Chapter 4 When the band finishes its final set, my uncle gets up on the small stage to address the guests. I have no idea what he says, because all my attention is on Mr. Kedrov. Rik. He's standing right next to me. His proximity makes my skin fizzle and my breath catch. By the time the speech ends, my grin is stretched thin, my cheeks aching. Rik touches my elbow and leans in. "I'll see you soon," he whispers, breath hot against my ear. I watch him walk away, trying to figure out why I'm so attracted to him. He's at least twenty years older than I am. And yet, I'm drawn to him like a magnet. I haven't been attracted to older men before. Maybe I'm experiencing latent daddy issues. A hysterical giggle rises in my throat, and I swallow hard to force it back down. My aunt interrupts my thoughts. "He's very good-looking in a Eurotrash kind of way." I bite my tongue and make a noncommittal sound in reply. Rik is handsome, period. Every nationality would agree. The band packs up, the guests scatter, and my uncle joins us. He claps me on the back like a loyal subordinate. "We did good today," he says as he wraps an arm around his wife. She leans into him, her expression softening as much as the fillers allow. They have a weird symbiotic relationship, bordering on parasitic. I just can't decide which of them benefits most at the expense of the other. Maybe they take turns being the parasite. The room smells of candle wax and spilled champagne, and all I want is to take off my shoes and the slinky dress. I long for a hot shower and the cool sheets of my bed. I murmur a goodbye and head out. Luckily, I don't have to supervise the cleanup crew. The hotel staff will take care of that. As I reach the lobby of the hotel, I hesitate because heat sizzles along my nerve endings. He's watching me again. Slowly turning, I search for a pair of piercing green eyes. Two people are busy behind the concierge desk, neither of them looking my way. Guests from my uncle's party who are saying their last goodbyes before heading to their cars are clustered around the lobby. And then I see him on the other side of the large space, leaning up against the bar with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. His gaze drills into mine, and the surroundings shift out of focus. All I can see is him. Suddenly, the weight of everything crashes back into my mind. The party, my uncle's sharp words, my aunt's obvious contempt. My body trembles, but not just with nerves. There's something darker beneath it all, the hard truth I've been trying to bury. Unless I find the courage to take charge of my life, to make my own decisions, I will forever be my aunt and uncle's lackey. I won't have an actual life. It will be a pale existence at the edge of theirs. Before I've made the conscious decision to do so, I'm walking toward him, aching feet forgotten. I stop a couple of steps in front of him. His shoulders are stiff with tension, but his face remains calm. Raising an eyebrow, he tilts his head, asking me an unspoken question. Not trusting my voice to work, I nod. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this was the obvious conclusion to our meeting. This man is more powerful than my aunt and uncle. I should be afraid of him, but something reckless inside me wants to get closer to him. Want him to make me his. Rik throws back the rest of his drink, slams the glass on the bar, and grabs my hand. We walk toward the elevators, his steps so big I have to jog to keep up. He notices and adjusts his stride to match mine. We don't speak as we wait for the elevator, and the ride up to the top floor, a button he had to activate with his key card, is also done in silence. He doesn't let go of my hand until the elevator doors open straight into a suite, and he gestures for me to walk in ahead of him. The space is a symphony of luxury, with its high ceilings and plush furnishings, bathed in the warm glow of meticulously placed lighting. Standing a few feet in from the threshold, my heart drums out a wild beat in my chest. I'm on the precipice of something important. Something I won't be able to step back from. On the other side of the room, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows reveals city lights blinking far below like distant stars. It feels unreal, this moment, this place, until I feel his warm presence against my back, steady and unyielding. I want this experience. I hunger for it. Hunger for this man, but don't know what to do about it. All I know is that this moment is my decision. Something I'm claiming for myself, and it has nothing to do with my aunt and uncle. The first step on the journey to finding my freedom. Rik puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me around. His probing gaze searches my face. "This is your last chance to back out." His British accent is tinted with slightly more rolled r's than people from the UK. "I won't," I whisper. Something fierce flickers in his eyes. "I need to hear you say you want this," he growls. "This must be your decision." "Yes," I breathe. "I want this. I need this." He nods, like he knows, and accepts, that neither of us has a choice. This moment, this heavy, charged instance of time was destined to happen as soon as we saw each other. As soon as I noticed him watching me. "Do you understand what this means?" His voice is low as his grip on my shoulder tightens. "You belong to me now. But not as a prize or a political pawn, because I want you. I crave you." Yes, for this night, this moment, I belong to him. I fight the storm inside me while reaching for the strange comfort of his tight grip. My breasts heave with each breath, the weight of my virginity a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. "You'll have to show me what to do, though." His tall frame looms over me, and he takes a deep breath. "You haven't been with a man before." It's a statement, not a question, so I just keep my eyes on his. 'Tonight, I'll make you mine,' he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine, and now I hear more of the Russian in his voice. 'All mine, Malyshka.' His hands move lower, caressing my arms with a gentleness that belies his dominating presence. "My name is Perl," I say, "not Malyshka." I'm offended that he doesn't remember. He pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me . With my face against his chest, I feel a soft laughter rumble through him. "Malyshka is a term of endearment in Russian." "Oh," I say, feeling stupid. Rik steps back, and with a finger under my chin, tilts my head up. "It means baby girl or little one." He cups my face, his thumbs stroking my cheeks, and then his hands travel south, tracing the outline of my breasts through the fabric of my dress. "I'm not little," I say and then gasp as he pinches my nipples, the sharp jolt of pleasure and pain making my pussy clench with need. Rik growls, a sound that is both dark and thrilling. 'You like that, don't you?' he asks, his eyes never leaving mine. My voice is trapped in the dryness of my throat, so I just nod. I want to tell him he doesn't have to flatter me. I know society and Aunt Monica judge my flared hips and jiggly tits as less than ideal, but I'm comfortable with my curves. He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. 'Your body is perfect." He nuzzles my chest. "So fucking sexy. I'm going to make you feel things you never thought possible.' With a swift motion, he lifts me and carries me to the bed, his strength both intimidating and arousing. He lays me down, and his hands deftly undress me, peeling away the layers of my clothing until I am completely bared before him. His eyes roam over my body, a groan escaping his lips as he takes in the sight of my nakedness. He leans over and captures a nipple with his lips. I arch against him, moaning as he licks and nips my tender skin. Burying my fingers in his hair, I press his face against my chest. "No," he says hoarsely and captures my hands in his. "For now, this is all about me touching you." He pulls my arms over my head. "You don't move until I give you permission." I want to bristle at the command, but my body loves his dominance. My pussy's lips turn swollen and wet. 'So fucking beautiful,' he growls as his fingers trails down my stomach to the soft curls on my mound. He parts my thighs, exposing me to his hungry gaze. 'And all mine.' Embarrassed, I try to close my legs, but he forces them apart again. "What did I say about moving?" He pinches a nipple. The sting makes me moan again, and I arch my hips. This time, he slaps my ass as punishment. "No moving. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." He strokes my wet folds, his fingers finding my clit. He circles the sensitive bundle of nerves with expert precision, pinching the bud. I struggle not to arch my back, a moan escaping my lips as he applies more pressure, the sensation sending electric jolts through my body. He slips a finger inside me, then another, stretching me. 'You're so tight,' he says, his voice thick. 'I can't wait to feel this sweet cunt around my cock.' He increases the pace, his fingers pumping in and out of my pussy, his thumb relentlessly assaulting my clit. Pressure builds inside me, a tight coil of pleasure winding its way through my body. And then, with a flick of his wrist, he sends me spiraling over the edge, my orgasm crashing over me in waves. But Rik doesn't stop. He moves down my body, his tongue replacing his fingers, lapping at my wetness with a primal hunger. Hooking my lower legs over his shoulder, he forces my thighs further apart with his shoulder as he sucks on my clit. The sensation makes me cry out, my hands fisting the sheets. He stops. "Put your hands where they belong," he growls, his lips glistening with my juices. "You just earned another punishment." He slaps my pussy, and I gasp as the sting heightens my arousal. I put my hands back over my head. 'Rik,' I gasp, my body trembling with need. 'Please, I need you inside me.' He looks up at me, his green eyes dark with desire. 'Soon,' he promises, his voice a low growl. 'But I'm still hungry. I'm going to eat your tasty cunt until you come undone against my mouth.' He leans back down, his tongue working magic on my pussy as he laps, sucks, and nibbles. His fingers join in the symphony of pleasure, pumping inside me until I'm shaking, begging for mercy. When he bites down on my clit, another orgasm tears through me with an intensity that leaves me boneless and panting. Rik stands, his hands moving to his belt, his eyes never leaving mine. He undresses slowly, each inch of revealed skin a testament to his power and control. His cock springs free, thick and hard, a bead of precum glistening at the tip. I can't help but lick my lips, my body aching for him. I'm inexperienced, a virgin, and should be shy, or at least a little apprehensive. But I want this man with every fiber of my being. I want that proud cock filling me, fucking me. He unbuttons his shirt, the gap revealing a muscled chest covered in tattoos. I want to study them, but there's no time before he climbs onto the bed, positioning himself between my legs. He slaps the side of my ass. The sound echoes in the room, and the sharp sting adds to the molten heat between my thighs. 'You're mine now, Perl,' he reminds me, his voice a dominant rumble. 'And I'm going to claim every inch of you.' The possessiveness in his voice turns me on even more. "Fuck me," I whisper. "Fuck me hard." His eyes glitter as he aligns his cock with my entrance, the broad head pressing against my cunt. He looks into my eyes. "Yeah, you'll take all of me until I tell you to stop." With a thrust of his hips, he's inside me, his cock filling me completely. The pain is sharp, a brief moment of resistance before my body yields to his, the feeling of fullness overwhelming. He stills, allowing me to adjust to his size, his jaw clenched. 'Fuck, you're tight,' he grunts, his voice strained. 'So fucking perfect.' He moves, his strokes measured and deep, each one stoking the fire within me. Picking up the pace, his hands grips my hips, his body claiming mine with an intensity that borders on savagery. He slaps my ass again. The sound mixes with our moans and the wet slap of our bodies coming together. And then Rik flips me over, pulling me onto all fours. He enters me from behind, his hands grabbing my hips, his cock driving into me with a force that steals my breath and pushes me toward the top of the bed with each thrust. He reaches around, his fingers finding my clit, rubbing it in time with his thrusts. 'Come for me,' he commands, his voice a harsh whisper in my ear. 'Milk my cock with your tight little cunt.' He slaps my pussy. And I do, my body shattering into a thousand pieces, my orgasm ripping through me with a force that has me screaming his name. Rik follows me over the edge, his cock pulsing inside me as he finds his release, filling me with his hot cum. We collapse onto the bed, our bodies slick with sweat, our breathing ragged. He rolls to the side and pushes my hair out of my face. "You're so fucking perfect." Heat crawls up my neck and spreads across my face, which I'm sure is blooming into a full blush. I'm not sure where to look, and then a thought strikes me. "We should have discussed birth control." I got so caught up in the moment, I completely forgot. Plus, I haven't done this before. "I'm clean," he says. "And you haven't been with anyone so there's no need for condoms." Relief washes over me. "And I'm on the pill, so we don't have to worry about pregnancy." He frowns and flips me onto my back again. "Stop taking those," he demands as his fingers caress my wet pussy, scooping our combined fluids on top of my stomach where he spreads them around. "I'm going to put a baby in you," he says. The words both thrill and terrify me. I grab his hand, and he looks up, an unspoken question in his eyes. "That's moving a little fast," I laugh nervously. "We've just met." "Did you not understand what I meant when I said you're mine now?" he growls. "I thought that was just part of the foreplay, not a literal declaration." He studies me for a moment, as if he can't believe how inexperienced I am. "I don't say things I don't mean. You're mine now, Perl. I fucking own you." After years of devotedly caring for her family, she was met with relentless ingratitude from her husband and son—who even brazenly vowed to form a "real family" with a glamorous actress. Heartbroken b...