24. Lev

24

LEV

I frown when Elle places something on the ledge of the window.

She looks out at the street below, her expression strained as she searches for me.

What could she possibly be leaving for me?

Whatever it is, it’s clearly important.

I’m desperate to know, but it would be stupid of me to attempt to climb the fire escape in broad daylight. Even if the men Alexei has put on lookout duty are shit.

Twice I’ve walked past the slate gray Mercedes parked across the street from Elle’s building to find both men asleep with their mouths wide open and drool running down their chin. It wouldn’t take much to send a little message to Alexei, but their poor work ethic has come in useful.

It meant I could sneak a rose that I stole from the farmer’s market up to Elle’s apartment last night.

I was surprised that she wasn’t in her bed when I snuck in, but water running in the bathroom told me she’d probably woken up from a nightmare.

It tore me apart not to comfort her, but I had no choice but to leave. I can’t risk getting caught by Mikhail again because I have a feeling that next time, I won’t be so lucky.

So, I can only hope that the rose was enough to make her not feel so alone.

Perhaps she’s leaving me a little gift of her own…

Alexei’s watch dogs tend to swap shifts around midnight, which will be the perfect time to make my move. Until then, I keep to the shadows of a nearby alley and wait for the hours to pass.

“Right on time.” The clock on my phone ticks over to eleven-forty-five, and the Mercedes engine roars to life.

My pulse quickens as the car pulls away from the curb.

The moment it’s out of sight, I dart across the street and begin climbing the fire escape up to Elle’s floor.

I have less than five minutes before the next set of watch dogs arrive, and I’m really not in the mood for another brawl.

Though when I finally see what it is that Elle has left for me, I wish that I hadn’t taken the risk.

I stumble backwards and almost lose my footing.

“Fuck.” I grip the railing.

Elle’s pregnant.

Those two pink lines have my blood running cold.

How the hell did this happen?

I was meant to protect her, not fucking knock her up with a child I’m not sure she even wants.

My heartbeat stomps as I snatch the positive test off the ledge and climb in through the window .

The room is cast in darkness, and the outline of Elle’s sleeping form in the bed has me grinding my teeth.

I don’t want to wake her, especially after the nightmare she had last night, but we need to talk about this, and I don’t have a lot of time.

“Elle?” I whisper into the darkness.

Elle whimpers softly as she tosses and turns beneath the covers.

Is she having a nightmare?

I’m crossing the room in an instant, the pregnancy test temporarily forgotten as I try to gently wake her up.

“Elle.”

Her cheeks are damp with tears, and her hair is soaked with sweat.

“You’re okay, Elle. You’re safe.” My heart clenches at the thought of her suffering.

Suddenly, she bolts upright, almost knocking me off the bed.

“Christ.”

“Lev?” She reaches to turn on the lamp, flooding the room with light.

“Yeah.” I hold a hand to my heart. “Are you ok?—”

I’m almost knocked off the bed again when Elle throws her arms around my neck and hugs me tightly.

My hands find her waist, and I bury my nose in her neck, inhaling the slightly salty scent of her skin.

She’s so warm and soft, and I just want to hold her against me for a little while longer.

“What the fuck, Lev!” She pulls away, hit me on the arm.

“What was that for?”

“You literally ghosted me.”

“Ghosted? What does that mean? ”

“It doesn’t matter.” She huffs, folding her arms over her chest.

“Clearly, it does.”

“It means you just…disappeared.”

“I know, but I didn’t have much of a choice. The Koslovs have eyes on you twenty-four seven, and I couldn’t risk getting caught.” It’s not the only reason I’ve stayed away, but it’s enough of a reason to hopefully calm her anxiety.

In truth, I keep trying to stay away, but it seems that my efforts have been in vain considering the reality of our situation.

“You’re pregnant?”

Elle nods, biting her lower lip as her eyes search my face. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I… I don’t know what to think.” I don’t want to lie.

I never once considered having children of my own, considering my upbringing, and so I have no idea what to feel.

“Me neither. What I do know is that I don’t care who you are, or what you’ve done, Lev.”

I open my mouth to retort, but she holds up a hand to silence me. “Please, let me finish.”

I nod, and she reaches for my hand and holds it in her lap.

“We have a connection, Lev, one that only seems to be growing stronger with time, and I think a baby would only strengthen it more.”

“I can’t give you the life you deserve, Elle,” I choke, a gut-wrenching emptiness swallowing me as I think of the child that now grows inside her.

“I don’t care.”

“You might say that now, but one day, I promise you will. A life with me… You wouldn’t have one, Elle. I’m not good for you or this baby.”

“You don’t get to decide that.” She moves to straddle my lap.

“Elle…”

She wraps her arms around my neck.

Her scent is intoxicating, and as I move my hands to her hips and dip my fingers beneath the hem of her t-shirt to feel her warm skin, I realize I’ve already lost this fight.

“I want you, Lev,” she whispers before leaning in to kiss me.

Her lips are so soft and warm, and I eagerly force my tongue into her mouth, wanting to taste her.

Her moans as I slide my tongue against hers have my cock thickening in my pants.

“Please.”

The agony in Elle’s voice has me giving in to her entirely.

“Take this off,” I grunt, tugging at the hem of her shirt.

Elle smiles against my lips before pulling back and removing her t-shirt.

The last of my restraint snaps at the sight of her swollen breasts, and I eagerly lean in to take one of her nipples in my mouth, gently sucking on the hard bud.

“Mmm… So good.”

I lean back and start palming her breasts. “So beautiful.”

Elle’s eyes flutter closed as she starts to gently grind her pussy against my erection.

I rub my thumbs over her nipples.

“Lev.”

“Fuck, I need you.”

“I’m all yours. ”

Those three words are my undoing.

I wrap an arm around Elle’s waist and flip her on her back.

She squeals, and I find myself smiling as I reach for the waistband of her shorts.

This woman will be the death of me.

When she’s completely naked, I take her thighs and part them.

Her swollen, glistening pussy has my cock straining painfully against my zipper.

My mouth waters at the thought of sinking my tongue inside her, of tasting her arousal as she comes.

But from the look of agony on Elle’s face, it’s clear that she needs more than just pleasure from me tonight.

She needs connection.

“Please.” She reaches for the waistband of my pants. “I need you.”

Our eyes stay locked as I climb off the bed and remove my clothes.

Even when my cock springs free, and I reach down to stroke my throbbing length, she never once looks away from my face.

“I’m yours, Elle.” I climb back onto the bed and settle myself between her thighs. “I’m all yours.”

Her green eyes well with tears as I slowly sink inside her, and I gently wipe away a few that escape as I continue to move my hips.

“Lev.”

“I know, schast’ye .” I bend down to kiss her softly.

I swallow the sound of her cries as I thrust the rest of the way inside her, groaning as her pussy clenches around me. “You feel incredible. ”

She whimpers, burying her face in my neck and kissing along my scars as I start to slowly move inside her.

I used to be repulsed by the idea of Elle seeing me like this. And while I still feel incredibly vulnerable, being able to connect with her like this is making it easy for me to forget that I even have them.

I take my time, letting her adjust to my size. Though from her frustrated pants, it soon becomes clear that Elle is needing more.

“Lev,” she moans, arching her back so that her nipples brush against my chest.

“What do you want, Elle?” I bend down to kiss along the swell of her breast.

“I-I want to—” She cries out as I bite down on her nipple.

“Show me.” I gently slide my cock out of her, and she moves her hands to my shoulders.

“Like this.”

I let out a grunt of approval as she pushes me onto my back and climbs on top of me.

“I want to watch you come.” She reaches between us to grip my cock.

“Fuck.”

Her hand is so small and warm, and I have to grit my teeth to stop myself from spilling all over it as she starts to stroke my length.

“Mmm…” Her lips pull up into a smile as she rolls her hand over the slick head.

“Elle.”

“I want to ride you, Lev.” She moves to rub the tip along her drenched core.

“I want that too.” I choke at how wet she is .

I move my hands to her hips to hold her steady as she lines my cock up with her entrance.

Watching Elle chase her pleasure as she rides me will be the sweetest torture, and I cannot fucking wait.

With one thrust of my hips, I bury myself inside her completely.

Elle throws her head back as she cries out my name, but she doesn’t give herself long to adjust before she’s clenching her thighs and lifting herself off my cock.

“Lev,” she pants as she sinks back down, her breasts bouncing with the movement.

“Holy shit.” I sink into her slick heat.

She feels like heaven, so wet and tight that I can already feel my balls tighten with the need to come.

But I let her set the pace, enjoying just watching her body move as she rides me.

It’s the most incredible sight, and I never want it to end.

“That’s it, Elle.”

“Fuck, yes, right there.” She cups her breasts as she bounces up and down on my cock.

I glance between us and watch my cock sliding in and out of her.

Nothing has ever felt so right, which only makes it more painful knowing that I’ll have to leave once it’s over.

So, for right now, I’m going to make sure to make Elle feel nothing but pleasure.

I adjust my hand so that I can start rubbing my thumb against her clit.

Elle’s answering moans and the way her pussy pulses around me let me know that she’s close.

“You feel so fucking good, Elle.”

“Oh yes, Lev, please!” She grinds against my hand .

“That’s it, schast’ye .” I work her clit faster. “You’re doing so well.”

A slight sheen of sweat coats her skin as she increases her pace.

I match my movements to hers, thrusting my cock into her as she slams down, both of us groaning as we collide.

There is no sight more beautiful than Elle as she’s about to climax. Watching her brows pull together and her mouth fall open as her cries turn to pants has my cock starting to leak.

“Oh. God. yes, I’m coming.”

“Look at me, Elle. Look at me.”

Her head falls forward, and she looks at me with glazed eyes as she hovers near the edge.

“Come with me, Elle.”

I lose myself in her green eyes and for a moment, time seems to stop completely.

Her breath catches, and the walls of her pussy flutter around my cock before her orgasm hits and she’s screaming with pleasure.

Watching Elle climax is enough to send me over the edge. With one last hard thrust of my hips, I empty myself inside her.

“Oh fuck.”

Once we’re both completely spent, Elle collapses on top of me with my cock still buried inside her.

Neither of us talks as we try to catch our breath, and I’m too stunned by what happened to do much other than gently stroke her back.

Eventually, her breathing starts to deepen, and I worry she’s actually falling asleep while I’m still inside her.

“You need to sleep, dushenka ,” I murmur as I stroke her slightly damp hair .

“Mmm…”

I gently roll her onto her back and slowly slide my still hard cock out of her, swallowing a groan at how wet she is.

It wouldn’t take much for me to be ready to go again, but Elle is clearly exhausted, and I should let her sleep.

As I make to move out of the bed, Elle’s eyes flutter open, and she’s reaching for me once more.

“Please, stay. Just for a little while.”

She really has me wrapped around her little finger because I find myself rolling onto my side and pulling her flush against me.

I want nothing more than to stay with her wrapped up in my arms all night long, but if any of the Koslovs was to figure out I was here, they would kill me. Slowly and painfully.

It would be worth it, though. “Just for a little while.”

My eyes fly open to find the sunlight just beginning to shine in through the window. Elle lies next to me with her thigh draped over my legs, her breathing still heavy with sleep.

Shit.

I fell asleep.

“Elle,” I whisper as I gently shake her shoulder.

Her hair is fanned out over my chest, and the soft swell of her breasts presses up against my side.

For a moment, I become distracted by the sight of Elle lying on my chest, her naked body wrapped around mine as she sleeps?—

Someone pounding on the door quickly has me crashing back to reality .

“Elle?”

“Fuck, it’s Lucia.”

This is not good. Lucia cannot catch me here. She might be easier to fight off than Mikhail, but that doesn’t mean I want to risk a run in with her.

“Elle, wake up!” I hiss under my breath.

I manage to untangle myself from her and jump out of bed to begin searching for my clothes.

“Hmm?” She buries deeper under the covers.

“Elle!” This time, it’s not Lucia pounding on the door, but Mikhail.

This is really not good.

His voice seems to do the trick of waking Elle up.

She sits bolt upright and blinks at me.

Her hair is a mess, and her eyes are heavy with sleep, but the covers fall to her waist, giving me the perfect view of her bare breasts.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight.

Mikhail pounds on the door again. “Open the door, Elle!”

Elle’s eyes widen as she glances at my half-naked form as I attempt to pull on my pants.

“Fuck.” She throws back the covers. “You can’t be here.”

“Way ahead of you.” I pull on my hoodie.

Lucia bangs on the door too. “Seriously, Elle, open the door!”

“One minute!”

Her eyes fly to me. “What the hell are they doing here?”

She searches for her clothes, slipping a t-shirt over her head.

“Go down the fire escape.”

I cross over to the window and glance down below.

“Fuck.” I point down to the street. “Anton and Danil are down there.”

It seems the majority of the Koslov bratva is wanting to pay Elle a visit this morning.

I have no doubt they have more men nearby, which means not only am I completely outnumbered, but I’m also completely trapped.

There’s no way in hell this is going to end well.

“Shit, okay. There’s no need to panic. You can just wait in here while I get rid of them.”

“How?”

“I’ll think of something.”

“Elle…”

“Nobody knows you’re here, so it’ll be okay.” She disappears from the room.

She’s probably right, but that’s not what I’m worried about.

It’s only a matter of time before the Koslovs discover the link between me and Elle. And when they do, whatever chance we could have had at building a life together will be shattered for good.