“I’m scared if I give in, I won’t be the same.” She looked at her, big blue eyes not as naive as the first time they met, but in some ways, still heartbreakingly innocent. “You’re my first, you know.”
That knowledge filled him with smugness, that he’d be her first and the last, because Vadim didn’t share his most cherished possessions.
“You ruined me when we danced all those years ago. Oh, you didn’t need to do much. That quick kiss we shared was enough.”
“Good. Does that frighten you? That I’m glad I have that effect on you?”
“The blade’s double-edged.”
Vadim didn't deny it. He could have waited a little longer for the two of them to have this discussion, but now was fine, too.
“You’re not a sheltered princess anymore, Eve. What will you do next?”
She bit on her bottom lip, one he wanted to nip at. He slipped his hands past her waist, under her shirt to grip the curves that maddened him, obsessed him. Vadim wanted her under him, at his mercy, begging him for release.
“If I’m not Charles Valentin’s daughter, who am I? What have I left?”
“Mine.”
Would it be enough for her? Vadim would never let her go, but he wouldn’t get in the way of her dreams either. Once she finished grieving for her family, once she had the strength to move forward, she’d come to the realization that in a way, he set her free from the cage and constraints she’d had to live with her entire life as the daughter of a mafioso.
Vadim didn’t stop her from tugging at his shirt. He allowed her to pull it off, so it would be his turn. She didn’t protest when he returned the favor, baring more of her creamy silken skin, the bright pink lace bra that matched her panties. Most of the bruises from three days ago had begun to fade, and so had the cuts.
Eve might forget, but he wouldn’t. He recalled every blemish, any imperfection those fuckers put on her skin. They’d pay their debt soon enough.
“Tell me to stop and I will.”
She didn’t, not even when he reached behind her, unclasped her bra and tossed it away so he had an eyeful of her luscious breasts. He grazed a fist over her pinkish-brown nipples, liking how they pebbled under his touch.
“I don’t want you to stop.”
“Once we go down this path, there’s no coming back.”
“I know. I want to lose myself in you.”
It took plenty of courage for Eve to admit that. Vadim had given her space these past few days, knowing she fought a war inside of her—the desire for him versus vengeance for her kin. He could take her anytime, as was his right, but the last thing he wanted was her to hate him even more.
Eve’s breathing hitched when he lowered his head to one breast, held the bud captive between his teeth, and grazed at it.
He tongued her areola, slipping his hand further down her body, past the waistband of her jogging shorts, underwear, to find what he wanted. Vadim fingered her slick pussy folds, rubbing her clit back and forth. Then he bit hard enough to leave a mark on her tits. Eve cried out, digging her fingers into his biceps.
“Yes,” she managed to utter. “More. Please.”