20. Gleb

Idon't know how many men Mel has been with in the years since she left me, but it took no time at all to realize two undeniable truths:

One, she hasn't been with anyone in a long fucking time—an extended abstinence is the only reason she could be this tight.

And two, whoever else she's been with had no fucking clue how to please her. Because her apparent lack of knowledge when it comes to seeking pleasure tells me I might just be the last man who even tried to bring her to climax.

It infuriates me and inspires me in equal measure. Because I want to be better than all the other assholes who got to have her and didn't recognize the treasure they possessed. If they knew Mel, if they saw her like I do, they might have realized that her pleasure is sweeter than the forbidden fruit, her body a temple to be worshiped.

"Oh god," Mel gasps, the pain ebbing from her voice as I chase it away with my lips and fingers.

And slowly, I start to rock inside her, filling her tight, wet pussy with a restraint that makes my balls ache and my muscles quiver. If she weren't so tense and guarded, I'd have lost myself in the need to claim her. I want nothing more than to fuck her into tomorrow, to unleash all the years of pent-up loss, anger, and agonizing desire.

But right now, Mel feels like she's a whisker away from the scared, near-broken girl I found in the back of Mikhail's tractor-trailer. And even though I'm still furious with her for running and hurt because she would choose this life over coming back to me, my need to protect her supersedes all of that emotion. My urge to please her, to remind her of what pleasure means, consumes my own desire.

"You like that?" I murmur against her throat, my fingers circling her clit as her arousal slicks my cock.

"Yes!" she gasps, her hips rolling as she finds the rhythm of my motion.

"Do you want to come, boginya?" I press, increasing my pace as I feel her walls tightening around my length.

"Yes," she moans, grinding desperately against my fingers.

"Then tell me."

"Fuck. Make me come, Gleb. Please, make me come," she mewls. Her fingers dig into my back as she rocks against me, her slim body arching and bucking as she rides me desperately.

Capturing her full lips with mine, I pinch her clit, rolling it gently between my finger and thumb as I pound inside her pulsing core. And Mel screams as she falls apart around me, her walls throbbing as they grip me with near-painful force.

I'm so swollen and aching with the need to come inside her that it takes every ounce of willpower to hold out. Her breasts heave against my chest, and she pants as her walls spasm, milking me with a desperate need.

Her hips slow, her body trembling with the intensity of her release.

Christ, she's so wet and tight, her gasping whimpers so sensual. Collecting her in my arms, I roll as I shift her into the center of my bed.

"I fucking love it when you come," I growl against her lips.

Mel shudders, her hands sliding down my back to grasp my hips. "I want more," she breathes, her fingers pressing into my skin, urging me to be rough with her.

And because I can barely stand how much I want her, I'm not about to argue. Increasing my pace, I thrust inside her with growing force. She's so wet and ready for me now that it only seems to excite her.

"Yes!" Mel gasps, her head falling back against the pillow as she takes me deep inside her.

My cock throbs, my balls swelling as I feel my release building at the base of my spine. And suddenly, I don't care about our past. I don't care who Mel's been with or why she left. All I care about is that she's here, in my arms.

And now that I have her back, I'm never going to let her go.

She's mine.

I've never wanted to keep anything more badly.

"Oh god, I'm gonna come," Mel moans, her legs trembling against my hips as she hugs me close.

I'm right there with her, my body pulsing with the need for release, but I want to feel her fall apart before I do. Rolling my hips, I thrust deep inside her, finding her G-spot as she cries my name.

And as she clamps down around my cock, I release my seed inside her depths, pumping burst after burst until our cum mingles, oozing out around my cock's base. I still inside her as we pant together, wrapped in each other's arms.

My cock twitches in her depths, the relief of my orgasm so satiating my limbs feel heavy. But I know that Mel doesn't like to feel trapped. So I ease out of her, rolling onto the bed beside her as we catch our breath.

"I need to meet with my brother first thing tomorrow," I state as we slowly come down from our bliss. "Then we can go home."

"Home?" Mel says, rising onto her elbows as she looks over at me.

"To New York."

"Gleb…"

The hesitation in her voice is enough to tell me what she's not saying, but I roll onto my side to give her a pointed look. I want to hear her say it.

"This is my home now," she insists when I wait for her to finish her objection.

"Why?" I ask, the question coming out closer to a growl than I intended.

Mel falters, her dark eyes shifting from mine to look down at her fingers resting on the blankets.

"Are you afraid I can't keep you safe? Because I promise I won't let anything happen to you again."

"It's not… that," she says hesitantly, her fingers picking at the pristine white fabric.

"Mel," I press, pinching her chin gently between my finger and thumb so I can force her to look at me.

"I have a life here, okay?" she says, sitting up suddenly as her tone shifts to defensive in an instant. "I don't care if you judge me for it, but this is where I belong."

I grind my teeth, sitting up as well as the closeness between us vanishes. "You'd rather stay here and dance for the Kellys than go back to New York and pursue a career in modeling?" I confirm.

Mel scoffs, her dark eyes flashing as she snatches up her dress from the floor. "Don't you dare throw modeling in my face right now," she snaps, pulling her dress back on without bothering to put on her bra.

"Throw it in your face?" I frown, collecting my boxers as the tension between us mounts.

"You're the one who told me it was too dangerous," she insists. "That I had to put it on the back burner because I was putting everyone at risk."

"That was three years ago, Mel."

"So, the Veles are done fighting?" she counters defiantly, snatching up her bra and panties and shoving them into her bag.

This is a new side of Mel I don't understand. Three years ago, she would have jumped at the chance to model. Then again, three years ago, she never would have accepted a job at a place like Pearl's. But she's not entirely without a point. And that's what makes me bristle.

Sure, we've taken Val out of commission. And we're starting to rebuild our forces, but we're not out of the war with Mikhail and the Zhivoder. The rest of the girls have moved on with their lives, though. So, I don't see why Mel couldn't achieve the same happiness if she came back with me.

"Nooo…" I say cautiously, standing so I can assess the sudden shift in her demeanor.

Mel straightens her dress and levels me with a look that says that I've answered my own question.

"So, what? You're just going to leave again?" I demand, that familiar sense of hurt and anger rising in me as I sense the direction our conversation is heading.

"I'm sorry, Gleb, but I can't go back with you. I'm happy here. I belong here…" she says.

"And not with me," I finish.

Mel's eyes drop to the floor, her chin trembling with the words she's not willing to tell me.

"So, you thought you'd have a quick fuck and go on your merry way," I observe flatly, my temper overriding my urge to be a decent human being.

"You're an asshole," Mel snaps, her eyes flashing with anger, and she whirls toward the door.

Watching her leave opens a fresh hole in my chest, and suddenly, I regret what I said. "Mel, wait." Closing the distance between us, I grasp her wrist, pulling her back toward me.

"What? Gleb?" she demands, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she glares up at me.

"I didn't mean it." Why can't I control my emotions around Mel? It's like my mouth has taken on a life of its own, saying whatever comes to my head regardless of the consequences.

"Of course you did. I'm not stupid. You like to pretend you're so different from all the other assholes who want to possess me. But when it comes down to it, you couldn't wait to judge me for the life I've chosen. You say you want to save me, that you want to protect me. But in reality, you just want to own me like every other man I've ever known."

Her words are like a knife to the heart, and I stop, my hand slipping from her wrist.

"You really want to put me in the same category as your father? Your uncle? Mikhail Sidorov?" If that's how she feels, then I was wrong to have sought her out.

In the blink of an eye, our night together feels sullied, dark, and twisted. Was I just chasing my own pleasure?

I don't think so. As fiery as Mel's glare is now, I know her. I know how much she wants me. She wants me in the same undeniable way I want her. She said as much—even if she wants to deny it now.

Why does she keep pushing me away?

"I want you to leave me alone, Gleb," she says, her voice trembling with emotion as she turns toward the door.

The blow hits hard, slowing my steps as I follow her. "Are you fucking kidding right now, Mel? After everything that just happened, you're going to walk away?" I demand, grabbing the door from her hand as she swings it open.

Mel turns in the threshold, her face inches from mine as she peers up into my eyes. "Go home, Gleb. Just… go back to New York and leave me in peace," she breathes.

Then, with a swirl of fabric and the scent of lemon-tinged vanilla, Mel's gone.