Chapter 31 Anya
I started hiccupping.
It always happened when I was overwhelmed. When my emotions were too much to handle and my heart was racing too fast.
My cheeks burned. I could feel the heat spreading from my neck down to my cheek.
I could not stop staring at Nikolai.
His chest was bare. His muscles flexed with every movement. His abs stared back at me. Light hit his face making him appear like a god.
This man wasn't covered in tattoos like every other mafia. He was covered in scars that ran from his runs to his back.
He was beautiful and dangerous.
"Shall I?" He asked. His hand reached for me.
I wanted to say no.
But instead of, I found myself saying, "Yes."
My voice was barely a whisper. But he heard it. And he smiled. It was soft and genuine.
He stepped into the bathtub with me. The water rose and covered both of us. It was warm and comforting.
Then he started taking off my torn dress. Slowly and carefully.
His fingers traced my skin gently.
I found myself shivering. Not from cold but from something warm and electric, that spread through my entire body.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to my shoulder. Then my collarbone. Then my neck.
I moaned softly. The sound escaped my mouth before I could stop it.
"You like that?" Nikolai whispered against my skin. His breath was hot, fanning my face.
"Yes," I breathed. I could barely think. I could barely speak.
He continued. Kissing every inch of me. Washing away Alexei's touch with his own.
Then his hands moved to my breasts. He cupped them gently. His thumbs brushed over my nipples.
I gasped. My body arched into his touch.
"Beautiful," he murmured. His voice was filled with awe. "So fucking beautiful."
He kneaded them softly at first. Then it grew harder. I couldn't stop moaning. I felt something hot and watery flowing in between my legs.
Then, his mouth followed. He started kissing and sucking on them hardly like he couldn't get enough.
My body was on fire. I couldn't control the gasps and soft screams that escaped my mouth.
I shut my eyes, allowing myself to feel his hands on me. The feeling was consuming me.
"Nikolai," I moaned his name. It sounded like a prayer.
"Yes, my Anya?" His voice was rough. It was filled with desire.
"This feels... right."
"It does." He pulled me closer. Our bodies pressed together. "It feels perfect. Like this is where you belong."
We stayed in the bathtub. Touching and exploring.
I had been scared at first. When Nikolai caught me in Alexei's arms, I was expecting the worst.
I thought he would hurt me, punish me or lock me in the dungeon, maybe even kill me.
But instead, he had climbed into bed and pulled me into his arms. He had held me like I was fragile. Like I mattered.
He had looked so vulnerable in that moment. Like an innocent child who was afraid of losing his favorite toy.
Now he was touching me. Kissing me. Making me feel things I had never felt before. Things I did not know existed.
His hands roamed my body, tracing every curve. Every scar. Every imperfection that made me who I was.
I touched him too. I ran my hands over his chest to his shoulders, his strong back. Feeling the muscles beneath his skin.
He groaned. The sound vibrated through his chest. "Anya..."
"Yes?" I whispered.
"I need you to know something. Something important."
"What?"
"You are mine. Only mine. No one else can have you. No one else can touch you like this." His hands tightened on my waist. "Do you understand?"
"I know."
"Do you? Because when I saw you in Alexei's arms..." His hands tightened even more. "I wanted to kill him. I wanted to burn him down. I wanted to destroy everything and everyone who dared to touch you."
"I am sorry," I whispered. Tears filled my eyes.
"Stop apologizing." He kissed me. "Just promise me. Promise you will never let him near you again."
"I promise," I said against his lips.
"Good." His voice was dark.
He kissed me again. Deeper this time. His tongue explored my mouth.
I kissed him back. Poured everything I felt into it. All my fear. All my relief. All my gratitude. All my... love?
No. Not love. I could not love him. It was too dangerous.
But my heart did not listen. It beat faster every time he touched me. Every time he looked at me. Every time he said my name.
Our moans filled the room. It wchoed off the bathroom walls, mixing with the sound of water splashing.
Nikolai's hands fumbled with my breasts again. Squeezing and teasing it. He pinched it gently and the sensation drove me absolutely crazy.
"Nikolai," I whimpered. "Please."
"Please what?" His voice was teasing. But his eyes were dark with desire.
"I... I do not know. I just need… more."
"I know what you need." His hand moved lower between my thighs. That place was aching to be touched. It was throbbing.
I gasped. My hips bucked involuntarily. The sensation was overwhelming.
"Shh. Relax. Let me take care of you." His fingers moved expertly. Like he knew exactly what I needed.
And he did. His fingers touched me in places I did not even know existed. In ways I did not know were possible.
Pleasure built inside me, coiled tight in my stomach, ready to explode. It was getting stronger with every touch.
"Nikolai!" I cried out. My hands gripped his shoulders. My nails dug into his skin.
"Let go, Anya. Let go for me. I’ve got you."
And I did. I shattered and came apart completely in his arms. Waves of pleasure crashed over me.
He held me through it, whispering my name. He kissed my hair and stroked my back.
When I finally came down from the high, I was trembling. I was exhausted and satisfied in a way I had never been before.
"That was..." I could not find words. My brain had stopped working.
"Perfect," Nikolai finished for me.
"That was perfect. You are perfect."
We stayed in the tub until the water grew cold.
Then he carried me out, dried me gently with a soft towel and laid me carefully on the bed.
I expected him to leave. To go back to his own room now that he had gotten what he wanted. But he crawled into bed beside me, pulled the covers over both of us and pulled me into his arms.
"Sleep," he whispered into my hair. "I will be here when you wake up. I promise."
I closed my eyes and started to drift off into peaceful darkness.
Then we heard a knock on the door.
My eyes flew open. Nikolai tensed beside me. His whole body went rigid.
"Stay here," he said. His voice was cold again. "I will handle it."
He stood up. Quickly put on his clothes, walked to the door and opened it.
"Mikhail," Nikolai said. His voice was flat and emotionless.
"We need to talk," Mikhail replied. His voice was urgent and worried.
"Can it wait until morning? I am busy."
"No. It cannot wait. This is important."
There was a pause. A long, heavy silence.
Then Mikhail's voice again. More serious than I had ever heard it. "The Morozov family, Katya's family are pulling out of the alliance.”