Page 15 of Unexpected Bratva Baby

A blush heats my cheeks. “Even though you didn’t enjoy the food?”

He laughs. “The company more than made up for it,” he says with meaning.

Before I can respond, one of the other students calls out a question, and I have to turn away. I answer their query about proper potato storage, and he remains behind me, a constant, soothing presence.

As the class winds down, and students begin to leave, Mikhail lingers. He helps me clean up, his movements efficient despite his earlier clumsiness in the kitchen.

“You didn’t have to stay,” I say as we wipe down the last counter.

He shrugs, smiling. “I wanted to,” he says simply.

I wipe my hands on a dish towel, stealing glances at Mikhail as he finishes drying the last of the pots. The kitchen is spotless now, but a crackling energy fills the air between us. My skin prickles with awareness of his every movement.

“I think we’re done here,” I say, my voice coming out huskier than I intended.

Mikhail turns to me with obvious desire smoldering in his blue orbs. “Are we?”

The double meaning in his words is unmistakable. My heart pounds as he takes a step closer, closing the distance between us. I can smell his cologne, a heady mix of citrus and something uniquely him.

“Phoebe,” he murmurs, his accent thicker than usual. “I don’t think I can pretend anymore.”

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “Pretend what?”

He cups my cheek, and his touch sends sparks through my body. “That I don’t want you. That I haven’t wanted you since the moment I saw you.”

I press against his touch, unable to resist. “Mikhail, I?—”

He cuts me off with a kiss, his lips crashing against mine with a passion that leaves me breathless. I respond immediately, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Histongue traces the seam of my lips, and I open for him with a soft moan.

We break apart, both panting. Mikhail rests his forehead against mine. “Come home with me,” he says, his voice rough with desire.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. He takes my hand, leading me out of the community center and to his waiting car. The ride to his penthouse is a blur of heated glances and barely restrained touches.

As soon as we’re inside his apartment, Mikhail pulls me to him again. This time, our kiss is slower and deeper, but no less passionate. He touches me all over, leaving trails of fire in the wake of his fingers. I tug at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine.

He breaks away long enough to unbutton his shirt, revealing a chiseled chest and abs that make my mouth water. I run my hands over his bare skin, reveling in the way he shivers under my touch.

I frown at a section of scarring on his right rib-cage. “What happened here?”

“An old injury,” he says dismissively. “It’s nothing.”

I want to ask more, because it looks how a gunshot wound might, I imagine, but he kisses me again while he works to undo the buttons on my blouse. He slides it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, and I completely forget about anything else. Breaking the kiss, he steps back and lets his gaze rake over my exposed skin, making me flush with desire.

Mikhail bends down slightly to trail kisses along my neck and collarbone, sending shivers of pleasure through my body. I tip my head back as he moves lower, brushing his lips against the swell of my breasts. He reaches behind me to unhook my bra, freeing my aching nipples to his touch.

He closes his mouth around one nipple, sucking gently, while cupping my other breast, kneading it with just the right amount of pressure. I moan softly, arching into him and wanting more. “Please, Mikhail...”

He releases my nipple for a moment, looking up at me with a wicked grin. “Please what?”

I can’t bring myself to say the words, so instead, I reach for his belt buckle, fumbling with the clasp. He chuckles, batting my hands away and unfastening it himself. As he pushes down his pants and boxers, I gasp at the sight of his thick, erect cock. It’s bigger than any I’ve ever seen before, standing proudly against his toned stomach.

My heart pounds as he kicks off his shoes and steps out of his clothes. He’s completely naked now, his muscular body on full display. I want nothing more than to explore every inch of him, but he has other ideas.

He picks me up easily, carrying me to the bedroom and laying me down on the bed. He strips off my remaining clothes, leaving me bare beneath him before joining me on the bed. His weight presses me into the mattress as he kisses me deeply while running his hands up and down my sides.

“So lovely,lyschka,” he says.

“What does that mean?” I ask breathlessly.

---