapped an arm around me, and steered me into his bedroom. I glanced around the dark walls, realizing that I’d never been in here with him before.
“Lie down,” he said, nodding towards the huge four-poster bed.
