Page 4 of Conquer
“Wait!” She tugs at his hand until he stills. Then she scans her room with laser focus. Spotting her doll, Biphany, on the nightstand, she grabs it, tucking it under her arm. Vadim seems to read his cue and stoops to lift something else from the floor—two halves of a decapitated teddy bear.
Magda sighs with relief and eagerly grasps for the torn pieces.
“We should fix him,non?” Vadim suggests as he sits on the side of her bed.
Magda nods solemnly even as she crushes the deflated bear to her chest, damaged or not.
“He needs advanced surgery,” she decides, eyeing It’s head with a weary sigh. “Multiple stitches. A stuffing transfusion… You’ll do it?” She looks so wary as she phrases the question, almost as if she’s afraid he’ll refuse.
And Vadim, well aware of the gravity of the task, nods with the demeanor of a world-renowned surgeon. “Of course. It will be a grueling surgery,” he explains, stroking a bit of the bear’s ivory fur. “But I’m sure that if he is a good lad, he’ll come through. Maybe with a present to mark his bravery.”
“Good.” Magda closes her eyes, snuggling beneath her blankets. Within seconds, she’s already drifting off.
Quietly, Vadim and I escape her room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind us. Once we reach the bedroom, however, Mommy and Daddy lose the “E for everyone” rating.
My thoughts instantly shift to Irina, and a question about her is already on the tip of my tongue when I sense Vadim come up behind me.
“Merde.” He grabs me, wrenching up my sodden dress and cups me directly between my legs. The desperation with which he does so tempers the answering lust sparking to life inside my belly. He’s more possessive than sensual, yanking me around so swiftly I have to clutch his shoulders just to stay upright. His mouth finds my throat, lips parting, teeth latching with a searing nip that makes me gasp.
Lust ignites my blood like liquid fire—so potent that I almost forget the world-shattering event at the forefront. Almost.
“Irina,” I rasp as he strokes me, applying devious pressure to my clit, enhancing the placement of my piercing.Holy crap.I nearly lose my train of thought, and then I realize as his eyes hungrily watch me bite down a moan—that’s what he wants.
To distract me.
“Tell me what happened.” With difficultly, I break away from him, backing up to put distance between us. My body hums, craving him, but I force myself to deny the desire and meet his gaze with what I hope passes for a stern expression. “Tell me. What did she want? Is she still holding up the adoption?”
He turns away, putting his back to me. A heavy sigh betrays the exhaustion he hid so well in front of Magda—and the alarming instability that has become his hallmark. How he rakes his hands through his hair. Trembles with emotion. Gets that hard, low note in his voice I’ve come to associate with some impulsive gesture—like tying me up. Twice.
“I will tell you everything,” he swears, his shoulders hunched, body radiating tension. “If, you tell me something first…”
My breath catches as I advance a step toward him. “Anything.”
“Tell me that you’ll marry me.” He whirls around, fixing me with the full intensity of his gaze, and I stagger backward. His eyes are so damn dark, so fucking earnest and determined all at once. My throat dampens, my body pulsating even as alarm bells go off at the back of my mind.
Only as he starts to advance do I fully register what he said. “Vadim—”
“Tomorrow,” he interjects as he continues to approach, backing me into a corner. Within a heartbeat, I’m trapped, forced to crane my neck just to take him in. “I already have the paperwork drawn up. Together, we will file for joint custody over Magdalene—”
“Slow down!” I place my hand on his chest, my voice breaking.
“You will adopt her,” he continues as if I’d never spoken. “My lawyer has already set plans in motion to expedite the request. All I need is your signature. I have a judge on my payroll, ready to validate them—”
“Wait!” I feel like I’m spinning, forced to brace myself against the wall just to gain some semblance of stability. “Tell me what happened. What did Irina—”
“Fuck Irina!” His voice booms, startling me with the ferocity. The vitriol. The…fear. Too late, he seems to realize his mistake. His eyes dart to the door, his head cocked to listen for any hint of Magda stirring.
While he’s distracted, I take my chance and escape to the opposite end of the bed.
“Tell me what happened,” I plead, making my voice as soothing as I can. “Talk to me—”
“She is irrelevant,” he says coldly. “You tellme. Say yes.”
“Vadim…” I lean against the wall, my face in my hands. “This is a lot to take in. Maybe if you explain what happened—”
“It doesn’t matter what happened. You claimed you wanted a relationship with me. Or will you let a woman you’ve never even met be your excuse to run?”
I blink. “I’m sorry?”
