Kat
“Okay, so it’s Ravil, Lucy, and their baby, Benjamin, and then Maxim and Sasha, and Oleg and Story on the top floor.”
Adrian nods. We’re driving from the airport after taking a first-class flight to Chicago. I used my money to buy the tickets because I now have the five million dollars Adrian extorted out of my father.
I plan to give it to Nadia to compensate for the horrors my dad inflicted on her, but it was nice to use my debit card for a posh flight and pull a stack of cash out of the ATM.
We had to wait two days in Adrian’s hotel for one of his bratva brothers in England to break into my apartment and get my passport, so I wouldn’t have to ride to Chicago on a freight ship. They were also kind enough to pack all my personal belongings and ship them to America.
Adrian asked if I wanted him to fly back there with me, so we could do it ourselves, but I didn’t. I’m ready to just shut the door on my old life.
My past means nothing. My father is dead to me. I had no real friends in Liverpool. I will miss the pottery studio, but Adrian promises there will be wheels and classes in Chicago. It’s a big city.
“Sasha has a big personality, too, so you two will either love or hate each other,” Adrian tells me.
My belly lurches. “You don’t think she’ll like me?”
Adrian’s lips tug. “I didn’t say that. She’s a lot like youshe likes everyone. But she’s also an actor, and she loves to be the center of attention.”
I pout. “I don’t have to be the center of attention.”
Adrian’s relaxed in his seatmore relaxed than I’ve seen him, sending me amused glances as I work out my nervous energy. “Let me ask you this, malyshkaare you going to be prancing around the Kremlin in school-girl outfits?”
The Kremlin, I’ve learned, is the nickname for his building because it mostly houses Russians and Russian-owned businesses.
“How else will I signal that I’m feeling naughty?”
Adrian’s smile is indulgent. “You know that means a lot of guys are going to get punched out by me, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, they’re going to look at you, and it’s going to piss me off, so I’m going to have to bash heads in.”
I laugh, delighted by his future jealousy. “Maybe I’ll just wear the outfits for you, then,” I tell him.
His eyes glitter with appreciation. “Would you do that for me?”
“If you told me to.” I twirl the end of one of my braids. “It could be a rule.”
Adrian shifts to adjust himself, and my nipples tighten knowing he’s turned on. “It’s a rule,” he says gruffly.
He hasn’t been forceful with me in the way I love in the past two days. I think the bruises on my face disturb him too much. Most of the time before we flew to America was spent with him holding ice packs to my cheek and making sure my every need was taken care of. It was damn sweet. Even the sex was sweet, which was nice, but not necessarily my thing.
Fortunately, Adrian still seems quite willing to play my game.
“I was wrong,” he says, “you’re not like Sasha. She has an exhibitionist streak. You…well, you’ve got a thing for authority. No?”
“Just yours.”
He makes an approving sound. “You say all the right things.”
“So, Maykl is the doorman and your friend from Russia, and Nikolai is the hacker.”
“No, Dima is the hackerNikolai’s twin. Nikolai is the bookie.”
“And which one has the Russian girlfriend?”
“That’s Dima.”
“And Story is the rock star.”
“Right.”
I’ve been quizzing him non-stop about his life in Chicagopartly to distract myself from the end of my old life. Partly because I want to know what to expect. I want to fit in and make friends and say the right things.
“What about your pakhan? Will he hate me because of my father?”
Adrian reaches for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “Definitely not. He’s not a hater. He keeps a cool head about everything. Very strategicnot much drama.” I open my mouth to start a line of questioning about Lucy, but Adrian says, “Kateryna.”
“What?”
“Everyone will love you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s how they are. And because there’s nothing about you not to love. And because I love you.”
Tears pop in my eyes. I’m not tired of hearing it yet.
I guess it’s three words I haven’t heard enough of in my life, and coming from Adrian, they mean everything.
“I want them to like me,” I admit.
“I know. And they will.”
I catch a glimpse of water right before Adrian turns into an underground parking lot.
“Is this it?” I gasp. “You didn’t tell me it’s right on the water!”
I don’t know what I’d picturedsomething very utilitarian. Definitely not fancy.
But then, I probably should have known based on the vehicle we’re in. I know American cars are bigger, but this shiny black SUV seems enormous and posh.
He parks, and I hop out, pleased when he gathers my hand to lead me to the elevator. It’s such a simple gesturehand holdingbut feels like a claiming.
I’m going to take good care of you, Kat.
I still keep thinking he’s going to change his mind any moment, but I liked his reasoning about why he wouldn’t.
“Where are we going first? Straight to your apartment? Will Nadia be there?”
“Yes.” Adrian pulls me against him. “You don’t ever have to be nervous when you’re with me. I have your back. Always.”
“Okay.” I sound breathless. I bounce my knees in the elevator and shimmy. “I just want her to like me. I’m sorryI’m really nervous,” I say.
We get off the elevator, and we pass an old woman in the hallway. Adrian greets her in Russian, then presents me, “Valentina, this is Kateryna, my girlfriend. She’s moving in today.”
The older woman reaches for my hand and clasps it. She greets me in Russian, and Adrian says to her, “Kat isn’t Russian. She’s from Ukraine.” To me, he says, “Kat, my sister works with Valentina cleaning and nannying for Ravil.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” I say, not sure if she understands, but she bobs her head.
“Nice to meet you, too. Welcome to the Kremlin.”
“Thank you.”
A door opens at the end of the hall, and a young woman steps out. “Adrian!”
“Is that Nadia?” I ask.
Nadia hesitates like there’s an invisible forcefield keeping her within the boundaries of the apartment, but then with seeming effort, breeches it and steps out into the hallway.
When I approach, she opens her arms wide. I think she’s going to hug Adrian, but it’s me she gathers. “Sister,” she says in a thick accent.
My eyes water. Are we sisters? God, how I wished for a sibling growing up. I hug her back. “I was afraid you’d hate me,” I confess, unable to keep the worry to myself.
Nadia pulls back. Her expression is seriousI get the feeling it’s always this somber. “No,” she says firmly. “You are my sister.” There’s a fierceness to her words, and just like that, I feel claimed again.
For once, I belong somewhere. With people who want me. Who know the worst things about mewho my father is and what he’s done, as well as my neediness, my attention-craving, my naughtinessand still claim me as one of their own.
Adrian takes my hand and gently tugs me into his apartment. It’s stunningopen and bright with large picture windows overlooking the water. It’s new and modern and absolutely beautiful.
“Welcome home,” Adrian murmurs.
“Is this real?” I turn into him, blinking back the moisture in my eyes.
He drops his duffel bag and wraps his arms around me. “You’re mine now,” he assures me. “This is where I’m keeping you. Right here. With me.”
I reach for his shoulders and use them to leap up into his arms, straddling his waist like a child. “Promise?”
He nips my breast and carries me toward a bedroom. “Mmm hmm. Let me show you what happens if you try to escape.”
I giggle and look back over my shoulder at Nadia, who wears a startled smile.
“I’m going downstairs,” Nadia announces loudly.
Adrian stops and turns, like he’s surprised. “You are?”
“Yes,” she says casually, but I know from what Adrian’s told me about her, it’s hard for her to get out of the apartment. “The Storytellers are practicing, and I want to listen. Besides, you two need time to settle in.”
Adrian hesitates then pushes forward. “Thank you, Nadia.” He shuts the door behind us.
“Is that unusual?” I whisper when he pivots and sets me on my feet, standing on the bed. I kick off my boots and jump on it.
He kicks his off, too. “Totally unusual. I…have mixed feelings about it.”
I reach for him to pull him up on the bed, too, and he delights me by following me, bouncing on it with me. “Why?”
“I think she has a crush on Flynn, Story’s brother, and he’s a player. I don’t like it.”
I give a scandalized gasp because I love every part of this convoknowing the ins and outs about Adrian’s family, hearing about secret crushes, loving that this Flynn is getting Nadia out of the apartment.
“I think it’s good. If it makes her feel normal again, it can’t be a bad thing.”
“And when he hurts her?” Adrian demands.
“Maybe she’ll do the hurting,” I say with a shrug. “You never know.” I stop bouncing and loop my arms around his neck. “I like your bed,” I murmur.
“I like having you in my bed,” he replies. “Now…” he raises a stern brow “Strip.”
The muscles between my legs catch and release, and I scramble to obey. I tear off the clothes he bought me in Antwerp, then drop to my knees and unbuckle his belt. “Did I say you could suck my cock, malyshka?”
I freeze, looking up at him, my heart hammering with excitement.
“That comes after your spanking.”
My internal muscles flutter again. “Okay, Daddy.”
His lips twitch, but he shakes his head. “It’s Master.”
I shimmy with excitement. “Okay, Master.”
He toys with my breast for a moment, just gazing down at me, then lifts his chin. “On your forearms and knees. Let me see that pretty ass presented.”
I comply, pushing my ass up for him.
He lowers to kneel behind me and strokes his palm over my cheeks a few times before he delivers the first spank. It’s firm and stingy and makes me wiggle my butt for more.
He starts slowly, alternating right and left cheek, then gradually picks up speed.
I moan and pant, my arousal leaking between my legs the more the burn increases. I’m gasping by the time he stops and rubs his fingers between my legs. I’m wet and swollen for him, totally ready.
“Who do you belong to, Kateryna?”
I smile into the bedcovers. “You, Master.”
He delivers several hard spankshard enough to make me gasp. “Say my name.”
“Adrian. Adrian Turgenev. I belong to Adrian.”
“Mmm.” He rewards me with stroking around my cheeks then between my legs.
I’m shaking now, about to start begging.
“Who owns this pussy, Kateryna?” He screws one digit inside me.
“You do,” I warble.
“Who makes you come?”
“Only you,” I gasp, on the cusp of coming right now.
He pushes my knees wider and opens his pants. Thank God.
“Are you going to come all over this cock, Kateryna?” He presses the velvety hard head of his cock against my entrance.
I don’t know what got into Adrianwhere all this dirty talk came frombut I am praising every deity there is right now. I knew he could do dominant, but this is an entirely new level.
“Yes, Master,” I gasp.
“I’m going to make you come all night long, malyshka.” He pushes in and eases back then presses forward again.
“Yes, please.”
He grips my hips and pulls my ass back to meet his steady thrusts. “Any time you need a good hard fucking and a reminder of who you belong to, what are you going to do, printsessa?”
I gasp at how deep he’s getting in me. This is the best angle ever. “Wear my sexy schoolgirl outfit.”
“That’s right.” He keeps plowing into me, owning me, possessing me, breaking me in as his. I love it so much I grow dizzy.
“I need to buy a new one,” I remember.
“You’ll need lots of them,” he rumbles, picking up speed. “One for every day of the week. Because I won’t be giving this pussy a break.”
I come a little.
Adrian feels the squeezing of my muscles and reaches around to rub my clit and help me with it, going still inside me while I release. “That’s one,” he murmurs, like there’s going to be many more before the night is through. Then he pulls my arms behind my back and pushes my torso flat on the bed to give it to me even harder.
“Are you going to be my little sex doll?”
“Yes, please,” I beg, my eyes rolling back in my head.
This guy couldn’t do it any better. I love his dirty talk as much as I love his huge heroic heart. His boundless capacity for accepting me as I am. A trait his sister and friends seem to share as well.
“I know you thought sex in Antwerp was boring. I was just letting you rest up. Because now I’m going to use and abuse you for the rest of your life.”
I come again. Screw Delaney and resolving my daddy issues. I think they’re working out just fine for me. Perfectly, actually. I can’t imagine anyone loving vanilla sex as much as I love this.
“That’s two, dietka. You’d better come again when I tell you, or there will be hell to pay.”
“I will,” I gasp, aftershocks running through me.
He pulls out, and I moan at the loss, but it’s just to tug my legs straight, so I’m flat on my belly. I spread them for him, tilting my ass a little. He reenters, and I moan again in satisfaction. “You like that, malysh? You like being filled by me?”
“Yes, Master.”
He slams in harder, and I love itthe deep strokes a different angle this time. I reach between my legs and touch my own clit. “Kat…Kit-Kat,” he chants, his movements growing jerky. “You’re mine now…I won’t let you go.”
Somehow, he knows to say everything I need to hear.
“Please,” I beg, already needing to come again. Already desperate to receive his pleasure as a full completion. A full claiming. A complete actualization of who we are as a new couple.
“Blyad’,” he curses, his breath holding then gusting out then holding again. “Kat…Kateryna…yes!” He shoves in deep, his cock pulsing inside me as he empties his balls.
I shake with sobs of ecstasy, my own muscles seizing around his member, drawing him deeper, milking his finish. “Please,” I whimper, even though he’s already come. He’s already given me everything I crave.
He lowers his body over mine, kissing my nape, biting me, showing me it’s not over yet. It’s not ever over with us.
I’m dissolving in his armsfloating away as tiny bits of energy into the universe. And yet, I’ve never felt so collected. So held and absorbed. “Don’t let me go,” I whimper, not wanting this moment to end. Wanting to keep it forever.
“Never, Kat,” he says fiercely. “Not ever, ever.”
“I love you,” I murmur.
“I’ll always love you,” he answers.
A deep breath of air rushes indeeper than I knew possible. For the first time in my life, I can breathe.
And Adrian is my oxygen.
My center axis.
My everything.