The Russian's Tender Lover (The Sisterhood) (14 page)

Darcy gasped as she felt the hard muscles against her. He didn’t stop there. Sergei lifted her up so that her face was a bit closer to his. “You’re going to have to deal with this attraction, Darcy. It isn’t going away and the more we ignore it, the strong it becomes.”

She gasped when he brought her closer, his mouth covering hers and she didn’t even notice when his damp bathing suit got her own shorts wet, too amazed at the fire that leapt up as he kissed her.

His lips were hard, unyielding and Darcy was unable to resist the pull of his scent, his touch. Her hands, which had been wanting to touch him, feel him earlier, wrapped around his neck, holding him close as her mouth was ravaged by his. When her mouth opened, his tongue invaded, touching her, taunting her into participating in the kiss. Darcy could no more resist him than she could fly off this island. So when he pulled up her right leg so that it was wrapped around hers, then the left, she rubbed her body against his, feeling more of him than she’d ever felt from a man. Glorying in the way his parts pressed against hers, his muscles rippling under her hands, thrilling her as he tore his mouth from hers and moved down to her neck, kissing, biting, nibbling…Darcy gasped as he found one spot after another that created more and more heat, inching up a feeling she couldn’t define but made her press against him, rubbing her body in an urgent need to find some sort of relief. But each time she moved, the feelings only intensified, not eased.

When he laid her down on one of the chaise lounges, Darcy wasn’t even aware of the change in their positions. All she knew was that her body was on fire, needing to feel him and touch him. When her shirt came off, tossed over her head somewhere, Darcy had a mild impression of fresh air on skin that had previously been covered, but then his mouth covered her breast, his lips finding her nipple through the white lace bra and gently nudging the fabric away to find skin. When his mouth covered her nipple without the fabric, she arched into his mouth, giving him more access and pulling his head down for more. When he moved to her other side, she cried out in protest, but was desperate when his mouth bit and nibbled gently at her other breast, giving it equal attention.

With a groan, he stood up and pulled his swim suit off, then reached down and slid her shorts off, his eyes flaring with heat as he looked down at her shyly covering her nakedness.

“Not today,” he said and bent over her, his muscular arms holding him above her while his mouth kissed her hands, nudging her fingers aside and giving him back the access to her breasts he’d had a few moments before. He didn’t stop there this time though. His mind wanted more, he wanted it all. He wanted to know this woman and understand her, to find out everything he could about her.

With his mouth and hands, he slowly explored her body, enjoying the way she reacted to everything he did to her. Wherever he kissed or teased, she gasped or wiggled, her hands diving into his hair or trying to push his head away. But he wouldn’t let her. When he reached that triangle between her legs, he laughed softly as she tried to close her legs. But his body was already between them and he kissed her back to relaxing. When he felt the tension ease out of her body once again, his mouth sought the core that he’d been targeting all along. As he closed over her, he felt her body arch against his mouth, her scent making him crazy to taste her essence, to feel her as she exploded around him. It didn’t take long before she was crying out her release and although it was intoxicating, he’d hoped his exploration would have lasted longer. He wanted to taste her longer, more fully. But as her body came down, he moved back up to her face, kissing her as he slid inside her.

Pulling away, he groaned as he felt her heat close over his erection. “You feel incredible!” he growled, pulling her knees up around his hips so he could go deeper. When he felt her resistance, he was confused at first. But looking down at her, with her soft brown hair spilled around her head and shoulders like a halo, he suddenly understood so much more about this beauty.

He should have stopped, should have gone slower, but as her heat and wetness pulled him in, he drove slowly deeper, needing to take all of her with him on this journey. He ground his teeth in an effort to slow down, but when she raised her hips, giving him permission to go deeper, he couldn’t ignore the invitation.

Darcy had never felt more complete, more whole, than she did at this moment. The pain was barely there, and all she could think now was to move against him, feel him inside her and savor this amazing feeling of being perfectly at peace with the world.

And then he moved inside her. That peace was gone, replaced by a driving need that started in her stomach and emanated outwards, claiming every part of her body in an effort to assuage the desperate need for a culmination she didn’t really understand how to achieve.

Sergei did, she knew. As she looked up at him, he was watching her and she knew in his eyes that he would help her. Putting her hand against his cheek, she bit her lower lip and raised her hips up, matching his thrust and meeting him all the way. “Help me,” she whispered, and watched as his eyes closed and he nodded.

“Hold on, love,” he said roughly, then bent lower and pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her as he moved in and out of her, the pace increasing as the pressure built higher. Darcy held on, gasping for breath and pulling him in deeper, not letting go until her body seemed to explode around her, and she felt Sergei breach the same explosion as he held her tightly.

When their breathing started to return to normal, Darcy looked up, amazed at the experience she’d just enjoyed. Sighing, she let her arms relax and almost giggled when she felt Sergei’s mouth nuzzle against her neck.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Sergei had never had a woman thank him after sex before so he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or simply say, “You’re welcome.” He chose the laughter, amused with her manners at a moment like this. “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she sigh, letting her hand run down his back.

Suddenly, he lifted her up and carried her into the pool, naked and clinging to him. “Why are we doing this?” she asked, her arms wrapped around his neck and trying to climb higher so she didn’t have to get wet.

“Because it will feel good,” he said softly and kissed the top of her head.

With his strong arms holding her, she sighed in happiness as they slowly descended into the pool, the water lapping over her sensitized body gently and she laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying just being in his arms.

“You’re right, this feels wonderful,” she said as they floated together in the water.

That lasted for only a few minutes before the friction between their bodies created an awareness that she wasn’t finished with this man. Looking up at his face, she noticed that he had the same expression shining through his own expression. When he leg her legs drop down, she pulled herself closer to him, the water allowing her to lift herself higher so she could kiss him.

After several minutes of that, with her legs wrapped around his waist and her naked body rubbing against his, he groaned and pulled them both out of the pool. Wrapping a towel around both of them, he swung her back up into his arms, carrying her away from the pool into the house.

“But the puppies! They can’t be left alone near the pool.”

“Manuel!” he called out, not slowing down a bit as he carried her closer to her bedroom.

Manuel appeared out of nowhere and Sergei snapped, “Watch the dogs by the pool. Make sure they don’t go near the water.”

He didn’t even wait for a response and Darcy buried her face in his shoulder, embarrassed to be caught in such an obvious position. But she didn’t protest when Sergei kicked the door closed, then laid her down on her bed. “Now that we’re finished there….” He said as he leaned over her.

And he definitely wasn’t finished here, she thought before he bent over and took her breast into his mouth once again.

Chapter 11

Darcy stretched, feeling wonderful, but aching in places she didn’t know existed. She looked around, but Sergei wasn’t with her any longer. She’d fallen asleep at some point, but with him gone, she felt bereft and lonely. Had she done something wrong? Had it not been the same existential experience for him as it had been for her?

She wanted desperately to be reassured but since he wasn’t here, she had only herself to figure out what had happened this afternoon.

Slipping into the shower, she let the warm water skim over her body, relaxing sore muscles and soothing her soul a bit as well. She sighed as she turned off the water, her mind frantically trying to figure out the afternoon and why she’d let herself make love with Sergei.

Oh, she knew that it wasn’t love on his side, but she was emotionally involved and, as she pulled on her clothes, she knew that she didn’t regret what she’d done. Although she wasn’t sure how to face him, she knew that she was in love with the man. She’d definitely have to hide that from him though. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable, or awkward. He probably had afternoons like today all the time with other women, a thought which hurt but she had to face reality. Sergei was a powerful, gorgeous, dynamic man and she knew that women probably flocked to him.

Stepping out, she went in search of the puppies, finding them by the pool again with Manuel down on the patio playing with them.

“Hi,” she said, bending down as well.

“Good, I need to help get dinner ready.” He stood up and started to walk away, but stopped. “Are you okay?” he asked, knowing he was breaching several house rules but he considered this slender, sweet woman a friend now.

Darcy glanced up, not realizing that she had tears in her eyes. “Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just tired,” she said, sighing slightly as she pulled the momma dog closer, scratching her ears.

Manuel hesitated, but in the end, he nodded and walked away.

Darcy was throwing a ball for the momma dog, impressed when she retrieved it each time and happily brought it back to her no matter where it ended up, eagerly wagging her tail for another adventure each time she retrieved the ball.

As Darcy reached back for another toss, she saw Sergei coming out of the house. And he didn’t look happy. In fact, his face seemed to be furious for some reason.

“Who the hell is Fred and why would he be lonely without you?” Sergei demanded when he reached her, his hands on his hips as he glared down at her.

He reached forward, about to point at her, “Darcy, whoever this guy is…” he started to say but he stopped.

Darcy reacted out of habit, her stomach clenching as she put her hands up as if he were going to hit her, she cringed and Sergei cursed under his breath. “Has one of your boyfriends hit you?” he asked with fury coming through his eyes. “Is that what happened? Were you afraid I was getting too violent?”

She pulled her arms out of his grasp and stepped back. “No. None of my boyfriends ever hit me,” she countered but couldn’t look at him. No man other than her father had ever slapped her or touched her in a violent way but that didn’t mean she could wipe out the memory of his tirades from her mind. “I really need to leave,” she said and ran off the patio, her fingers shaking as she opened the door to the house.

She didn’t stop until she was back in her room, trembling as she sagged to the floor with her back against the door. She hated the tears that fell from her eyes and she curled up on her bed, trying hard to stop the shaking and tears, put the past few moments into perspective.

Sergei would never hit her. She’d over-reacted this time and she’d given him yet another clue to her past. A clue that might give him too much information, might get him closer to finding her father and confronting him. That would be catastrophic, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. She’d have to pull back and not give him any additional clues.

She had to keep him safe.

Chapter 12

Sergei watched the woman run away and his body ached to catch her. But something about her terror gave him pause. Something that didn’t make sense.

A bark at his feet caused him to look down and he cursed again. Flipping his phone open, he called his secretary. “Alice, can you make sure some dog food is put on the afternoon boat?” A whine at his feet had him glancing down once more. “And puppy food, I suppose,” he sighed with exasperation as he flipped the phone closed again.

With a disgusted sigh, he turned and headed for the house. But as soon as he took the first step, the mangy dog as well as her four puppies stepped right along with him. Looking down, he rolled his eyes. “Stay,” he commanded and took another step. The dog stayed. The puppies tripped over themselves in their effort to follow him happily.

Sergei knew he could out walk the little guys since their legs were only about two inches long. But as he walked along, a whimper came across the stone patio and he stopped, looking back. There sat the saddest dog Sergei had ever seen, watching as her little puppies followed him while she sat, obediently staying exactly where he’d told her to stay.

With a deep sigh, he whistled to the dog, who immediately bounded up, wagging her tail happily as she raced over to him and her brood. As soon as she reached them, she bent down and sniffed each one, then looked up at him with utter bliss, panting with her delight. “Come on,” he replied, refusing to pander to the dog.