Lucy opened her eyes in the predawn gloom and blinked hard. It took her a minute to figure out where she was. Pavlov snored on the floor beside the bed, on his side, legs sprawled. Something warm pressed tight to her back though. Not the dog, obviously, so what else?

She rolled slightly to peer over her shoulder, the heavy weight around her waist making any sudden movements impossible, and found Ben snoozing behind her. His warm breath fanned the nape of her neck and his long dark eyelashes cast shadows on his high cheekbones and damn if her heart didn’t ache at the sight.

Honestly, she’d never planned to sleep in his bed tonight, but she’d been concerned because of his head injury and had watched enough medical dramas on TV to know that you were supposed to check on concussion victims every so often to make sure they were still breathing and hadn’t slipped into a coma. So, every two hours she’d traipsed in here to check on Ben. But the longer the night wore on, the sleepier Lucy had gotten. Not surprising, given the shock she’d had earlier. Seeing her dad again, strutting around that art gallery, flaunting his stolen wealth—it had sparked so much anger inside her. Anger and betrayal.

All her insecurities and pain from her childhood had rushed back like a tsunami. He’d never cared about her at all. If he had, then he would’ve stayed, would’ve been present in her life despite the divorce from her mom. Would’ve at least tried to contact her somehow, but nope. Nothing. Not in all these years.

She’d been so dumb, trying to find him. Like confronting him would give her some sense of closure. It didn’t, of course, only pissed her off. Though throwing her champagne in his face had been satisfying. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the astonished look on his face, liquid dripping off the end of his nose and beading on the front of that impossibly expensive suit he’d had on. It was comical really, when you thought about it. She giggled despite the situation.

“What are you laughing at, milen'kiy?” Ben murmured, his voice rough with sleep and his lips soft against her skin.

Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she rolled onto her back and checked the bandage on his forehead. It was clean and dry, which meant the bleeding had stopped. Good, especially with his insistence on not going to the ER. She’d been so worried all night that something horrible would happen and he’d die because she had no idea how to help him. But she should’ve expected that too, she supposed. He was Bratva. They were hardcore, mostly criminal, dangerous to no end. Yet, when she was with Ben, he was smart and charming and kind. And she’d never felt safer in her life.

He squinted one eye open to look at her, his expression still dreamy. “Why are you in my bed?”

She smiled. She should be asking herself the same question, since after their last night together, things had been a disaster. Lucy gave a little shrug. “You were hurt. I was worried about you. With your head injury, I didn’t want to have you go and die on me and then how would I handle my father?”

Both golden amber eyes open now and staring at her with his too-perceptive gaze, Ben reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear. It took all her willpower not to purr and lean into his touch, no matter the troubles between them, no matter the short time they’d known each other. Her chemistry with Ben was incredible and she’d never experienced anything like it before.

“Given how you handled him last night, I think you’d have no problem putting Mishin in his place, milen'kiy.” His fingers traced lazy patterns on her shoulder, her neck, her arm and Lucy couldn’t contain a shiver of pleasure. It was hard to concentrate when he was touching her, stroking her. His soft, full lips were so close now that she could lean in and kiss him, taste him, make him feel as good as he did her, but she stopped.

He’d made it clear that his plans did not include more sex with her and after last night, she was all about showing him she could stick with the plan.

That seemed to be working out for her too, until Ben leaned in to nuzzle the pulse point at the base of Lucy’s neck and her senses rioted. Lacing her shaky fingers through his hair, she whispered, “Uh, what’s happening here?”

“Hmm?” Ben murmured between kisses on her skin. “If you need me to draw you a diagram, milen'kiy, then I’m doing it wrong.”

She bit back a moan, snagging her lower lip between her teeth. “B-but, I thought you said…” He moved one of his legs between hers, allowing her to feel the full extent of his arousal pressed against her thigh. When he went full-on seduction like this, it was hard enough to think, let alone speak. “I t-thought you didn’t w-want to…”

Ben lifted his head and held himself above her, his weight resting on his arms on either side of her head. “It was never that I didn’t want to, it was that I don’t want to lose control. My plan is to take things slow this time, to savor every inch of you, to be careful…and to keep you safe. Can you accept this plan?”

At the moment, with molten desire erupting within her like a volcano, he could’ve said he wanted her to fly to Mars and back and she’d have accepted. In answer, she tugged him down for a deep, hot, open-mouthed kiss. By the time Lucy pulled away, they were both breathless and straining. “Yes, I accept.”

“Otilchno.” Excellent. He moved fast, tugging the oversized shirt over Lucy’s head, leaving her in just her red lacy panties from earlier. He’d slept in boxer briefs and nothing else, and his hard cock now stretched the front of the cotton to near breaking point. She reached between them and stroked him through the fabric, savoring his deep groan of satisfaction.

“Nyet,” he said, taking hold of her wrist and pulling her hand away. He kissed her palm before wrapping her hand around the iron bars of his bed frame. “I’m in charge, remember? This time I need to stay in control. Keep your hands there, unless I say otherwise. Understand?”

She’d never really been into the D/s scene before, but something about his commanding tone sent her passion skyrocketing. Lucy nodded, feeling more turned on than she could ever remember in her life. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” Ben asked, kissing his way down the side of her neck to her breasts. He hovered over one nipple, his hot breath scorching her skin, teasing her.

Lucy gripped the iron bars tight in her hands, her frustration mounting as she arched, desperate to feel his warm, wet tongue on her flesh. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Very good.” He flashed her a wicked grin before taking her nipple into his mouth, caressing it with his tongue while toying with its twin between his fingers. All the nerves in her body seemed focused on that one touch, that one kiss. She cried out, wanting more, needing more and his cock pulsed hot against her leg.

“Please,” Lucy begged.

“Please what, milen'kiy?” Ben asked, moving to lavish attention on her other breast. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want…” Lucy gasped, feeling like she’d die if she couldn’t feel him inside her right now. “I want you to fuck me.”

Ben chuckled and nipped the side of her breast playfully. The mix of pleasure and pain intensified her need. “You want me that bad?”

“God, yes!” she growled, bucking her hips against him hoping he could feel the heat between her legs. “I need you inside me, right now.”

“All in good time, milen'kiy.” He trailed his tongue down the center of her abdomen, removing her panties, then spreading her thighs wider with his hands. “All in good time.”

He was taking this control thing to a whole new level, Lucy thought absently as he puffed air over her sensitive folds, driving her mad with desire. She tried to arch into him again, but he pressed a hand gently to her stomach, stopping her.

“Control, remember?” he said, just before he spread her slick folds with his thumbs and traced his tongue over her hard clit. She screamed, not from pain, but from so much pleasure she thought she’d die from it. Pavlov whimpered and ran out of the room in a scurry of nails against hardwood, but Lucy was far too gone to care.

Ben continued to lick her gently while working first one, then two fingers into her tight walls. Soon, she was grinding against his mouth and hands, so close to orgasm she could taste it. His plan was all about him staying in control. He’d never said anything about her losing herself in passion.

Taking her clit between his lips, he circled his tongue around her and he curved his fingers upward inside her and that was all it took. She climaxed hard, fireworks exploding behind her closed eyelids as the world dissolved into glorious sensation. He coaxed her through wave after wave until she slowly relaxed against the mattress in a puddle of satisfied goo.

He gave one last kiss to her quivering abdomen, then stood fast to remove his boxers and slick on a condom. Ben returned to her and kissed his way back up her body to her mouth, kissing her hard and deep, allowing her to taste the spicy flavor of her own arousal. Overcome, she let go of the bars to embrace him, only to remember his command and quickly grab hold again.

Ben pulled away and smiled down at her, the tip of his cock poised at her wet entrance. “Very good, milen'kiy. Keep them there. No touching until I say.”

“Yes, sir,” she purred, lifting her hips slightly to encourage him. “Whatever you say, sir.”

“That’s better.” Biceps straining, he held himself above her, his heat surrounding her without his body touching hers. “Are you ready for me?”

“Please, sir. Fuck me, sir.” Lucy said, her breath panting.

“Da.” He drove himself deep within her in one long stroke, then held still, allowing her body time to adjust. Arms shaking slightly, Ben nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear. “How does that feel, Lucy? Tell me.”

“Full.” She moaned.  “So full, and tight, and wonderful, sir.”

Slowly, Ben withdrew to his tip then thrust forward again, building his rhythm steadily until they were both close to orgasm again. From the shake of his muscles and the flush of his cheeks, Lucy could tell his tether of control was slipping farther with each grind of their bodies together. She couldn’t help testing him, even though it went against his careful plans.

“Are you close, sir?” she asked, rocking against him and clasping her inner muscles tight around his cock, milking him for all he was worth.

He groaned deep in his throat, rough and feral, his heated amber gaze narrowing on her. “Don’t do that again.”

“Do what, sir?” She squeezed him tight once more, knowing exactly what she was doing. Control was for the boardroom, not the bedroom. Lucy rocked her hips against him again, loving the friction of her clit against his pelvic bone. “This, sir?”

With a roar, his tight control slipped its leash again and he all but devoured her with kisses and caresses, his thrusts growing harder, faster, deeper as they hurtled toward the edge of oblivion. She cried out as a second hard climax crashed over her and Ben wasn’t far behind.

Once, twice, he drove into her then came hard, his back arched and his face tight with need. She let go of the headboard at last and held him close, easing them both down from the pinnacle of passion to earth again.

Sated and sleepy, they cuddled together. He tucked her tight against him, his arm around her waist and his lips nuzzling her hair. Deep in her mind, she knew there would be repercussions from his side for this slip up on his plans, but for now she couldn’t bring herself to care. Ben was here, in her arms, and this was all she wanted.