Give Me More (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Sergei had thought about lying to her, not because he didn’t want to tell Zoey, but because he wanted to protect her. The world he lived in, created for himself, and would be in until the day he died, was dangerous and violent on all levels. There was something about her that drew him in like no other. He didn’t know what it was, but he also didn’t question it. Sergei had always gone with his instincts when it came to all things.

And they were screaming that he couldn’t let Zoey just walk away.

She didn’t answer right away, but then she glanced at her shoes and said, “If you’d like to come inside and talk, you’re more than welcome to.” Zoey lifted her head, and their gazes clashed.

She was trying to be strong, he could see that in her eyes, but he was good at picking up the little details, and he saw were her hands shaking.

“Okay,” was all he said.

She didn’t move for a second, but then she exhaled slowly and moved past him. Her arm brushed his, and his entire body tightened even further. What he wanted to do was pull her close and kiss her, and as much as he hated holding back—because he didn’t on any occasion—he wanted to move slowly with her.

He turned and looked at the car, saw the driver standing by the side door, and he waved him off. The driver would stay in the car until Sergei came out. He followed Zoey to the porch, knowing a lot about her, but not going to reveal that. Not only had Yvgeny told him about the shit going on with her past, but he’d looked up some information on his own, as well. She’d think it was wrong, intrusive even, but it’s what he did. When there was something he wanted, or wanted to know, then he went to any means to find out everything he could.

She was ten years younger than his thirty-seven years of age, but she was smart, having a degree in business. But just looking in her eyes he could see how smart she was, how resourceful and strong Zoey was. It was all of that that had Sergei wanting her more. But he had to tread lightly, because she knew what he did, where he was from, and that was very sensitive and dangerous information. His life wasn’t really set up to have anything permanent.

But I can see myself having something more than a few hours between the sheets with Zoey.

And he would go to any lengths to make that happen, because he wanted her, and he wouldn’t stop until he had her and she was safe from everything. Even him.

****

Why am I inviting him in when I know who and what he is?

She shook her head, knowing she should have just said goodnight and ended it at that.

She stopped on the porch, turned, and stared at him. Even two steps down from her he was still taller than she was. That had her body tingling, the very feminine part of her rising up. She held her breath, not sure if what she wanted to do—was about to do—was really smart.

Am I sure about anything in life?

No, she wasn’t. Her life before Rick had been great. Then there had been that middle that had been hell. She didn’t have to make the second part just as miserable because of the unknown.

But Sergei isn’t like any other man. He’s in the mafia, deadly, and I know he deals in all things illegal. Is that what I really want to get involved with?

Even knowing that, and being smart enough to realize this was trouble …
he
was trouble, she couldn’t let this go. What she felt—albeit fast and intense—was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She didn’t want to let that go, or just push it aside because of all of the what-ifs.

Just say goodbye, turn around and walk in. Do you want to possibly get involved in the same situation with Sergei as you did with Rick?

Sergei took a step forward onto the step, and she breathed in his cologne.

“I’d never hurt you,” he said in that deep accented voice of his. He said those words with such conviction she believed them instantly.

It was strange to feel like this, to feel anything for a man she barely knew … one she knew was deadly.

“Anyone that lays a hand on you deserves to die.” He cupped the side of her face, his hand so big, warm. She didn’t flinch, didn’t feel anything but consuming arousal. “Anyone that
has
laid a hand on you, that’s hurt you, will feel my wrath.”

Did he know about her past in detail?

“You know,” she said without thinking.

He took the last steps to get onto the porch. With Sergei right in front of her all she could think about was remembering how to breathe.

The world slowed to a standstill as her heart started to race. Not from fear, though, but from anticipation and arousal.

“Are you afraid of me?” Sergei asked.

She found herself shaking her head instantly.

“Good,” he murmured and lowered his gaze to her mouth. “I’d never harm you.”

How she knew that with certainty was beyond her, but she knew that without a doubt.

“Do you believe I’d protect you?”

Again, she nodded.

“That I’d hurt anyone that dared laid their hands on you?”

Another nod from her.

He lifted his gaze to her eyes again. “Do you know how dangerous I am, Zoey?”

Her heart stilled, and her throat tightened. “Yes,” she whispered.

“But not to you,” he said in this low, deep voice. “I’m not any threat to you. I never will be.”

She was breathing harder now, not sure what to say or do.

“I know your heart is racing.”

It was. It was racing so hard and fast.

“I can see the rapid beat of your pulse, know you’re equal parts confused and aroused. We have chemistry, Zoey, that’s undeniable.”

He was right on both accounts.

If she felt any kind of alarm around him it was just because of the emotional scar Rick had put on her.

Zoey forced her eyes to stay open as she felt his thumb move along her bottom lip. Intense tingles started to travel throughout her body.

“Tell me his name,” Sergei asked, and she knew what he was referring to.

When she opened her eyes, she saw he was so close to her their lips almost touched. She shook with need, with excitement at the sensations he created in her. He moved them backward until she felt the brick of the house stop her from going any further.

“Tell me the motherfucker’s name that hurt you, and I swear I’ll make him pay.”

Sergei pressed his body against hers, the heavy weight a welcome comfort. She was aware of how hard he was to her softness, of how powerful and strong he was compared to her fragility.

“How did you know?” she found herself asking. Zoey was surprised she could even talk through the arousal moving through her veins.

“Yvgeny,” he said without hesitating.

“He shouldn’t have said anything to you,” she whispered, her head resting on the brick wall, her body feeling like it was on fire.

“No, but he knows me, knows what I stand for.” He cupped the side of her face and she found herself leaning into his touch. “He knows I’d never hurt a woman, and that I’d do everything in my power to protect them … just like he’s protecting you.”

Yes, she knew Yvgeny was protecting her. He’d done so much for her, and she would never be able to thank him properly.

“But he didn’t tell me everything.” He pulled back, and she looked up into his eyes. “I found stuff out on my own.”

Alarm settled in her, but the way he stroked her cheek with his thumb had her calming. She knew she should be afraid, run, keep herself guarded, but it was hard to do any of that when this man made her feel intoxicated.

“But I did what I did because I wanted to know about you.”

“You should have asked.” Her strength rose up as she stared at him. “I would have told you.”

Would I have?

“Would you have?” he said, as if reading her mind.

Zoey swallowed, wanting to say she would have, but also not knowing if that would have been the truth. “No,” she finally answered honestly.

He’d stopped stroking her cheek for only a second, as if maybe he waited to hear her response. But now Sergei was back at it.

“You know what I do.”

She could only nod.

“But we do not, under any circumstance, harm women.”

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even think straight.

“We protect them. The ones that hurt a female feel our wrath.”

Her throat was dry, tight. Were all mafias like that? She sounded ridiculous even thinking that to herself.

“So you’re the good version of the Bratva?”

God, I seriously just asked that?

The corner of his mouth lifted, but he was focused on her lips. “There is no good or bad Bratva. There just is the brotherhood.” He lifted his gaze to her eyes then. “We do things that would make your heart seize in your chest,” he said in a deep, low voice.

Her pulse jumped.

“We do things that would give you nightmares.” He leaned in an inch. “I’ve done things that have reserved me a spot in hell.”

She couldn’t breathe, was transfixed by him, and wanted to hear more. She wanted to understand why she felt this way, and why she had this connection toward him.

“This is fast,” she found herself whispering.

“Yes,” was all Sergei said. “But it feels good.”

She licked her lips and nodded. “Yes,” was her response. “It doesn’t make any sense.” And it didn’t. She’d never felt this with any other man, and they’d just met.

“What doesn’t make sense?” he asked, his accent seeming thicker. He moved his thumb closer and closer to her lip, and her mouth tingled, her entire body ready for him.

“How I feel for you. We don’t even know each other.” He had scruff along his cheeks and jaw, and the urge to rub her cheek against it, wanting to feel that roughness, rode her hard.

“I’d like to get to know you a lot better,
Myshka
.”

She sucked in a lungful of air and moved her hands up to wrap her fingers around his bulging biceps. Zoey was aware of his hard muscles flexing under her hold, but for as much as she wanted to moan from how good that actually felt, she held off. He pressed against her a little harder, the feel of his erection like a steel rod between them.

Every erogenous zone in her body was heightened. Her pussy was wetter than it had ever been, and her nipples felt so hard they could have cut through her shirt. Even though they were outside, and anyone walking by could have seen them—especially Sergei’s driver—it didn’t matter to her. The thought of someone seeing them actually turned her on more.

“I want you to trust me, and I know that’ll take time,” Sergei said, his thumb on her bottom lip, lightly stroking it. “Tell me his name. Tell me who hurt you and I’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Zoey didn’t want to bring up the past, didn’t want the toxicity of what she’d had with Rick to ruin how she felt. This moment was intense, and she felt so free, so light. But she also could tell Sergei was the type of man to push when he wanted something. He wouldn’t let this go.

“Let’s not talk about all that—”

“No, let’s talk about it,” he said with determination in his voice. “We need to talk about it.”

She swallowed, wanting to tell him everything, It was like being with him made her feel bolder … stronger. It was a strange sensation, but she desperately wanted to latch onto it.

“Rick. His name is Rick. But I have a feeling you already know that.”

He continued to stroke her lip, not saying anything right away. “I did. But I want you to trust me, to tell me things. I want you to feel like you’re safe with me.”

“I don’t know you,” she whispered, her voice shaky.

“You’ll get to know me, Zoey.”

The way he said that made her feel like he wouldn’t just let her go. Maybe she should have felt worried about that, scared that she had such a crazy attraction to this man.

But she didn’t care, and she wasn’t afraid.

They stared into each other’s eyes for long seconds, and then, without thinking about it anymore, and without worrying about anything else, Zoey leaned in and eliminated the meager space that separated them. Once her lips were on his, it was as if a bolt of electricity shot through her entire body. Her clit seemed to throb, her pussy muscles clenched, and she couldn’t stop the moan that left her.

Sliding her hands up his biceps and resting them on his broad shoulders, she curled her nails against the material of his clothes.

And then she leaned in again, rose on her toes, and kissed him harder.

I need this.

He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, and then did the same to her top lip. She was helpless in his erotic onslaught, but she was okay with letting him do all the work. She might have started this, or maybe he had … hell, anymore she didn’t know. All she knew for certain was she wanted this to go further.

“You feel so fucking good pressed against me, Zoey.”

She could only moan in agreement.

Sergei delved his tongue between her lips, and she greedily accepted the kiss. He smelled good, like cologne and a hint of spicy cinnamon. The way he slid his hand down her cheek, over her throat, and around to the nape of her neck had everything in her turning to mush. He curled his fingers around the back of her neck, pulled her head closer to him, and really devoured her mouth then.