9. Mel

"You're so wet," Gleb groans, his voice agonized.

I shiver, my core throbbing dangerously. And when his fingers find my clit, I nearly come undone. "Oh fuck! Please, Gleb, oh god, please!" I don't even know what I'm begging for, but my need is so intense, I think I might explode.

Then, his thick tip presses between my folds as he finds my entrance. It's like silk against my skin and impossibly hard as he pushes inside me just an inch. He feels so big it almost hurts, but the pleasure that radiates through my body as his fingers continue to circle my clit leaves me wanting more.

"Relax, Mel. Try to let me in," he breathes against my lips.

I nod, releasing a shaky breath as I will the tension from my tight muscles. And when he eases inside of me a few more inches, I cry out.

"Fuck, you're so tight," he rasps, sounding as though he's in as much pain as I am.

But it feels so good; I don't want him to stop. My walls throb around him, and he continues to press forward, stretching me to the limit with his considerable girth.

When he's buried to the hilt, Gleb pauses, letting me acclimate to the intense fullness of having someone inside me. Gratitude that he is my first constricts my chest. I don't know that anyone else would be so gentle, and I'm already overwhelmed with sensations.

He breathes heavily with me, his one arm supporting his weight so I don't feel trapped beneath him. But he's still close enough that my breasts find the hard planes of his chest with each shuddering gasp.

Gleb's fingers shift from my clit, and I whimper in protest. But then the last of the space between us melts away. And the feel of our bodies pressed so closely together sets my soul on fire. Snaking his arm beneath my hips, he lifts me, changing the angle so my sensitive bundle of nerves is pressed directly against him.

Then he starts to rock inside me. Slowly at first, Gleb gradually increases his pace, seeming to time it perfectly with my receding pain. And as the pleasure builds once more, I find the all-consuming relief of having him inside me, unlike any bliss I've ever known.

"You feel fucking incredible," Gleb rasps, pressing into my depths more adamantly now, and with each penetrating thrust, my walls tighten around him.

Driving into a hidden spot deep inside me, Gleb sends explosive pleasure through my core. Wet arousal gushes from me, creating a deeply erotic sound as our skin slaps together. Tension vibrates through my body, the need for release making me squirm. I cling to Gleb, desperate to find that same oblivion as before.

"I'm gonna come," he grunts, his muscles tightening as if he's about to pull out.

But I'm so close, I think I might implode if he does. "Don't stop, please," I plead, wrapping my legs around his hips and grinding against him.

"Blyat!" he snarls, slamming inside me, and as I feel him burst within my depths, the first wave of my orgasm washes through my core.

Throbbing around his hard length, I milk him in time with his own pulsing bursts.

Gleb's soft lips find mine, brushing gently over them as I ride the aftershocks of my release. Euphoria tingles in the tips of my fingers and toes, raising goosebumps on my arms, and my eyes flutter open as he pulls back just far enough to look at me.

"Are you okay?" he murmurs, his arm easing out from under me so he can brush the hair from my face.

I nod, a smile curling my lips as my mind lingers in heavenly bliss. "More than."

That low, soft chuckle rumbles from his chest, waking butterflies in my stomach.

Slowly, Gleb eases out of me, leaving behind an aching emptiness.

"I should have used protection, but I didn't exactly come prepared…" Guilt flickers in his eyes. "We can pick something up for you tomorrow, when we get back to the City."

I nod. I hadn't actually thought about that, and warmth radiates in my cheeks as I realize my level of sex education is probably strangely out of balance.

But my embarrassment doesn't last long as Gleb invites me beneath his covers. Heart fluttering, I snuggle against his side and rest my cheek on his shoulder. Silence settles over us like a warm blanket. I've been dreaming of what it would be like to sleep with Gleb for longer than I care to admit, and now that I'm here, it feels like this is exactly where I belong. Like we've been sharing the same bed for years.

When I'm with Gleb, it's so easy to forget about the real world. He makes me feel safe and strangely comfortable. So, when my eyelids sink closed, I fall into a deep, peaceful sleep that's devoid of the ghosts that usually haunt my dreams.

* * *

"You have two options, Mel,"Gleb states, his tone calm and authoritative, though I detect a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Either stay put and accept the extra protection here, or move back in with Pyotr and Silvia. But you are not leaving one of those two locations until I'm confident Mikhail won't target you again."

Leaning against the mint-green cabinets of our outdated kitchen, I cross my arms as I stare Gleb down. The other girls seemed perfectly fine with his new plan. They've already wandered out of the kitchen to go do other things with their time, but I sure as hell am not just going to sit around this hole in the wall until I'm given permission to leave.

For some reason, I imagined life would go back to normal when we got home. That perhaps Gleb and I might start exploring the intimacy we experienced last night. Discovering I could enjoy sex despite my past left me feeling invigorated, empowered even.

I thought we might have a chance to establish a more meaningful relationship because Gleb was so attentive to my needs. So attuned to my desires. But after an early morning and a hectic plane ride home, I feel as though we're on entirely different pages. Maybe even different planets.

"Gleb, I can't just sit around the house all day. We have rent to pay!" I fling my hands in the air, letting them come down noisily as I slap my thighs.

"I'll cover your rent until the situation is resolved," he states flatly, his tone brooking no argument.

"What about my modeling gig? I can't just blow that off. I might never get an opportunity like that again," I insist.

"I can't spare the men, Mel. We lost too many. I'm putting my best men with you to ensure nothing happens again. And I'm sorry, but I can't afford to split them up so you can chase your dreams. Besides, think about the danger you'd be putting the girls in by broadcasting your image across magazines right now."

His steady delivery doesn't make the fact that they lost so many men any less painful to me. But the implication that my desire to pursue a career is selfishly endangering the girls I live with puts me immediately on the defensive.

"So, what? I'm just supposed to sit around and accept this new prison, where I wait for other men to tell me where I can go or what I can do? If I can ever even leave my house again? Dress it up all you want, Gleb, but that's just a different kind of cage," I snap.

I can see the tension in his stillness because I've spent so many hours watching him. Only his eyes show the true intensity of the hurt and anger my words trigger in him. "I'm sorry you feel that way. But this is not up for discussion."

"Well, what if I don't want your protection?" I press.

My stomach somersaults at the thought of striking out on my own, of opening myself up to that level of vulnerability. But the suffocating idea of being trapped inside this house for days or even weeks at a time gives me an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia.

Closing the distance between us, Gleb plants his palms on the counter on either side of me. The air catches in my lungs as his sudden proximity sends my heart into a frenzy. And though I'm furious right now, his intoxicating, masculine scent makes it nearly impossible to focus.

Why am I so insanely attracted to him?

I hate it because just the thought of him kissing me shakes my resolve.

But more than anything, I want to be free.

And I hate that the men in my life always seem so eager to take that away from me.

I thought Gleb was different, and it terrifies me to realize he might be the most dangerous of all. Because with him, I could almost hand over my liberty willingly. Almost.

"You don't get a choice, Mel. Not this time," he says flatly, his smooth, soft voice sending an icy shiver down my spine.

Tremors rack my body, and I don't know if it's out of rage or fear. But that same strangling sense of confinement raises panic in my chest.

Gleb pushes off the counter, putting space between us. And I don't know if it's because he senses my anxiety or if he thinks I might slap him. The thought did cross my mind.

But a second later, his hand fishes into his pocket, and he pulls out his phone. "Da," he answers, casting me a sidelong glance that tells me not to go anywhere.

Fuming, I cross my arms once more, glaring at him as I wait for him to finish his conversation. A quick exchange of Russian passes between him and the person on the other end of the line. Then he hangs up.

"The boss beckons?" I taunt, so angry that I want to lash out in whatever way I can. "Why don't you be a good dog and run back to your master? I suppose I'll just sit here and wait for you to visit me at your leisure."

I don't think I could have shocked him more if I'd actually slapped him. And guilt twists my stomach. I wish I could take the words back, but my stinging pride won't let me.

Gleb releases a heavy breath, his nostrils flaring. The conflict in his eyes tells me what his passive expression won't. "This conversation isn't over," he states flatly, dark promise staining his tone.

I press my lips together, tipping my chin defiantly, and when it's clear I don't intend to respond, he turns and leaves without another word. His lithe strides are catlike and utterly silent—both sexy and lethal.

God, what is wrong with me?

I never should have opened my heart to him because that's how I let men control me.