Page 23 of Claim Me (Dmitriyev Bratva #2)

K azimir

The woman reeked of passion.

In every action.

With every word.

The way she played the piano.

Hell, the way she walked into a room reeked of pure sin.

She was everything I craved and nothing I should have.

For the love of all things holy, I had a fucking screw loose. Wanting something I shouldn’t have would erode my ability to protect her. Especially in these circumstances. Getting back to Vegas was the best chance to keep her safe.

Marissa remained nestled in my arms, her face resting on my chest. She was peaceful, her chest rising and falling in a normal rhythm. The fact she hated darkness was ironic since my world often revolved around the shadows.

Of right and wrong.

Good and bad.

I scrubbed my jaw, the thought amusing me.

Yet the light remained on.

Dawn would pop over the horizon, yet I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours. Even with my soldiers remaining on high alert and surrounding her home, I wasn’t convinced another assassin wouldn’t be sent to finish the abduction.

If so, the fucker assigned the task would be surprised that he’d need to get through me.

And that wasn’t happening.

As soon as she’d fallen asleep, I’d retrieved my weapon and phone, along with another drink.

After that, I’d tried to put together a plan of action in my mind, but one thing continuously got in the way.

Thoughts of Marissa.

Her long legs when she’d draped them around my body.

Her swollen lips after I’d abused her mouth.

Her sweet pussy, the taste still lingering in my mouth and throat.

And the soft sounds she made when I brought her into moments of ecstasy.

Fuck me.

The hour of prodding my mind had been pure hell. It was time to do my job, which was to protect her. While remaining in Seattle was necessary for a few days, the prospects for keeping her safe were limited.

I could only imagine how she’d feel about returning with me to Vegas.

A chuckle formed, but I tamped it back. There was no reason to wake her.

In fact, it was time to discover what the fuck was on the flash drive.

What I didn’t want was to create another nightmare for Marissa.

She’d been through enough. I’d keep the files found on the drive to myself for the time being.

After draining the last of the glass, I placed the tumbler on the nightstand, my weapon catching my eye.

A ping indicating an email had me lifting my eyebrows.

Ryker had managed to come through with the detective’s addresses.

Excellent. I grabbed my phone, navigating to the pictures I’d taken of the dead assassin.

I’d done a damn good job of getting his best side if I said so myself.

Now I’d determine the best time to let the cat out of the bag.

Maybe the easiest way of moving forward was to have another meeting with the good detective instead. I’d lure him with promised information. Then I’d issue my first strike.

I wouldn’t get to three. I laughed to myself just as Marissa stirred, murmuring in her sleep.

Peering down, I took a deep breath. My God, she was fucking beautiful.

Yet I should consider her off limits.

What the hell had I been thinking in fucking her? Was it the way she’d ignored me at first when I’d walked through the door? Was it the confrontation after recognizing her stalker? Or maybe the intensely passionate music she’d written with dark fantasies in mind.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wooden headboard. The insanity of my cravings was ridiculous, but with her naked body wrapped around mine, my cock was in a painful state of discomfort and arousal.

The filthy thoughts lingered even though I’d tried to fill the void with rage. I should feel anger. At the detective for proving he’d been bought and sold. At Vladimir Popov who’d orchestrated some insane deal with Jameson Valentine, the patriarch of their little family prior to his death.

And for his murder as Charlie had indicated.

Or maybe I should simply be furious with myself I’d allowed my guard to fall. Either way, I couldn’t allow myself another night of sheer indulgence. Doing so could be at Marissa’s expense.

It was time to get to work starting with the flash drive while she remained asleep.

I pushed back the covers and gently eased her onto the pillow before planting my feet on the floor. Just before I stood, I heard her mewing once again and my cock twitched.

“Mmmm…” The moment she placed her hand on my back, I stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” I said, tipping my head over my shoulder in hopes she could read my lips.

“I don’t believe you. You’re tense.” She dared brush her fingers across my muscles. When she shifted, the sheets rustling, I lifted my head toward the ceiling. I’d considered myself someone with excellent self-control, yet being around her seemed to leave me defenseless.

The heat of her body was too much for my resolve. I craved fucking her all over again. I fisted my mouth, willing myself to leave the room.

A sudden crack of thunder and she uttered a sharp cry. My reaction was instant. I twisted my body and pulled her even closer.

“Just a storm. I understand you get them frequently in Seattle.”

“Rain. Not necessarily storms.” She threw a look toward the window, tugging on the sheet as she did. When she lifted her head toward me, her eyes caught sight of the weapon. “Do you always carry a gun with you?”

“Not always.”

“You own a casino.”

“My family owns several.”

“So no bad guys playing blackjack?” Her face lit up briefly with a smile, but her eyes were still swollen from the tears. Even so, I couldn’t tear my gaze from her soft lips.

“A few bad actors. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Why do I have the feeling you can handle almost anything?”

“I don’t know about that. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

Her sigh matched the one I’d let off earlier. Knowing what to say to her was difficult and she certainly had no understanding of who or what I was. Maybe I didn’t either. “The man you killed. He was going to take my life like he did with Charlie?”

I hadn’t wanted to tell her the truth, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t allow anything but honesty. “It appeared he was going to kidnap you. He had zip ties and a syringe full of muscular paralyzer.”

I’d expected shock, but she was calm, reserved in trying to learn the truths she needed. “Where was he taking me?”

That I wasn’t ready to share. The flash drive came first. “I don’t know, but I certainly had no intention of allowing anyone to take you away from me.”

“From you,” she repeated. Her upper lip curled.

Fuck me. “From your life. Your home. Your career.”

“Ah. Of course.”

I hated the tone of her voice, yet I could sense her continuing desire boiling within her. We were far too attracted to each other, which had already become a problem. “As I said. You need to get some sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy and you can’t tell me what to do.” Her tone was playful, but the fire in her eyes was anything but.

My sigh was deep and labored. “You’re right. Except you will follow what I tell you about your safety. Period.” Would there always be tension between us? Likely so.

“Fine,” she huffed. “How sad for anyone to find the need to remain armed even locked away in a house in the middle of a quaint suburb. This is one of the safest places in the city.”

Without thinking, I rolled my finger down from her forehead to the bridge of her nose, taking my time to encircle her lips.

How crazy that I’d never felt like sharing anything other than sex with another woman.

Sure, I’d had female friends before. One of them had been my study partner in college, yet neither of us had interest in the other. There’d been no physical chemistry.

I’d lost the desire to become close to anyone years before. Too dangerous. Too toxic.

With Marissa, the physical energy exploded between us, which was why I’d reminded myself more than once that the chemistry could be toxic.

“Nowhere is completely safe, Marissa. I assure you that monsters can crawl through tiny spaces, hunting like the predators they are.”

“Are you a predator?”

A laugh surfaced, likely one she couldn’t hear. “Yes.” Why lie to her? She’d find out soon enough.

A rumble of thunder accompanied my words, and her eyes opened wide. My God, I’d just terrified her. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Shit. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” Hell, I even tried to sign, although I could only remember a few of the letters she’d taught me.

Her laughter filled the room. She pressed her hand against her mouth, her eyes twinkling so that tiny creases formed in the corners of both.

“What?”

“You should see your face. Do you know what you spelled when you signed?” She casually flicked the tip of her finger across my cockhead. Did she fucking know what she was doing to me?

“How the hell would I know?”

Her lovely face was pinched and she cocked her head, now stroking the same finger down the side of my throbbing dick to my balls. Fuck me, the woman was going to drive me into an early grave.

“You signed ‘I’m an asshole.’” She said the words slowly and suddenly her laughter stopped.

But not her eyes. They were lit up with such an intense fire my balls tightened. When she burst into laughter again, my entire body began to shake from the kind of hunger that refused to be denied. “You little…” I made a fist, shaking it in front of her.

She threw out her hand, wrapping her fingers around my fist. “It’s not nice to curse at a lady.”

“Who said I was nice?” Everything about her drove me crazy. The moment of control I was so desperately seeking was shot to shit.

I pushed her down, wrapping my hands around her wrists as I shifted so part of my weight was pressed against her. She immediately struggled, which only boosted the raging desire I had. She was much stronger than she looked, able to roll me over, instantly straddling my body as I’d done with hers.