Page 5 of Owned By the Russian

The obsession grew hotter with every second as he watched her laugh with his siblings, a relentless ache in his chest that demanded satisfaction. Her perfect white teeth were on display, oblivious to the other men who leered at her.

He so badly wanted to squeeze the air out of their throats, to watch the light leave their eyes with a sardonic smirk on his face—a reminder to anyone who tried to prey on what was his.

But he couldn’t cause a scene in an event as peaceful as this.

So, he left the darkness, adjusting the growing tent in his pants, and made a beeline toward her as soon as Rhi left.

He watched the light in her eyes darken as soon as they landed on him. She assumed her signature pose—chin lifted, muscles taut, and her lips curving into a subtle, delicate frown. Lips he couldn’t stop imagining wrapped around his cock, feeding the unyielding hunger that twisted inside him.

She’d be the type to swallow, he thought, smirking as he got closer to her. And he’d give her as much of him as she asked.

“You don’t look too happy to see me,moya printsessa,” he noted, an arrogant smile on his lips. His Russian accent thickly coated his words, a feature of his that Valentina refused to admit she liked. “Care to share what bothers you?”

“You,” she spat. “You’re the only thing that bothers me here. And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? I’m not your princess.”

“Says who?”

“Says me, Ilya Nikolai,” she sneered. “I’m not anyone’s princess.”

Ilya loved it when she called his name. He loved the wayIlyarolled off her American tongue. Foreign and exquisite.

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. “Would you rather I call you my queen, then?”

For the briefest second, she was speechless, frozen to the floor, clearly not expecting that. But she quickly regained her composure and walked past him.

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Too late,” he murmured, gravitating toward her like a magnet. The subtle tension in the air was his favorite part of their games. He could feel her resolve cracking just a little, even though she’d rather kill than ever admit it.

“Can you not follow me around like a dog?” she snapped without turning to look at him. “I’m trying to get something to eat, but the longer you stay next to me, the more I lose my appetite.”

“I’d believe that,” he said, coming to stand in front of her, “but your stomach already betrayed you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?” Just in time, a loud growl erupted from her stomach, and she quickly placed a hand over it, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Ilya couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, the sound laced with satisfaction. “Looks like you’ve got an issue to take care of.”

Her eyes shot daggers at him as she quickly recovered, straightening up. “Shut up, Ilya. It’s not like you’ve never been hungry.”

“Oh, I’ve been hungry,” he said, leaning closer, his voice a wicked whisper that caressed her ears, “but I’m not the one acting like a stubborn child.”

Valentina’s embarrassment deepened, but there was a resolve in her eyes that told him she wasn’t about to let him have the upper hand.

“At least I don’t try to feed my ego with every word that comes out of my mouth.”

Ilya’s grin only widened, “And yet, here you are, feeding it anyway.”

She scoffed, her eyes flicking away, a mix of frustration and something else he couldn’t quite place. “Just to think I was already having a nice night. You really get a sick enjoyment out of making me uncomfortable, don’t you?”

Oh, you have no idea, Princess.

He leaned back, his eyes never straying from her. “Maybe. But you’re the one who keeps making it so easy.”

She stormed past him, her shoulder knocking against his as she headed toward the table of food. He watched her grab a silver dish, a soft sway to her hips as she moved from one section to another.

Her ass looked too good in that dress, two perfect round globes that he needed to squeeze. But as much as he desired her, he could never touch her without her candid permission.

He might have been raised as a ruthless caveman, but he was no animal. He understood consent.

---