Vladimir Read online

  Sighing, she let him lead her to his room. He unlocked the door and opened it for her before closing it firmly behind them. She turned to stare at him worriedly and he gently touched her face before disappearing into the bathroom.

  He came out in nothing but his boxers and she took a moment to admire him. Broad shoulders, brawny arms, lean hips, and his rock-hard abdomen made him the complete package; she’d never been out with a guy as strong and sexy as Vlad. The hair on his chest wasn’t dark but full enough to be masculine and rugged. He was all angular lines and muscles, from his chiseled face to his massive thighs, and she was impatient for him to touch her. She had to talk to him first, though, so she held out her hand. He took it and joined her on the bed.

  “Why were you so quiet tonight?” she asked softly. “Were you mad I joined the other wives and girlfriends?”

  He shook his head. “Not mad, just nervous my teammates would say something.”

  “About me and Jamie?”

  He nodded.

  “He’s not on the team anymore, and I don’t care what people think. Do you?”

  He hesitated. “A little. Not so much, but if we are to date, I will not like for my friends to say things about you behind my back.”

  “I don’t think they will,” she said. “I’ve always gotten along with the wives I know—Tiff, Molly, Suze—and they all said they’re happy I’m back. I like them and I think they like me.”

  “I like you, too,” he whispered, leaning closer.

  He bent his head and kissed her, covering her mouth with his and sighing with relief when she responded without hesitation. He’d been afraid she was overwhelmed by the curious stares of his teammates or that the wives had made her uncomfortable. She’d been more reserved than he was used to while sitting in the bar, so he didn’t know what to think of tonight’s events.

  She ran her hands along his chest. “I’ve been thinking about you all week.”

  “Me, too.” He kissed her again, this time digging his hands into her hair and holding her against him. He explored her mouth with flicks of his tongue that made her respond in kind, fingers digging into his skin. As he continued to thoroughly enjoy her lips, she slowly slid off her jeans. Still kissing, she kicked them off while simultaneously running her hands over his broad shoulders. The ripples of muscles were sinewy and strong, his skin hot under her fingers. She clutched his biceps and he wrapped his arms around her. They fell backwards with her on top, and he tugged off the top she wore. In a black lace bra that showed off the kind of cleavage he rarely saw anywhere but in magazines, he ran his fingers along the swell of her breasts. He watched her shudder in obvious pleasure and bent to press soft kisses along her chest. When he got to her breasts, he nuzzled them through the fabric of her bra, nipping at them until one nipple stood at attention between his lips.

  He took his time, lavishing first one breast and then the other with attention, her heavy sighs telling him she wanted more. Reaching behind her, he unsnapped the bra and let it fall away. Her breasts sat full and firm and he put his face between them, using his hands to cup her ass and hold her against him. He wondered if breasts this perfect could be real, but didn’t dare ask.

  He put his lips around one nipple and sucked until it hardened in his mouth. “You have beautiful breasts. And they’re all mine.”

  She laughed lightly. “No one’s ever said that before…”

  “No one else is me.”

  She moaned when he put his mouth on her again, hunger building with each swipe of his tongue and caress of his lips.

  “Vlad…” Her voice caught as she dug her fingers into his scalp.

  “Yes?” He looked up into her eyes.

  “Please don’t stop.”

  “Not tonight.”

  When he captured her mouth this time, she responded with such sweetness he was instantly immersed in her. Not just her body, but the way she wanted him without doing anything; the way she’d easily accepted that he’d wanted to wait even though she obviously didn’t. Everything about her was different, and so fucking sexy he didn’t know how he was going to get through this without losing control and making a fool of himself. He was used to women who were experienced and enjoyed sex like he did, but Rachel didn’t fall into that category. She obviously wasn’t a virgin and knew what she was doing, but there was nothing coy or manipulative about her; she was real. She wasn’t a puck bunny, a bimbo, or a gold-digger. She was older than he was, more successful than he was, and probably richer than he was as well. The only reason she was here with him was because she genuinely wanted to be, and as he hurriedly racked his brain, he couldn’t ever remember another woman who fit that criteria.

  With her supple breasts pressed against his chest, he took his time learning his way around her body. They’d kissed and touched those two times they were together before, but not like this. Her skin was so silky smooth he wanted to explore every inch of it, starting with her mouth as he eased his tongue back between her lips. He liked to kiss but normally it was more of a snack than a meal, yet tonight there was no sating him. Every curl of her tongue around his made him need more, a distinct yearning that was foreign to him.

  When a tiny mewl of pleasure wafted from her throat, he was lost, adjusting her on his groin so her hot sex was pressed against his. He lifted to a sitting position, raising his knees high enough to support her back and keep her pressed against him. She was exquisite—more beautiful than anyone he’d ever known and as responsive as any woman had ever been. She had one hand gripping his hair while the other ran up and down his left biceps, alternately digging her nails into his skin and tracing it lightly from shoulder to elbow.

  He lowered his head to her breasts and nuzzled them yet again. There was plenty of time for everything, and he wanted to focus on one part of her at a time. Her breath came out in a little whisper, but he wasn’t paying attention to anything but the way she felt against his lips. Warm and soft, firm and round—a wonderful buffet of different pleasures.

  Unable to wait any longer, he slid off the bed, pulling her along with him until her legs hung over the edge. He pulled them apart and reached over to put a pillow under her ass, raising it to the perfect height that would allow him the best penetration. Spreading apart her folds, he traced the lips of her pussy with his cock, moving up and down until she grabbed his hips, hauling him forward. He was bigger and stronger, holding back slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes.

  “Vlad…” Her breathy voice broke him and he surged into her, hard, deep, until she grunted from the force. She was right there with him, though, wrapping her legs around his waist and lifting her hips each time he thrust.

  She was so fucking beautiful, her eyes boring into his, her tongue moistening her lips as she tried to breathe. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning down to kiss her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth with an urgency he didn’t recognize. Waiting two weeks had him behaving like an inexperienced schoolboy, but he didn’t care. Laying one knee on the mattress, he used his hands to push her backwards so she was no longer hanging over the edge. With her still wrapped tightly around him, he rocked into her over and over until she started to tremble, her thighs gripping him even harder.

  Her climax began and she tightened around his cock, sweeping him away somewhere he’d never been before. Too many things—emotions, the sounds of their bodies slapping together, much more—rolled through his mind as he watched her. She clenched tighter, her body straining against his, and exploded all around him. She licked her lips as she called his name, fingernails digging into his ass painfully, but nothing could stop him from following her right over the edge. He jerked inside of her, growling out a cry of pleasure as they bucked together.

  This was a different kind of intensity, something he’d never experienced. In that moment he understood the difference between fucking and making love, but it made no sense. People didn’t fall in love because they climaxed really hard. Did they? He looked down into her face, her eyes still at half-ma
st, saw her heart there in his reflection and had to close his eyes to keep himself from pulling away. What the hell had just happened to him?

  Curled against him, Rachel closed her eyes and breathed in his aftershave. She hadn’t been expecting anything so intense and was now having those romantic emotions that clingy girls often felt after mind-blowing sex. She wasn’t one of those girls, so feeling this much emotion so soon made her uncomfortable. Everything about Vlad had her second-guessing the things she normally said and did; he even had her second-guessing her own feelings. This was far more powerful than anything she’d ever felt with other men, and Vlad was so gentle and sexy she wanted more.

  She’d known the moment he’d felt it, too, the moment he’d realized they had something special, and immediately tried to hide it by closing his eyes. He’d been overwhelmed, uncomfortable with those same feelings she was struggling with, but he’d immediately shut her out. Not physically, of course; he was still holding her in his arms, but he’d checked out emotionally. He seemed relaxed, almost asleep, and she tried to slip out of his embrace, but his eyes opened curiously.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Bathroom,” she whispered, pulling free. She shut the door behind her and sank onto the toilet. She wanted him so much it hurt, but she had no doubt he was the kind of guy who would break her heart. It would be difficult to deal with emotions that weren’t reciprocated while they were in bed together, so she focused on cleaning up a little instead.

  Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she looked ravished. There were faint red marks along her chest where he’d rubbed the stubble of his beard on her skin, and her lips were full and swollen from his punishing kisses. God, she looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked, and she had been. But it had been so much more than that. They fit together both physically and emotionally and it had obviously scared the crap out of him.

  The door opened slowly and Vlad met her gaze in the mirror. “What is it?” he asked, reaching for her.

  “I should go,” she said quietly, looking away from his gloriously naked body. “It’s late.”

  “No.” He shook his head. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking down into her face. “Why do you go?”

  “We both have to work tomorrow and—”

  “You are lying.” He kept one arm firmly around her back but brought the other up to move her hair out of her face. “Your eyes—they lie. Why do you leave? Tonight was not good?”

  She looked away. “Tonight was very good.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “Vlad, I—” She paused, unsure how to explain herself. “I just think it would be easier if we didn’t start something that might end badly. I really like you but I don’t think you’re ready for something serious and, honestly, I don’t want to get hurt again so soon.”

  “You think I can hurt you?” He looked confused, and she reached for his face.

  “I don’t know, but I realized tonight how good everything is when we’re together and how much I like your friends… I get the feeling you aren’t ready for something that serious, though.”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Why do you think of this now?”

  “You pulled away the minute things got intense,” she said softly. “I could feel it.”

  He started to say something, but she put her finger over his lips. She lifted herself up to kiss him instead. He gripped her by the ass, hoisting her onto the counter and using his thighs to push between her legs. She fused her mouth to his and his cock stiffened immediately, which was something of a record even for him. He didn’t know why she wanted to leave now, but while his body ached to have her again, her talk of relationships made him nervous. He understood she liked him a lot and was afraid he didn’t return her feelings, but he wasn’t sure what had changed. They’d spent two incredible days together in Las Vegas and talked or texted every day since. Tonight had been something they’d both been looking forward to and he thought the sex had probably been better than any he’d ever had. She was freaking him out with all her talk about emotions, but the thought of losing her made him a little sick.

  The kiss deepened and his dick elongated against her. He slipped his hand between her legs and discovered her pussy fluttering around his fingers, arousal dripping against his hand. He found the slick pearl that made her moan and slowly rubbed it into a taut little nub, causing her to gasp with need. She whimpered when he moved his hand away.

  “You want me again,” he growled against her mouth.

  “Oh yes.” Her eyes closed as he separated the folds of her pussy and pressed himself against her drenched entrance. He used his fingers to spread her open and then pushed himself deep inside. She cried out when he simultaneously started to massage her clit with his finger. “Vlad! God!” She dug her nails into the skin along his ribcage as he plunged in and out.

  He took her with deliberate precision and measured strokes that had her howling his name, but every time she got close to the edge he pulled back, forcing her to beg him for more. They were soon covered in sweat and the muscles in his abdomen strained as he struggled to stay in control as long as possible. Somewhere in his subconscious, he was aware he hadn’t taken the time to put on a condom. Being bare inside of her was like nothing else and he didn’t know how he would go back to using them after this. It was tight and wet and so fucking hot; he’d never imagined it could be this good.

  “Vlad, please…” She was panting.

  “You will not leave me,” he grunted against her ear, plunging deep. “Say it.”

  “I won’t, I won’t go!” she cried, her head thrown back as he thrust harder and faster. He adjusted his angle so he hit the soft spot inside of her that made her breath leave her lungs in a loud whoosh. “Vlad! Oh God! Please!” She shattered in front of him, her body shaking so hard he felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she came.

  Watching the pleasure on her beautiful face as her orgasm rocked her sent him over the edge and he squeezed her against him as he spilled himself inside of her. It wasn’t until that moment he realized what it could mean that he hadn’t put on a condom. She seemed to realize it at the same time, her eyes widening when the warmth of his semen filled her.

  “I’m sorry,” he groaned. “I didn’t think…”

  “I’m on the pill,” she whispered, collapsing against him.

  “No diseases,” he swore under his breath. “But I will see my doctor if you want…”

  “I believe you.” She rested against his chest, listening to his heart beating.

  “I am sorry.” He lifted her chin. “You are angry?”

  “No.” She nestled closer to him. “I’m just as much to blame.”

  “You are really on pill?” he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. “You do not just say this so I will not feel bad?”

  “I’m on the pill. I swear.”

  He lifted her in his arms. “Shower?”

  “Okay.”

  “Then you will sleep with me?”

  “Yes, okay.” She gave him a small smile.

  “Tomorrow we will talk?”

  “Sure.”

  13

  Present Day

  Rachel had the biopsy done on a Friday so she would have the weekend to rest and recuperate. She hadn’t told anyone, not even Ashleigh, relying on her genuinely broken heart as her excuse for everything: fatigue, depression, even her lack of interest in food. She’d told Bud she needed a personal day the following Friday, insinuating it had something to do with Vlad, which had the desired result of him not asking many questions. The truth was she was going to see the oncologist to get the biopsy results. Dr. Sanai was supposed to be one of the best in the world, not just Los Angeles, so she was both nervous and excited to get the results. Nervous because she didn’t know what she would do if she had cancer; excited because there was still a remote possibility it was just pre-cancerous cells that could be cleaned out with a D&C or some sort of freezing procedure she hadn’t
understood.

  Pacing the floor of her house in the Hollywood Hills on Thursday night, she thought she might puke. She’d had a glass of wine, but it hadn’t relaxed her. She itched to call Ashleigh, but she and Brock were so excited about the baby they were expecting, the house they were building in Las Vegas, and keeping up with their eight-year-old foster daughter, Bella. She didn’t want to pull Ashleigh out of the cocoon of her family and into Rachel’s hell; she’d already gone above and beyond the scope of friendship in the aftermath of the non-wedding.

  Impulsively, she pulled out her phone and called the one person she’d always been able to talk to. They had enough of a history for conversation not to be awkward but weren’t so close anymore that she would fall apart the moment she heard his voice. She could definitely talk to Jamie and trusted him to keep it confidential.

  “Hey, doll,” he answered, sounding lazily pleasant.

  “Hey.” Her voice broke as soon as she heard his soft baritone.

  “Oh hey, what’s wrong?” His voice changed, softening, filling with the gentleness that had been a big part of the reason she’d fallen in love with him.

  “I, uh…” She burst into tears, unable to hold back now that she had a sympathetic ear on the other line. She cried until there were no tears left and finally blew her nose. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry hearing my voice brought that out. Do you feel better?”

  She took a shaky breath and blurted out “The doctor thinks I have cancer.”

  “Jesus—what?” His voice changed again, this time to shock. “Tell me everything.”

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” she whispered, on the verge of tears again.