Chapter 16

Victor

SHE’S DREAMING.

I watch her from the shadows, perched on the edge of the bed. The dim light from the full moon outside casts a soft glow over her sleeping form, highlighting the curves of her body beneath the thin fabric of her nightgown.

It’s been three weeks since I last touched her, since I last allowed myself the pleasure of her skin against mine. I’ve been giving her space, trying to respect the distance she’s put between us. But fuck, it’s been hard.

Govno!

My cock throbs with need, a constant ache that only she can soothe. I want to reach out, to run my hands over her smooth, creamy thighs, to feel her shudder and moan beneath my touch.

But I hold back, my fists clenching at my sides. She doesn’t belong in my world, in this life of blood and violence. Ksenia was right about that much, at least.

Laura jerks in her sleep, a small whimper escaping her lips. The covers have slipped down, revealing the swell of her tits, the delicate curve of her collarbone.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. But it’s no use. My body is drawn to her like a moth to a flame, desperate for her warmth, her light.

This sensation’s bizarre, never hit me like this before. Am I losing it? What’s this weird feeling all about?

Tears slip from beneath her closed lids, glistening on her cheeks. “Mommy…” she whispers, her voice so soft, so broken. “I miss you, Mommy.”

My heart clenches in my chest, a pain that has nothing to do with physical desire. I reach out, my fingers trembling as I brush the tears from her face.

She stirs at my touch, her hand coming up to grasp mine. Before I can pull away, she tugs it down, pressing it against her chest. I can feel the steady thump of her heartbeat beneath my palm, the rise and fall of her breasts with each breath.

She sighs again, and then she’s still, once more, lost in the depths of sleep.

I stay there for a long moment, savoring the feel of her, the closeness I’ve been craving for so long. I know I should pull away, should put that distance back between us.

But I can’t. Not now, not when she’s so warm and soft and real beneath my hands.

I let my fingers drift lower, skimming over the silky fabric of her nightgown. She shivers in her sleep, her lips parting on a breathy moan.

Fuck, I need her so bad it hurts. I want to bury my face between her thighs and feast on her sweet cunt until she’s writhing and screaming my name. I want to plunge my cock into her tight, wet heat and fuck her until she’s senseless with pleasure, until she can’t remember her own goddamn name.

I crave her like a junkie craves his next fix, like a drowning man craves air. She’s gotten under my skin, into my fucking bloodstream.

But more than that, I want to protect her. To keep her safe from the darkness that threatens to swallow us both.

What the hell is going on with me? This feeling’s strange, like nothing I’ve felt before. What is this?

My body is acting before I can think.

I lean down, brushing a feather-light kiss against her forehead. “I’ve got you, kiska,” I whisper, my voice rough with emotion.“I won’t let anything hurt you. Not ever again.”

She clutches my hand tighter, pressing it against the soft mounds of her tits. Her breathing’s gone all steady now, but fuck me, I can still feel the heat of her skin through that flimsy excuse for a nightgown.

I’m frozen, my muscles locked tight.

Don’t want to move, can’t fucking move.

Watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, something twists inside me. I’m used to making people piss their pants in fear, but this… this is some new shit. A weird warmth spreads through my chest, a kind of softness I’ve never felt before.

Her scent wraps around me like a damn blanket, sweet and warm like fresh-baked cookies. In the low light, her skin’s glowing like some kind of angel. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m stretched out beside her.

It’s just for a minute.

But then she rolls over, throwing her leg across my thigh, her knee grazing my dick. I bite back a groan as my cock jumps to attention, getting harder by the second.

I clench my jaw so hard my teeth ache, fighting the urge to grind against her, to shove my hand under her nightgown and feel every inch of that silky skin. My balls are drawn up tight, throbbing with need.

“Vic…tor?” Her sleepy mumble cuts through the haze of lust. I feel her stiffen against me as reality crashes in.

I squeeze my eyes shut, sucking in a shaky breath. Every part of me is screaming to take her, to claim what’s mine. But I force the words out, “Shhh, just go back to sleep.”

Slowly, carefully, I untangle myself from her, every cell in my body protesting the loss of her warmth. I stalk out of the room, my heart pounding.

The door snicks shut behind me, and I slump against it, dragging a hand down my face.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Since when do I run from a willing woman in my bed?