Page 100 of Cashmere Cruelty

“I don’t see a little April in this happy ending.”

“Little April got driven to school by a really nice nurse.” I shrug. “She gave me a lollipop. Most nutritious breakfast I’d had all week.” When I see the way Matvey’s eyes widen, I give him a playful punch on the shoulder. “Kidding. Though it was a really nice lollipop.”

Still staring at me like I’ve gone halfway crazy, Matvey says, “I assume this is why you’re against it. Inducing.”

I give a slight nod. “After what happened with Mom… I don’t want to go through that. Not if I can avoid it.”

I brace myself for the pushback. I’ve had to defend my choice to every doctor I’ve spoken to—including Dr. Allan—and I just know Matvey isn’t going to be happy with it. Someone with his penchant for control? He’d want to schedule it down to the minute. “Look, I get that?—”

“Then don’t.”

I blink. “Sorry, what?”

“Don’t induce,” Matvey says, like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “There’s no point risking both your lives like that. When the baby’s ready, it’ll come.”

My eyes are probably the size of watermelons right now. “Wow.”

Matvey frowns. “Did I say something funny?”

“Nope. I just…” I force myself to float back down to Earth. “Honestly, I was expecting a cage fight about this. Who are you and what have you done with Matvey?”

“I think the steam’s gone to your head.”

“You know what? Me, too,” I say, turning around. “Because there’s no way you just agreed with me.”

Matvey brushes a wet lock of hair behind my ear. “Stranger things have happened.”

I can feel heat rising to my cheeks. “Stranger than Matvey Groza telling me I get to be the boss? I don’t think so, no.”

Suddenly, it strikes me: I’m naked, dripping wet, and straddling Matvey’s lap. I didn’t end up in this position purposefully, but now that I’m here…

Now, I kind of don’t want to leave.

“You can be the boss of some things,” Matvey concedes.

“Like my body?” I hazard.

With a wicked smirk, Matvey’s hands move down my frame. One of them settles on my hip, while the other…

“Ah…!”

I gasp at the intrusion. I’m still stretched and sensitive from before—it takes nothing at all for his finger to slip right in.

“No,” Matvey breathes directly into my ear. “Definitely not that.”

His finger starts pumping in and out of me. Slow—maddening—until I’m panting with need.

“You see, Ms. Flowers,” Matvey rasps, with that sandpaper tone of his that never fails to set me on fire, “I’m a real stickler for rules. The rulesIset, specifically.”

I grip his shoulders. Without my permission, my hips begin to move, chasing Matvey’s touch to make it deeper.

But Matvey doesn’t let me. Every time I sink down onto him, he draws back, leaving me with nothing except the exact amount of frictionhewants to give me. It’s enough to drive me wild.

“And we both know…” Matvey breathes against my neck, grazing it with his teeth. “You like following them.”

Suddenly, he grabs my hips and turns me around. I reach behind my back to find purchase—something, anything—until I finally find his hair. Nails digging into his scalp, I let out a whine.

I hate how right he is. How easily he’s seen through me. When we’re like this—lined up, ready to sink into each other—I want nothing more than to stop thinking. About myself, my memories, everything.

---