Alexandr's Cherished Submissive (31 page)

“We’re not?”

“No, we’re buying you lingerie.”

During the limo ride, Jessica learned the bubbly woman spent a lot of time in the States—she was the daughter of the Russian Ambassador to the US—and had lived in Washington DC for nine years while growing up. As they talked about life back in America, Jessica realized how much she missed home. Before she could dwell too long on her homesickness, Catrin’s cheerful gossip about the famous people she knew in Hollywood had them both giggling. A man wearing a black helmet on a motorcycle pulled up next to them, and Jessica was shocked when Catrin proceeded to flirt with him, lowering the top of her dress almost all the way so her breasts were fully exposed and leaning forward so he got a good look.

“Oh my God!” Jessica laughed as Catrin blew the man, who shook his head and fell back a pace behind the car, a kiss. “What are you doing?”

“It’s just Maks,” Catrin replied with a smile. “He’s seen much, much more of me than this.”

“Did you two…uh…date?”

“No, but we’ve fucked many times.” She giggled when Jessica blushed bright red. “What has Alex told you about me?”

Still trying to find her footing around this somewhat intimidating woman, Jessica looked away. “Just that you are a socialite and one of his good friends.”

“Hmm, that’s it? He didn’t mention that Nico and I are…what do you Americans call it…swingers?”

The casual way she said that made Jessica whip her gaze from studying the buildings they were passing in downtown Rome to Catrin. “What?”

“You should see your face.” She giggled and reached over to lightly tap Jessica’s nose. “Most of Alex’s friends are into sharing.”

A terrible thought twisted in Jessica’s stomach, jealousy clenching her muscles mixed with pain. “I see.”

“That upsets you. Why?”

She licked her lips then looked away again, fighting back tears at the thought that Alex might expect her to share him with another woman. “Nothing.”

Catrin took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Please, Jessica, tell me what I said to make you so unhappy. Alex will skin me alive if I make you cry. He is very protective of you, and I did not mean to upset you. I am…honest to a...fault? I think that is the term.”

“Do you think Alex will want to share me…or himself?”

“Oh, darling, is that what you’re worried about? Nico and I have sex with other people, it is true, but only when we are together. I find watching him fuck other women to be highly arousing, but only women I choose. Let me think of how to explain this.” She continued to hold Jessica’s hand, but her gaze went distant. “The women we share, and the men that he gives the privilege of touching me, are all good friends who know the difference between sex and love. Nico is a handsome man, and very sexual, but his heart belongs to me. He could fuck a thousand women and that wouldn’t change his devotion to me.”

“Don’t you get jealous? I’ll be honest, the thought of Alex touching another woman makes me feel violent.”

With a soft laugh, Catrin nodded. “Of course, but not with the women we play with. They’re mostly submissives from the BDSM club we belong to back home, women who belong to his friends. It is almost like a bonding thing in our close circle, the ultimate act of trust. These men know my devotion to Nico and are aware that, not only would I not cheat on Nico, but that he’d kill them if they tried anything without his permission.”

Turning more fully on the plush leather seat to face Catrin, she studied the other woman. “I guess that kind of makes sense. But I don’t think I could watch Alex have sex with anyone else.” She paused a moment. “No, I know I couldn’t. Do you…do you think he’ll be mad if I say no?”

“Of course not.” Catrin smiled. “I don’t think you understand how in love with you Alex is.”

“He loves me?”

“Jessica, he is moving heaven and earth for you.”

“What do you mean?”

The humor dropped from Catrin’s gaze, and Jessica wondered how much of the other woman’s bubbly personality was an act. There was a fierce intelligence hidden behind her soft beauty. “In all the time I’ve known Alex, he has liked easy women. Not like the American slang of easy meaning a woman is a slut, though he’s had those as well, but women who do not complicate his already complicated life.”

“Oh.” She thought of all the effort Alex had gone to on her behalf, and doubt pierced her like an arrow to her chest.

Catrin made a tsking noise. “Do not look so sad. My point is that, for you, he has asked all of his friends to come meet you because you are
very
important to him. He has never done this with a woman before. Ever.”

She couldn’t keep the pleased smile off her face. “Really?”

“Absolutely.” Catrin leaned closer, their knees touching as the scent of her floral perfume tickled at Jessica’s nose. “Be patient with him. This loving a woman is all new to him, and there will be a…I can’t think of the word...there will be bumps in the road, yes? There will be people that will try to tear you apart, people that will try to use you against him, but you must hold onto your feelings for him. It will take a strong woman to love Alex, but I promise you, it will be worth it.”

“People are going to try to tear us apart?”

Leaning back, Catrin shrugged. “Is the way of the world. People are jealous and greedy. They will tell you lies and try to manipulate you.”

Jessica rubbed her temples. “Great.”

“I am not making this any better, am I?”

“No, no, I appreciate your honesty. I just...I guess I didn’t think about what being Alex’s girlfriend would mean. You probably think I’m really dumb.”

“I do not think you are dumb. I think you have been thrust into a world you are unfamiliar with, and that you are doing the best you can to understand it.” She smoothed a strand of hair from Jessica’s face. “I will be your friend and help you, not only because I love Alex, but because I think you will be very good for him. Our men lead hard lives, make hard decisions, and are under a great deal of stress. We, their women, are the one comfort they allow themselves. It makes us the most precious thing in their world.”

“Really?”

“Darling,” she chided gently, “you make him happy. It is a priceless gift to Alex. He will do everything in his considerable power to make you happy as well.”

“He already has,” she whispered and touched the necklace.

Catrin’s eyes gleamed as she leaned forward. “Please tell me if I am being too nosy, but is that necklace…special to you? Did Alex explain what it is?”

Sure that her ears were about to burn off, Jessica whispered, “He...uh...said it was my collar.”

“Fantastic!” To her surprise, Catrin squealed and clapped. “Goodness, that is so exciting!”

“What?”

Still bouncing in her seat, Catrin smiled. “Alex has never collared a woman before. Oh, he is a much sought after Master, and he’s had plenty of submissives, but never anything like this. Is very big deal.”

That stupid jealousy twisted her gut again. She knew Alex had probably slept with half of the vagina-endowed population of Europe. Even so, that didn’t mean she wanted to think about his past conquests. Then the wording of Catrin’s statement hit her. “What do you mean ‘he’s a sought after Master’?”

Catrin’s gaze swept over her face, and whatever she saw there seemed to drain away some of her excitement. “How much do you know about BDSM?”

“I’ve read about it and stuff, but I’ve never done it.”

“Ohhh,” Catrin gave a little mock shiver, and her blue-eyed gaze heated. “A virgin.”

Unable to help herself, Jessica laughed at the almost greedy look on Catrin’s face. “Hardly.”

“I do not mean physically. I mean you have never experienced the pleasure of subspace?”

“I’m not even sure what subspace is.”

Catrin gave her a huge smile. “It is the best feeling
ever
.”

“Well, that’s helpful.”

With a giggle, Catrin took her hand again. “Technical explanation. Subspace is a chemical reaction that leaves you with very good, very intense, yet relaxing, floating feelings. Or at least it does with me. Time becomes…like taffy? Is stretched and pulled, and pleasure is more intense, much more intense. Like so intense you will do anything your Master wants, happily, in order to fly in subspace.”

“And how do you get there?”

“Is different with every woman. Some through pain. Some through domination. Some through mind games. Do not worry. Alex will figure out what works for you. Is part of the fun for him.”

“And what does he get out of it?”

“Why, making you happy, of course. You need to understand that for the men of my culture making their woman pleased is their number one priority, though to those on the outside, it may not look that way. We give them ourselves, and in return, they give us everything. I need only to mention that I like something, and Nico will buy it for me. Not because I asked him to, but because it is something that will bring me pleasure. It makes him feel good to know he can provide for me.” Catrin sighed then gave Jessica’s hand a squeeze, old sorrow dimming her gaze. “Nico did not have an easy life. He was born into a poor family, and because of the color of his skin, he has had to fight for every penny, and ounce of respect, that he has. A lesser man would never have survived my beloved’s childhood.”

It had never occurred to Jessica that there would be racism in Russia. “You mean people are prejudiced because he is black?”

“Extremely prejudice. If not for Alex, Nico would probably still be living in the godforsaken slums of his hometown.”

“What do you mean?”

“Many years ago, Alex and his father were spending time with their…business associates in the city where Nico lived.” She pressed her lips together then looked away, and her voice became thick. “Nico’s mother was a prostitute, his father a drunk who would disappear in and out of their lives. In order to make extra money, Nico would work at the brothel where his mother sold herself as an errand boy and a form of protection. Even though he was only fifteen, Nico was big for his age and a fierce fighter. He had to be in order to survive. Because of the color of his skin, he was often targeted, and with no father to defend him, he had to learn how to defend himself.”

“That’s terrible,” Jessica murmured. Compassion for the man made her chest ache.

“Gets worse. The pimp that ran the brothel accused Nico’s mother of stealing from him, and in order to make an example, he took Nico’s mother outside into the courtyard and in front of the rest of the whores he…” Catrin sucked in a harsh breath then said in a rush, “he had her pinkie finger cut off.”

Nausea roiled through Jessica’s stomach. “Oh, my God!”

“Yes. One of the other prostitutes told Nico what was happening, but by the time he arrived, the deed had already been done, and the pimp was watching his mother scream in pain while she bled into the snow. Nico went insane with rage and almost beat the pimp to death before he was hauled off of him. Certain that he was going to die, Nico fought with everything he had, not realizing that the men holding him back were not the pimp’s men, but instead, part of the Novi— I mean, worked for Alex’s father. They’d been in the area and had heard the woman’s screams.” Her face was momentarily shadowed as their car passed by some tall buildings.

“What did they do to him?”

“Alex had recently lost his mother and half-sister, so he understood Nico’s rage. He intervened on Nico’s behalf and managed to convince Jorg, that’s Alex’s father, to take Nico on as a sort of apprentice. It did not take them long to realize that Nico is brilliant, and I am not bragging like a woman in love. Nico’s IQ is 139.”

“Holy shit,” Jessica breathed. “He’s a genius.”

“He is, and not only that, he is ambitious. He recognized the priceless gift Alex had given him that day and worked hard to repay his kindness. Jorg may be many things, and most of them not good, but he did not care that Nico was black, only that he was smart and fiercely loyal. The Nov—Gorevs sent Nico to school in Zurich where he studied chemistry, and now, after many years of hard work, Nico owns one of the most profitable pharmaceutical manufacturing firms in Russia.” The pride in her voice was evident, reinforced by Catrin sitting straighter and lifted her chin. “But he never forgot where he came from. He donates a great deal of money to various charities for the poor, and while there are still whispers behind his back because of the color of his skin, they no longer say it to his face. They don’t dare.”

“Wow,” Jessica breathed. “Just…wow. He’s amazing.”

“He is,” Catrin agreed with a small smile curving her full lips, “And so is Alex.”

For the rest of the ride, they were silent, each wrapped up in her own thoughts. Jessica tried to imagine the world Alex had grown up in, one where women’s fingers got cut off and fifteen-year-old boys made very adult decisions that quite literally saved the life of a remarkable man. The more she learned about Alex, the more she realized just how complex he was, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that he loved her. Or at least Catrin was sure he loved her. She sure hoped so because it felt like her love for him was growing by the minute.

Maks sped past them and up a winding drive as they came to what could only be described as a dream villa on a hillside peering out over Rome. White marble columns supported a slate roof while lush plants and flowers grew in carefully arranged mounds. They were far enough away from the city to hear only the faint sound of traffic, and the air smelled cleaner out here. A steady breeze hissed through the leaves of the old-growth trees surrounding them and she took a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sun on her face. Opening her eyes, Jessica took a deep breath while she followed Catrin up the steps to the dark, heavy-looking wood front door. Before they could knock, the door opened, revealing a lovely, older woman with long gray hair held back in a braid. With a smile she ushered them into the house while speaking Italian.

From their left, a woman spoke in a heavily Italian accented voice, “
Bella
, it is so good to see you again.”