Claimed

KAIA

Aleksandr’s strong arms cradled me as he ascended the staircase, his stride steady and sure. He carried me down the corridor, destination clear: his bedroom.

His heart pounded against my ear, a wild rhythm that belied his outward tranquility.

My emotions, on the other hand, were a whirlwind. Guilt gnawed at me, knowing what was about to transpire. Fear prickled at the edges of my consciousness, the unknown looming large.

Yet, there was also an undeniable longing—a yearning for Aleksandr that intensified with each passing day. He was becoming an addiction. One I no longer had the strength to fight.

I wasn’t going to deceive myself. The inevitability of ending up in Aleksandr’s bed was a reality I had accepted when I found him in my room, his gaze intense, like a warrior poised to claim his victory.

And the truth was, I wanted him too.

His lips brushed my forehead gently before he set me down on the plush carpet, right at the foot of his massive bed. His hands remained on my waist, steadying me until I found my balance.

I looked up at him, his gaze never leaving me. Always observing, as if anticipating my next move.

After the incident downstairs, this gentler side of him was unexpected. I had braced myself for him to take me right there on the couch. He was well aware of my inability to resist him when he touched me.

Yet, he…~hadn’t~.

“You’re being gentle with me,” I observed, watching as he switched on the bedside lamps before returning to my side.

His eyes widened slightly, as if he too was taken aback by this realization. Then, he shook his head.

“Don’t get used to it,” he responded curtly, his sapphire eyes darkening like the midnight sky. “Take your clothes off.”

He had already begun to undress, his shirt coming undone button by button. As his muscular chest came into view, the faint dusting of hair over his tattoos made my breath hitch.

He was stunning, and his unabashed display of his physique made it clear he knew it. Broad shoulders framed a chiseled chest that narrowed down to a lean waist.

I knew that if he turned around, his back would be just as breathtakingly beautiful.

“I’m waiting, Kaia.”

My gaze snapped back to his. I hadn’t realized I had been frozen in place, simply admiring his body.

Nervously biting my lower lip, I took a step toward him and reached for his pants.

“Can I do it?” My voice trembled.

His abs tightened at my touch, but he let his hands fall to his sides.

“Yes,” his voice was a low rumble.

I unbuckled his belt, pulling it through the loops slowly before letting it fall to the floor.

His breath hitched as I unbuttoned his pants, sliding them down his lean hips and muscular thighs until they pooled at his feet.

Without hesitation, Aleksandr pushed down his underwear, stepping out of it and kicking both items aside.

I gasped as he took my wrist, guiding my hand to him, urging me to grip him firmly.

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, a look of pleasure crossing his face, before he opened them again. The dominant Aleksandr was back.

He didn’t hesitate this time, lifting my nightdress off in one swift motion and pushing me back onto the bed.

He followed me down, nudging a knee between my thighs and spreading them wide. The heavy length of him slid along my wet folds, eliciting a loud moan from me.

His lips found the curve of my breast, his tongue teasing a hardened nipple before drawing it into his mouth. His hand cupped my other breast, squeezing, as his tongue continued its tantalizing assault.

Whimpers slipped from my lips as I writhed beneath him, his attention shifting from one breast to the other, leaving behind a trail of teeth marks.

I reached for the back of his neck, trying to pull him up when the pleasure became too intense.

It was building too quickly. I needed something softer, something to slow it down so I could catch my breath.

“Can I kiss you?” My voice was thick with desire. I hadn’t realized how much I yearned for his lips until this very moment. His denial had only intensified my craving.

But Aleksandr shook his head, almost shattering the spell. When his fingers traced a path down my body to tease my clit, all thoughts of kissing him evaporated.

He brought me to the brink again and again, only to shift his attention elsewhere.

A sigh of frustration escaped my lips, and he responded with a soft chuckle against my neck, where he’d been playfully nipping.

I was certain I’d have a few love bites to show for it later.

His fingers gently separated the tender folds of my entrance, and the thick head of his arousal nudged in slightly, causing my body to tense.

Aleksandr positioned his elbows on either side of my head, his gaze locked with mine—mine wide with uncertainty, his filled with determination.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t move. He simply lingered at my entrance, teasing me while my body instinctively tried to draw him in with small movements of my hips.

“Just do it,” I whispered, my hands clutching his sides, my nails leaving marks on his skin as I shifted and felt him slide in a bit more.

But Aleksandr just stared down at me. I could see something changing in his eyes. An emotion he was desperately trying to keep in check. And for a moment, he looked uncertain.

~No, no, no…~ He couldn’t stop now. Not when we’d come this far and I’d accepted that this was meant to be.

I reached for his chest, my hands gliding up to his neck.

“Do it, Aleksandr,” I demanded through gritted teeth.

It was agony. It was ecstasy.

I craved more.

His eyes burned down at me, as if he were angry with me. With himself.

Then he seized my hands, prying them from his chest and pinning them above my head as his hips surged forward, thrusting inside me in one deep, powerful motion.

A cry escaped my lips, my back arching off the bed, but Aleksandr’s hands kept me grounded. He felt so large. So full as he claimed my body with deep thrusts that rocked me back and forth against the sheets.

Yes, there was pain, but there was also something else, a sensation just as intense that felt like being swept away by a tidal wave. I couldn’t control it. I could only cling to his hands holding mine, as Aleksandr’s body continued to move against mine, the wave cresting as my body bucked against his.

I bit down on his shoulder to muffle my scream and felt his own body tense before feeling the warm pulses of his release deep within me.

I tried to push at his shoulders, but he was too heavy.

“I’m not on birth control, Aleksandr,” I gasped into his ear.

He turned his head and I felt his teeth lightly graze my earlobe.

“I know, kotik,” he purred, his voice filled with satisfaction. “It doesn’t matter now. I told you. You’re mine.”

This time when I pushed at his shoulders, he lifted up to roll onto his back. I winced as he pulled out of me, suddenly feeling empty.

I couldn’t help it. My eyes roamed his body. From his eyes, still heavy with desire, to his arousal, still hard and slick with our combined release and streaks of blood.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me.

~What have I done?~

I slid off the bed and dashed to the bathroom, shutting the door and jumping into the shower to wash Aleksandr off me.

His release was trickling down my thighs, and no matter how much I scrubbed, every time my body clenched, I felt more of him seeping out of me.

The glass door opened, and Aleksandr stepped in behind me, filling the small space.

He must have seen the fear in my eyes because he pulled me into his arms, feeling my body tremble.

“I’ll have Doc give you a shot, okay?” he said.

My body sagged in relief, and I could only nod against his shoulder.

I hadn’t realized that being intimate with Aleksandr would stir up so many emotions.

I understood what I had given up physically, but with a man like Aleksandr, you surrendered ~everything~ to him.

I’d never felt this exposed before in my life. Not even when I’d been Cristo’s captive.

Because Aleksandr was worse.

He was going to steal my heart, and I didn’t know if I’d ever get it back when this was all over.