Page 86 of Thorns of Lust
A comfortable, yet deceitful silence consumed us both. We might not be saying anything, but there were so many words that filled this room.
I waited, holding my breath. He hadn’t touched me. But my skin lit up like he had. His citrusy scent I loved so much filled the closed space of the safe room.
“You smell like roses. That scent has become my addiction after I hated it for years,” he uttered softly. I gasped, his words shocking me. Then the meaning registered.
“Why did you hate it?” My voice was soft, vulnerability lacing it. It was stupid but I didn’t want him to hateme.
“My mother’s perfume was similar,” he admitted, keeping his voice even. Cold even. But underneath it all, he hid his own vulnerability. I could feel it as if it was my own. “She betrayed my father as a husband and as thePakhan.”
The meaning lingered in the air. There was no need for clarifications. You didn’t survive betrayingPakhan. It opened the door for weakness and more attempts.
“I’m sorry.” The word paled in comparison to what he had to feel learning of his mother’s betrayal. “How old were you?”
“Six.”
“So young,” I murmured.
“You were even younger,” he remarked, keeping my gaze. So he’d seen the video. I hoped he’d just delete them without watching them, but then that would make him a lousy criminal. Wouldn’t it?
“I didn’t see it. I didn’t feel it. I imagine it hurt Sasha more.”
He nodded.
How in the hell did we get here? Enemies to what… reluctant friends. Friends with benefits? Or maybe lovers? Either way, my brothers would tell me to be cautious trusting this man. Scratch that, they’d lock me in this room and keep me here until I forgot about him. Not that I ever could.
That sharp jawline. Those eyes that pulled you into the pits of hell and for some reason you liked it. God, the things he could do with that beautiful, smug mouth and those strong hands. How in the hell wasn’t this man taken?
Maybe singlehood was a hazard of his occupation. After all, he was the Pakhan.
My eyes traveled over him. He should look ridiculous wearing his expensive black Brioni suit, sitting on the floor, but he looked graceful. Like a panther resting, ready to pounce if needed.
My pulse sped up. My skin buzzed with anticipation. My breaths felt choppy.
I reached for my glass of water, my fingers trembling lightly. The tension between us sparked like fireworks on the 4th of July. My body craved his touch, and I started to wonder whether I replaced one addiction for another.
But at this very moment, I didn’t care. He shared a piece of himself with me and I wanted another. In all the years I’d known Adrian, he had never shared anything from his childhood. Not a single memory. The most he had ever shared was that night we danced in that parking lot in Russia.
Illias’ eyes were on me, studying me. His gaze filled with something soft and dark, like he’d waited for me his entire life. It was ludicrous, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling.
Crawling on my knees, I closed the distance between us. On all fours, I brought my face an inch from his. The smell of him made me feel dizzy. I pressed my lips to his, then trailed my mouth down his jaw, to his ear, down to his collar. He inhaled a heavy breath and the woman in me felt victorious.
I made an impact on him. It was me who made his heart beat hard in his chest.
My eyes fluttered shut as I gave in to the kiss. His tongue expertly thrust into my mouth and a big warm hand grabbed my nape, holding me in place. Sparks burned, setting my entire body on fire. It was just a kiss but it was so much more.
The entire world faded away. All the past. All the worries. The only thing left was the intimacy of the two of us and the magnetic force that pulled us towards one another.
His tongue slid across mine, and with a rough sound from deep in his chest, he sucked on it. I moaned and he swallowed the sound. His warm breath intoxicated me, sending waves of shudders down my body. He explored every corner of my mouth, claiming it for his own, and I freely gave it.
My nipples hardened under my tank top and my inner muscles clenched on a growing empty ache. Want filled my veins and swam through my bloodstream. My head swam as a low, rough sound rumbled in his throat. He kissed me back with such savage hunger, his arms caging me in his iron grip.
This brutal lash of desire threatened to burn me to ash. I had never felt such raw and carnal need - not with Adrian, not with anyone.
I had no idea when he’d laid us on the hard floor, my back pressed against it and his big, strong body hovering over mine. My hands frantically pushed his suit jacket off his wide shoulders. It slid silently onto the floor. His tie followed. Then I worked on his buttons. The pressure of his abdomen against my lower belly sent sizzle through my blood. He nipped my bottom lip, then licked it and a moan traveled up my throat as he licked my lip, soothing the sting.
My fingers pushed inside his shirt, feeling his hot skin under my palms. The wet glide of his tongue inside my mouth mirrored the push of his hips against my core. It sent a tremble through me. The heat of his body and the way he kissed me stole my breath. I couldn’t breathe.
My nails dug into his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his hips, grinding my throbbing clit against his hard erection. A ragged groan escaped his throat, and his hand swept down my body, touching every inch of me.
