My lips trace a line along the warmth of her skin until they brush the curve of her ear as I whisper my confession. “This whole trip was so I could see you.”
“What?” Surprise has her trying to pull back, but I don’t loosen my grip. I keep her held against me and nip at her earlobe.
“I wanted to see you.”
“I didn’t think you’d even noticed me.” Her arm reaches up between us so she can cup the back of my neck. Soft, hesitant fingers run along my skin, stirring my body to life in ways that goso far beyond the erection that’s straining against my jeans. My heart races, blood pumping through my veins in what I swear is an audible rush, and everything else fades away except Sitka, the woman I’m not so sure I’m going to be able to let go of.
“I noticed you,” I tell her before kissing the delicate skin right below her ear. “And then I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Where did you go last night?”
This time it’s my turn to lift my head in surprise at her question. Her fingers stay pressed against the back of my neck, but she looks up so I can see her when I say, “We went to Inferno.”
“Anywhere else?”
I finally understand what she’s asking, and when I grin, there’s enough light for me to see the scowl she’s giving me. I keep one hand in her hair and cup her face with the other. “No, I didn’t go anywhere else. Some of the others went to a strip club, but Ev and I came back with Bran and Dima.”
“What made you decide to not go?”
Leaning closer, I drag my thumb along her bottom lip and tell her the truth. “Because you’re the only woman I want to see dancing naked,besyonok. The only reason I went out at all was because I thought there was a slim chance I might get to see you.”
She’s quiet, nothing but the sound of the waves crashing against the beach and the soft breathy moan she gives when I lean in even closer so our lips are almost touching.
“Tell me what you want.” I tighten my grip on her hair and drag the back of my knuckles along her cheek. Her mouth parts before I hear her breathy response.
“I want you to kiss me.”
Her words send me over the edge. With a groan, I press my lips to hers, giving her my first kiss while some deep part of myself screams that she’ll also get my last. She pulls me closer,opening for me and then giving a quick, embarrassed laugh when her nose bumps mine.
“Sorry,” she whispers. “I swear I’ll get better.”
“You’re already perfect,” I tell her. I drag my nose along her cheek and gently use her hair to pull her head back. “First kiss?”
“Yes.”
I grin and kiss her cheek. “Me too,” I say and then bring my lips back to hers. I feel her smile before it falters with the teasing brush of my tongue. The soft whimpers she gives are like a language made just for me, one that only I can understand, and it comes so easily that it makes it impossible to not think that this was always meant to be, that Sitka Medvedev was always meant to be mine.
Her fingers curl into my hair while her other hand cups my face. Her mouth is hungry, claiming mine with every brush of her lips and tongue, claiming every part of me while my hand drifts lower and presses against her lower back. I need to feel the friction of our bodies. The pressure of her against my cock is almost unbearable, but I still keep chasing it, still keep wanting more.
My fingers slide under her shirt, desperate to feel her soft skin beneath my palm. She moans again, arching into me, and pulling a deep groan from my chest when she grinds against my dick.
“Sitka,” I manage to say, breaking our kiss because if I don’t stop now, I’ll never be able to. Breathless, I rest my forehead against hers, trying to get myself under control.
“Do you regret it?” she asks, and the worry in her voice has me cupping her face and pulling back so I can search her eyes. It’s too dark for me to see the shades of grey, but I can imagine them easily enough.
“Never,” I tell her. “Do you?”
She shakes her head and smiles. “Never.” She runs her eyes over me while her fingers trace the line of my jaw. “I was afraid you had a girlfriend back home.”
I grab her hand and turn my head so I can kiss it. “There’s no one. There’s never been anyone. What about you?”
“Of course not. You know how protective everyone is.”
“I thought maybe something might’ve happened with Kostya or Tyoma,” I admit.
“They’ve always been like family to me. They were the only ones around that I wasn’t related to, and I tried really hard to see them in a different way, but it was impossible. It was never going to happen.”
“I’m glad I was wrong,” I tell her, making her smile up at me again.
