Chapter 23

Dalia

A s the first rays of morning light filter through the curtains, I stir awake, feeling groggy and worn-out from last night. When we arrived to Lev’s place exhaustion had overwhelmed me the instant I crossed the threshold—probably the combined effects of the evening's adrenaline rush and my pregnancy.

I find myself in the familiar surroundings of the guest room where I've stayed before. Glancing around, I notice a note placed on the table beside the bed.

Dalia,

I'm out investigating the attempts on your life.

Your belongings have been shipped over and are waiting in the living room. I've asked that you not leave the building for your own safety. I understand this might feel confining, but it's necessary under the circumstances.

If you need anything to eat or drink, we have a chef at the restaurant in the lobby. Feel free to order whatever you like and it will be brought up to you.

Your comfort and safety are my top priorities right now.

Take care,

Lev

I set the note down and roll out of bed, still feeling the drudge of sleep and pause to take in the spectacular view from the window.

Slipping into some comfy pants, I leave the bedroom and wander through Lev's sprawling penthouse. I get to the living room, all of my things already there as mentioned. My boxes and belongings take up such a tiny part of this vast space and I can't help but chuckle at the sight.

I head to the kitchen to make some decaf. As the rich aroma fills the air, I decide to treat myself to breakfast from the restaurant Lev mentioned. I grab the phone and call the chef, curious about the special.

"Good morning. What's on the menu today?" I ask.

"Today’s special is a smoked salmon with eggs Benedict and a side of herb-roasted potatoes," the chef replies, his voice cheerful.

"That sounds amazing, I'll have that, thank you."

Order placed, I sip my coffee, feeling a bit more fortified to tackle the day. I glance over at the boxes waiting to be unpacked and the furniture that needs arranging.

It's a new beginning here in this large and luxurious space, and I'm ready to put my stamp on it.

I dive into the task of unpacking, slowly transforming the space into something that feels like it could be mine. Not long after, the food arrives, and I take a break to enjoy the delicious meal.

As the morning fades into afternoon, I manage to make a significant dent in the unpacking. Just as I’m breaking down the last empty box, I hear the door open.

Lev steps through, dressed down in a white henley with black buttons that subtly accentuate his toned upper body, paired with gray jeans. He looks effortlessly handsome, and seeing him like this, in such a casual, domestic setting, adds a new layer of intimacy to our relationship.

He greets me with a warm smile. "Making yourself comfortable?" he asks, his eyes scanning the progress I've made.

"Yes, I've managed to move most of my stuff into my room.”

He cocks his head to the side, a look of confusion passing over his face. "We can share a room now, unless you'd prefer your own space?" he says, making it clear the choice is mine.

I smile, a little sheepishly. "I didn’t want to assume."

Lev looks at me intently, his eyes searching mine. "Well, we are having a child together, but what do you want, Dalia?"

The sincerity in his question warms me, and I find myself responding without hesitation. "I'd love to share a bed with you." The words feel so right as they leave my lips.

He steps closer, taking my hands in his and gently kissing them. “Good.”

His kiss sends a flutter through me.

As we share this small, tender moment, Lev breaks away to pour himself a glass of water. I lean against the counter, watching him move.

"You’re looking pretty casual for a day at the office," I tease gently.

He sighs, filling his glass. "I’ve been out in the field mostly, trying to dig up some information about the attack.”

"What have you learned?"

He takes a sip of his water, his gaze distant for a moment as he considers his words. "There are more questions than answers at this point," he admits, setting the glass down. "It's complicated. We’re still piecing things together."

Lev’s expression darkens with determination. “I’m not going to rest until I find out who’s behind what happened.”

I nod, touched by his protectiveness. “I believe you.”

He pauses, his head tilting slightly as if he’s pondering something else.

Curious, I prompt him, “What?”

Lev hesitates, then ventures cautiously, “I couldn’t help noticing you only had a few boxes of clothes.”

I purse my lips, a flood of memories from the past momentarily silencing me.

He picks up on my discomfort and gently prods, “What’s wrong?”

“When I left Chad, I left most of them behind. He ended up throwing them out, and I haven’t had the chance to get more.”

Lev’s brow furrows with concern. “That’s no good. We’ll have to do something about that.”

His response warms me, filling me with a sense of being cared for in a way I hadn’t realized I’d wanted.

As Lev's tenderness washes over me, something else nags at the back of my mind, a part of my past with which I haven’t fully reconciled. But I hesitate, unsure if I want to dive into that just yet. However, Lev, keen as ever, picks up on my hesitance.

"There’s something else."

I sigh. "It’s silly.”

He shakes his head firmly. "If it’s important to you, it’s not silly at all.”

Encouraged by his support, I decide to share. "I used to work part-time for a man named Claude Pascal, a jeweler. Chad was friends with him."

"What did you do for him?"

"I made jewelry," I reply. "I had hopes to maybe open my own store someday."

Lev looks genuinely impressed. "That’s amazing, Dalia."

My tone drops as I continue, "When I left Chad, I didn’t bring my jewelry with me. Claude fired me due to his friendship with Chad, keeping all the jewelry I made, taking credit for it."

I watch as Lev’s jaw clenches and his eyes darken, a storm brewing behind his previous calm demeanor.

“Most of my jewelry—pieces that I had personally crafted—are still at Claude's store, being sold as if he had created them. He basically stole them from me.”

Lev's reaction is immediate. "That's unacceptable.”

I laugh lightly, trying to ease the tension. "Yeah, it sucks. But we've got bigger matters on our plate right now."

"Perhaps," he says, but I can tell the issue has lodged itself in his mind, his sense of justice clearly ruffled. He seems lost in thought for a moment, mulling over something he's hesitant to say.

Then, unexpectedly, he closes the distance between us, taking my hands in his. His touch sends a familiar thrill through me, grounding and intense all at once.

“I know it’s been a long and trying couple of days, but if I don't have you now, I'm going to lose my mind.”

His words ignite something fierce and immediate within me, a rush of desire so potent it's almost overwhelming. I feel my body respond instinctively, my breath quickening.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

The heat between us is almost unbearable, and when he kisses me, it feels like a dam breaking. His lips are insistent, hungry, and I melt into him, returning the kiss with equal fervor.

He sweeps me up effortlessly, his arms strong and secure as he carries me down the hallway. Every step he takes makes my heart race, anticipation coiling inside me like a spring ready to snap.

As he lays me gently on the bed, his eyes never leave mine, a burning intensity in his gaze that sends sparks through my bloodstream. He strips off his shirt, revealing the taut muscles of his chest and arms, and I can’t help but reach out to touch him, my fingers tracing the contours of his skin.

"You're so damn beautiful," he murmurs, leaning over me, his hands trailing down my sides with a delicious slowness that leaves me breathless.

I pull him down, my lips finding his once more. The kiss is deep and demanding, my body responding instantly to his touch. His hands are everywhere—gliding over my skin, caressing, exploring—as he maps every inch of me with a tenderness that belies the urgency of our desire.

I feel his weight pressing down on me, his body aligning perfectly with mine, and I arch against him, craving more of that intoxicating contact.

His lips travel down my neck, leaving a scorching trail that makes me gasp, my fingers threading through his hair as he continues his descent. I feel the rasp of his breath against my skin, each exhale igniting a fire that consumes us both.

"Lev," I moan, the sound low and throaty, as I feel his hands slide beneath my shirt, pushing it up and over my head.

He pauses to admire the view, his eyes dark with need, before leaning down to capture my mouth in another searing kiss. It's as if we're trying to pour all the unspoken emotions into this one moment, and I revel in the intensity of it all.

His fingers skillfully undo the clasp of my bra, and the cool air sends a shiver through me as the fabric falls away. His mouth follows, trailing kisses down my chest until he reaches my breasts. He teases my nipples with soft deliberate strokes of his tongue, drawing a breathless sigh from my lips.

I tug at his jeans, desperate to feel the heat of his skin against mine, and he obliges, discarding them quickly along with the rest of his clothes. The sight of him naked and ready only heightens my desire, and I pull him back to me, eager to feel every inch of him. His skin is warm and smooth against mine as he presses me down into the mattress.

"God, I’ve been thinking about this all day," Lev murmurs against my ear, his voice low and rough with need. "You have no idea how much I want you, how fucking perfect you are."

He peels my pants and panties down my legs, leaving me completely exposed to him. A shiver of anticipation runs through me as he takes a moment to admire the view.

He grins wickedly, his hands gliding over my hips and thighs, spreading them wider to make room for himself. "I love seeing you like this, all spread out for me," he says, his words sending a delicious thrill straight to my core. "I want to taste every inch of you, make you scream my name."

His lips find my breasts again, his tongue flicking over one nipple before taking it fully into his mouth, sucking gently and then harder, drawing moans from deep within me. My fingers tangle in his hair as he lavishes attention on me, the sensation a perfect mix of pleasure and teasing.

Lev shifts lower, trailing kisses down my stomach, his stubble grazing my skin and leaving a trail of fire in its wake. My heart pounds in anticipation as he moves between my legs, settling himself there with a look of pure hunger in his eyes.

"You’re already so wet for me," he murmurs, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and desire. His hands grip my thighs firmly, spreading them even wider as he lowers his mouth to my most sensitive spot.

His tongue is relentless, skillful, as it flicks over my clit with a precision that makes my back arch and my breath catch in my throat. He teases me, alternating between gentle licks and firmer strokes that have me gasping for air, my hands clutching the sheets beneath me.

"Lev, please," I moan, half in plea and half in praise, my body responding to his every move, my hips instinctively lifting to meet his mouth.

He chuckles, the vibration sending shockwaves through me. "You like that? Tell me what you want, Dalia. I want to hear you beg for it."

His words, combined with his tongue, are a potent combination, and I can't help but comply. "I want more, Lev," I gasp, my voice breathless with need. "Please, don’t stop. I need you to make me come."

Encouraged by my words, he doubles his efforts, his tongue working magic against my clit as one hand slides up my thigh and two fingers enter me with a smooth, confident thrust. He finds my rhythm, his fingers curling inside me, hitting that perfect spot that makes my world shatter and rebuild with every stroke.

The combination of his mouth and fingers is devastating, a perfect symphony of sensation that sends me spiraling toward the edge. He doesn’t let up, relentless in his mission to bring me to the peak, his fingers pumping steadily as his tongue circles my clit with unerring precision.

I can feel the tension coiling inside me, building with every touch, every flick of his tongue, every delicious thrust of his fingers. My body tenses, every nerve alight, as I teeter on the brink of something spectacular.

"That’s it, Dalia," he murmurs against me, his voice filled with raw desire. "Come for me. I want to feel you fall apart."

His words are my undoing. With a cry, I shatter around him, pleasure crashing over me in waves so intense they leave me breathless and trembling. My world narrows to this moment, this feeling, as my pussy clenches around his fingers, every muscle quivering with the force of my release.

He doesn’t stop until he’s squeezed every last shudder of pleasure from me, only then easing his fingers from my body and pressing one last lingering kiss to my thigh. I lay there, boneless and blissfully spent, as he rises to kiss me softly, letting me taste the remnants of my own pleasure on his lips.

"I want to make you mine," he declares, his voice deep and unwavering, filled with a promise that sends shivers down my spine. "I want to claim you completely."

My heart pounds in response, my body already aching for his touch, his claim. "That's what I want, too," I confess, my voice a breathless whisper of longing. There's no hesitation, no doubt, just an undeniable need to be his in every possible way.

He positions himself above me, his body a force of nature poised to take me. His hands find my wrists, pinning them above my head with a firm, commanding grip that sends a thrill of submission coursing through my veins.

With a slow, deliberate motion, he pushes inside me, and I gasp at the sensation. He stretches me in the most exquisite way, every inch of him filling me completely. I moan softly, adjusting to the delicious fullness of him, my body surrendering to his possession.

"You're still so tight," he groans, his voice rough with pleasure as he begins to move, igniting a fire that spreads through me with every powerful stroke. His hips drive forward with an intensity that leaves me breathless, each thrust perfectly aimed to hit that spot that makes stars explode behind my eyes.

The bed moves beneath us, matching the rhythm of our passion, as he claims me with a raw, animalistic need that mirrors my own. I arch against him, meeting him thrust for thrust, feeling every delicious inch of him, as if we're dancing on the edge of oblivion together.

The room fills with the sound of our bodies meeting, the ragged gasps of our shared pleasure echoing in the air. His hands maintain their grip on my wrists, holding me captive beneath him as he drives into me with unrelenting force, every movement drawing me closer to the edge of something profound.

"Lev," I gasp, lost in the overwhelming sensation of him inside me, the friction and heat building into a crescendo that I can no longer control. I feel myself spiraling, the world blurring as he pushes me ever closer to that precipice.

He leans down, his lips grazing my ear as he whispers, "I want to feel you come all over my cock, Dalia.”

His pace quickens, his grip on my wrists tightening as he nears his own release. I feel him swell inside me, his thrusts becoming more erratic, each one sending shockwaves of pleasure through my oversensitive body as I reach a blinding climax.

"That's it," he groans, his voice a guttural growl as he reaches his own end. With a final, powerful thrust, he spills inside me, the warmth of his release lighting me up. He holds himself deep, the sensation of him draining into me a perfect counterpoint to the throbbing aftershocks of my orgasm.

We collapse together, our bodies slick with sweat and trembling from the force of our shared ecstasy. The world slowly comes back into focus, our breathing gradually steadying as we lie entwined, the afterglow of our passion enveloping us in a cocoon of bliss.

Lev releases my wrists, his touch now gentle and soothing as he pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I nestle against him, savoring the warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear.

"You’re incredible," he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead, and I smile, feeling a deep, abiding sense of contentment.

In this moment, wrapped in his embrace, I know I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.