Page 40 of His Hold

I go faster, fingers plunging deeper, which takes me a few minutes. I go stiff, breathless, teetering on the edge. “I’m coming, Nik. Oh, Nik…”

“Come for me!” he commands, his voice a snarl. “Come all over those fingers, you gorgeous fucking mess.”

I crumble into the bed as the orgasm rips through me, dying down to a trickle, leaving me shaking. Nikolai stands, comes to me, eyes wild with lust. “Suck me off. I want to fuck your mouth right now, Katya.”

His commands are rough, jagged, no trace of gentleness left in him, and fuck, I like it. I like how he takes what he wants, how he’s peeling me open, and right now he wants to finish in my mouth, claim it like it’s his. I part my lips wide, obedient, desperate, and he sets his beautiful, hard flesh on my tongue. I close my mouth around him, sucking, licking, tasting the saltiness of his pre-come coating my throat.

“Oohh…” he breathes with a shuddering growl.

He gathers my hair in his fist, tugs hard until a burning pain sears my scalp, and forces me deeper, urging me to give him what he craves. “Fuck me,” he insists, groaning, thrusting his cock into my mouth, those mighty hips snapping like he owns me. “Take it, baby. Choke on it. You love this, don’t you?”

I’m hot and flushed everywhere. I want to taste his come, need it, want to swallow every drop of him until I’m drowning in it. My tongue swirls, so sloppy and eager, stretching my lips tight around him, my spit slicking my chin.

When he stiffens. I know he’s about to come, and I’m rabid for it. I hum against the crown of his cock as the vibrations buzz through him, knowing it’ll break him apart—and it does.

He releases, coming in my mouth, and spills over my tongue as his hands trap my hair, pulling me into place. He’s moaning, my name a ragged prayer on his lips, “Fuck, yes, take it all,” and I do, gulping him down, greedy, lost in the taste of his ruin. When he’s done, spent and trembling, he pulls out of me, tucks his cock back in his pants, and hauls me up. His hands cradle my face, and his eyes—they’re the softest now, a sick contrast to the beast he just was. He’s oddly… soft.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs. “So beautiful.” His thumbs stroke my cheeks, smearing the mess he made, and I’m wrecked, caught in the chaos of us, wanting more.

Chapter 12

Nikolai

I step out of the cabin, bracing myself against the sharp bite of the cold. The snow’s settled some, and it’s not as vicious as last night, but the ground’s still a frozen mess. Every step feels like wading through broken glass. I move quickly and check the perimeter, scouring the area for tracks or anything out of place. Can’t be too careful. Not with her here.

The traps I’d set before are rusted and useless. I toss them aside and start resetting new ones. I found just basic snares and alarms made from scraps around the cabin. It’s crude, but it’ll do the job. Anyone stupid enough to come this far will get their warning.

I shove my hands into my pockets, eyeing the tree line. Nothing but dead branches and snow. But that’s how it always is before someone makes their move. It’s not paranoia if they really are out to kill you.

When I’m satisfied nothing’s waiting to rip my head off, I head back inside. The cabin’s colder than I left it, but the fire’s still smoldering. She’s in the room, huddled under the thin blanket I tossed her way last night. The stubborn thing’s still shivering.

“You’re freezing,” I say, stepping over to her. She looks half-dead, face pale, lips cracked. But her eyes track me like she’s waiting for a blow.

“No shit,” she snaps, voice rough from sleep. “This place feels like a goddamn icebox.”

“That’s because it is.” I drop down beside her, the bed creaking under my weight. She doesn’t move away, just watches me with that wary look like I’m going to knife her in her sleep. “The heat is limited. Deal with it.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re like a damn furnace.” She shifts, trying to find some comfort in the lumpy mattress. “I’m pretty sure my toes are numb.”

“Then warm up,” I say, tugging her closer. She stiffens but doesn’t fight it. Smart girl.

“You’re just using me as a heater,” she mutters, but she burrows into my side anyway. “Not exactly what I imagined when I pictured revenge.”

“You expected something else?”

“I expected answers.” Her voice drops, something raw slipping through the cracks. “About Irina.”

“Still stuck on that, huh?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” She looks at me, eyes hard. “If it were someone you cared about?”

“Caring about people gets you killed.” It’s the truth. But her expression makes me wish I’d lied.

“Maybe.” She’s quiet for a moment. “But Irina didn’t deserve to just disappear. And you… you were there. You might know something.”

“I told you, I was hired to escort her. That’s it.”

“But you saw things. Heard things.” Her fingers tremble where they clutch the blanket. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

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