Page 84 of The Russian's Kidnapped Bride
Instead, he takes a few steps closer before reaching for my arms, gently sliding his palms along them. He looks me over, not afraid to show me that softness in his gaze. “It may seem small, but you’re that much closer to your goals. I know how hard you’ve been working, and even if I don’t like watching you strain yourself, I understand how much this means to you.”
I soften at his words and his touch, allowing myself to fully take in his encouragement. Even so, I can’t resist egging him on a little.
“Are you going to celebrate every small milestone in my education?”
Mikhail’s eyes gleam with a touch of mischief. “Of course. I’ll celebrate each and every semester, every test, and exam, if I have to. I’ll always remind you of how well you’re doing.”
“You don’t have to, you know,” I murmur despite already knowing he won’t stand for it. “I’m used to the workload and moving on to the next part without any fancy meals.”
“That was before me,” he counters somewhat playfully with a raised brow. His hands move to my hips, gently pulling me closer. “But now, everything counts, regardless of how small.”
As much as I still feel the reflex to diminish my accomplishments, his words are too touching for me to brush them off. And frankly, I shouldn’t.
I have worked hard, and while there’s a lot more ahead of me still, I have every right to celebrate myself and to let others do the same for me.
“All that’s to say, I’m proud of you,” Mikhail murmurs, expression becoming warmer while he slowly slides his palms along my waist and moves his face closer to mine. “I’m proud of everything you’ve endured so far, and I look forward to standing by you as you conquer the rest.”
My heart stirs at the sentiment, and as easily as I could cry for a second time tonight, I hold it back. Smiling instead, I wrap my arms around him in return and press my forehead against his. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the moment, drinking up that comfort his presence offers me.
“Thank you…for everything.”
The end of his nose barely brushes against mine, sending a subtle thrill through me. “I should be thanking you for giving me things to look forward to.”
I hum and press a kiss on his cheek. “Are you giving me all the credit?”
Mikhail grins, visibly softening at the gesture before hovering his lips above mine, teasing me with his proximity. “I will credit you will everything until I’m blue in the face.”
“If that isn’t commitment, then I don’t know what is.”
His chuckle comes out as a low rumble, letting his hands slide lower until he squeezes my flesh. “You’re right…my commitment knows no bounds when it comes to you.”
Those words hold an even deeper meaning the moment his lips are on mine, seeking more warmth and more closeness. His hands take on a mind of their own while he guides me closer to the bed, letting his mouth devour mine.
It never takes much for us to take that tenderness and prolong it until we’re both starving for each other.
His words are the gateway to my cardigan being shrugged off my shoulders, and my dress being unzipped before dropping to the floor. His lips chase after mine, moving along my neck and shoulders in between while I unfasten the rest of his buttons and send his clothes onto the floor to join mine.
Regardless of how many times we dance that same dance, we’re just as hungry for more—just as insatiable.
Even while being rid of our clothes and anything in between us, it never feels like enough. We can never be close enough.
My hands map out every inch of his skin after he lowers me onto the bed, caging me against the mattress while he leaves his marks along my neck, tasting me like it’s the first time.
I used to be a patient person, but with him, all of that goes out the window. My legs wrap around him, pulling him impossibly close.
Mikhail doesn’t object when he’s just as worked up, settling between my thighs and slowly rolling his hips at an agonizing pace. It’s both incredible and torturous while he grinds against me, making us both crumble.
After a few strokes of his hips, my fingers dig into his back, and my breathless moans only encourage him more.
Normally, he’d take his time and prolong the teasing for as long as possible, but tonight, there’s less restraint in hismovements. Less patience and more eagerness only get me more excited.
“You make me insane,” Mikhail murmurs against my neck, mouthing at my skin like it’s a primal instinct while he reaches for my thigh to prop it up while the other regains against his hip. “But I don’t want it any other way.”
I shiver at the brush of his length against me, hard and more than ready for more. I hum, tilting my head to the side. “Then don’t make either of us wait…”
At that, a satisfied sound travels the length of his throat, and he lines himself up before sliding in.
An immediate rush of pleasure forces my eyes shut while it moves through me, and my breath catches while my fingers flex against his shoulders.
