Page 136 of Twisted Pact

He moves lower, working down my back. Each stroke loosens something inside me. Not just the physical knots but the emotional ones, too. The fear. The worry. The constant vigilance that’s become my new normal.

“You’re good at this,” I mumble into the pillow.

“I’m good at a lot of things.”

I snort into the pillow. “Your humility is impressive.”

“I spent years learning how to read bodies. How they move. Where they hold pain. What makes them respond. It’s useful in my line of work.”

“So, this is a professional skill?”

“Everything I do serves a purpose.”

I turn my head to the side so I can see him from the corner of my eye. “Even this?”

“Especiallythis.”

He traces the curve of my spine through the thin fabric of my nightgown. The massage begins to feel less therapeutic and more intentional. Heat pools low in my stomach as his cock hardens against my backside. His touch becomes slower and more sensual, and I suppress a groan.

“Alexei,” I prompt.

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you.” His voice drops lower. Rougher. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

My breath catches. “I wanted a massage.”

“And now?”

“Now, I want more.”

He gathers the hem of my nightgown and lifts it slowly. Cool air hits my bare skin, and he presses his lips against the small of my back.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispers against my skin.

I close my eyes and let the sensation wash over me. His mouth trails higher, kissing each vertebra with care. When he reaches my shoulders, he moves his weight until he’s hovering over me. I feel his breath on the back of my neck.

“Turn over,” he instructs.

I obey without thinking. Our eyes meet in the low-lit bedroom. His pupils are dilated, dark, and hungry, but something else is there. Something softer than I’ve seen before.

“I need you tonight,” I admit.

“I know.”

“Not like before,” I clarify.

He strokes my cheek with his thumb as he replies, “Then tell me what you need.”

“Just you. All of you. Nothing held back.”

Something moves across his face before he leans down and kisses me. His tongue parts my lips, exploring my mouth like we have all the time in the world. Like no one is hunting us. Like tomorrow doesn’t exist.

I roll over underneath him and reach for his shoulders to pull him closer. He settles his weight on top of me, careful not to crush me but present enough that I feel every inch of his hard length on my abdomen.

He runs his hands over my body with a gentleness I didn’t know he possessed. He traces the curve of my breast through the nightgown, runs his fingers along my ribcage, and skims the line of my hip. Each touch feels like a question he’s asking without words.