Kat
One hand is laced with mine, the other skimming the curve of my waist as we walk. Every few steps, his fingers trail lower, brushing over my hips, squeezing my ass like he’s claiming me.
“I happen to love your body. Every inch of it.”
A shiver races down my spine. I should be used to this by now—the way he strips me bare just with his voice, the way he worships me without hesitation, never apologizing for wanting me. He’s still a killer. Still the pakhan of one of the most powerful Bratvas. Still a man capable of terrible, brutal things. But did he truly murder my parents? Could the man who just defended my honor so effortlessly have taken everything from me?
Doubt creeps in, a whisper I can’t ignore. It’s unshakable. I never was a hundred percent certain about Pavel’s guilt. I’d let Piotr’s conviction become my own, even though Piotr never produced any actual proof. What if he’s wrong? What if I’m about to destroy a man who isn’t my enemy after all?
I need to know the truth.
The vial in my makeup case will stay put for now.
The moment we step onto the terrace of our suite, I know I’m in trouble. Pavel’s grip tightens around my hand. He hasn’t let go of me since we left the club, and the air feels charged with the adrenaline from the earlier confrontation.
I barely have time to react before he spins me and presses me against the railing, his body caging me in. I pull in a sharp breath, my pulse pounding.
“Pavel—” His lips are on mine before I can continue.
The kiss is raw and punishing, heated and demanding, rough and possessive. I don’t fight it. I don’t push him away. I kiss him back with equal fervor. His hands are everywhere before reaching up into my hair, tilting my head back so he can kiss me even more deeply. “I’ve wanted to rip this damn dress off of you all night.”
His words make my knees go weak before I feel my dress being lifted up my thighs, baring my skin to the night air. I shiver, but not from the cold. His fingers run over my body, rough and deliberate. I inhale deeply, then let it out slowly, my head falling back against the railing, my fingers gripping his shirt.
“Fuck, Kat,” he says, his breath hot against my lips. “You’re already soaked.”
I moan, rolling my hips into his touch. Pavel strokes me, teasing me, pushing me closer to the edge with every slow, deliberate movement.
“This is what you want, isn’t it?” His fingers work harder, faster. “To be seen? To be fucked out here where anyone could be watching as I make you come?”
A whimper escapes me. I don’t know whether it’s the words or the way he’s touching me, but my body is on fire, spiraling, losing control.
His free hand slides up, curls around my throat, and tilts my chin up, forcing me to look at him.
“Let me see it,” he growls. “Let me see you come.”
The pleasure tears through me, my body trembling, my moan breaking against his lips as he kisses me through it. His fingers don’t stop until I’m spent, breathless, and trembling.
Finally, he pulls away. I’m still panting, my pulse a frantic drumbeat in my chest when he lifts his hand to his mouth. I watch, dazed and helpless, as he sucks his fingers clean, his eyes locked onto mine.
Fuck.
I barely have time to catch my breath before he grips my thighs and lifts me up. I automatically wrap my legs around his waist, my hands fisting into his shirt.
“I’m not done with you, Kat,” he says, walking us back into the suite.
“Not even fucking close.”
