Don’t Tempt Me

KAIA

Anya nestled into my side, her dark tresses cascading over a bare shoulder. Her voice was laced with worry.

“Are you okay?”

Her gentle inquiry yanked me back to the present. I’d been retreating into a mental sanctuary I’d created during my time with Cristo, a place I’d escape to when the world became too much.

I turned to her, offering a well-rehearsed smile and a nod. Her frown deepened, as if she wasn’t convinced.

Earlier, after I’d exited the restroom, Niko had been there, casually leaning against the wall. He was dressed in a black shirt and dress pants, blending seamlessly into the background.

He guided me to our table where Lia and Anya were already seated with their partners. Aleksandr rose and pulled out a chair for me, placing me between him and Anya. She’d been attempting to engage me in conversation, but my mind was elsewhere.

Aleksandr gently touched my shoulder, indicating he was stepping out to talk to someone, but suggested I stay with Anya and Lia. As I watched the other men follow him out, Lia slid into the chair Aleksandr had vacated.

“You’ve hardly touched your food,” Anya observed, her brows knitting together in concern. “Are you feeling okay?”

I glanced down, realizing I’d been aimlessly pushing my food around the plate.

“I saw those women follow you into the bathroom. Did they do something?” Lia’s question made me jump. She was more perceptive than I’d given her credit for.

“What women?” Anya asked.

Lia gestured toward a group of women draped over men who were clearly much older, a few tables away. Their raucous laughter confirmed they were the same group that had followed me into the restroom.

I’d already identified Cheryl. She was the one in the black dress that barely covered her obviously fake breasts and was dripping in diamonds. I glanced down at my own dress, suppressing my insecurities before they could surface.

“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, dropping my fork back onto my plate.

Anya gently rubbed my arm. “You can trust us, Kaia,” she said.

I glanced at Lia, who nodded in agreement. I sighed.

“It’s nothing,” I repeated, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I feel silly for making a big deal out of it.”

Anya quickly shook her head. “Your feelings are important. You have every right to feel the way you do.”

Lia pointed at Anya. “She’s right. Now spill.”

I looked around, and once I was sure no one was paying us any attention, I leaned in closer. “The women did say something,” I confessed. “They were talking about Aleksandr and his… sexual preferences. I overheard them from the stall.”

Anya frowned. “They said he’s into BDSM and only sleeps with submissives.”

Anya’s cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip. My eyes widened.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

She winced. “Marco might have mentioned it once when we were discussing going to a sex club,” she tried to explain.

“What’s wrong with that though?” Lia asked casually. She gave me a skeptical look before she continued, “I’m sure he wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. You can always use your safeword if it becomes too much.”

My lips parted as I looked back and forth between the two women. “So you two have…”

They both nodded.

“Have you seen our men?” Anya asked. “Trust me, there’s a certain power in being a submissive. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

As I stared down at my hands, Lia touched my arm, as if she understood. “You’ve never had sex before, have you?”

I slowly shook my head. Anya smiled as if it was completely normal to be twenty-three and still a virgin in today’s world.

“You don’t have to explain,” she assured me.

“Did hearing about Aleksandr being a Dom scare you?” Lia asked.

I took a sip of water. “They made fun of me. Called me a little Barbie and said I was just arm candy but he’d never fuck me.”

Anya shot up from her chair as if she was ready to confront them. “Why those skanky bitches,” she muttered under her breath.

Lia raised her eyebrows. I grabbed Anya’s arm, pulling her back into her seat before she could cause a scene.

“It’s fine. They’re right,” I told them. “Aleksandr and I aren’t like that anyway. Like I said, it was stupid.”

“Do you see it that way?” Anya’s voice was gentle, almost a whisper.

I let her question linger, and when the answer finally surfaced, it took my breath away. I shrugged, trying to hide my surprise.

“If that’s what you want, you need to be honest with yourself. Aleksandr doesn’t play games,” she cautioned.

“I’m just his captive,” I murmured.

“Are you ready?”

Aleksandr’s voice startled us all. Anya gave me a reassuring wink.

I rose to my feet, taking Aleksandr’s arm as my friends hugged me farewell.

ALEKSANDR

She wouldn’t meet my gaze. From the moment we got into the car, Kaia had been pressing herself against the door, putting as much distance between us as possible. It was infuriating, and I found myself craving—no, ~needing~—her nearness. I wanted to be enveloped by the jasmine scent that was uniquely hers.

~Jesus.~

I ran a hand over my face, exhaling heavily. I caught Kaia stealing a glance at me, but she quickly looked away before our eyes could meet.

She’d done well tonight. I could tell this wasn’t her world. This opulent lifestyle wasn’t her, and honestly, it wasn’t me either. It was just a role I had to play sometimes. It was refreshing to be with a woman who didn’t care about my wealth or power.

I knew she wasn’t comfortable in public, and the sadist in me wanted to push her boundaries, to see if she would crack. I was surprised by how well she got along with Anya and Lia, and even let me dance with her in front of everyone. She fit perfectly in my arms. It felt so natural to hold her close. It was a sensation I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Guilt began to creep up my spine.

Now more irritated than ever that she was getting to me, my voice came out harsher than I intended. “Why are you mad at me?” I demanded.

She spun around to face me, her expression clearly showing her disapproval of my tone. “I’m not mad at you,” she said.

I turned to face her fully, letting her see just how annoyed I was. “No? You’ve barely spoken to me since we left the dinner,” I said.

She turned her back on me again, fueling my anger. “I’m just tired, Aleksandr. It’s been a really long day,” she said, looking out the window instead of at me.

Without thinking, I reacted. I grabbed her waist and pulled her onto my lap, forcing her to hold onto me.

“What are you doing?!” she gasped, struggling to get back to her seat while sneaking a glance at Niko in the front.

But Niko knew better than to show any interest in what was happening in the back seat, even though I was sure he was getting a kick out of it.

I held her wrists in one hand and forced them into her lap, while my other hand cupped her chin, turning her face toward me.

Her chest was heaving. Her breasts were nearly spilling out of her dress as she continued to struggle. It took all my self-control not to push the dress aside and run my teeth over those enticing curves.

The thought made my mouth water.

“Stop fighting me, kotik,” I murmured, feeling calmer now that she was in my arms.

Our lips were so close that I could feel her breath against mine. Her dress was tight enough that she couldn’t move her legs, and the fact that she was trapped against me made my body react.

What was going on?

I knew I was attracted to Kaia. I had been since the moment I saw her sneaking into my warehouse. But that attraction had morphed into something darker.

Something ~dangerous~ that stirred a primal part of me I usually kept hidden. The part I only let loose at the club. Kaia was not like the women who serviced me there.

So why was I imagining her green eyes looking up at me, naked and on her knees? Or her body spread out on my bed, while I tasted the sweet folds between her thighs.

“What do you want from me, Aleksandr?” she whispered. Her voice was husky with desire, and my cock strained against my pants.

The silence between us grew heavy, so thick it was almost suffocating. I was drowning in my desire for her, and her voice, laced with sarcasm, was the only thing that broke through.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” she taunted.

Her words stoked the fire of my anger, making my voice drop to a dangerous whisper.

“Do you think you know what I want, kotik?”

She ran her tongue over her lips, a slow, deliberate action that drove me to the brink of insanity. But then her face hardened, her eyes flashing with defiance.

“I’m not your ~submissive~.”

Her declaration caught me off guard. My grip on her wrist loosened. I had a hunch where she’d picked up that tidbit. Marco and his damn inability to keep his mouth shut.

He obviously didn’t believe in keeping secrets from his wife.

Kaia wasted no time in pushing away from me, retreating to her side of the car. She crossed her arms over her chest, her glare icy.

“And how would you know what you are?” I shot back, surprised at how composed I sounded. “Have you been with a lot of men?”

The thought of another man touching my kotik, being inside her, made me clench my jaw so tightly I was surprised it didn’t crack.

Her bravado faltered, replaced by a vulnerability that gave me pause. I hadn’t even noticed that the car had stopped, or how long we’d been sitting there.

My voice was harsher than I intended. The beast within me strained against its chains.

“Are you a virgin, kotik?”

Fear flickered across her face before she pushed the car door open. She shot me a glare from the doorway.

“That’s none of your business, pakhan.”

And with that, she disappeared into the night.