Chapter 233 Undeniable
Chapter 233 Undeniable
"Were you lying, then?" He seethed, stepping closer into my space, his presence radiating a silent, predatory intensity that made the air feel charged.
"Was I lying about what?" I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling suddenly exposed, caught in the heat of his gaze that seemed to read every tremor of my body.
"You said that you wanted me to fuck you. It seemed genuine. Was it a lie?" His brow furrowed as he questioned me, getting closer until he towered over me, the weight of him pressing into me like a force of nature.
The screeching of a car tire on the street outside drifted through the open doors. The sudden noise startled me, and I jerked back. My breath quickened as I locked eyes with Andrey, instinctively aware of the coiled, tense energy radiating from him.
"It wasn't a lie. I did... I do."
"Don't fucking lie to me, Elena." He rose his fist, one finger up, warning me. "I have been honest with you from the beginning that I wanted you. Fucking hell, I do want you."
"You mine",
"I'm not lying, Volkov!" I shouted back. A single tear slipped down my cheek. He drew back slightly as if I had struck him, the raw power in him momentarily restrained. "I'm not lying."
"Shit, Elena." He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair and looking at the ceiling. There was a low, restless energy in him. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It's okay," I sniffled, turning my head to look at the wall and wiping away the tear. His intensity, even restrained, had surprised me more than anything.
"I don't want you to treat this like some transaction afterward." From the corner of my eye, I saw his shoulders sag slightly, though the tension never fully left him.
"But it is a transaction, Andrey. You paid for me," I hissed, my words sharp, almost defensive.
"Well, how else was I supposed to have you?" His voice rose, commanding, edged with the same quiet, unstoppable force that seemed to hum through his very being. "You told me yourself that you wouldn't have fallen for me if I had found you that night at the after party."
"It can't be anything else." I whimpered, holding in more tears, trying to ground myself.
"I want you, and you want me. What more is there, Elena?" Volkov took a shuddering breath, throwing his hands up before letting them fall to his sides, the tension in his body palpable, like a wolf holding back a growl.
"There is a lot, Volkov! Not everyone is free to give in to their base desire," I whispered, choking on the words, feeling small beneath the raw, instinctive force emanating from him.
"Is that all this is?" His eyes narrowed at me, sharp and intense.
"You're paying to fuck me. That seems pretty base to me," I snapped, unsure where my anger came from. His presence made the encounter more than just sex, and it scared me how much I wanted him. "I am a live-in fuck toy." Saying the words aloud made me feel exposed, almost ashamed.
"I don't want a fuck toy. I want fucking Elena Hayes. The goddamn prima ballerina of New York City."
He bent down until I could feel his breath fan across my face, deep and warm. "You're more than what's between your legs. You don't know what you really mean to me!"
That stopped me dead. My hands covered my face, unwilling to let him see the tears glistening in my eyes. But Volkov heard me the moment a sob slipped through my lips.
"I'm sorry." His warm, powerful arms circled around me, and the cold that had been coiling through me melted like ice under the sun.
"Elena," he hugged me tight against his chest, and I inhaled the faint, intoxicating scent of him, a mix of something human and something utterly primal. "What we just did was intense. It can get blood pumping and emotions rolling. I need you to let me take care of you now."
"What do you mean?" I sniffed against his chest, only partially noticing my tears staining the fabric of the dress shirt he had never removed.
"Aftercare, baby," Volkov said, his fingers threading through my hair. My tears stopped falling as I relaxed slightly under his careful, deliberate touch. "Just don't go cold now. Let me take care of you."
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ANDREY VOLKOV'S POV
With no more talking, I led Elena upstairs to her bathroom. She gasped when I lifted her and set her gently on the counter before turning on the shower. The intimacy of this moment was different from anything I’d done before, and I knew it.
But Elena was different. After how I had bound and fucked her downstairs, she needed gentleness. She was delicate, almost fragile, and I wanted to handle her with care. One wrong move, and I could feel the primal hunger inside me spike uncontrollably.
She watched me warily as I took her hand and guided her under the steaming water. Her face scrunched up in that adorable way, and I kept my expression neutral, hiding the surge of instinctive, wolfish need to protect and claim her.
Through the first half of the shower, Elena was tense, barely moving unless guided. I ran my fingers through her hair, washing her, and massaged her delicate skin until it flushed pink under my touch. Each sigh, each subtle moan from her shoulders or hips stirred the deep, quiet hunger that throbbed just beneath my human composure.
The steam, heat, and close proximity helped her relax. Her small body began to yield under my touch, and I allowed myself a small, silent growl of satisfaction, hidden beneath the gentle motions of the shower.
Curious blue eyes followed my motions, but she said nothing. The way her lashes fluttered and her lips parted as I pampered her told me she was beginning to trust me, letting me guide her through this strange, intimate aftercare.
"Are you feeling alright?" I finally asked as she grabbed her pink silk robe hanging behind the bathroom door and wrapped it around herself. Her shoulders rose and fell, the tension slowly leaving her frame. She stayed facing the mirror for a moment before turning to meet my gaze.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she murmured.
And I let myself release a fraction of the tension I had been holding in. Watching her, guiding her, keeping her safe, it was a rare surrender of my instincts, a choice to temper the wolf inside while being fully human in her presence.