Page 28 of Bloody Lace

I can’t recall ever needing any woman as badly as I need her in this moment. My cock is throbbing, desire pulsing through me like a second heartbeat, and I sweep my tongue over the seam of her lips again, aching for her to open up to me. Every thought is gone from my head except one—I need Evelyn, and I need her now. Up against this door, on the floor of the entryway—I don’t care, so long as I can keep tasting her. So long as I can find out what she feels like enveloping my cock as I fuck her.

Evelyn’s mouth parts, but not to deepen the kiss. For one brief second, I think I can feel her softening against me—and then her teeth sink into my lower lip hard as she reaches up with her free hand and shoves against my chest with all of her strength.

Shocked, I stagger backwards, tasting blood. Evelyn looks like she’s ready to spit fire, her expression murderous as she stares at me.

“You really think I’m going to come stay with you afterthat?” she hisses. “Did you forget about our fucking agreement, Dimitri? How dare you—how fucking dare?—”

I hold up my hands, trying to think through the fog of lust that’s settled over me. My lip is bleeding and my cock is still rock hard, and all I can think is that I’d let her bite me again if I could kiss her one more time.

“Come stay with me or don’t,” I manage, taking another step back and dropping my hands to my sides. “But Gusisstaying, Evelyn. You can’t defend yourself if that man, or someone else from the Crows, shows up here. And I promised to protect you. You can accept that, or you can back out of our deal, but if I walk away from here and Gus is with me, we’re done.”

I’m calling her bluff, and I think she knows it. I’ve never wanted to do it less. Right now, the thought of her backing outof our agreement, with the taste of her still on my lips and the feeling of her body against mine seared into me, all I want is to never let her out of my sight again. I’m not sure Icanlet her back out any longer. If I were to leave with Gus, if I were to leave her alone, the danger to her would be monumental. And I’m not sure I could live with myself if I left her in that kind of danger.

I see the moment it hits her. What it means for her, if I walk away from our deal. “You mean it,” she whispers, and there’s hurt in her voice. I’ve hurt her, by telling her I’m willing to abandon her and her dreams of restoring her boutique, and I feel a sharp jab of pain in my chest at the realization.

But it’s worth it, if it keeps her safe.

“I do,” I tell her firmly, doubling down, and Evelyn presses her lips together, her eyes suddenly shiny.

“Fine,” she says, that one sharp word telling me that a divide has opened up between us. A gulf that I might not ever be able to bridge. But in the end, considering how badly I want her, maybe it’s better that way.

“Good.” I bite out the word just as sharply, and her gaze holds mine, her eyes narrowing as she realizes she’s not going to win this battle of wills. She’s not going to convince me to back down. And as she does, she shoves herself away from the door, stalking towards her kitchen.

“If he’s staying, you might as well show him in,” she throws over her shoulder, slamming drawers as she starts to rummage through them. “Let him see where he’ll be staying.”

I’m so relieved that she’s acquiesced that I don’t hesitate. I open the door, motioning for Gus to come in, which he does without a word. He steps inside, and Evelyn turns to look at me, a teabag in her hand.

“You can go,” she says dismissively. “Now that my guard dog is here.”

There’s another flurry of barking from somewhere, as if a dog in the building heard her say exactly that and took offense to it. I look at Gus, whose face is perfectly impassive.

“I’ll make sure she’s safe, boss,” he says gruffly, and Evelyn lets out a dramatic gasp.

“Oh my god, he speaks.”

“Don’t be rude,l’vitsa.” I glance at her. “This man is going to take a bullet for you, if need be. At least be polite to him.”

She looks slightly chagrined at that, although she’s still looking at me as if she wants to slap me, or maybe bite me again. The thought makes my cock throb uncomfortably, and I clear my throat, looking at Gus.

“Keep me aware of what’s going on,” I tell him firmly. “Anything that you see or hear, let me know. If there are any problems, let me know. Don’t hesitate.”

Gus nods. “Got it, boss.”

Evelyn has already turned back to her tea-making, pointedly ignoring me. I know trying to talk to her further isn’t going to go well, and frankly, I can’t think straight to even begin to know what to say. So instead, I turn on my heel, stalking out of the apartment and motioning for Vik to follow me.

“Where to?” my driver asks as I slide back into the car, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, thinking of going back to what I was doing before Evelyn called—which was sitting in my office at my father’s mansion, dealing with paperwork. I can’t fathom going back to doing that right now, with my head a fog of lust and my cock still rock-hard from that kiss. I can still taste my own blood on my tongue, and every time I remember her biting me it brings my erection back full-force.

I already know I’m going to spend our entire marriage getting far too acquainted with my own hand. The thought is almost painful, my erection straining against the fly of my pants in protest, but I meant what I said to her. I don’t want to bea man who cheats on his wife, regardless of the circumstances of the marriage. It’s part of what drove me to flee my potential engagement to Nicci.

I’m not married yet.It’s splitting hairs, and I’m well aware that sleeping with someone else during my engagement would still, in most circumstances, count as cheating. But I’m desperate, and I can’t fucking think past the steady pulse of lust throbbing in my cock.

If I’m going to spend months or years with a cold bed, I might as well get it out of my system, first.

“Head to theVault,” I tell the driver, leaning back in my seat as Vik slides into the passenger’s side, having made certain we weren’t followed. “I’ve got some business to take care of there.”

The Vault is an establishment my father created some years ago, one of many legitimate businesses that cover for our more illegal dealings. It’s a black-card member club, one that offers exclusive membership to less than a hundred members, for an exorbitant yearly fee, and provides them with top-of-the-line entertainment any time of the day or night. Drinks, food, women, spa services, pleasures of any kind—they can all be had within the walls of the Vault, and right now, I know exactly which pleasures I’m interested in.

The kind that I’m about to cut myself off from, once I make vows to Evelyn.

---