Page 34 of Between Power and Passion

I wake up gasping, my heart pounding like a war drum. My shirt clings to my skin, soaked with sweat. For a moment, I’m disoriented, the nightmare too vivid to shake off. I sit up abruptly, the room spinning as reality crashes back into place.

“Dmitri!” Valentina’s voice cuts through the fog of terror. Her hands are on my shoulders, grounding me.

I try to steady my breathing, but each gasp feels like a knife in my chest. “I... I’m sorry,” I manage to choke out, but it feels inadequate. The images from the nightmare still cling to me like shadows.

“Hey,” she whispers softly, her fingers brushing through my hair. “It’s okay. It was just a dream.”

But it wasn’t just a dream. It was a memory, a horrifying memory that will never fade away. My hands tremble as I rub them over my face, trying to wipe away the remnants of sleep and terror.

“Look at me,” Valentina says firmly, her eyes locking onto mine. “You’re safe now.”

Her words are like an anchor in the storm raging inside me. I nod slowly, not trusting myself to speak without breaking down completely.

She shifts closer, her body pressing against mine in an attempt to offer comfort. Her warmth is a stark contrast to the cold grip of fear still clutching at me.

“You’re here with me,” she continues, her voice steady and soothing. “We’ll get through this together.”

Her certainty is both a balm and a burden. Together? Can we truly navigate this hellish world together? But right now, I need her strength more than anything else.

I pull her into my arms, holding her tight—as if she might vanish if I let go. She doesn’t resist; instead, she wraps her arms around me and holds on just as fiercely.

“I’m here,” she whispers against my neck.

The sensation of her breath on my skin grounds me further, pulling me out of the nightmare’s clutches inch by inch.

“I can’t lose you,” I murmur into her hair.

“You won’t,” she promises without hesitation.

I wish I could believe her fully. But for now, in this moment, her presence is enough to keep the darkness at bay.

We sit there in silence for what feels like hours but is likely only minutes. Her heartbeat against mine slowly brings me back from the edge of panic.

Finally, when I feel somewhat steady again, I pull back slightly to look at her face illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering through the window.

“I don’t deserve you,” I confess quietly.

“Hush,” she scolds softly but lovingly as she cups my face in her hands. “We deserve each other.”

Valentina's lips press against mine, a soft but urgent kiss that I can't resist. My hands move to her waist, pulling her closer as I deepen the kiss. Her taste, her warmth—it’s intoxicating. For a moment, all the pain and nightmares dissolve in her embrace.

She shifts, climbing onto my lap with a grace that sends shivers down my spine. Her fingers trail down my chest, each touch igniting a fire inside me. She breaks the kiss, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that leaves me breathless. Slowly, she kisses her way down my neck, each press of her lips leaving a burning trail.

"Valentina," I groan as she moves lower, my voice husky with desire and restraint. My hands instinctively grip the sheets beneath me.

She doesn’t stop, her kisses becoming more insistent as she reaches my stomach. My muscles tense under her touch, anticipation coiling tightly within me. When she finally reaches my dick, she looks up at me through her dark lashes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Dmitri," she whispers before licking the tip gently. The sensation sends a jolt through my body, and I can't help the groan that escapes my lips.

"You don't have to do this," I manage to say, even as every fiber of my being begs for more.

"I want to," she replies simply, her voice filled with determination and something else—desire.

Her mouth envelops me then, and I lose all coherent thought. She bobs her head up and down, taking me deeper each time. The wet warmth of her mouth combined with the rhythm of her movements is almost too much to bear.

"Valentina," I moan, my hands tangling in her hair as I struggle to maintain control. The sight of her doing this for me—her willingness and eagerness—it drives me wild.

She sucks harder, her head moving faster now. Each bob brings me closer to the edge, pleasure building rapidly in the pit of my stomach. My breaths come in ragged gasps as I feel myself teetering on the brink of release.

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