Page 55 of No Longer Mine (Rags & Riches #2)

Chapter Forty-Six

Scarlett

I lay in the dark, my body aching from more than just my injury. I told myself it was the pain keeping me awake. The stitches. The lingering trauma. But that was a lie.

It was him.

Dimitri Cristof, in my home, knowing my past, looking at me like I wasn’t some broken thing but something whole. Something fierce. Something worthy of vengeance.

I should’ve hated it.

Instead, I felt exposed. Like he’d seen every fractured part of me and instead of turning away, he’d only drawn closer.

And now we were something else entirely.

Not enemies. Not quite allies.

But bound together by something deeper. Something dangerous.

I shifted beneath the covers, frustration burning through me. My body was exhausted, my mind ragged from the emotional unraveling of the last few hours, but sleep wouldn’t come. Not with him still here. Not with his words still echoing in my mind.

I see you.

No one had ever said that to me before. Not like that.

His words caused something new to stir within me.

It was easy to accept that he was one of the hottest men to set his eyes on me, but it was something deeper.

He wanted to know me. It wasn’t just about my looks.

It wasn’t just about what I could do for him. It was confusing. It was addicting.

The tension that ran through my body turned into something else. I pressed my legs together and squeezed my eyes closed. Heat pooled low in my belly as I imagined him cutting my sports bra free and sliding my panties down my legs.

Tonight, he had checked my wound to make sure it was healing right. Other than that, he kept his hands to himself. I wasn’t sure if I liked him being a gentleman or not. But my body couldn’t take this torment much longer.

The ache inside me had nothing to do with the bullet wound.

I exhaled sharply, my hands gripping the sheets as my mind played traitor, replaying every moment in excruciating detail—Dimitri’s hands steady as they peeled away the bandages, his eyes dark with something unreadable as they tracked over my skin, his fingers brushing against my ribs as he checked for swelling.

He hadn’t lingered. Hadn’t let his touch stray. But I had felt it. The heat. The restraint.

And now, with him still here, somewhere in the dark, that restraint was driving me mad.

I shifted again, desperate for relief, for distraction, but every movement only made it worse. My skin felt too tight, too sensitive. I swallowed hard and dragged a hand over my face. This was ridiculous. I was stitched up, exhausted, and yet my body didn’t seem to care.

My thoughts continued to head south as I reminded myself of the toys he’d touched just the night before. He was a whole floor down, but I was silent as I carefully twisted my body to not disturb my stitches and quietly pulled the drawer open.

Except, the drawer was empty besides all of my sexy nightgowns and hand restraints.

I stared down at the drawer in horror. When had he come in here to take them?

Where had he taken them? I pressed my fist into my mouth and groaned.

I could wait for him to leave for work and scour the house, though I still needed help getting down the stairs.

The last thing I wanted to do was ask Don to help me with my missing toys.

Heat flamed across my face as I shut the drawer a little too fast, my mind spinning.

That arrogant, smug, infuriating?—

Where the hell did he put them? And more importantly, why?

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, debating my options. I could wait, pretend I hadn’t noticed, but the idea of Dimitri knowing what I was reaching for, knowing what I was thinking about, sent a fresh wave of frustration through me.

I wanted to scream. Instead, I carefully twisted my body back onto my side, staring at the door like I could will him to appear.

What if I just asked?

The thought was absurd, and yet… would he really be shocked? He had been the one who pulled each toy out of the drawer, one by one, watching me with those knowing, darkened eyes. He hadn’t judged me then. No, the look he’d given me had been anything but judgmental.

I squeezed my legs together, cursing my body for betraying me so easily.

I slid my hand down my belly and dipped my fingers into the waistband of my panties.

I could always go old school. My finger swirled over my clit and I bit my bottom lip.

A soft moan escaped me, and I knew this would be fine.

Not as exciting as using a toy or even Dimitri, but it would do, for now.

I threw my head back against the pillows and sighed. I wanted a toy, desperately if I couldn’t have the real thing. But still, my fingers moved against myself, finding the perfect rhythm. My breath quickened with every push of my fingers.

My stitches pulled, and I let out a frustrated growl. The sound had barely enough time to settle in my throat before a shadow shifted in the doorway, and there he was… I hadn’t even heard him come up the stairs.

My breath caught as my fingers froze, trapped between my legs.

Dimitri stood there, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His expression was unreadable. His eyes, however, burned.

Every inch of my skin prickled under his scrutiny.

I swallowed hard, trying to decide if I should pull my hand away or keep going. If I should act innocent or brazen this out. But the weight of his stare had me squeezing my thighs together involuntarily. His jaw ticked.

“Having trouble?” he asked, voice smooth but laced with something darker.

Heat flooded my cheeks, but I lifted my chin. “You stole my toys.”

His lips twitched, but he didn’t deny it. “You’re healing.”

I scoffed. “That’s a bullshit excuse.”

“I didn’t say I had a good excuse,” he murmured as he stepped farther into my room.

A fresh wave of heat rolled through me, my pulse hammering as he took slow, predatory steps closer.

I should have covered myself. Should have snapped my thighs shut. But instead, I let my fingers linger, letting him see exactly what he’d interrupted.

His eyes flicked downward, and a curse slipped past his lips. His restraint was slipping; I could feel it.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Little Fox,” he warned.

A slow, knowing smirk curled at my lips. “Then why are you still standing there?”

“You’re supposed to be healing,” He closed his eyes and paused in the center of my room.

“Then go get my toys and you can be on your merry way,” I smirked at him.

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself even more.”

I tilted my head, watching him as he warred with himself. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw ticking with the force of his restraint. The way he stood there, not moving closer, not stepping back—fuck.

I dragged my fingers over my pussy again, just to see what he would do.

His eyes snapped open, dark and filled with something dangerously close to possession. “Scarlett.”

I hummed, arching slightly against the bed. “If you won’t help, then leave.”

His lips parted, like he wanted to argue, but then he did the worst thing possible—he turned toward the door.

Panic flared. I had the power in my hands, and I wasn’t about to let him walk away from this.

“Coward,” I whispered, my voice just loud enough to reach him.

Dimitri froze.

My smirk grew. Checkmate.

He turned back around slowly, his eyes burning as he stalked toward me. “You think I won’t take what’s mine, Little Fox?”

Goosebumps erupted over my skin at the way he said it—low and lethal.

“I think,” I purred, dragging my fingers away from my pussy and sucking one between my lips, “that you want to.”

Something inside him snapped. In a blink, he was on me, pressing my hands into the mattress, caging me in with his body.

“I should make you beg for this,” he murmured, his breath hot against my lips. I arched, my stitches pulling, making me wince. The reminder of my wound made his expression harden. He exhaled sharply through his nose, muttering a curse before releasing me.

I blinked up at him—as if he hadn’t just proven his restraint in the first place.

Instead, he did the last thing I would have ever expected.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the toys he’d stolen.

The sleek, silver bullet vibrator. I gasped as he flipped the switch on, the quiet hum filling the space between us.

His smirk was slow and devastating. “You wanted help, Little Fox?” He dragged the toy down the inside of my thigh, never breaking eye contact. “Then let me help.”

My lips parted in surprise, my legs fell open just slightly to give him better access.

“I don’t want to hurt you, so if this is going to work,” he licked his lips. “You need to be very still.”

I swallowed hard, my breath catching as the vibrating toy traced delicate patterns along my inner thigh. The anticipation, the sheer control he wielded with just the barest of touches, sent shivers racing down my spine.

“Very still?” I echoed, my voice breathy, laced with something dangerously close to desperation.

Dimitri’s smirk deepened, his free hand pressing against my hip, keeping me in place. “You don’t listen very well, do you, Little Fox?”

I parted my lips to answer, but then—oh.

The toy dipped between my legs, grazing where I was already aching for him.

A startled gasp escaped me, my body betraying me instantly, arching into his touch.

His grip tightened. “Still,” he warned, his voice dark and commanding.

I trembled beneath him, my fingers twisting in the sheets, but I obeyed.

The vibrator circled and teased, never settling in one spot long enough to give me what I needed. He was playing with me—dragging this out, making me wait.

“Dimitri,” I whispered, my voice more plea than challenge now.

He hummed, as if considering something. “You’re already so wet for me,” he mused, almost like he was talking to himself. “All worked up from touching yourself and thinking about me.” His eyes met mine. “You didn’t answer me last night, do you think of me when you fuck yourself?”

“Yes,” I exhaled.

His smirk was wicked. “That’s what I thought.”

He pressed the toy harder, finally, finally giving me the pressure I craved.

Pleasure exploded through me, my body arching before I could stop myself.

“Ah ah,” he tsked, removing the toy instantly.

I whined.

Dimitri chuckled, shaking his head. “What did I say, Little Fox?” His thumb traced lazy circles over my hip, soothing me while simultaneously keeping me right on edge. “If you want to come, you have to behave.”

He lowered the toy once more, the vibration sending new waves of pleasure through my already trembling body. A moan tore from my lips. I tried to stay as still as I could but with his hand pressed into my hip and his gaze on my aching pussy, I was a mess. Literally.

The vibrations intensified as he moved down my body and watched everything he was doing to me.

In the dim lighting through the windows, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.

He bit into his bottom lip as he removed his hand from my hip and pushed one of his fingers inside of me, all while keeping the vibrator pressed against my clit.

It took an immense amount of willpower to stay still as pleasure flooded my body.

Dimitri let out a low, satisfied groan, his dark eyes drinking in every reaction, every tremor that rocked through me.

“That’s it,” he murmured, as he stretched me with another finger.

He curled them inside of me, hitting just the right spot, before he pulled them out and shoved them back into me with a vengeance.

It was maddening. It was everything. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and let out a deep moan.

“You take me so well. Just imagine if it was my cock stretching you this good.”

A strangled moan tore from my throat as my body clenched around him. The combination of his fingers and the relentless pulse of the vibrator against my clit had me teetering on the edge, strung so tight I thought I might break apart completely.

I whimpered, my fingers twisting in the sheets. I wanted to hold out, to keep some shred of control, but he wasn’t giving me a choice. He pressed deeper, circled the vibrator in just the right way as his fingers continued to fuck me, and I shattered.

Pleasure slammed into me, white-hot and consuming.

My entire body arched off the bed, a desperate cry spilling from my lips as I came harder than I ever had before.

He slowly withdrew his fingers, watching as my body twitched beneath his touch.

His smirk was pure sin as he lifted his hand.

His fingers glistened in the dim light from the city beyond my windows.

He brought them to his lips and sucked them clean.

My breath hitched, my body still too sensitive to respond, but the sight alone had heat pooling low in my belly all over again. I knew he wouldn’t fuck me, not while I was still healing but that didn’t stop me from wanting it all the same.

“Sleep well, Scarlett,” he whispered as he pocketed my toy and slipped from my bed. How could I possibly sleep after that?

All I could do was watch him leave.