Page 40 of Savage Beauty

The shower is running, the bathroom filling with wintergreen-scented steam. I unbutton Sasha’s soaked shirt, mesmerized by the sight of blood drying on his inked skin.

This is who my husband is. A killer. A man who can wear another man’s blood like war paint and not find his conscience troubled. A man who could force me to stay by his side but wants me to decide for myself.

But is he really a man who loves me? Is that even possible?

My thoughts are swept away by Sasha’s hands on my waist. He sweeps my tank top over my head, his bloody hands on my bare flesh.

“You’re safe,” he murmurs. “My debt to Tosca is paid. Thekomissiyawill demand he backs off, and that will be the end of it. You can leave, stay, tell me to fuck myself, whatever.” He drops a kiss on my shoulder. “The important thing is you’ll not get hurt on my account.”

“And if I stay?” His touch heats my skin, and I lean into him, the coppery scent of death in my nose. “Anything could happen to me. This is just one crisis averted, Sasha. There will be other times. More danger. How could it be any other way?”

He undoes my zipper and drops to his knees, tugging my jeans down and off. I shudder as he kisses my hipbone.

“I won’t let it happen.” His tongue traces my belly button. “I’ll protect you whether you love me or not.”

“And you?” I whisper. “Do you love me? Vlad said it, Morgana, too. Is it true?”

Sasha hooks his fingers under the elastic of my panties, pulling them down. He stands and sheds his remaining clothes, standing naked before me.

“This is me,zolotse.” He gestures at himself. “I’m a fucking mess. An impulsive, possessive, neurotic asshole with a chronic fear of intimacy and a desperate need to consume you like you consumed me.”

His face contorts into anguish. “For the love of all that is sacred, Josie. Yes, I love you. I’m lost in the elegance of your movements, the symphony of your voice, the profound beauty of your thoughts. The world fades to gray when you’re not with me. I’ve experienced no pleasure as great as the feel of your skin on mine. You’re both my muse and my damnation, but I’d rather be crushed under the weight of a shattered heart than have never known you at all. The agony would be fucking worth it.”

It’s not Shakespeare, but one look at my husband’s tortured expression and my doubts crumble to dust.

He means it. Sasha Kislev loves me. The woman who never thought any love would find me, let alone a passion as intense as this. My man doesn’t just want me; he needs me. I’m the addiction he cannot kick.

I sink to the ground before him.

“You love me?” I say. “Let me taste it.”

27

Sasha

Everything is gonna be okay. My wife is at my feet.

This woman will stand before all my associates tomorrow and commit to me. She won’t be drunk or coerced, won’t be afraid. She’ll stand there and tell the world she’s really mine. But right now, she’s on her knees. I’ll see she kneels for no one but me ever again.

I take her chin in my hand and tilt her head back so that I can look into her eyes. She’s so beautiful, especially when she’s vulnerable and exposed like this. She’s trembling, and my heart swells with adoration.

Without a word, Josie reaches for me, her fingers moving over my thickening cock. My breathing begins to deepen beneath the pressure, and I close my eyes, reveling in the sensation.

She takes her time, tracing her fingertips over my skin. I shudder as she begins to move along its length, the tension building within me with every stroke. My breathing grows increasingly heavy as her touch intensifies, and I slide a hand into her hair, willing her to put her mouth where I want it.

“Open your pretty lips, and let me give you what you want,zolotse,” I say. “You’re fucking teasing me, and a man can only take so much.” I grip a fistful of her hair and tug it, making her look up at me again. “I could get nasty if you’re not careful.”

Something flashes in Josie’s eyes. She’s as fired up as I am, and I think I know why.

I went out tonight and shed another man’s blood for her protection. I’d do it again a thousand times, and she knows it. She’s not afraid of me—it’s my savage side she wants right now.

Josie grips my aching cock and pumps it hard, drawing a harsh gasp from me. She grins wickedly and opens her mouth. I can take no more, and with a roar, I grab her head in both hands, desperate to feel her warm lips wrapped around me.

She slides down so deeply onto my cock that my brain short-circuits, and it takes a few moments of blissed-out confusion before I get a hold of myself. I let out a deep groan of pleasure, sliding my hips to meet each of her movements. Her tongue teases my piercing, sending bolts of ecstasy through me and driving me closer and closer to losing control.

Josie’s hands are on my thighs, trying to hold off my thrusts. My cock throbs in her warm mouth, and I slam to the back of her throat, making her gag hard.

“Oh fuck, yeah,” I groan. “That’s what you want, huh? My wife is a dirty slut for my cock?” I pull free and grasp my slick length in my fist, a thick strand of saliva connecting my swollen tip to her lips. “Tell me what you want. Because if you leave it up to me, I’m gonna fuck your mouth and come all over that beautiful face.”

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