Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Teetering close to the edge, I dug my fingertips into her hips and held on, bracing myself for the next wave that crashed through my body. With one deep thrust, her body became tense, and her breath stilled. Her orgasm took hold as she clamped down around me, making it impossible to hold back as she continued to buck against me.
The fire that raged inside me consumed me as I came deep inside her. “Fuck.”
I held onto her hips, holding her in place as I caught my breath. Her body trembled above, still shuddering from the explosion of pleasure. Seconds later, her body collapsed on top of mine, her head on my chest, and her heart next to mine. The rapid beating of her heart began to slow and eventually returned to normal, but she didn’t move.
I ran my fingers through her hair for several minutes before asking, “You okay?”
“I’m more than okay.” She looked up at me with a smile. “That was incredible.”
“Agreed.”
“So, it was good?”
“Better than I ever imagined.”
She eased off of me, and I quickly disposed of the condom before pulling her over to me. She settled in the crook of my arm with her head on my chest and her hand splayed across my abdomen. She rested her knee on top of mine and sighed. “Growing up, I never would’ve dreamed that I would end up in your bed.”
“Are you saying that’s a bad thing?”
“No, just the opposite.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip before admitting, “I never told anyone this before, but I might’ve had a little crush on you when we were younger.”
“Interesting.”
A light blush crept across her face as she gave me a light shrug. “I was just a kid.”
“A kid who apparently had better taste than I gave her credit for.”
“Hey.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late.” I leaned in and grazed my lips against her temple. “So, tell me about this crush of yours. Are we talking daydreams, or were you doodling my name in your notebooks?”
“I may have doodled it a time or two.”
“So, what was it that got you so enthralled with me?” I teased. “Was it my dashing good looks or my charming personality?”
“Definitely not your personality. You were pretty intense back then.”
“Yeah, I guess I was.”
“It was the suit.”
“Just my suit?”
She smirked as she warned, “Don’t get cocky.”
“Too late for that, too,” I taunted, pulling her closer.
“It was more than the suit.” She tucked her head under my chin. “You were older. Untouchable. You had all the girls thinking you ruled the world.”
“I didn’t rule anything.” I let out a slow breath. “I was just trying to survive.”
“You seemed so confident and free in a way no one else was.”
“I’d never felt so trapped.”
Her smile faded as her fingers brushed over the scar on my shoulder. “I guess we were both looking at each other through different lenses.”
“Maybe.” I glanced down at her as I confessed, “But I kind of like the fact that you were out there watching me.”
“Your head is getting bigger by the minute, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely.”
We both grew quiet, and it wasn’t long before Lina’s breath grew shallow. I thought she’d fallen asleep until she whispered, “I never thought I’d find this kind of peace.”
“Me either.”
“You think it’ll stay this way?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to try everything in my power to make sure that it does.”
I meant it. I would do whatever I could, but it wouldn’t be easy. Our pasts hung over us both. At any point, someone could recognize her, and everything would go to hell. Or the bratva could twist my arm and force me to agree to a partnership that went against everything I’d fought for.
The cards were stacked against us, but for her, I would do whatever I could to put the odds in our favor—even if it meant putting everything on the line. She deserved a good life, and I wanted to be the one who gave it to her.
She grew quiet once again, and it wasn’t long before she drifted off. Her breaths were low and soft, and she was curled up next to me like she belonged there. I liked the feeling and wanted to savor it for a bit. I stared up at the ceiling and just listened to the rhythm of her sleep, and it wasn’t long before my own exhaustion got the best of me.
The next morning, I woke with a new sense of resolve. Lina was still sleeping soundly when I got out of bed and eased the covers back so I could check her foot. It was bruised, but I was pleased to see that the swelling was gone. Not perfect, but better.
I was lowering the blanket back down when Lina grumbled, “Do you have a foot fetish I should know about?”