Page 50 of Ruthless Daddies

“Yes,” I say finally, my voice quiet but firm. “I did.”

“She must have been really special,” she says softly.

“She was,” I reply, though the words feel hollow. Elena was special, but not in the way Alice seems to think. She wasn’t my great love, my once-in-a-lifetime connection.

And that’s not even the scariest part. It’s the fact that I might be falling for Alice.

I take her hand and start leading her away from the balcony.

“Ivan,” she starts. “Where are we going?”

I don’t reply, nor do I look at her till I reach my room. The click of the lock echoes in the quiet, and for a moment, I just stand there, staring at her. She looks small in the dim light, her arms crossed like she’s trying to shield herself from me, or maybe from whatever is happening between us.

I shouldn’t have brought her here. This is a mistake.

But I can’t stop myself. Not tonight.

She shifts under my gaze, biting her lip as she glances around the room. “This is the first time I’ve seen your room,” she says, her voice soft.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “And it’s probably the last time you should,” I reply, stepping closer. “You shouldn’t be here, Alice.”

“Then why did you bring me here?” she asks, her eyes locking with mine.

The question punches through me. Why did I bring her here? Because I can’t stop thinking about her. Because the thought of her with Dmitri or Nikolai drives me mad. Because no matter how much I tell myself I need to stay away, I keep finding myself drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

I step closer, until there’s barely any space between us. Her scent surrounds me—soft, sweet, intoxicating. I raise a hand, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and she shivers under my touch. “Because I can’t help myself,” I admit, my voice low and rough. “You get under my skin, Alice. You make me…lose control.”

Her breath hitches, and for a moment, I think she might pull away. But then she tilts her chin up, her eyes searching mine. “Maybe I don’t want you to stay in control,” she whispers.

It’s all the permission I need. I close the distance between us, my lips crashing against hers. The kiss is hard, desperate, years of restraint and pent-up frustration spilling out all at once. She moans softly, her hands gripping the front of my shirt as she presses against me.

I can’t think. I can’t breathe. All I can do is feel—the softness of her lips, the warmth of her body, the way she melts into me like she belongs there.

I back her up toward the bed, my hands sliding down to her hips. She gasps when the backs of her knees hit the mattress, and I take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, my tongue tangling with hers. The sound she makes—half moan, half sigh—drives me insane.

“Tell me to stop,” I murmur against her lips, my voice trembling. “If you want me to stop, tell me now.”

She shakes her head, her fingers threading through my hair as she pulls me closer. “Don’t stop,” she breathes.

I push her down onto the bed, covering her body with mine. My hands move over her, pulling her shirt up and over her head, revealing soft, pale skin that practically begs to be touched. My lips follow the path of my hands, kissing her neck, her collarbone, the curve of her shoulder. She arches beneath me, her breaths coming faster as I work my way lower.

Her hands tug at my shirt, and I help her pull it off, the fabric landing somewhere on the floor. She looks up at me, her eyes wide and dark with desire, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“God, Alice,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her again, slower this time, savoring every second. “You’re going to destroy me.”

Her fingers trail down my chest, exploring every inch of bare skin before finding the waistband of my pants. Her touch is tentative at first, but as I groan against her lips, she grows bolder, unbuttoning and sliding them down.

We move together like we’ve done this a hundred times, like this is where we were always meant to end up. My hands slip beneath her waistband, pulling her shorts down and leaving her bare beneath me. She trembles as I trail kisses down her stomach, herhips, her thighs, and the sounds she makes—the way she calls my name—are enough to unravel me completely.

I pull back just enough to look at her, my hand sliding up her leg. “Are you sure?” I ask, my voice low and hoarse.

Her answer comes in the form of a soft smile and a whispered “Yes.”

I help her, shoving my pants down and kicking them off, my cock springing free, thick and hard.

Her gaze drops, and I catch the way her lips part, the faint hitch in her breath as she looks at me. It’s a reaction I’ll never get tired of.

I lower myself over her, my lips finding hers again as I press my hips against hers, letting her feel just how much I want her. She moans into my mouth, her hands gripping my shoulders as she arches up to meet me.

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