Page 37

Mikhail

Dammit!

I pinched the bridge of my nose, pacing back and forth as soon as I entered my room. I’ve never been caught at a crossroads in my life. I’ve always had a stellar sense of direction and always knew which way to go in every moment of my life, but just like everything thing that had to do with Arielle, I found myself completely torn about what direction to take.

My options were really simple and quite clear, devoid of all forms of complications. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to make a decision that one part of me did not completely disagree with.

On one hand, logic and emotions were surprisingly in agreement. I still cared deeply about her, and God knows I want her with everything in me. I tried with other women after she left, but it never felt the same, and I gave up a long time ago. It was part of the reason I was so angry with her. She had ruined me for every other woman.

I also knew there was practically no way for her to betray me a second time. Henry was dead, and everything about him was wiped out a long time ago, but on the other hand, there was self-preservation and once bitten, twice shy. As much as I tried to force myself to get through the pain she caused and understand how she was also a victim in the grand scheme of things, I couldn’t shut out the voice of caution that screamed at me every time she drew close.

I found myself exploring scenarios where she never got pregnant and remained with Henry, ultimately bringing to my downfall. I knew these things didn’t matter, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about them. It was my body’s way of protecting me from the pain I had gone through, and I had no idea how I was going to fight it.

A frustrated groan left me as I pinched my nose harder. I had to come up with something, and I had to do it very soon. If I didn’t fix this, with time, it’d show in the way I handled little things, and she’d be hurt thinking I haven’t forgiven her.

But you love her and the future should always hold more weight than the past . A small voice whispered at the back of my head stopping me dead in my tracks.

That was it. That was all that mattered, and if it wasn’t, well fuck it because I was going back to my woman. We’ll figure it all out as we go. I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life worrying about what could’ve been.

I don’t know how long I spent in my room, but by the time I returned to the kitchen, it was empty and pristine. There were no plates on the table, and every surface was wiped clean. I felt a little squeeze in my chest. She must’ve occupied herself with cleaning while waiting for me.

I left the kitchen, making my way to her room. I spent another minute pacing the hallway and deciding if I should knock or just barge in. A soft whimper from the other side of the door decided for me, and I opened the door to find her curled up into a ball and struggling to quiet her cries with her pillow.

Her shoulders were shaking with muffled sobs. She didn’t even notice me enter the room. The little squeeze I felt earlier turned into a mind-numbing ache, and I found myself rushing to her and gathering her into my arms.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, I’m here now.”

“Mikhail?” she sniffed, surprise evident on her face. “I thought—I thought you left.”

“No, Princess. I would never leave you. I needed a moment, but I’m here now.”

She broke into a full sob, holding on to me as if her life depended on the strength of her grip. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all of it. If I could go back and fix it all, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I never meant to hurt you. I swear.”

“I know, baby, I know,” I muttered, wiping her tears. The sound of her cries bouncing off the walls broke my heart to a million pieces, and I rocked her gently, reassuring her I had forgiven her till her cries finally subsided. I fetched her a glass of water, and we eventually settled into the bed.

“Feeling better?” I asked, and she nodded with a small smile.

“I love you, Arielle. I came to understand the meaning of the word with you, and I’ve loved you for the longest time. Even when you left, I found myself more focused on the reason for your actions than I was concerned about my pains. And right now, every part of me is screaming at me to run in the opposite direction, but I’ve decided to go against myself for you. I know what I want, and I know where my heart lies and am willing to take the risk and damn the consequences.”

“There won’t be any consequences,” she muttered, and I smiled at her.

“I know, Princess. I’m just letting you know how much you mean to me.”

“Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me,” she replied, her lips trembling slightly. Before she got the chance to release the second round of waterworks, I dipped my head and captured her lips in mine. I’ve been dying to do that since the first day I saw her back in Italy.

She immediately parted her lips, granting me entry, and I swooped my tongue into her mouth, releasing a groan as the sweet taste of her flooded my senses.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, deepening the kiss, and she moaned in response.

I dragged my lips from her mouth, feeling her shiver as I trailed kisses from her jaw to the base of her neck, planting a deep kiss on the erratic pulse and nibbling softly. “I’ve missed the way you melt beneath my touch, your soft whimpers and loud moans. Have you missed me too, Princess?”

A whimper escaped her lips. “Yes.”

The sound shot heat straight through my groin, and my dick grew harder with anticipation. All the nights I've had to wake up in cold sweat with only memories of her soft body pressing into mine to hold on to resurfaced, igniting something feral in me.

I dragged my lips down to the creamy swell of her boobs, sinking my teeth into the soft skin and ripping off her flimsy nightwear in the process. She was going to be covered in red marks tomorrow, and I couldn't wait to watch her fuss over them. There will be more time to savor the moment and indulge in sweet, tender loving. Right now, I needed to bury myself in her as soon as possible before I burst into flames.

My fingers found her already drenched, and her loud moans bounced off the walls when I shoved three of them into her without warning. I curled them inside her, loving the way her pussy clenched rhythmically around them. Heat sizzled through my veins. I’ve been confined to cold showers for a long time, and the wet sounds from her pussy as I drove my fingers into her were almost enough to push me over the edge.

“You know I love you, right?” I groaned, freeing my cock with my other hand.

Her response came out in short pants, “Yes.”

“Good,” I said, positioning myself at her entrance. “Hold on to that thought because I’m about to fuck you like my whore.”

That was all the warning I gave her before I slammed into her with a quick thrust. Black dots colored my vision, and I had to clench my abs to keep me from bursting instantly.

She fit around me like a glove, snug and tight, and I realized why it never worked out with anyone before her. She was made for me. Every curve of her soft body was designed to fit into the crooks of my muscled frame, and every hole in her was created to be filled by me.

I took a moment to recollect myself before thrusting into her a second time. The room shook with the sound of skin slapping against skin and the headboard crashing against the wall with every thrust. Jason’s room was directly across from hers, and I was certain our mixed moans echoed through the house, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. He’ll just have to get used to the fact that his parents are insanely in love with each other.

I don't know if it was physically possible, but I needed more of her. More of her soft skin writhing beneath me and her wet pussy wrapping around me. Driven to the edge with near madness, I picked her up by the hip, flipping her into an all-fours position and driving my cock back into her with so much force she almost toppled over.

I stared in awe as my cock moved in and out of her, wetness coating the entire length. Her ass jiggled with each thrust, and I lost to the primal need to brand her cheeks with my fingerprint. Her walls clenched tightly around me, her loud cry reverberating through the room. I watched in satisfaction as the growing red welt in her ass took the shape of palms.

“You like that, huh? The feeling of me branding and decorating your pretty ass with my hands.”

Her response came out in unintelligible whimpers.

“Words, Princess. You know how this works,” I said, emphasizing every statement with deep thrusts.

“Yes!” she cried out, her fingers gripping the sheets tighter.

“Yes, what?”

“I love the feeling of your hands branding me,” her reply came out in one breath, and a feeling of possession settled deep in my stomach, spreading through me like a disease.

I didn’t think it was possible to go deeper, but she spread her knees and arched her back, and I found myself sinking deeper into her like she unlocked an entirely new portal for me. She began moving her hips, meeting me mid-thrust with equal force and urgency. I dug my hand into her hair and pulled her flush against me, her back to my chest and her perfect ass nestled between my thighs as I continued to ram into her.

With the distracting view of her ass out of the way, a clear reflection of us stared back at me from the full-length mirror hanging across the room. The image completely knocked the air out of me.

She looked like a work of art with her head thrown back, lips parted, hair all over the place, and her skin flushed and glistening with sweat. She looked like a beautiful mess, perfectly undone.

I gripped her chin and forced her attention to the mirror, feeling her breath hitch as she took in the sight before her.

“Watch how beautiful you look while I’m fucking you, how perfectly our bodies fit together,” I growled into her ears, holding her gaze in the mirror.

I dragged my cock all the way out before slamming it back into her. I felt her orgasm drawing near with the way her walls quivered, and I reached out to draw circles on her clit with my thumb. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure, but I forced them back on me. “Eyes on the mirror, Princess. I want you to see how much you consume me, how much control you have over me. Do you see it?” I asked, increasing my pace and drawing a strangled ‘yes’ from her.

“Did you miss my cock wrecking your pretty pussy while you were away?” I asked, delivering a hard thrust to drive my point.

“Yes!” Her scream was immediately followed by the erratic pulsations from her pussy. Her knees almost shot off the bed as her orgasm washed through her.

She threw her head back, her body convulsing with the intensity of waves rippling through her. I watched in awe, increasing my pace to match every vibration that coursed through her body. I didn’t stop, not even when she collapsed on the bed and became a blubbering mess of incoherence and crying from overstimulation.

“I love you.”

The soft whimper was all it took for me to topple over the edge, waves like nothing I’ve ever felt, crashing into me and sending me soaring over the cliff. I swear, I felt my soul leave my body for a brief moment before it crashed back into me, and I collapsed on top of her.

I spun her around, searching for any trace of uncertainty in her eyes. “Say that again, Princess.”

She drew her lips close to my ears and whispered, “I love you, Mikhail Ivanov.”

I felt my already limp dick twitch at her words, and my chest immediately felt full, as though there was a hollow in it that’s been waiting to be filled by her. I sealed my lips over hers, taking my time to savor every bit of her before whispering, “I love you more, Princess.”

My body might be wasted from the intensity of our session, but I've never felt more whole in my life.

I found my missing piece, and I was never letting go.