Chapter 15

London, England

“How delightful to see you again, Your Royal Highness,” Forde said as he leaned in to kiss both of Sophia’s cheeks in greeting.

Crystal chandeliers glittered in the two-story ballroom filled with men and women in glittering designer evening wear. Tinkling laughter and the clink of champagne flutes mixed with the soft strings of the orchestra playing on a raised dais. Expensive colognes and perfumes fought for dominance over the savory scents of the hors d’oeuvres being passed around by servants in short white coats.

“My lord, it is always a pleasure,” Sophia intoned with a bright smile.

His charming grin and sparkling steel-colored eyes were the downfall of many a woman. But Sophia had always been immune. By the time she’d met the devastating playboy, she’d already developed a thing for one sexy Russian.

They stepped back from the crowd of aristocrats in a show of friendly conversation. Cameras flashed in the distance as the dinner was photographed for the society websites, blogs, and newspapers. Her mother would be scouring every page to ensure Sophia was following orders. Thankfully, she managed to keep her mask of serenity in place as she suffered through dinner, seated across from some of her mother’s old friends. “Thanks. I appreciate the photo op.”

He grinned and laughed elegantly as if she’d said something amusing. She stifled a real laugh, wishing he’d been there all night. After a moment, Forde gripped her hands and leaned in. “This was twenty minutes of my life I’ll never get back. You’re welcome.” With a wink he added, “Have fun.”

She laughed as he made his exit, charming a beautiful blonde in a white silk gown on his way out. His playboy persona fit well with his title of “spare heir” to the wealthiest dukedom in all of Britain.

Sophia looked around, wishing she could leave as Forde had. The after-dinner cocktails were taking so long that she could almost feel the moonlight burning. These were hours of her life she wouldn’t get back, either. It was already close to ten, and the event would go on for several more hours.

She longed for the ability to plead a headache and leave, but her mother had already called, demanding a detailed report on which men from the list she’d spoken to. She couldn’t risk leaving yet, not with her mother’s friends hovering in every corner like potted plants.

Her reward for surviving the night was more time in Viktor’s bed. Just one more night. She’d considered not going, but Forde had been right. She was entitled to some semblance of a life, especially when her mother was forcing Sophia’s hand in a way she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

“My dear, I understand we will have exciting news soon.”

Sophia smiled as the aging Duchess of Lancashire came to stand in the place Forde had vacated.

“So nice to see you here, Your Grace,” Sophia said as she dutifully kissed the woman’s lined cheeks. After a moment, Sophia settled in for a long, mostly one-sided chat, which meant she was saved from having to appear interested in any of the men at the dinner.

“I know your mother favors Hellshire or maybe the Frenchman, Jean Luc.”

Sophia managed to maintain her smile but wanted to vomit at the reminder that Jean Luc had made it on her mother’s damned list. That he’d been ranked so high in others’ opinions made her uneasy. The woman continued chatting while Sophia pasted an interested look on her face.

“But I do believe you are doing well by carefully assessing your options. There is much to consider when choosing a husband,” the duchess assured her, and it was hard not to smile genuinely at the older woman.

“I appreciate any advice you have to offer, Your Grace,” Sophia said, feeling only a minor twinge of guilt when the woman’s chest puffed with pride before providing her advice on the matter. Sophia nodded and asked questions at all the right times while the duchess pro-and-conned the men on the list.

“Hellshire’s London residence is right next to mine. It is a beautiful old home. You will, of course, need to have it redecorated. His mother had dreadful taste.”

Sophia had to force her lips not to twitch at the woman’s love of architecture and its apparent value when choosing a husband. The woman was giving Sophia the advice Her Grace had likely been given by her own mother. Though it was sad that love hadn’t entered into any part of her advisement, Sophia wasn’t surprised. What caught her off guard was her own preoccupation with love.

The duchess kept talking with little prompting. The older woman thought she was helping, and in this case, it really was the thought that counted. As a servant stopped by, Sophia exchanged her half-filled glass of champagne for a full one. She was simply going through the motions with a mask of amused calm firmly in place, but it felt far less forced than usual.

“I have shared all the wisdom I have on the matter. The rest is up to you, my dear. Choose wisely,” the duchess said before leaving her on her own. Sophia had been so lost in thought that it felt as if the conversation had ended far too abruptly. The vacant spot was swept up by another wishing for her time.

The rest of the evening slipped by in a haze that started to dim her upbeat mood from earlier. By midnight, she was beyond anxious to leave. She’d already talked and flirted until she felt physically ill.

After agreeing to a trip to the opera that week, she finally felt she’d done everything that could possibly be expected of her for the night.

With a nod to Antony and Jen, she signaled she was ready to leave. Her guards flanked her as she made her way, smiling and nodding, to the front entrance hall. Once outside, she breathed in the scent of the coming rain.

The car had rolled to the front by the time she descended the wide stone steps. Jen opened her door before closing her in and entering on the other side. Antony, thankfully, sat up front. His watchfulness had been partly to blame for her diminished mood. The rest were her mother’s friends and the aristocratic men vying for a spot on the list everyone apparently knew about. She was grateful for only a twenty-minute ride to her current residence.

She spent the drive gazing out at the large homes they passed. Some were lit for an evening of hosting friends or family, maybe even watching television or cooking together. It made her miss her friends. She missed the time they’d had at school and university, before their personas severed them from her mother’s list of acceptable companions. They all wanted her to walk away from Porenza, but she hadn’t been able to do it then. Was she going to now?

Shaking those thoughts away, she turned to a more pleasant consideration. She wondered whether Viktor hosted friends at his home or if he had childhood friends he spent time with?

It felt like a lifetime passed before they turned into the driveway of her rented home.

Antony opened her door, and he and Jen escorted her inside.

She nodded at Marco, who’d been left to watch the house feeds.

“I am going to rest. I do not wish to be disturbed unless I call for something,” she instructed as she moved up the carved wood staircase.

Her private suite was the only one down a long wing. It consisted of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a private sitting area, a warm relic from a time when married couples didn’t share a bedroom.

That was not the marriage she planned to have, not that marriage of any kind fit into her life.

After setting the locks, she slipped out of her high heels and stalked to the closet, more anxious than she could ever remember being. All she could think about was getting to him, away from her guards and the things she didn’t want to think about. It was time to escape into a bit of pleasure, a fantasy she could conjure up again any night the cold, empty sheets felt like ice against her skin.

She grabbed the bag hidden in the back of her closet and tossed in some toiletries and clothes. She planned to be prepared this time. Anticipation was singing through her veins, and it felt as if every move she made was too slow. She only hoped Jen was ready to go in record time. Grabbing her heels, she maneuvered the hidden lever for the fireplace.

Soon enough, she was down the steps and all the way to the narrow, dimly lit stone passage as the barren fireplace silently righted itself above her.

Her heart beat faster with each step along the cold stone.

Jen met her from the opposite direction, and she felt some of her nerves ease. She nodded as they headed out. Jen went first to check everything before signaling Sophia.

The short distance seemed to take a lifetime with all the diversionary tactics Jen employed.

“Are you okay? You seem quieter tonight, and you’re… fidgeting.” Jen’s words permeated her frazzled thoughts as they drove down another street meant for misdirection.

She stilled, taking stock of her body and realizing she had been fidgeting and hadn’t noticed. Her thoughts hadn’t even been on her surroundings. They’d been taken over by Viktor. She’d only had one night in her own bed, but even as sore as she’d been, Sophia would have eagerly hopped right back into Viktor’s bed again instead of staying in her empty one the night before.

Her thoughts unfortunately turned to less pleasant things now that Jen had spoken.

“I’m just anxious to get there. Did you get enough sleep last night to be doing this?” she asked, not for the first time that day.

“I don’t require a lot of sleep, and I’m not on duty until tomorrow evening. It’ll all be good.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? Should I be worried about how antsy you are?”

Sophia snorted. “Maybe. I’m just anxious. I don’t think when I’m with Viktor, and I’m tired of thinking. My mother and her friends are complicating things when we already have too many unanswered questions about Jean Luc. Everything’s setting me on edge. I’m glad James found out about the secure bank vault, but even that makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like that he’s so good at hiding things that he could be using a vault from his dead father’s estate. Kate tailed him to that bank three times in four months. It wasn’t odd since he has accounts there. The surveillance notes don’t even show him bringing in a briefcase. But no one can even get in the door without having or opening an account with a minimum half-million dollars.” The facility in question was protected by the highest-end technology and securities systems. Their operatives were good, but they weren’t international bank robbers.

“We’ll know if he’s accessing his father’s vault as soon as Forde gets in there.” Considering it had taken James three months to fully hack the bank account information, she wasn’t convinced any of this would be easy. All they knew now was that his bank visits didn’t match any transaction information James found. That meant he was doing something in there that had nothing to do with his personal accounts.

Sophia nodded absently at Jen’s thoughts. Forde was in France now to become the bank’s latest client and get a tour.

It was the only place they could think of where Jean Luc might be hiding his secrets, but it wasn’t going to be easy to get in. Since they had no new information on who’d bought the ledger page, they were at a standstill again.

Jean Luc hadn’t done anything else—no late-night meetings with the president of France or anyone else, as far as Kate could see.

Jen drawled, “We’re almost to your Russian.”

Sophia’s shoulders actually relaxed at that pronouncement, but she felt her lips twitch. “Still don’t like him?”

Jen made a noise. “I’m reserving judgment. Not a fan of his tactics so far.”

Sophia understood that. Jen wasn’t getting the perks Sophia was from the experience. “Thank you for dealing with it anyway.”

Anticipation thrummed through her blood when they finally entered the gate and then the garage. Jen went through the security measures, but Sophia barely paid attention, more interested in stealing another night with Viktor. Every step, every security detail set in place, was making her teeth grind tighter. She’d already lost time with him because of the party she hadn’t wanted to be at.

Her high heels sank into the plush flooring as they passed through the front of the house and strode up the stairs to Viktor’s suite of rooms.

“You can go in. He is in the shower.” The Russian guard had directed the words to her, but Jen just started heading in. Sophia put a hand on her arm to stop her.

The look Jen slanted her made it clear that Sophia had lost her damned mind.

It had been a long damn night, and Sophia had hit her limit on delays. Finding Viktor soapy and wet was going to be her prize. With all the stress piling up, she had no intention of missing any second of pleasure she could pack into the moments she had left with him. Wet, soapy moments.

Decision made, Sophia broke the rules. She took the blocker from her guard’s fingers. It was activated by one button, and Sophia could see that the curtains were already drawn in the room. She could easily draw the ones in his bedroom if she needed to. She wasn’t making light of Jen’s work; she just couldn’t take another minute. “I’ve got it. Thank you.”

She hurriedly clicked the door shut behind her and pushed the button on the device, knowing she’d hear about this later. With purposeful strides, she sailed through the doorway to the bedroom, dropping her bag along the way. She kicked off her high heels and slipped the dress down over sensitive skin before setting the jamming device in the wide-open doorway between the bathroom and bedroom.

The sound of water drew her in like a siren’s call, making her heartbeat sound in her ears. Her nipples pressed hard against the lace bra, a barrier she swiftly tossed to the floor. He’d expected her later because she’d planned to shower after the dinner. But she hadn’t been able to wait, and she was far more intent on the idea of taking one with Viktor.

The glass walls separating him from her were covered in steam, revealing only the tanned outline of his tall, muscular body.

Slipping out of her underwear, she stepped into the cavernous space, soaking in the warm spray misting over her naked body. She was met with the sight of his hard, muscular back. She tracked the water gliding through the dips and valley of a perfect butt all the way to his feet.

He turned, and the look in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat. The view was just as tantalizing from the front. Water cascaded through the dusting of hair on his chest to a cock that seemed to harden at her gaze.

“Come here, Sophia.” His gravelly tone set her in motion.

Three steps brought her into his warmth. Her tension drained away the second his arms pulled her in, and she couldn’t help but lick the droplets of water from his skin. His chest rumbled under her lips, and she loved it so much that she felt tempted to just stand there, soaking in the sensation. That desire warred with a far more tantalizing one.

Strong hands slid from her arms down to grip her ass and pulled her in until his cock was smashed against her stomach. She moaned before sliding her hands around his neck. She rose on her toes as she pulled him down for a kiss. He allowed it—that was the only description that fit. The second her tongue slipped into his mouth, he bent and took over. It was a painstakingly slow and demanding kiss that left very little of her mind intact.

Water sluiced over their bodies as the world quieted to nothing more than the two of them. Pleasure.

She wanted so much more, one more experience she’d craved but been denied the night before. She broke the kiss, and the look in his eyes said he hadn’t been done. “Shh,” she whispered as she set her fingers to his bottom lip with a teasing grin. “You’ll like what I want to do.”

He seemed to get her meaning, because his cock throbbed against her stomach.

He’d toyed with her all last night, but he’d never given her time to torment him in kind. Now was that time. “It’s my turn to play.”

Her hands explored his back, hips, and ass as she came off her tiptoes, sliding her wet stomach over his cock as she licked and nipped the strong column of his throat. Slowly, she moved to his nipples, and he made an animalistic noise. The vibrations slid through her lips all the way to her toes. His skin tasted good—clean and masculine.

He was so much bigger than she was, and it made her feel incredibly powerful when he rocked into her. His fingers dug into her hips as she kissed and lapped at his skin.

“I thought about sucking you all day,” she whispered into his skin, and his entire body tightened against her. When she looked up, it was to see something in his eyes she couldn’t define. A hint of surprise maybe? He looked darker, his stubbled jaw impossibly tight. “Will you let me?” Her voice had become huskier, even to her own hearing.

His gaze heated to an inferno, his fingers on her hips almost biting now. “If you do this, I won’t be gentle.”

His warning just made her wetter. Her breathing grew more erratic, and she couldn’t stop from licking her lips. His eyes moved there and stilled.

If this was all the time she had with him, she’d make it just like she’d dreamed. “Then don’t be gentle. I want to suck you as you watch.” It seemed the limited time she had emboldened her enough that she was willing to ask for what she needed.

His cock throbbed against her stomach, and he tilted his head back as if in pain. He set her aside, and she reeled at the action and sudden loss of his warmth. A few steps took him to the edge of the shower. He grabbed a towel, tossed it on the ground, and commanded, “Get on your knees, Sophia.”

Her heart rate accelerated with how aroused those words made her. She sank down, holding his strong thighs for balance.

“Keep your thighs tight the whole time you suck me,” he ordered. She instinctually tightened her thighs and felt her pussy clench as she looked up at him. Yes. This was what she needed. His eyes turned knowing. “They stay closed. I want you to save every drop that slides free when you suck my cock.”

She thought she might actually come from his words alone.

He gripped the thick flesh in question, and she licked her lips, dying for him to feed it to her. She tilted her head back, having every intention of making this so good that he’d never forget her. Her hands slid up and covered his hand. “Let me.”

She pulled his fingers away, replacing them with her own before hefting the weight. She watched him as she ran her tongue from the base slowly up to the tip, savoring every lick.

His eyes went hard. “Don’t tease. You don’t want me to lose control.” The warning only made her hotter. She tongued the slit of his cock, closed her eyes, and moaned at the salty taste of his pre-come.

He cursed in Russian as she lapped at him, wanting more.

“You love my come.” Not a question, but a statement.

She nodded and stroked her hand up and down his length while sliding her mouth over the head. She swallowed around him, still wanting more. She swore she could feel his thighs vibrating beneath her hands and took it as a sign to suck him harder.

“Deeper.”

She moaned when she got him all the way to the back of her throat. Without thought, she tilted her head from side to side, getting him wet before pulling back. Her eyes grew heavy as she attempted to take in as much as she could while stroking the remaining length. One hand moved down to caress his sac.

His hips jerked, and she made a sound of pure need when his fingers gripped her hair and pulled slightly. Her own juices were starting to slide between her clenched thighs.

She released him with a pop. Every dirty fantasy she had about doing this to him came to life. She wanted to know it all. “Help me take it all. I want you to come down my throat, Viktor.” She was getting more comfortable with every dirty word she uttered. His reactions and curses made it easier.

His chest rose and fell harshly now. His jaw looked tight enough to crack, and he still held back.

“I want you to,” she purred, sliding his cock against her cheek before taking him back in her mouth. She sucked as she gazed into his eyes.

He took a deep breath, and the words he spoke were like gravel through his lips. “Breathe through your nose.”

She moaned around him. She’d never done the things she’d asked of him. Something in his gaze said he was fully aware of that, and it tested every ounce of his strength. He thrust into her mouth, sliding all the way to the back of her throat, grinding and fucking and thrusting. She couldn’t help but writhe and moan. He hadn’t hurt her, but he was forceful enough that she nearly came. “Swallow around me when I get all the way in.”

She swallowed and fought the gag reflex, breathing through her nose. “Again,” he commanded, and this time, she got more. “Gooodd. Yes,” he praised as she continued to swallow, pushing for more but worried she’d fail.

He held her head tight, tilting it back and staring into her eyes. The angle and the look in his eyes made her pussy clench uncontrollably as she sucked him harder. “Swallow every drop.” The thickly accented command was nearly her undoing.

When he came, the warm jets slid straight down her throat as his cock throbbed against her tongue. She reveled in his hoarse shout and how his fingers dug into her hair, holding her for his possession. When he pulled away, he became painstakingly gentle, stroking his thumb over her jaw as he eased back.

“So sweet. So beautiful.” He spoke more sexy words in Russian, as if she’d slayed him half as much as the act had slayed her.

Her eyes held his, not willing for it to end. She greedily licked his cock clean, reveling in every sensation she could wring from his powerful body.

He bent down and lifted her into his arms. “Are you dripping for me?”

She nodded, unable to form words. With as feverish as she felt, she’d probably come the second he put his hands on her.

He tossed her on the bed, ordering, “Open.” But he didn’t have the patience to wait. He gripped her ankles, forced her legs wide, and slid his hands between them. She gasped. Her hips undulated uncontrollably at his hold and scrutiny. “Good girl. You saved this for me.”

He leaned in and ran his hands slowly over the slickness before his mouth descended on her clit. His fingers toyed with her as his hot mouth licked and sucked relentlessly. A silent cry escaped her lips as the first pulses swam over her. Even then, he didn’t stop. His thumbs spread her wider for his seeking tongue. He ate her, feasted like a man starved, forcing orgasm after orgasm on her. When he growled into her flesh, the vibration nearly sent her off the bed. She keened and thrashed until she had to pull his hair to force him away, swearing she’d die.

“I want you to come to me until you leave London,” he demanded while her body was still jerking with tremors. Her mouth went dry and she held her breath.

“I’m here for twelve more days.” She wasn’t sure if she was reminding herself or answering a question he hadn’t asked. Could she spend those nights with him? She’d been obsessed with him for years. As long as it was just sex, things should be fine. Her mind buzzed with questions and answers as he stared down at her.

“I know how long you’re here,” he pointed out as he seemed to read her every thought. That was what made him dangerous. “Come to me.”

“It can’t be every night,” she heard herself say. She wanted more. She wasn’t ready to give it up. She had too many fantasies to fit in a night. With all the stress in her life right now, didn’t she deserve this? She sucked in a ragged breath, knowing she was being selfish. “And with another stipulation. It’s only sex. No talking.”

She wasn’t sure she liked the glint in his eye, but she was too distracted by his smile. It was sexy as hell.

He leaned in and kissed her, blissfully taking away all thought. She felt his cock coming to life against her leg and moaned her approval. Her body wouldn’t survive being in his bed even every other night.