Chapter 7
Hayden drove her sporty little roadster to the Vienna Metro station and parked, refusing to drive the rest of the way into Washington, D.C. Route sixty-six was a mess at this time of the morning and she simply wasn’t going to deal with the highway-turned-parking lot. Not this time.
The subway was crowded, but she didn’t mind. She looked out the windows and watched as the train zipped by the cars that were creeping along on the highway, all of them trying to get either into the district or into Arlington, the city just on the other side of the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Pulling her cell phone out of her purse, she dialed Viktor’s number as the escalator brought her up to the street level. As soon as it rang, Viktor answered and a warmth spread throughout her body.
“What’s wrong, Hayden?” he demanded immediately.
She smiled, feeling that surge of…something. No, she wasn’t calling it love, even though Arianna and Natalie asserted that it was love. It was too soon for something that strong to have developed.
“Do you have time to see me?”
“Yes. I’ll have a car come pick you up.”
Grinning, Hayden crossed the street along with about fifty other people. “I’m actually crossing the street, about to enter your building. Do you have five minutes now? I promise I won’t be long.”
There was a long pause, murmured voices and then he was back. “Yes. Are you sure you’re okay?”
His concern warmed her heart and gave her hope. She didn’t believe that he was in love with her, but he cared. That was a step in the right direction. And she knew that he wanted her.
Was it enough though? That was the real question. Did he want her enough?
She’d have to find out.
Her heart pounded as she pulled the heavy glass doors open and entered the lobby. Immediately, one of the security guards approached her. “Ms. Ferrant?” he asked.
“Yes,” she smiled up at him.
“Mr. Chenko instructed me to take you to his office as soon as you arrived.”
Hayden’s grin widened. “He thinks I’m going to be mugged,” she explained lightly. “Or maybe he just thinks I’m going to get lost.”
The man smiled politely as he led her to a private elevator.
“What time did you start work this morning?” she asked, needing to fill the silence as the elevator lifted both of them up to the executive office floor. Otherwise, her mind would start to play out crazy scenarios and that wouldn’t be good for her peace of mind.
“I’ve been on since about six o’clock this morning, ma’am.”
Hayden ignored the ‘ma’am’ and focused on the information she needed. “And was Mr. Chenko already here by the time you arrived?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, then held the door open.
Stepping onto the executive floor, she couldn’t stop the blush that formed as she walked down the hallway to Mr. Chenko’s office. “Is he in a good mood or a bad one?” she whispered.
The man in question stepped into the open doorway. “A bad mood, my dear,” he growled, taking Hayden’s hand and tugging her into his office. Slamming the door closed behind her, he turned to face her. “Why didn’t you drive in? Where is your car?”
She put her purse down on one of the chairs and walked around, her fingers sliding over his desk, the sofa and the big, leather chair behind his desk. “I didn’t drive into the city because that’s a crazy thing to do. Especially since there is a subway stop one block from your office.” She frowned at him. “Do you know how many of your employees drive to work versus use public transportation?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you really care about the commuter preferences of my employees?” he asked, moving closer.
Hayden saw the light in his eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. Her eyes darted over to the conference room table, remembering the last time she’d barged in here. “No,” she asserted firmly.
He didn’t stop his approach. “No…what?” he asked, his voice husky.
She smiled, but smothered that giddy reaction. “No, we’re not doing that again, not on your conference room table, Viktor.”
He chuckled and the sound reverberated through her whole body. She backed up but he continued to stalk her. “Perhaps we should move this conversation to my place,” he commented, his eyes moving down her figure in the dress. “You look lovely, my dear.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled the chair out, stopping him from reaching for her. “Viktor, I appreciate the fact that you like me in my dingy jeans, in a dress, and everything in between, but…”
“You’re nervous. Why?”
Hayden thought about simply telling him that she wanted him to take her back to his place and make love to her, but she wasn’t that brave. Perhaps if he wasn’t scowling at her, she might find the courage, but…
“Have you eaten dinner?” he interrupted.
She blinked, her mind trying to keep up with him.
“Um…no, but…”
“Let’s have dinner.”
Hayden thought about interrupting him, but since he was basically playing right into her plans, she simply smiled and agreed.
A few minutes later, his driver stopped in the garage parking of a luxurious building. When they stepped into his penthouse, she stopped, her mouth falling open as she took in the breathtaking views of the Potomac River and Georgetown University. She could see everything! In one direction, the Kennedy Center stood proudly on the river bank. If she looked the other way, she could see the Washington Monument. It was too humid to see the Capitol building from here, but she knew it was out there, just beyond the Washington Monument.
“This is beautiful,” she breathed.
Looking around, she realized that he had discarded his jacket, but was talking on his cell phone.
Anger rippled through her, but she knew what she had to do.
Walking over to him, she caught his attention when she tossed her purse onto the sofa and continued walking. He must have recognized her intention in her eyes because his conversation faltered. She had no idea what he was saying, because he was speaking in Russian. And even more, she didn’t care who he was conversing with. It could be the President of the United States, and she’d still have taken the cell phone and pressed the end button. Going further, she looked at the screen and powered it off.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he growled.
Hayden looked up at him, tossing the powerless cell phone onto the sofa next to her purse. “I’m going to make love to you,” she told him.
With that announcement, she reached up to tug at the knot of his tie. When he started to reach for her, she pulled back. “No no,” she warned, shaking her head and waving her finger at him. “I’m doing the touching today.”
He let his hands drop to his sides but she saw the heat in his eyes and smiled, loving the way he looked right now. There was a touch of frustration and a whole lot of heat.
It took a moment to figure out how to get his tie off.
“Would you like some help?” he offered.
She shook her head, unaware of her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she concentrated.
Once she finally had the silk off his neck, Hayden breathed a sigh of relief. Tossing it onto the sofa, she contemplated the next step. “Buttons,” she thought, then realized that she’d said the word out loud when she heard his rough, deep chuckle.
“Stop laughing at me. This is the first time I’ve done this.”
His hands rested on her hips and he laughed again. “I know. And I’m enchanted. Let me know when you will allow me to assist you, my dear.”
She might have smiled, but probably not. Because at that same moment, the backs of her fingers touched the skin of his neck as she fumbled with the button there. When it released, she breathed a sigh of relief and started on the next button. And the next. With each release, more tanned skin was revealed, and she let her fingers drift over the newly revealed treasure. “You’re so handsome,” she whispered, amazed that he was standing here, allowing her the freedom to explore.
She felt his fingers tighten on her waist and knew that his patience was wearing thin. “Please, let me do this,” she pleaded, looking up at him. “I really want to do this.”
His fingers relaxed and she smiled.
“Are you willing to take instruction?” he asked, his voice sounding almost raw now.
“Yes,” she replied. “As long as the instructions are in the form of suggestions and not commands,” she clarified.
She heard a growl but wasn’t sure if that was because her fingers were sliding over the muscles covering his chest, or because she didn’t want him to order her around.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she told him as she let her hands drift lower, exploring. “I love it when you tell me what you like. Or when you…” she hesitated, not wanting to admit too much.
“When I what?” he demanded, those fingers tightening once more.
His body’s response made her bolder and she looked up at hm. “I love it when you tell me what to do during sex,” she finally admitted. “I love it when you hold me down, your hands taking control of me.” She smiled when he pulled her roughly against his body. “But…” she cautioned when he lowered his head, “I also want to explore, to find out what happens when I do something like…this,” she whispered that last word and slipped her fingers underneath the buckle of his belt.
The hiss told her that she was doing something right. So she continued. A bit of fumbling and his belt was released. Her fingers slid lower, searching for and finding his erection that had been pressing against her stomach. “Ah!” she sighed. “You haven’t let me touch you enough here.”
“Hayden!” he groaned. He bent over slightly and she started to pull back, but he quickly shook his head. “Don’t stop touching me!”
So instead of pulling away, she wrapped her fingers around that part of him, letting her fingers explore. What she found was fascinating. She looked up and found that he was shrugging off his shirt. “I need you naked, Hayden.”
He was too impatient for her hesitation. “Now!” he snapped.
Smiling, she stepped back, releasing him, and almost laughed at his groan. Her fingers moved to the knot at her waist and, with one tug, the whole wrap dress came loose. She shifted her shoulders slightly and the dress dropped to the floor behind her. “Better?” she asked softly, remaining still while his eyes moved up and down her figure.
“No!” and he stepped closer. Reaching around her, he unsnapped her bra and tossed it out of the way, then reached up to cup her breasts. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling for a few moments, but when his thumb came into play, teasing her nipples, she gasped and stepped out of reach.
Shaking her head, she held up her hands when he started to approach her again. “Stop!” she told him and, thankfully, he obeyed, although his eyes told her that he was on the edge of taking control. She lifted her hands and shook her head. “I want to do this. I know that you are stronger than me and can take over at any point, but…”
He dropped his hands. “Fine. You’re in charge.” He saw her eyes light up and gritted his teeth. “For now,” he warned.
She smiled brightly up at him and moved closer. Lifting up onto her toes, she reached up and pulled his head down, kissing him gently. She had to pull away though because…well, the man was more alpha male than she knew how to deal with and even his kiss started to make her a bit overwhelmed. He knew it too and was trying to grab control of the situation. Pulling back, she licked her lips and surveyed him.
“Would you mind…um…” she gestured to the sofa, “sitting down? You’re a bit tall and I can’t reach all of you.”
A dark eyebrow lifted with her request and she held her breath while he mentally debated the wisdom of allowing her to remain in control. Oh, she knew that she wasn’t really in control of anything. The man was allowing her the illusion for a few minutes, but she was going to enjoy this time for as long as he allowed it. Because she also knew that she would thoroughly enjoy him taking charge again.
With deft fingers, he stripped the rest of his clothes off, then he sat down and she watched, looked over him, her mind whirling with all of the possibilities, but she wasn’t really sure where to start now.
“How about if you continue what you were doing a moment ago?” he offered, recognizing her indecision.
Hayden’s cheeks flushed with color, but she moved closer, once again licking her lips as she contemplated the possibilities. Kneeling, she slid her hands up his thighs, shocked by how strong they were. Taut and muscular, he looked like some sort of Greek god with all of the muscles moving under her fingertips. “Does it hurt when I touch you there?” she asked.
To answer, he reached out and took her hands, wrapping her fingers around his erection. “It feels amazing,” he told her, then showed her how to move her hands up and down the shaft, forcing her fingers to tighten. She took over the movement, even running her thumb over the top, spreading the liquid that formed there. She remembered the way he’d tasted her and she wondered about that. She’d read so many stories about doing that to a man and…
“Chert, Hayden! Please!”
With that plea, she leaned forward, her tongue reaching out to touch ever so briefly. Experimenting. When he groaned, she continued, becoming braver as he made sounds of pleasure. When she took all of him in her mouth, Hayden was shocked at how good he tasted. Salty. But so appealing! It was the most amazing feeling, having him under her power like this. She moved her mouth around him, up and down his shaft, using his groans as an indication of what she should do. When she flicked her tongue against the end, he roared his approval, his strong fingers diving into her hair and holding her head in place.
Looking up at him, she realized that his head was thrown backwards, leaning against the cushions of the sofa, but when her tongue flicked at his shaft, he raised his head, his eyes alight with the power of his lust. A moment later, he lifted her up by her arms, having her straddle his hips.
“Now, it is my turn,” he warned her only a fraction of a second before his mouth captured her nipple, sucking hard and using his tongue in the same way she’d done to him. The intensity was hot and powerful, making her scream out, arching into his mouth. She couldn’t do anything other than hold on, her fingers tangling in his hair. Initially, her fingers were holding him to her breast, but as he continued to torture her, she pulled at his head, trying to gain a bit of relief.
He wasn’t allowing any! He moved from one to the other. When his mouth wasn’t covering her nipple, his fingers teased and tormented, not allowing any respite. The desire was heating her up, a molten flame licking her from the inside out and she couldn’t control it, couldn’t handle it. Sobbing, she begged him to stop.
His only answer was the ripping of the condom package. She looked down, saw his fingers quickly rolling the condom down that shaft that she’d just had in her mouth and she shifted, trying to find solace in his invasion as she impaled herself on him. When he was fully inside of her, she paused, her fingers resting gently on his shoulders as she savored the moment, loving the way she felt, full and complete.
And then she moved against him, shifting her hips to adjust to his size. This was what she needed, what she’d been craving ever since she’d woken up this morning.
But then he started moving, lifting her up so that she slid back down. Impaled, she held her breath, closing her eyes to keep herself from exploding right then and there.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he commanded, his hands sliding up her back so that her sensitive nubbin was more firmly pressed against his abdomen. He lifted her up again, holding her so that he was right at the opening, then pulled her down. Hard!
“Again!” she begged, already lifting herself up so that she could feel him. But his hands were firm against her back, holding her hips pressed against him. “I think you’re perfect just like this,” he growled, bending his head to nip at her neck, exactly where he knew she loved it the most.
She wiggled, trying to get that sensation again but he only teased her, shifting her hips ever so slightly and she whimpered, needing more stimulation. “I’m sorry!” she sobbed out. “I won’t do it again.”
His arms leaned her back so that his mouth could latch onto her nipple, sucking and teasing that part of her. “But you will,” he urged as he moved to her other nipple. “I thoroughly enjoyed what you did, my dear.”
Her fingers were clenching on his shoulders while her hips tried, and failed, to shift against him. “Then why? Why won’t you let me move?”
“Because I love seeing you like this,” he told her. “You’re so glorious with your passion exposed. You are such an angel all the time. When you release yourself, I love it. I love the sexual goddess inside of you and I’m going to relish every moment of it.”
She shook her head, unaware of how her long tresses caressed his arms and shoulders, teasing him right back. All Hayden knew was that she needed more and he wasn’t giving it to her. “Stop teasing!” she begged throwing her head back. “Too much!”
Viktor laughed, amazed at how much it turned him on when she became aggressive. The woman was literally writhing against him. Lifting her up, he shifted so that he was over her. “Ya lyublyu tebya,” he growled his love for this woman as he moved inside of her heat, thrilling to the way she stretched and shifted against him, moving with him. As they formed a rhythm together, he knew that she was close. He loved her. Had loved her since that first moment she’d stepped into his office over a month ago.
He couldn’t tell her that. Not yet. She was still too unsure of everything, but chert, when she looked like this, he could barely hold back. He knew she’d be like this! So sweet and wonderful and caring one moment, then a wild tigress the next, demanding things from him that he was more than willing to give her. Ad! Yes! He’d give her the world, if only she’d let him.
At this moment though, he was happy to just give her pleasure. He wanted to give her so much pleasure that she screamed, and he wouldn’t relent until he did just that. When she was finally screaming, only then did he relent and help her over the edge to her orgasm. “Ty takoy krasivyy!” he told her, then translated for her since he wanted her to understand. “You’re beautiful when you’re like this, Hayden!”
With his words and encouragement, she quickly found her release. He watched for as long as he could before he finally fell over the edge himself. Holding her close, he let his orgasm wash over him, holding her in his arms, trying to protect her from his lust as much as he could.
When it was all over, he collapsed on top of her, but rolled so that she was cradled in his arms.
For a long time, they stayed like that, his fingers soothing through her hair, tangling in the soft tresses, and then letting the silky mass trail through.
“What did you say?” she asked, lifting her head up to look at him.
He shifted so that he could see her pretty eyes. “When?”
“Earlier. When you were…” she blushed, causing him to chuckle.
“When I was inside of you? When you were pulling me into your body?”
She rolled her eyes even as her blush increased. “Yeah. That. What did you say?”
He moved her higher onto his chest, enjoying the weight of her like this. “I said you are beautiful. I like seeing you in the throes of passion, Hayden. It excites me.”
She smiled, then lifted her head to kiss his chest. “You make me a bit uninhibited.”
“As you should be. When we make love, you should have no inhibitions. I want the real you.”
She shrugged, not sure she could always give him that. It embarrassed her, how crazy she got when he touched her, but she wasn’t going to reveal anything right now.
“You must eat,” he announced, standing up with her in his arms. He handed her his shirt, not allowing her to dress again. “What’s the point? I’m just going to take your clothes off soon anyway,” he told her with a wink. Of course, she blushed as she slipped her arms into his shirt sleeves, rolling them up higher so that her hands could reach out the ends. But when she reached for her underwear, he plucked them from the floor, stuffing them into the pocket of his slacks which he’d just pulled on as well. “No need,” he told her and took her hand, leading her into the kitchen.
He made her some sort of fish for dinner, complete with a delicious sauce and a nutty grain. The wine he poured for her was amazing and, the more she sipped, the more relaxed she grew. They talked and she laughed at his charming stories, ate, and drank the wine. And when the meal was finished, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her to his bedroom where he made love to her all over again.
It was in the early hours of the morning when she jerked awake, the strangeness of her surroundings making her look around, disoriented. It took her several minutes to realize where she was and why. When she felt Viktor’s arms tighten around her, it took all of her self-discipline to get her body to leave the warmth of his bed
No way was she going to wake up again to find herself alone. Not this time!
Instead, she slipped out of the bed, grabbing his shirt once again. Tip toeing through the penthouse, she found her clothes in the great room where she’d taken them off so many hours ago. After dressing, and with her shoes dangling from her fingers, she grabbed her purse, made sure she still had her keys, and then slipped out of his penthouse.
Getting home that night, or morning, was a bit of a challenge. It took three phone calls to cab companies to get one of them to pick her up. She’d parked at the subway station, so it was a long ride back. When she finally reached her car after the cab dropped her off at the parking garage, even Hayden felt a bit nervous. The parking garage was dark and sounds reverberated throughout the empty parking spaces.
Thankfully, her car was still there and she dove into the driver’s seat, locking the doors quickly.
When she finally pulled up outside of her small house, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was home, safe and sound.
Entering her house at this time of the night was also strange, causing her to tip toe up the stairs, even though she was the only one here. After a warm shower, she slipped her nightgown on and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets all the way to her chin.
By rights, she should be exhausted. But Hayden couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Staring up at the ceiling, her body ached because she knew that she could be back in Viktor’s arms. And what had he said earlier? She’d asked for a translation, but there’d been one point when he’d said something and it had sounded almost gentle. She didn’t think he’d given her the whole translation.
As the clocked ticked over to the early morning, and the sun began to peek over the trees, one thing was clear. She was going to have to learn Russian, she didn’t think Viktor was going to translate anything to her if he didn’t want her to know what he was saying.
She smiled to herself as she rolled over, thinking about how she could surprise him by learning Russian. She had absolutely no idea how she was going to do it, but somehow, she was going to find a tutor. She was going to do it!
Unfortunately, the excitement of her plan kept her from falling to sleep. By six o’clock, she gave up and decided to start her day.
She’d just turned on the stove to heat up the water for tea when the door burst open. Turning, she jumped when she discovered Viktor standing in her doorway, looking furious.
“You left!” he snarled, stepping into her kitchen and slamming the door behind him.
Hayden’s chin went up defiantly. “Yes. I did.”
He moved closer to her, making her feel stalked. She was sure that was his intent, but she wasn’t cowed by him. “Stop it, Viktor. I didn’t do anything that you haven’t done to me.” She glared up at him. “And now you know that it hurts.”
He stopped, staring at her blankly for a long moment. “I hurt you?” he asked gently.
She saw the wounded, startled look in his eyes and almost relented. She hated this, but it had to be said. “Yes. You made love to me, making me crazy, then held me in your arms while I slept. In the morning, I woke up feeling…wonderful,” she admitted, giving him everything, thinking that was the only way to make this relationship work. “That feeling vanished when I realized that you were no longer there, sleeping next to me.” She stared up at him, watching the emotions flit across his handsome features. “I asked you not to leave me, to just wake me up to say goodbye before you left me. But you didn’t understand. So I told you in a different way.” A month ago, she’d thought this man was made of stone, feeling nothing. But watching him, she now knew better. He had emotions. They might be locked away or unacknowledged for other issues, but he felt things for her.
The idea made her heart sing and she moved closer, putting her hands on his chest. “You love me, don’t you?” she asked very softly.
There was a long silence while he stared down at her. Finally, he shook his head. “Love is for fools, Hayden. You don’t love me. It is just…”
The look on her face, or maybe the hurt in her eyes, stopped him. Those lips that had given her such pleasure last night, compressed into a thin line now. She held her breath, waiting. Hoping. Praying he might say something beautiful.
When he remained silent, she lifted a hand, pressing it against his chest and said the words she’d been denying for too long. “I love you, Viktor. I know that I shouldn’t. You’ve warned me that you’re not a nice man, but I do. I love you.”
He gripped her upper arms, almost hurting her as he lifted her up onto her toes. “You don’t! Love is…” he stopped, pressing his lips together again.
His eyes were on fire, the silver heat almost burning her as he glared down at her.
A moment later, he released her, and stalked out of her kitchen, slamming the door so hard, the glass panes almost shattered. Just a shuddering sound reverberating throughout the house. And her heart.
“You’ll be back,” she whispered.
But the door remained closed. After several minutes, Hayden knew she needed to start her day. Exhaustion was painful, but she somehow managed to get through the rest of the day. Arianna arrived for work and they discussed several issues, but when the kind woman asked why she looked so tired, Hayden couldn’t respond. “Just a hard night,” she told her new friend. “I’m going…” she looked around, not sure where she was going or what she might do.
That night, she curled into bed, ignoring texts from Kate and Natalie. Obviously, Arianna had searched for their phone numbers and called them, letting both of them know that something was wrong. But Hayden couldn’t explain. Her whole body hurt too much.
“In the morning,” she vowed. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow morning.”