ARIANA I SAW ONLINE ONCE that sleeping next to a romantic partner reported better sleep than sleeping alone or next to a child, and that information chose to slither into my brain at the crack of dawn. I wasn't confirming or denying this study-Aleksei and I weren't even close to being romantic partners-but maybe these researchers were onto something when they came to that conclusion. Maybe. When I knocked on his door last night, I didn't even plan to sleep in his bed. Did the thought of sleeping in the same bed as him cross my mind when I climbed up the stairs? I was ashamed to admit it to myself, but yes, the thought did linger in the back of my head a little. I was also honest with him last night when I told him I just wanted to hand him the cake. I thought it'd be the nice thing to do after shunning him from my dinner plans last night. He said he'd already eaten, but when I asked the kitchen staff if that was true after my family left, they'd all denied serving dinner to Aleks
ARIANA Thirty minutes later, I'd already learned there was morning sex, goodbye sex, loud sex, hate sex, make-up sex, angry sex, and rough sex. I didn't particularly see the difference between the last two, but Drea and Michael argued they were two different things, and I wasn't about to get into an argument with them over something they were this 'passionate' about. "And for the final one." I blanched at Michael. "There's more?" Drea winked in reply. "We saved the best for last." I sighed knowing they wouldn't rest if we didn't get this out of the way. "Go on." "Slow sex," Michael announced. "It's been coined making love by people and it's serious." Well, color me intrigued. "Serious, how?" "It's usually done between people who are in love; say a husband and a wife. It feels raw and deep, like they're slowly stripping layers of your skin off with each slow thrust as they stare deep into your eyes. People argue there's usually a connection there, you know?" "We're gonna ignor
ALEKSEI ARIANA SLID INTO THE backseat beside me, bathing the enclosed space with her soft vanilla perfume. Her make-up was freshly done and she looked like she'd just walked off a modeling set as opposed to spending several hours at work. A closed partition separated us from the driver's seat. "Nice day at work today?" I asked as a conversation starter as Lev turned on the ignition. She dropped her purse between us, a snort escaping her lips. "Far from it. This is your warning to never take me on an impromptu trip ever again." "It wasn't exactly my fault. You'd passed out and couldn't give consent, and we had a flight to catch." "Really? What happened to just leaving me at home while you go without me?" "Then you wouldn't have met those people irritating enough to make you break your silence." "Trust me, that's the only reason you still have your head attached to your neck." She leaned in conspiratorially, her lips twitching as she fought back a smile. "I know a few people." "
ALEKSEI I smelled the faint vanilla scent before I even opened my eyes. I paused, still slightly disoriented from my brief sleep. My eyes slowly adjusted to my pitch-black room as I finally gathered my bearings. My eyes got acquainted with the darkness fast, and I realized I was staring down at a head full of long blonde hair that smelled like vanilla and something I couldn't quite place in my semi-conscious state. It wasn't just my imagination. Her face was turned the other way, but I could tell she was still awake from how stiff her body was. "Ariana? What are you doing here?" She was quiet for a while and I thought she was back to shutting me out again before she mumbled, "I think that's pretty self-explanatory. Turns out I sleep better in your bed." She didn't sound too excited about that new development, but I was gloating on the inside. I shifted, propping my head on my palm so I could get a better look at h
ALEKSEI Ariana's slender neck worked as she swallowed thickly, no words escaping her rosy lips. I curled my other hand around her thigh, cocking her leg over my hip. "Someday, you're going to let me unravel all your secrets one at a time." I moved in closer, molding her soft curves against the planes of my body. "But today isn't that day." I finished. She finally found her voice. "When?" "When what?" "When are you going to decide you want to unravel me?" Ariana whispered and given how closed off she was, I could tell it was something she dreaded. I could also hear the underlying, unasked question without even trying: When do I need to run away from you as fast as I can, so you're never able to catch up with me? "When I feel like it," I told her instead. She drew her lower lip between her teeth, nibbling on the skin until it was bruised red from how badly she'd abused it. Displeased, I gently pu
ALEKSEI "TRUST ME?" I asked again as she arched her neck back to give me more room to feast on her neck. She absentmindedly hummed her agreement, sinking her fingers into my hair at my nape. I nipped on her jaw, pulling a shaky breath out of her. "Are you sure?" "Y-Yes." I kissed my way down her chest to her stomach. "Anything else you want me to know beforehand? Or do you want me to stop?" I teased. Her chest rose and fell with how fast her breath came out in puffs. "No!" I teased the waistband of her tiny shorts with my teeth, grazing her skin in the process. "Feisty." She jerked, sinking her fingers deeper into my hair. "And sensitive," I whispered against her skin as I slowly inched her shorts down her legs, tossing them behind me carelessly, which was out of character for me. I gently parted her thighs, staring down at her bare, pink pussy coated with her slick arousal.
ARIANA Aleksei hummed in satisfaction at my desperate plea. "Good girl." I could feel his proud smirk against my skin as he went lower, getting dangerously close to my pussy. My core thrummed with anticipation. My body buzzed like a livewire, itching to be set off by him. He knew how much he affected me, and he was having fun milking it. I gritted my teeth, fisting the sheets beside me. "I already begged you, didn't I? Stop teasing," I hissed. And what did the bastard do? He laughed. Laughed. "Retract those claws, tiger." He splayed his hand on my lower stomach, effortlessly pinning my lower half to the mattress. "If it gets too much, tap my shoulders." I stared down at the top of his dark head. "What happened to me using my words?" My tone was slightly mocking. I could practically hear his smirk. "You wouldn't be able to." And then he pressed his tongue flat against my slit, dragging
ARIANA His cock sprang free from its confinement, slapping against his stomach, hot and erect. My lips parted at the sight, and I swallowed. Tiny, purple veins ran up his long, thick length to the pink, bulbous tip that dripped with pearly white liquid. I'd never gone down on a man, but I now understood the appeal some got from it. My skin itched with the same need, a mix of curiosity and desire. And he wasn't lying when he implied his cock was more than a fistful. At least, now I knew where the cockiness came from. It wasn't just small talk - pun intended. "It doesn't bite." He didn't bother to hide how amused he was. "Who knew my cock could render you speechless?" He curled his fist around his girth, stroking up and down, coating his length with his precum until it glistened under his soft bedroom lights. With his other hand, he wrapped my leg around his waist, propping my ass up on his thighs. "I thought you sa
ALEKSEInineteen years ago"Why do you keep coming here?" The slurred words filled my ears as I mopped the dried vomit stuck to the floor. "I tried to kill you before. Do you think I couldn't do it again?"It was ten in the morning, and Mom was already drunk. I couldn't remember the last time she was fully sober. Or nice. Now, she was always so angry and mean."Don't ignore me, you brat!" She snapped, tossing her half-empty bottle of beer at me. The alcohol dulled her aim, and the bottle crashed into pieces at my feet instead of hitting my head like she intended.I sighed, wiping the sweat off my brow. At this rate, I wouldn't be done with cleaning before the nanny dropped Misha off. "I'm here because you're lonely all the time."Dad couldn't care less about her, and he hadn't come to see her since he kicked her out. She would have no one if Misha and I abandoned her, too."Don't pity me, bastard!" She threw another bottle at me. "And don't look at me with those ugly eyes!"I dropped
ALEKSEInineteen years ago"Why do you keep coming here?" The slurred words filled my ears as I mopped the dried vomit stuck to the floor. "I tried to kill you before. Do you think I couldn't do it again?"It was ten in the morning, and Mom was already drunk. I couldn't remember the last time she was fully sober. Or nice. Now, she was always so angry and mean."Don't ignore me, you brat!" She snapped, tossing her half-empty bottle of beer at me. The alcohol dulled her aim, and the bottle crashed into pieces at my feet instead of hitting my head like she intended.I sighed, wiping the sweat off my brow. At this rate, I wouldn't be done with cleaning before the nanny dropped Misha off. "I'm here because you're lonely all the time."Dad couldn't care less about her, and he hadn't come to see her since he kicked her out. She would have no one if Misha and I abandoned her, too."Don't pity me, bastard!" She threw another bottle at me. "And don't look at me with those ugly eyes!"I dropped
ALEKSEINinety minutes later, the pianist had wrapped up her performance, and Ariana was fangirling over her at the side, where they conversed animatedly.I'd accidentally stumbled upon her conversation with her best friend on the phone a while ago. Apparently, they were big fans of the pianist, and they'd missed the opportunity to get tickets to her New York show before they sold out.Deo happened to be hosting an event for a few acquaintances, and I found he'd hired her services for the night. Long story short, I made him kick out a few intended guests to take their spots.How Viktor was one of the few guests in attendance remained a mystery to me, and Deo refused to tell. Speaking of Viktor...I turned slightly in my seat, tearing my gaze off Ariana for a few seconds to find Viktor in the crowd. He stood quietly to the side, nursing a glass of wine—his preferred drink of choice—while he leaned his weight against the walls of the glass dome.I followed the
ALEKSEIOLD ME WOULD BE balking at current me.Not only had I skipped work for forty-eight hours—and counting; I'd also taken a flight out of New York for reasons unrelated to my work. Both choices were unlike me.My entire adult years revolved around work, and it was a conscious decision I had taken because I was avoiding everything else around me.The one thing I feared the most was coming to fruition right before my very eyes, but my brain had completely turned off when it came to dealing with this woman, it seemed.The very thing I made the decision to run away from when I was ten stood in front of me in the form of a frowning, five-foot-nothing woman, who looked at me like she wanted chop my dick off.Maybe losing control wasn't so bad, after all."Tell me!" Ariana whined, grabbing onto my forearm to stop me from moving forward."It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now, would it?""Ugh, you suck." She let go of my arm, turning to walk in
ARIANAHe did scrub me clean, but it didn't end there.He made me sit still while he dried and brushed my hair for me. And color me surprised when I walked into the closet to find clothes all in my size next to his—clothes I was sure I never purchased for myself—and all my care products I didn't remember telling him about.Now I was perched on the couch, watching him frolic around the kitchen because he didn't want me to lift a finger. More than sixty minutes passed with me scrolling through endless movie options on Netflix before he rounded the counter with a tray of food and drinks.I sat up straight, adjusting the pillows around me as he approached the couch.This was my second time seeing him in casual clothing. That one time back in Russia didn't count because he took off the sweatpants almost immediately, and I never got a good look at him because I was trying not to pay attention to him.Big mistake on my part because he looked just as gorgeous in his
ARIANA"Currently my type is a blonde, five-foot-four spitfire. Kind as fuck, too stunning for this world, gets mad for my sake. What's not to love?"My breath hitched in my chest. I didn't miss his less than subtle use of the L-word."Also, her protectiveness turns me the fuck on, and her nonchalance after she gets called out on it is even better. And that smart mouth of hers..." he trailed off."And what about it?""I could listen to it talk about the most mundane things, and I still wouldn't get tired of listening to her sweet voice."I released the shaky breath I was holding. I didn't realize those were the things he thought of me, and I'd be lying if I said I was unaffected by his words. "Currently?""Hm?""You said currently. Are you looking to change your type again?" "Depends. Is she going to dye her hair a different color again?""Maybe?" I hid my smile."Then the list will be updated." His lips hovered over mine seductively. "Do
ARIANAI STIRRED OUT OF my slumber, slowly blinking my eyelids open to take in my surroundings.Where was I?This didn't look like my bedroom, and neither did it look like Aleksei's. For some reason, I was also sore. What the hell happened last night?I pushed my hair out of my face, trying to sit up on my bed, but a thick arm around my waist prevented me from doing so, pulling me closer into a muscular, warm body."Where are you going, baby?" Aleksei's sleepy mumble drifted into my ears as he buried his face in my neck, tightening his grip around my waist."Nowhere."Memories from last night played in my head like a movie.Aleksei picking me up from Niko's house; me asking him to fuck me, and then him bringing us to this penthouse. The remaining details didn't need to be recounted in my head. My body could feel it.I buried my face in my palm, groaning quietly as my words from last night bombarded my head. I couldn't believe I'd said half the thi
ALEKSEI I LET MY EYES briefly fall shut as I slid in to the hilt, burying myself deep in her warm heat. Her walls tightened around my cock despite her not having full control of her body yet, and she whimpered softly, clawing at the sheets. It was hard to tear my eyes off her face. She was flawless in every sense of the word from her long lashes that spilled over high cheekbones to her full lips parted with pleasure, to the slight pinch between her perfectly arched brows. I lowered my lips to her forehead, softly kissing the wrinkle between her brows away. Her cheeks flushed a slight pink, and she tried turning her face away from me. This woman. I just made her come twice, once on my tongue and once around my cock. Yet she still blushed over a little kiss on her forehead, like I didn't have my cock inside of her right now, fucking her to the brink of another orgasm. I smiled to myself. Of course, she got shy over a kiss lik
ARIANAMY BACK ARCHED OFF the bed as he thrust in slowly, filling me inch by excruciating inch until I was sure I'd explode if I took any more of him."Fuck," I cried out, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as pain seared through my body.Aleksei stopped moving. "Don't look away from me, Solnyshko. I want to see your face." His fingers sank into my hair, gently pulling my head back. Worry filled his eyes when they clashed with mine. "Tell me how you feel.""Full," I admitted. "It hurts a little.""That's just the tip, baby. Are you sure we shouldn't stop?"My eyes rounded into saucers. "Just the tip?"I looked down at where we were joined, and my jaw dropped.Oh, fuck. He wasn't lying.God, I knew he was huge - I'd felt it in my palms when I touched him - but I didn't expect him to be that huge that I mistook just a few inches for the entire length of his cock.Nonetheless, I shook my head, even though I damn well knew I was dancing with