Submit (The Underground Book 4) (19 page)

“Grab your thighs. Hold them open for me.”

She lowered her hands from over her head to set them on her inner thighs. So fucking hot.

Nikolav set one hand above her clit to steady her, and then he concentrated on watching her reaction as he teased her back to full arousal.

She flexed her feet and arched her head back, exposing her neck in a way that made him smile at her thought that he was a vampire. Little did she know how accurate she was. Wait until she found out his fighting name…

He set the vibrator on the sensitive spot right beneath her clit and turned up the speed.

She moaned. Her knuckles turned white where she grasped her legs.

When he eased the vibrator lower and slid it slowly into her pussy, her body started to shake. “Oh God.”

Yeah. That’s what he thought.
Can’t come twice, my ass
…

She simply hadn’t had the right partner.

This would earn him all kinds of brownie points. Which, he reminded himself, would not make her more submissive than she was capable of, and therefore meant he was cheating to wiggle his way into her heart. But he’d take it for now.

When she froze, he eased his thumb onto her clit and stroked it while angling the vibrator around inside her so it rubbed against her G-spot.

That did it.

Belinda screamed, her body curling in on itself as she came hard. He kept stroking her inside and out, watching her face for the exact moment when she would wince from over-stimulation. And then he released his thumb and gradually removed the vibrator as he turned it off.

She flopped back on the bed, letting her hands fall to her sides, her legs dangling off the edge, gasping for oxygen. “Holy…”

He leaned over her and kissed one nipple and then the other.

His cock protested, aching need making him yank off the towel and drop it to the floor as he took the engorged tip in hand and squeezed before stroking his fingers down the entire length and back up.

He let out a long, drawn-out breath and watched her face as she caught her own breath and tipped her head to face him.

Her gaze landed on his cock, and she lifted onto her elbows. “Let me do that?”

“Not this time. You watch.” She was exhausted. He’d made sure of that. But he nudged her thighs wider and leaned against the mattress between them to masturbate for her.

It wouldn’t take many strokes. He’d made his dick wait way too long. He watched her face. She watched his cock, licking her lips in a way that made him groan.

“You like to give blow jobs…”

“Never done it.”

He stopped moving. What? “Jesus, woman. You’re killing me here.”

She squirmed. He set a hand on her belly and held her steady. “Don’t move. Not this time. I’d shoot off between your lips so fast I’d lose my man card.”

She smiled, but kept her eyes peeled on his cock.

He held the length loosely and continued to stroke up and down, almost releasing the tip each pass before heading back to the base.

He gritted his teeth to keep the orgasm at bay for as long as possible, but lost the fight far too soon. He wanted to come on her belly. Wanted to watch his ejaculation trail across her skin. And as the juts of his orgasm released, he did just that.

She didn’t move or flinch, but let him do his thing.

When he was finished, she smiled. “Hottest thing ever.”

“Glad you liked it.” He reached down to grab the towel off the floor and then wiped her skin clean. After dropping the towel once again, he flipped off the light next to the bed, climbed onto the mattress, and hauled her backward until she was situated in the right direction. He plopped down next to her and dragged the sheet over them.

“I’m still not following why you won’t have sex with me.”

“I fully intend to.”

“Are you waiting for me to kneel at your feet and kiss your shoes as a sign of my submission or something?” she giggled.

“Something like that.” He turned her onto her side and tugged her back against his front.

“I don’t see that happening.”

“Mmm.” He kissed her shoulder and then her temple.

She twisted around to face him in the near darkness. “Is that what you want from me?”

“No.”

She sighed. “You going to tell me, then?”

“No.”

“Damn infuriating man,” she muttered.

He smiled against her shoulder and then settled his head on the pillow.

Good. She was off-balance. That’s what he wanted. She was indeed submissive, but was it lust? Could it last? Would she still be able to submit to him after the newness wore off?

Belinda leaned over her boss’s desk Thursday morning, intent on making her case. “This story is huge.”

“I’m aware of that.” He chuckled as he stacked several papers together and set them in a pile on the corner of his desk.

“I mean gigantic huge.”

Dale Sherwood leaned back in his chair and nodded toward her. “Take a seat. Tell me what you know.”

Belinda dragged the chair on the opposite side of his desk closer and sat, though she’d rather pace the room. “This thing the FBI is investigating goes back to the late eighties and starts in Russia before the fall of the USSR.”

“Not surprising.”

“The Russian government managed to create a super drug that keeps its recipients healthy and allows them to heal faster than others.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “And you know this how?”

“Because Nikolav and the other fighters he’s friends with were all injected with it as children.”

Dale sat up taller. “Shit.”

“Yeah.”

He took off his reading glasses and set them on the desk to rub his eyes with one hand. “And I suppose the local cartel is developing a similar super drug?”

“Exactly.”

“And this is completely off the record, and we can’t do a thing with it until the leader is caught and nailed to the wall.”

“Right.”

“But you want to dig deeper and be prepared because you know the FBI isn’t feeding you all the information they have.”

Belinda smiled. “I don’t even have to speak to present my case.”

Dale sighed and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the desk. “This is dangerous, Belinda. I should probably pull you off this story.”

She gaped at him. “Don’t you dare. I’m the one with the contacts.”

“I didn’t say I
would
.” He slumped his shoulders. “I said I
should
.”

She nodded.

“And before you ask, no you may not go to Russia. Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Get on the computer and research this all you want. But don’t leave this building, and don’t utter a word of your findings to a single soul besides me. When and if the case is solved and you get FBI clearance, then I’ll consider sending you to Russia. But until then, you’re liable to get arrested trying to leave the country. Don’t forget the gag order. I realize our first amendment rights are being tested here, but I’m not going to argue the case since we had no plans to air this story for several months anyway. By that time, the gag order will have been lifted.”

She nodded again.

“How much does that man who’s declared himself your protector know?”

“Everything I told you.”

Dale pursed he lips. “The FBI?”

“I’m sure they know way more than they’re sharing with anyone, but if I let on I’m working this angle all the way back to 1984, they’ll probably stop me. So I’ll just continue to dig and research this story until I know more than they do.”

“You do that. Mutely. Carefully. Inside this building.”

“Got it.” Belinda fled the office before he could change his mind and headed for her own desk and computer.

It had been difficult enough to get Nikolav to let her come into
Chicago Multimedia
’s building that morning. She’d had to promise on her life she would not leave for any reason, not even to eat. And he would come back to get her at six.

That gave her nine more hours to dig.

Time to get to work.

»»•««

Belinda’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket, making her jump in her seat. She glanced at the clock and realized it was after six. “Shit,” she muttered. It would be Nikolav, probably waiting for her somewhere in the building.

She tugged the phone from her pocket and answered it without looking. “Sorry. I’m coming. Just wrapping things up.” She moved her mouse around to shut down several documents as quickly as possible.

“What are you talking about, hon?”

She stopped rushing and glanced at the phone. Double shit.

“Dad. Hi. Sorry. Thought you were someone else.”

“A man, I hope,” he teased. “Please tell me a man is waiting for you in the lobby to take you out after work. You work too hard and play too little.” Her dad was frequently onto her about how much she worked. The man had no understanding of what it was like to be a journalist.

Belinda smiled and sat back in her chair. “Funny, Dad. Especially coming from a man who hasn’t had a day off in, what? Thirty years?” He owned an Italian restaurant not far from her apartment, and he and her mother had never been able to turn over the management to a single employee.

They had dedicated people who’d worked for them for years. Plenty of choices for a manager, but they couldn’t bring themselves to relinquish control. Angelo and Marta Gallo were both second generation Americans, but they upheld fierce traditions that never faded after almost sixty years.

“I’m a working man, Belinda. Somebody has to provide for this family.”

“And I’m sure you have a stockpile that will keep you and Mom perfectly comfortable even if you live to be a hundred and twenty, Dad.”

“Don’t be silly.” She could picture him waving a dismissive hand through the air as he spoke. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“What question was that, Dad?”

“Do you have a man meeting you?”

Of course. How could she forget? She chuckled, thinking to appease him. “Maybe…”

“Perfect, because tomorrow’s your brother’s birthday, and we’re having a little party at the restaurant. Bring him. It’s about time you brought someone along.”

Shit
. How the hell had she forgotten Salazar’s birthday? She cringed as she noticed Nikolav approaching her. He plopped down on the chair next to her while she continued to speak to her dad.

“What time?” Could she really bring her problems to her family’s restaurant? On the flip side, how the hell would she explain to her father why she couldn’t come?

“Nine. We’ll use the back room while the staff is wrapping things up out front. The usual.” She’d been through this routine a thousand times over the years. Parties at nine after the regular clientele began to disperse. Even as a child, she’d often stayed up late for her own birthday party or someone else’s.

She had never missed her brother’s birthday.

She bit her lip, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for why she couldn’t attend. Her family would be disappointed. They were close. And she sucked at thinking fast on her feet. Dammit.

Nikolav was frowning when she met his gaze.

She ran a hand through her hair.

“Belinda? You still there?” her dad asked.

“Yeah, Dad. Staring at my calendar. Sorry. I was supposed to do something for work tomorrow night. I’m gonna see if I can get out of it.”

“On a Friday night? You forget your brother’s birthday all the sudden?” he teased.

She winced. “No. Of course not. I just need to get out of this thing with my boss. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, but if you can’t make it, you can be the one to tell Mom and Salazar.” He chuckled.

“Is Josie coming?” Salazar had been dating the same woman for five years without a ring. Belinda didn’t know what to make of it, and she’d never gone so far as to ask.

“Yes. And bring a date. I mean it. I can tell by your tone, you’re seeing someone. I’m sure he’s the reason for your hesitation. Work function, my ass. Bring him. Nine. See you then.” Her dad hung up without waiting for her to respond.

Belinda groaned as she set the phone on her desk.

“Who’s Josie? And where do we need to be tomorrow?” he asked without hesitation.

“My brother’s girlfriend. It’s his birthday tomorrow. I’m a shit sister for forgetting. My parents expect me to be there.”

“Okay. So we make it happen.”

She stared at him, narrowing her gaze. “You’d do that? You have no idea what you’re getting into. My family’s loud, obnoxious, and overbearing. Italians. They will eat you up and spit you out.”

He chuckled. “Few people spit me out.”

“Funny. You obviously haven’t met my dad yet.”

“Does he give all your boyfriends the third degree?”

She scrunched up her face, wincing.

Nikolav narrowed his gaze. “You’ve never brought anyone home to meet your family?”

“No,” she squeaked.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Lord, woman. How is it possible someone like you has so little experience with men?”

“Someone like me?” She shouldn’t have asked.

“Smart. Sexy. Funny. Gorgeous… You know, the usual attributes of a hot catch.”

“You left out career oriented, busy, and picky.”

He nodded. “Noted. So, what time tomorrow night?”

“Nine.”

“Where?”

“My parents own a restaurant. We have every celebration known to mankind in the back room.”

He chuckled. “Perfect. Let’s swing by my place and grab some appropriate clothes, then.”

“You can dress like you always do, Nikolav.” Why was she consenting to this? “It’s just family.”

He stood as he spoke again. “Babe, if I’m going to be the first man you bring home to meet the parents, I intend to make a lasting impression they can’t resist.”

She smiled. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Maybe.

»»•««

Anton stood next to his father’s bedside, his hand on the older man’s arm. Older, but not old enough to be so frail-looking and ravaged from disease.

The man turned his head slowly in Anton’s direction and smiled. “Did you bring the serum?”

Anton nodded. “I did. But I don’t think there’s much of a chance you can survive it.”

“Can’t survive this damn ALS or the pneumonia either, so it’s worth a shot.”