Chapter 209: Completely his

It was a short ride through the city to get to Volkov Incorporated’s main building. The crowd outside was bustling, and employees and guests made their way inside. The city was dark, but the building lights were nearly blinding. Cars honked and chatter was loud. After taking in everything that was happening, I needed a cigarette at the end.

Elena kept her hand in mine as we got out of the car. Her brilliant eyes were taking in the crowd and the building towering over us, easily one of the largest on this block. I pulled my hand away for a second to get out my smokes and light one before we went inside. Elena scrunched her face up as I took a long drag, but she went back to people watching.

It wasn't long before someone in the crowd noticed me. Employees of Volkov Inc began waving and gesturing for me to join them as they moved inside and out of the slight chill in the air. "Do you work with them?" Elena whispered after I put out the cigarette. "No," I tugged her close and wrapped my arm around her.

"They work for me," I whispered. A faint undercurrent of my wolf stirring in the pulse of my words, a subtle authority that she didn’t consciously notice. "Ah! Okay," she giggled and nudged my shoulder with hers. "There's going to be a lot of ass kissing tonight. If anyone asks, you my girlfriend," Her smile faltered a second, and she nodded. Without saying anything, she gripped my bicep and hugged my arm against the side of her chest.

"We met at the theater after one of my shows. You fell in love with me at first sight, and after you asked me out several times, I finally gave in and went on a date with you," she spoke as I listened, but she didn't seem to realize that she hit the nail on my head. I don’t think I realized it later.

"You were just too charmed by me to say no for long, baby." Despite my better judgment, I leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek in front of my employees and their guests. My senses flickered with subtle awareness , the hum of the city, the scents of the crowd, the faint thrum of instinct in my chest, all sharpening my focus on her.

"Mr. Volkov, look over here," As we joined the others walking into the front doors, I mentally cursed when I saw the photographer taking photos of everyone entering.

"Shit," Elena stiffened against me when I cursed, and she followed my line of sight to the photographer. "It's okay, Andrey. It's fine if we are seen together," I tried to relax, remembering that Victor knew this was a possibility. But I needed to protect her and worried what would happen if we wound up in the tabloids together.

As much as I wanted the world to see Elena on my arm, I had to think of her first. I pulled on a mask and glared at the photographer, then used my body to shield Elena from the camera. Better they think I’m an angry man than that my relationship with Elena comes out.

The interior of the building was like any other luxurious and over-the-top offices in the big city. The walls and columns were black marble streaked with gold, and the lights of the chandeliers were turned low. With Elena at my side, we followed the crowd up the stairs to the massive conference center turned ballroom for the Gala.

Everything in the building was bright and golden. The walls were gilded, and every surface was marble or shimmering white.

Catering staff in black and white uniforms wove through the crowd with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Everywhere we looked, we were met with golden decor or the blues of everyone's attire. "Andrey," Elena hissed out.

"What, baby?" I turned my attention to her.

"Everyone is looking at me," she whispered.

"Yes, I have noticed it too. They are either jealous of you or want to fuck you," I spoke boldly. A low, unspoken hum of satisfaction thrummed in my chest, my instincts brushing against the edges of control as I watched her reaction.

"Goodness! You filthy," she gulped and tightened her hold on my hand. I felt the side of her soft breast against the side of my bicep, and I gritted my teeth together.

Knowing she was wearing the clamps was making my heart start to race. I didn’t know how long it would be before I needed to take her. "Lucky for me, I get the honor of seeing you naked at the end of the night." With that statement, I pulled her to the center of the room for a dance.

There was a beautiful blush across her face, and despite the nerves causing her to furrow her brows, Elena danced with ease. The crowd on the dance floor seemed to part for us as we swept over the floor. The light music in the air moved through us, and I wasn’t sure how long we danced.

It was as if in those moments, our bodies pressed together and the world melted away. It was as if we were the only two people in the world. I was drowning in the pools of her crystal eyes and never wanted to resurface again. She was pulling me in, and she didn’t even know it, but I was wrapped around her little finger. My wolf hummed beneath the surface, thrilled by proximity, alert to every subtle shift in her body.

"Andrey," she buried her face against me and whimpered my name. Her face pressed against my chest as I held her tight for the slow dance. "Yes, baby," at the sound of my voice, she looked up and rested her chin on my chest. I felt the slight shift in her body and the needy look on her flushed face. She was probably burning with desire for me.

"Can we…," she paused, licking her lips as she swallowed hard. "Can we go somewhere? Alone?" The question held untold promises. Her breathless voice and the heat of her body against me hit me like a wall of bricks and sent me reeling.

"Of course," I grabbed her hands and pulled her away from the ballroom. Several employees tried to stop me, to talk, and it only drove me further to the wall as I forced niceties to get away from them. I was burning with desire for her too, and somewhere deep inside, the wolf within me purred with satisfaction at having her so close, so unclaimed by the world but completely mine.