Page 62 of Hers to Command

She watches me warily as I unbutton my shirt, shrugging it off and letting it fall to the floor.

“Take off your clothes,” I say, my tone low and commanding.

She arches a brow, but there’s no real fight in her. Slowly, she unzips her dress and lets it pool at her feet. My gaze drags over her, taking in every inch of her flawless skin, the way her chest rises and falls with each breath.

“You’re shaking,” I murmur, stepping closer.

“I’m not.”

I don’t call her out on the lie. Instead, I take her hand and lead her into the shower. The hot water cascades over us, washing away the remnants of the night. Blood and sweat and otherdisgusting shit. That fucker really made a mess in her club, spraying his brain all over the place.

Hopefully Sergei and his men know what they are doing, because if this gets back to Russia there will be a shit-storm to pay, but that’s a problem for tomorrow.

I press her against the cool tile, caging her in with my arms. Her breath hitches as I lean in, my lips brushing her ear.

“You were incredible tonight,” I whisper. “Do you know that?”

Her eyes flick up to meet mine, wide and unguarded for a split second before she recovers. “I didn’t need you to save me.”

“I didn’t come to save you,” I lie, my lips trailing down her neck. “I came because I wanted to see you win. And you did,Tesoro. You won.” No need to discuss now that the war isn’t quite over yet.

Her hands come up to rest against my chest, her fingers splaying over my heart. “I’ve never...” She hesitates, her voice barely audible over the water.

I understand instantly. “You’ve never shot anyone before.”

She nods, and for the first time tonight, I see the cracks. The uncertainty she’s been burying. The fear.

I tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “It was the right move. He deserved it. You did fucking amazing,Cara.”

Her lips part, and I don’t wait for her to respond. I capture her mouth in a searing kiss, pouring everything into it. My admiration, my desire, my need for her.

She melts against me, her hands sliding up to tangle in my hair. I press her harder against the tile, my body molding to hers as the water streams over us.

“I’m going to keep you, Anya,” I murmur against her lips. “Completely. And I’m going to show you exactly what that means.”

Her eyes blaze as she meets my gaze, a spark of fire flickering back to life. “You can’t just decide that.”

“Then I’ll convince you.” I smirk, responding to her usual objection. My hand slides down to grip her thigh, lifting her leg around my waist.

She clings to me, her body aligning perfectly with mine. The moment lingers as I position myself. I hold her gaze, waiting for that last flicker of surrender in her eyes, that moment where her walls crumble and she lets me in.

When it happens, it’s fucking exquisite.

I thrust into her in one smooth, deliberate motion, claiming her with a groan that echoes off the tiled walls. Her sharp inhale turns into a soft moan, her head tipping back as her nails dig into my shoulders.

“Look at me,” I command, my voice rough as I pull back and sink into her again. Her eyes flutter open, and the vulnerability mingled with desire there nearly undoes me.

I keep pumping into her, every thrust a reminder that she’s mine. Her hands grip my shoulders, her body meeting mine with a ferocity that matches my own. She’s on fire all right. Her gasps and moans only spur me on, pushing me closer to the edge.

I slide a hand up her back, tangling it in her wet hair, as I pull her mouth back to mine. The kiss makes me feel feral, our tongues tangling as the water streams around us. Her legs tighten around me, her body shuddering as I hit the spot that makes her cry out my name.

“That’s it,Tesoro,” I murmur against her lips, my voice thick with need. “Take everything I’m giving you.”

Her hands slide into my hair, pulling hard enough to sting as her body clenches around me, driving me to the brink. I bury myself deep, grinding against her as her release crashes over her, her cries swallowed by the noises of the water.

The sight of her unraveling, the feel of her trembling in my arms, is all it takes to push me over the edge. I let go with aguttural groan, my forehead dropping to hers as I spill my seed into her, marking her in every way I can for now.

We stay like that, breathless and clinging to each other as the water keeps washing away the remnants of the night. I press a kiss to her damp forehead, my hand still cradling the back of her neck.

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