Vladimir Page 12

  Rachel had always enjoyed a little kink but she didn’t miss it with Vlad. For one thing, he was hung like the proverbial horse. She’d heard Tessa talk about Toli’s massive dick, but Rachel had a feeling Vlad could give him a run for his money; there must be something about Russian men having big ones. She let out an involuntary snort at the thought, causing Vlad to look over at her.

  “What’s got you giggling?” Vlad murmured, rolling over in bed and nestling against her chest.

  “Thinking about your big dick,” she teased, running her fingers through his hair.

  “You want more?” His eyes drifted up to meet hers playfully; it took Vlad about ten seconds to get hard and no more than a few minutes to get it up again after they’d had sex.

  “I always want more lately,” she whispered, leaning down to seek out his firm, supple lips. “I can’t seem to get enough of you. The first time you told me you loved me hypnotized my vagina into a sex fiend.”

  “I like this sex fiend business.” He promptly flipped her onto her back, his much larger body covering hers.

  “Me, too.” She opened her mouth for him, letting him suck hard on her tongue. Oh, this guy could kiss. Every time his lips claimed hers she lost herself in him. Sometimes it was like being under some kind of spell in the bedroom. She liked sex and had always had an abundance of it when she’d been in relationships, but it had never been quite like this.

  His mouth was traveling down her firm, flat stomach, and she sighed, knowing what was coming. He surprised her, though, flipping her onto her stomach and pulling her by the hips so she was on her knees. She felt his warm breath between her legs and shivered with sheer need. He nuzzled her most intimate places with his face, his lips, nose, even his chin. When she tried to spread her legs, he held them together with his hands.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered. “Like this is better, more intense.”

  When his tongue swiped up her slit, she hissed out a breath of satisfaction. He was wickedly attentive with his mouth, and she squirmed, desperate to open her legs to give him more access. He held her fast, his hands keeping her in place while his mouth did things that made her pant. As he slid up higher to her second hole, she moaned deep in her chest; it had been a long time since anyone had been there and it never got less naughty. She loved it, but Vlad hadn’t seemed interested, so she hadn’t brought it up. Now she was practically delirious with desire, rocking back against him until she slapped her hand down on the bed.

  “Vlad, please… More!”

  He took his time, teasing up and down her lips before finally pushing inside of her with his tongue. He added a finger, alternating strokes until she shrieked his name and her juices coated his face as she came. Without waiting for her to finish, he rose to his knees and pushed his cock into her with a swiftness that made them both grunt. His thick hardness ignited every nerve in her body and sent her over the edge again immediately, leaving her breathless.

  “Oh, fuck fuck fuck!” She moved back against him, meeting his thrusts, craving a little bit of pain to go with so much pleasure. “Pull my hair,” she whispered. “Please.”

  Vlad hesitated, but a moment later he wrapped her thick hair in his fist. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he ground out.

  “You won’t. You can pull hard—I like it.”

  He was tentative at first, but each time she moaned or cried out, his touch got harder.

  “Yes, yes, yes…” Her body burned with need, the burning in her scalp intensifying the immense pressure between her legs. Even after two orgasms she was on the brink again, every inch of skin hypersensitive to the way he slammed into her while simultaneously yanking her head back.

  “Rachel…” His voice told her he was on the edge, too, and she clenched tightly, picking up the pace as he raced towards release.

  “Shit!” She exploded around him, jerking over and over, the feeling of him spilling himself inside of her exciting her all over again.

  They collapsed together, with Rachel on her stomach and Vlad still half on top of her, half on the bed.

  “Was I too rough?” he asked, the fingers of one hand gently massaging her scalp as his other hand cupped her hip.

  “Mmm, no.” She smiled, practically purring against his side.

  “You like rough like this?”

  “A little,” she whispered. “Is that okay?”

  “Yes, it’s hot as hell.” He rolled to his side and pulled her up against his chest. “I just never thought… I don’t know, I didn’t realize you liked it.”

  “Not every time,” she said. “I like it sometimes, it spices things up.”

  “What else do you like?” he asked, nibbling her shoulder.

  “Almost everything.” She giggled. “It’s probably easier to ask what I don’t like.”

  “Okay.” He chuckled. “What don’t you like?”

  “I like to be spanked, but only on my ass or legs. I don’t ever want to be hit in the face, even if it’s in the context of sex.”

  Vlad grimaced. “Honestly, even if you asked me to hit you in the face, I couldn’t do it. That’s just…wrong somehow.”

  She nestled closer. “You get me—one of many reasons I love you.”

  “What else?”

  “No breath play.”

  “What?”

  “Choking? Anything that has your hands around my neck, squeezing. I don’t mind a little choking if I’m sucking your dick, but not your hands.”

  “Who the hell have you been sleeping with?” he demanded. “I’ve never hit a woman in the face, never choked, never bit beyond a hickey, nothing like that. I’m starting to feel a little naïve.”

  She shook her head. “I’m just telling you I’m open to almost anything, but hitting is mostly limited to my ass, no choking or breath play, and nothing that involves defecation.”

  Vlad blinked, leaning over to look at her. “Does this mean…”

  She giggled. “Yeah, and ew, no.”

  He shuddered. “I have been with a lot of women, but I can honestly say none of that sounds like fun. I’m also not a fan of golden showers.”

  “Have you done it?”

  He grimaced. “Once, with a prostitute in Russia. It was disgusting. I just wanted to shower.”

  They laughed together and she turned so they were face-to-face. “Am I too kinky for you?”

  “No. I’ll admit I haven’t tried most of that stuff.”

  “Are you into anal?”

  “I’ve done it with one woman, but most women say I’m too big.”

  She reached down to stroke his cock, noting it was already semi-erect again. “You’re definitely big, but never too big. Sometime, if you feel like it, I’ll show you it’s not about size so much as finesse.”

  “I’ll do anything you want,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her softly.

  “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” She pulled away slightly and met his eyes worriedly.

  “Uncomfortable? You want me to spank your gorgeous ass and fuck you harder than I’ve ever fucked anyone and you think I’m uncomfortable? Most guys wait their whole lives for a woman like that, and I already have you. I don’t have a lot of experience doing that kind of thing, so my concern would be hurting you, but other than that, I’m ready.”

  “My favorite thing is having my hair pulled. If you swat my ass once in a while, I’ll be complete. Seriously.”

  “I can do that.”

  “It’s mostly trust,” she admitted. “As long as we trust each other, the bedroom should be a playground for us.”

  “I trust you. Do you trust me?”

  “More than anyone in the world.”

  “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever said to me.” He ran a soft finger along her cheek.

  “It’s true.”

  His eyes turned mischievous. “Then perhaps it’s playtime.”

  Her eyes widened with delight. “And I might need a spanking.”

  17


  Present Day

  Vlad was being pulled in so many directions he had a never-ending headache. He’d had a strange, distant conversation with Coach Barnett, who’d told him he would be in breach of contract if he didn’t show up for training camp. Because explaining the circumstances was complicated, he’d been vague, which only pissed Coach Barnett off further. Coach had told him to have his lawyer contact the team and then he’d hung up. There was a little wiggle room in the contract for not showing up for training camp; the team could fine him, bench him for any number of games, or possibly even release him, but there was a lot of gray area in that department. He’d been the second highest scorer on the team last season, so he wasn’t that easy to replace, but they could make his life hell for as long as they wanted.

  Hockey was the one constant in his life and he didn’t want to muck up his career, but tomorrow was Monday and he was still on the other side of the world. He’d beg, grovel, apologize, put in extra practices, maybe some community service at the children’s cancer ward and he figured they’d forgive him. Coach Barnett would come around as soon as he started working on all that. Once he got back on steady ground with the team, Brock would come around, even if he was pissed for a little while. Rachel was the one who was going to be hard to win over and she was truly the only one who counted.

  Her last text had cut him to the core, forcing him to acknowledge she was angrier than he’d expected. Maybe deep down he’d known, but he’d told himself it would be okay because he refused to even consider losing her. Telling him they didn’t have a future together hurt more than he wanted to admit because he’d believed she would understand, would want to be there for him, even though he’d handled the cancellation of their wedding badly. He’d trusted she would give him a second chance because she’d told him he could count on her, and now she was throwing that trust back in his face.

  He’d been a shit, he was the first to admit it, but what had happened the day of the wedding had scared him. He was used to the occasional nightmare, but this was the first panic attack he’d had since he’d left Russia. She didn’t know that, of course, but how could she if she wouldn’t talk to him?

  He’d slept in this morning, temporarily out of ideas on what to do next. It was Monday morning, the first day of training camp, and even though it was still ten hours earlier in Las Vegas, he felt a deep need to be on the ice. Impulsively, he grabbed his phone and looked up Coach Vlacic’s number. He couldn’t be with the Sidewinders today, but he would make sure he kept himself in shape and ready to go the moment he got home. He still had unfinished business here in Russia, though, and he wouldn’t waste the little time he had left. As important as this was, the warnings he’d gotten from everyone had begun to sink in. What good was discovering his past if it cost him his future? There had to be a middle ground, but if he didn’t find it soon, he would go home.

  Getting out on the ice helped. Coach Vlacic’s team was much younger than he was used to, averaging seventeen years old, but they were skilled, talented, and fast. Though Vlad wore a no-contact jersey—his contract stated he couldn’t play contact hockey with anyone outside the NHL—they gave him a run for his money. He was distracted, of course, and had never played with these guys, but it was refreshing to rely on nothing but his instincts instead of a memorized book of plays and the comfort of knowing his teammates.

  Practice was long and focused, which provided exactly the distraction he needed, but he was grateful when he finally headed back to the locker room to change. All of his equipment was borrowed, from pads to skates to his stick, and his feet were killing him. When was the last time he’d worn skates that weren’t custom made for his feet? He couldn’t remember, and it was a stark reminder of how good he had it at home.

  No matter how badly he wanted to find out his history, today’s practice made him acutely aware of what he was missing back home. A nagging feeling in his gut told him he needed to go sooner rather than later, but he was loath to give up when he was so close. Grisha definitely knew something and Vlad was going to go at him once more. Maybe Natalya would have something he could use for leverage against the man.

  He’d promised his temporary young teammates he would be back tomorrow if business didn’t take him away, and he headed out to his car feeling more determined than ever. A physical workout always cleared his head and now he had a better picture of what he needed to do. The first thing would be a shower and food. Then he would call Toli and ask for a favor. Although he didn’t talk about what his father did specifically, it was understood within their inner circle that he’d been KGB for much of his career. Perhaps he would be able to help simply because Toli asked him to. If not, he would talk to Grisha one more time, and if neither of those things were fruitful, he was done. His past had haunted him long enough and it had possibly cost him the love of his life. Starting now, he wasn’t going to let the past control him.

  After a shower, some lunch, and a nap, Vlad woke up feeling refreshed even though the sun had set and he was hungry again. He got dressed and headed out. It was a long shot, but perhaps one of the priests at the church affiliated with the orphanage where he’d grown up would remember something. If Father Georgios was still there, he might have some information. If not, Vlad would leave a donation in the box, something he’d been meaning to do for years but hadn’t thought it prudent to send something like that by mail.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket and he glanced at the screen, grateful to see Toli’s name.

  “Hey.” He reverted to English for some reason, even though he and Toli always spoke Russian off the ice.

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “Same place I was last time we talked.”

  “You’re still in Russia?” Toli sounded shocked.

  “I told you I had shit to do.”

  “Training camp starts in a few hours!”

  “I talked to Coach.”

  “I know. He called to chew my ass for not warning him you’d lost your mind.”

  “I haven’t lost my mind. I just… Look, I can’t talk about this now. You’re going to have to have faith in me. Tell me about Rachel.”

  “You ripped her heart out, but she went back to L.A. and directed an episode of Vampire Legend.”

  “She did?” Vlad couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad she’s keeping busy doing things she likes.”

  “If you don’t get home and fix this you’re going to lose her. According to my sources—which means Tessa, who talks to Ashleigh, who’s with Rachel in L.A.—she’s already moved on. She moved out of your condo, boxed up all your shit that was at her house, and gave Brock the engagement ring to give back to you.”

  “She’s angry,” Vlad said quietly. “I’m sure she did all of that to work through things initially. Once we have a chance to talk in person, it’ll be okay. She has to trust me, has to believe I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t important. If she doesn’t trust me, how can we spend the rest of our lives together?”

  Toli hesitated. “My friend, I don’t know what you’ve said to her when you’ve talked, but it hasn’t stopped her from erasing you from her life. She deleted every single picture from social media. Every. Picture.”

  Vlad winced. They’d had a lot of pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. “Look, I have to go. Just keep an eye on her, please?”

  “Of course.” Toli paused. “Vlad, what are you doing? Did you find your mother?”

  “I think her name is Irina and she paid for me to play hockey.”

  “And what do you get by finding Irina?”

  “Answers.”

  “You’ve fucked up about a hundred things in your quest for answers. Is it worth it?”

  “I won’t know until I get them.”

  Toli sighed. “What can I do to help? Obviously, you’re determined to finish what you started and you won’t listen to anything any of us say, so what can I do to help move things along?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I appreciate the offer.
Listen, I’m getting on the elevator. I’ll call you soon.”

  “Take care of yourself, my friend.” Toli disconnected.

  Vlad noticed the man standing just outside the hotel entrance immediately and he paused, unsure why he felt like he knew him. The man looked up and strikingly familiar blue eyes met his.

  “Hello, Vlad. I am Anatoly.” The man held out his hand. “Toli’s father.”

  Vlad was startled but shook his hand and nodded. “You look like him. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Come. Let’s take a walk.”

  “A walk?”

  “Yes.” Anatoly started to move up the street and Vlad had no choice but to follow.

  He fell into step beside the tall man who was an older version of Toli. “Did Toli tell you where to find me? I was just—”

  “Grisha called me.”

  “Grisha?” Vlad got one of those funny feelings in his stomach. “What, uh, what did he say?”

  “He said you’re a pain in the ass who’s going to get yourself in a mess of trouble if you keep poking around.”

  “How can finding out who my parents are get me into trouble? I didn’t do anything, I just want to know who they are and why they gave me up.”

  “Don’t you think they gave you up for a reason?”

  “Definitely, and I want to know what it is.”

  Anatoly stopped and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before meeting Vlad’s gaze. “You can’t run around Moscow asking questions and threatening people you know nothing about.”

  “I didn’t threaten him,” Vlad protested. “I warned him I wouldn’t give up just because he told me to.”

  “In Russia, that can be a blurry line.”

  Vlad sighed. “So now you’re involved and you’re going to do what? Threaten? Cajole? Drive me to the airport?”

  Anatoly shrugged. “I should—you’re going to miss the beginning of training camp.”

  Vlad set his jaw. “I’m aware.”

  “Vladimir. Toli is very fond of you and as a hockey fan, I enjoy watching you play. According to Toli, you have a good life, an even better woman, and a brilliant career. There is nothing in Russia for you. I sent my sons to the U.S. because I didn’t want them here, and I’m pleading with you to follow their footsteps.”