I close the iPad, push it away, and stumble to my bed.
My body feels heavy, exhausted, but my mind refuses to quiet. Every thought circles back to Aleksei. Eventually though, I driftoff, sinking into that hazy border between sleep and waking where everything feels too real.
And then?—
He’s there.
Aleksei.
Standing at the foot of my bed like he stepped out of the shadows, his expression dark and unreadable. The room around us is dim, washed in the pale blue of early dawn. I sit up, heart pounding.
“What… what are you doing here?” I whisper.
He doesn’t answer.
He just walks toward me, the mattress dipping under his weight as he climbs onto the bed. My breath catches as his hand slides up my calf, fingers strong and warm, tracing higher until they graze the inside of my thigh.
“Aleksei,” I breathe.
Still no answer.
His gaze is fixed on me—hungry, intent—as if my question doesn’t matter, as if the only thing that exists is the heat sparking between us. His touch travels higher, pushing the hem of my sleep shirt up, baring more of my skin.
My pulse stutters.
He leans over me, bracing one hand beside my head. His breath skims my cheek, warm and slow, sending a tremor through me. His other hand slides beneath the thin cotton of my shirt, fingertips brushing the underside of my breast.
I arch involuntarily, a quiet whimper escaping me.
He lowers his mouth to my neck and kisses me—slow at first, then deeper, biting gently at my pulse point. My thighs press together instinctively, heat pooling low in my belly.
“Aleksei…” My voice is breathless now. “You shouldn’t?—”
His thumb grazes my nipple, sending a sharp, electric jolt through me. My protest melts into a soft moan. He kisses down my collarbone, his teeth scraping lightly, his hand moving lower, sliding between my legs, and finding the heat waiting for him there.
I can’t breathe. I can’t think.
All I can do is feel him—his fingers stroking me through my panties, slow and sure, like he already knows exactly how to touch me.
My head tips back, lips parted, a desperate sound slipping free.
He murmurs against my skin, voice low and rough, “You’re already so wet for me.”
God.My hips lift into his hand, seeking more, craving him with an intensity that borders on painful. His mouth trails down my chest, open-mouthed kisses that make me shiver, and I reach for him, grabbing the front of his shirt, dragging him closer.
He presses his body against mine—hot, hard, overwhelming—and I gasp as he grinds against my thigh, letting me feel exactly how much he wants me.
“Aleksei…” I whisper.
He lifts his head, eyes dark and burning. “Tell me you want this,” he murmurs, voice like gravel and sin.
My lips part?—
And once again, I wake with a jolt.
Heart pounding. Sheets tangled around my legs. Skin flushed and aching. I stare at the ceiling, breath shaking, my pulse still thundering in my ears.
It was a dream.Onlya dream.
