Page 60 of Echoes of Sin

“It’s not exactly enough if you ask me.” Ilya was a very important man, and though his job would put him in harm’s way, I was slowly learning to accept it and not obsess about it every waking hour of every single day.

Lara tossed her head back and laughed. “Is that your unbiased opinion?”

“Nope, it’s my completely biased because I love that man and think he walks on water opinion.” Ilya had proven time and again over the past couple of months that he was kind and attentive, protective and so good with Karina that I worried he’d usurped me as our daughter’s favorite parent. Ryan was still her favorite adult, though.

“I’m so glad to see you happy, Brooke. You wear it well.” Lara wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.

“Thanks.” I looked around the room at all the unfamiliar faces and fidgeted with my cocktail glass. “This part makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know these people, but they all know me. Almost everyone here has stopped to introduce themselves and congratulate me on our engagement.”

Lara leaned in and smiled. “You’re royalty in this room. And right over there,” she pointed towards the entrance where Ilya and Dmitri finally made an appearance, “is your king.”

He was breathtaking in black and white pinstripes, with a deep blue shirt that highlighted his sapphire eyes. He was master of all he surveyed, confident and powerful with his place in the world. Everyone clamored for his attention, and he gave it freely, smiling and shaking hands, accepting their well wishes whether they were genuine or not. His blue gaze scanned the crowd and stopped when he landed on me.

His smile brightened and grew until his eyes joined in and my heart stopped. My legs wobbled at the expression of love on his face, and I felt my own lips spread into an excited grin. “Hi,” he mouthed from across the room.

I laughed and mouthed, “Hi back.”

“Damn,” Lara whispered, and fanned her face. “You two are making my panties go up in flames.”

“Hush.”

My best friend laughed. “It’s the truth. That look might get a few people pregnant tonight.”

I slid her a look that said, really?

“Not me. Hopefully, anyway, but I fully plan on riding the Russian Express tonight. Again and again,” she said, her gaze fixed on Dmitri as he cleared a path for Ilya.

Our gazes locked once more as he drew closer and closer to where I stood in front of the bar. When only five feet separated us, he ignored everyone else in the club and offered up one of his sexy just-for-me smiles. “Hold this,” I said to Lara, and took off to meet my man halfway.

“Ilya,” I whispered as my chest met his, my arms snaking around his neck. “You look hot. Really hot.”

He let out a low chuckle. “And you take my fucking breath away. This dress is…fucking phenomenal.”

I smiled, happy he was pleased with my look. I’d chosen a strapless form-fitting white dress with black pinstripes and the tallest stilettos I could stand. “Thank you.”

He gripped my waist with one hand and cupped the back of my neck with the other before he took my mouth in a white-hot kiss that made my pussy clench, and my nipples harden. It was something only Ilya could accomplish, making me forget myself in public when he touched me. His tongue teased me mercilessly, stroking in and out of my mouth until my entire body pulsed with need and longing. “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he whispered when he pulled back, blue eyes pitch black with desire.

He'd been away on business. I’d not wanted him to go, especially when things were still so new between us, but this time I knew he would return. “I missed you too. How did things go in London?”

“Good. We came to an agreement, of sorts. If it lasts, then we are good. If not, well, let’s worry about it when it becomes an issue to worry about.” He pressed another kiss to my lips. “It’s been too long since I’ve been inside you.”

My whole body pulsed. “It’s been two days, Ilya.” But I was hungry for what he did to me, what he made me feel.

“Fifty-three hours and thirteen minutes to be exact.”

My lips twitched with amusement before I gave in to laughter. “Too bad you’re the man of the evening. All of these people are here to see you.”

His blond brows dipped into a frown just like the one Karina wore when she was trying to get out of something she didn’t want to do. “It’s my party and I’ll fuck my woman if I want to.”

“I love it when you toss out American sayings in that accent. It makes me wanna do real bad things with you.”

Heat flared in his gaze. “Come on.”

I put my hand in his and let him lead me across the dance floor and down the dimly lit hall that took us to his office. Ilya pushed me in first and kicked the door shut behind him, locking the door without taking his gaze from mine. “This wall right here was our first time since our first time.”

“I remember.” He spun us around so I sat on the edge of his desk. “Your pussy was so wet, so fucking tight I get hard just thinking about it.” His fingertips grazed up the inside of my thighs until I shivered. “But now I have this desire, this hunger to take you on my desk.”

“Well, here I am, Ilya. Now what?” I licked my lips and he groaned.

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