Submit (The Underground Book 4) (12 page)

Finally, he set a hand on her hip. “Babe, that’s so totally not at all what happened.”

What was he talking about?

“I forced myself to pull back to keep from mauling you. Where on earth did you get the idea I wasn’t attracted to you? Haven’t I told you how goddamn sexy you are on several occasions?”

He had. But that was before. Before he kissed her until she lost her mind. Obviously he hadn’t found the experience to be nearly as gratifying as she had. Because at the moment he’d left her lying there, she’d been way too far gone to have stopped him from doing whatever he wanted to her.

And she felt like a fool.

“You’ve misinterpreted my intentions.” He ran his hand up and down the side of her thigh.

Maddening. She didn’t move except to curl her fingers in the pillow case as if she could use the pillow to anchor herself and keep from floating away.

And then his hand disappeared. “Look, I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me. I hate that you were inadvertently dragged into this mess, but I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m sorry about last night. It was wrong of me to kiss you, or…any of the other things I did to you.

“Sometimes I…” He hesitated.

She willed him to stop talking and leave her alone.

He cleared his throat. “Sometimes I can be too forward. I shouldn’t have jumped you like that without warning. We hardly know each other. You know nothing about me. I’m sorry,” he repeated. He released her leg and stood. For several seconds she could feel his gaze on her back, and then he quietly turned away.

She eased onto her back and whispered before he made it to the doorway, “I wasn’t complaining.”

“I know, but it wasn’t fair to you.” And then he was gone. He shut her bedroom door behind him, disappearing.

She sat upright, staring at the closed door. What the hell had just happened? Her heart raced. Her leg burned where he’d touched her, even through the sheet.

She slid from the bed and tiptoed across the room to lock the door. She needed to know he wouldn’t burst into her room again. She needed the peace that would bring her.

After turning off the lights, she eased back into the bed and flopped onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Her face was still heated with embarrassment. She took several deep breaths and tried to stop thinking about Nikolav Andropov.

The shower came on in the guest bathroom. And she pictured him stripping out of his jeans and T-shirt and then climbing into the enclosure.

Dammit.

Her pussy throbbed between her legs from the memory of his touch and his voice. Visions of last night had remained barely at bay all day at work. Now they flooded back.

The way he consumed her.

The way he held her hip down against the mattress.

The way he molded his palm to her breast and stroked her nipple.

She moaned, spreading her legs apart to ease the pressure. Her breasts swelled at the memories. Her clit rubbed against her panties. On a sigh, she lowered her hand down between her legs and stroked the swollen nub through the silk, bringing it more to life. She gripped the sheet at her side with her free hand and let her eyes flutter shut to enjoy the feel of her middle finger flicking the tip of her clit.

It wasn’t enough. She needed relief. She’d needed to come since she first set eyes on Nikolav. Three days ago. A lifetime with no relief. No privacy, even.

The shower was still running.

She pushed the sheet down and turned onto her side to yank her bedside table open and grab her vibrator. Seconds later, she had her panties off, her legs spread, and the rounded head of the vibrator touching her clit.

She moaned as soon as she turned it on. It wouldn’t take long. She was so aroused. Concentrating on swirling the tip of the vibrator lower to gather her own moisture, she tipped her head back and pursed her lips. She was usually noisy. Tonight wasn’t the time to let that happen, though.

Even though Nikolav was in the shower, she didn’t want to risk getting carried away. It took moments for her to fall under the spell of her arousal. She dragged the pulsing tip up to her clit again and turned up the level, circling the bundle of nerves several times and then stroking right over the top.

She moaned, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her voice down.

But it felt so damn good. Especially with visions of being consumed by a sexy Russian vampire fresh in her mind. God that man could kiss. And she had no doubt he could do many other things that would leave her weak in the knees too, given the chance, or perhaps the inclination. Which he obviously didn’t have.

Why should she care? Getting involved with him was a horrible idea anyway. She didn’t have the time to enter into a relationship with anyone lately. She had a fulltime job that was demanding and often ate up her evenings and weekends in addition to her days.

And Nikolav? He was an underground fighter. Hardly the type of guy she normally dated.

What was normal lately, anyway? She hadn’t been on a date in months, and she hadn’t slept with a man in years. All her focus had been on her career and getting ahead.

That was probably why it was so easy to reach the edge of the cliff so fast this evening. Even though she tried to picture any other man in her mind as she got closer to orgasm, she couldn’t shake the image of Nikolav. His dark hair and eyes. The way he sometimes looked at her like he wanted to devour her whole.

All of that added to the vampire mystique.

Did she imagine it? He hadn’t made it clear why he’d stopped himself last night. He’d apologized. Tried to soothe things over. But he hadn’t explained why.

She lifted her hips off the bed, digging her heels into the mattress as she got closer. She swirled the vibrator away from the most sensitive area to keep from coming too fast. The buildup was half the fun. The orgasm would feel amazing and help her relax, but when it ended, she’d be left almost disappointed. Sad it was over. Like slamming into a wall full force and then abruptly stopping to slide to the ground.

That’s what her sex life had been reduced to—quick orgasms by her own hand in her bed late at night with no one around to keep the flame going afterward.

Giving up the fight, she pressed the vibrator into the base of her clit and let the pulsing need tip her over the edge. Her mouth fell open. She tried to keep from moaning too loud, resorting to a sort of whimper as her clit pulsed against the device almost a dozen times.

When it was over, she slumped to the bed, turning off the vibrator and lying there with her legs still spread wide as she caught her breath. It took several minutes for her to regain the ability to lift her limbs, and then she slid from the bed and padded to the attached bathroom to clean up and wash the vibrator.

Five minutes later, she was back in bed, pulling the sheet up to her chin, and curling onto her side.

And she wasn’t one bit more satisfied than she had been before masturbating.

Damn Nikolav. That man was under her skin and showed no signs he intended to leave her alone in the near future.

Nikolav closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Belinda’s bedroom door.

The shower had been unnecessary. He’d had one a few hours earlier. But he’d needed someplace to escape and a distraction so he could ease the pressure in his cock without getting caught. It had taken an embarrassing few strokes to bring himself to climax, and when he was done, he found his cock still hard and his mind still wandering to the sexy brunette in the other room.

The one wearing nothing but a tank top and panties. It was the first time he’d seen her with so few clothes on. And his knees had nearly buckled when she turned away from him to climb onto the bed. That one glimpse of her fine ass under those fucking sexy white silk panties had stopped him in his tracks. It took him awhile before he’d been able to approach her, shaking the vision of her tanned skin in contrast to the white lace and silk.

What he’d wanted to do was tug that sheet off her, roll her onto her stomach, and slide his hands up her thighs until he could press his thumbs against the warmth between her legs.

But that hadn’t been an option. He’d teased her enough. They’d only known each other three days. Not long enough for him to be so damn forward. And he’d meant what he’d said. She knew nothing about him. There were plenty of people who knew him for months or years who never got inside enough to know who he really was and how his tastes ran.

Again, he told himself Belinda seemed like the perfect submissive. She responded to his touch exactly as he would like. In bed, at least. But she had no idea what he needed from her.

And they were in the middle of an extremely dangerous game. Now was not the time to add dominance and submission to her plate. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. It was rude of him to consider such a thing.

Three days, Andropov
.

He inhaled slowly, his forehead still resting on her door.

What he wanted to do was pull it back open and spill all his secrets. He hated making her think he wasn’t interested. It was so far from the truth.

But what if he laid down his cards and she couldn’t handle his reality? Then what? She would probably kick him out, which would leave her vulnerable.

Or worse, the FBI might decide Sergei should come stay with her. And no way in hell was Nikolav willing to let that happen.

No. The best course of action was to keep his hands to himself and his thoughts pure. Any other option sucked much worse than taming his cock and keeping his pants on.

A noise behind the door drew his attention. He didn’t move a muscle, worrying at first she might whip the door open and find him standing there looking like he was spying on her. When really, he was at war with himself over walking away versus entering her room.

His eyebrows shot up when he heard her moan.

Surely not.

And then she did it again. She wasn’t loud, but she wasn’t discreetly quiet, either. Jesus. Was she masturbating?

His heart beat faster at the thought of her fucking her sweet pussy with her fingers. Please, God. No. He couldn’t take the image, and he couldn’t shake it, either.

It was so not fair.

But who was he to judge? Hadn’t he just five minutes ago gotten the exact same relief for himself in the shower? Belinda was every bit as entitled to bring herself to climax as he was.

Still, he didn’t like it. The thought of her masturbating alone made him stiffen. He wanted to watch. No way in hell would he let her do that if she were his. Never. It was one of his top ten rules. His women did not masturbate without permission and certainly not when he wasn’t watching.

She’s not your submissive
.

Jesus. If she was…

He wanted to yank the door open, barge in, and take over. His hands shook at his sides. And then her voice deepened to a short burst of whimpers that had his cock so hard he almost came inside his shorts.

It was all he could do to keep from jerking the length out and stroking himself to a second completion right in the hall. And there was no doubt he could. Easily. In a heartbeat.

That’s how tied up he was over this woman.

He heard water running a few minutes later and then imagined her slipping back between the covers and falling asleep.

Except if that woman could sleep so quickly after an orgasm under his hand, then he wasn’t doing his job right. But his hand wasn’t involved in this one, and who knew what sort of timeframe Belinda normally needed to control her heart rate after release?

»»•««

Anton picked up his phone and dialed the secure number he’d been using for almost a year.

Dayton picked up on the first ring. “Sir.” His voice was leery. And it should be after the stunt he pulled last night.

“If you’re done shooting my men in the head, do you think you could actually work for me for a change?” Anton was still fucking angry that one of his best men had been shot dead by his own double agent.

“How many times do I have to tell you that operation was doomed from the get-go? It was too soon. Too damn many agents are tailing your fucking fighters, and now more women than I can count. When I’m at work for the FBI, I have no choice but to do my job. That’s how this works.”

“I see you’re still in a snit.” Anton was hoping Dayton would have calmed down by now.

“Just stating the facts. Last night was not a good day to blow up a rail station and attempt to snatch four people off the streets. There were eyes everywhere, including mine. Next time listen to me.”

“And let me remind you that I don’t take orders from you. It’s the other way around.” He tapped the desk, trying to control his growing aggravation.

“That’s all well and good, but some of your men will get killed in the process if you choose not to heed my advice. Leave this alone for a few days. Let it die down before you attempt to kidnap anyone again.”

“For your information, the only person I need immediately is Haley Sullivan. Make that happen. Soon. It’s imperative.”

“Look, word is spreading. Everyone’s aware you’re cooking up some sort of super-human drug. The grumblings are getting louder. Is it true? Is that what you’re working on?”

“None of your business. And don’t trust anything you hear. Half of what I let trickle down the pipeline is a diversion. I’m a businessman. Pure and simple.” Dayton was spot on. Though it did make Anton smile to think the FBI thought he was developing some sort of fountain-of-youth serum. If he had that formula, he’d be fucking rich.

His drug was a bit more specific. And he needed it finalized yesterday. If not sooner. Tomorrow could be too late. Which reminded him why he’d called. “Listen, I need to go out of town for a few days. So you’re in luck. Lie low. Perfect timing. But I need that woman.

“Watch her movements. Figure out what time she does things. Everything from eating to taking a shit. I want a full report when I get back. And that other bitch hanging around with her?”

“Belinda Gallo. Reporter.”

“I know who she is. And I want her mouth taped shut. You got it? Find a way.”