The Lion in Russia Read online

  Vries nodded because for the first time she did understand what could motivate those people. She realized that she was quite fortunate to have spent most of her adult life in Italy where she had access to art and the means to pay for it. Even as a child her parents had been regulars at museums and musical events so she’d never been deprived. Even so there was something about sharing a passion for art with someone else that gave the piece even more meaning. She took Leo’s hand in hers. Smiling down at her, he pulled her into his embrace. They stayed that way for a long moment just filling their souls with the beauty that had survived for more than five hundred years.

  After they left the convent where the painting was housed, they visited Sforza Castle and then stopped for a brief lunch. They strolled through the city hand in hand. Vries was more relaxed than she probably should have been considering she was on guard duty, still nothing could despoil her mood. The unexpected sun that had greeted them earlier in the day had retreated and Milan had reverted to a more typical overcast day, but Vries didn’t mind. She’d worn a comfortable plum wool knit trapeze dress, thick black tights and low-heeled boots. Her conservative attire was reflective of the fact that they had toured the Duomo where coverage was required, but also because of the chilly weather. Her hair was tied back in a vintage Hermès scarf. Her bright orange designer bag punctuated the outfit and concealed the veritable arsenal of weaponry she carried. There was no such thing as casual attire in Milan, and Leo was wearing charcoal gray wool trousers, a black cashmere pullover sweater and a gray tweed sport coat.

  Every now and then as they walked, he’d pull her closer to his side and place an almost ephemeral kiss on her mouth, then he’d pull away leaving her longing for more. She could tell by the glint in his eye that he knew precisely the impact he was having on her so the next time he did it she decided to give him some of his own back. Before he could pull away, she stroked her tongue along the seam of his lips, thrilled by his shuddered response. When his lips parted she slipped her tongue inside. The silken caress of his tongue against hers all but made her toes curl and she stroked the roof of his mouth with just the tip of her tongue. Now he was sucking at her lips, his arms tightening around her until she felt almost crushed.

  There was a long moment when neither of them gave a damn about the crowd brushing past them on the sidewalk, but eventually the fact that they were making a scene penetrated her consciousness and she pulled away. Leo stared down at her, looking dazed. His full lips, reddened by the aggressive pressure of her mouth, were slightly parted as he gasped for air. His eyes were clouded and turned so dark as to be almost black. He stared down at her, but she suspected he didn’t see anything. Without another word to her, he grabbed her hand and began pulling her along the sidewalk.

  Vries hurried behind him barely able to keep up with his longer stride. “Where are we going?”

  “Your place. It’s closer.”

  Chapter Six

  He’d wanted her from the first moment that he saw her. And now she was his. All his. It was all he could do not to throw his head back and roar like his namesake.

  He didn’t stop to think, just pulled her through the door of her apartment, pushing the door closed behind her with his foot. Then he turned her around and pressed her against the door with his body.

  “I need this. Now,” he said as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  Desire was riding him hard. Her taste went to his head, immediately saturating his senses like a fine liquor. He sucked at her tongue as his hands moved down over her supple hips. He lifted her off the floor grinding his body into hers. She groaned against his lips, clearly as desperate for him as he was for her. Without another word, he began walking backward toward her bedroom. As he’d only been in her home once before it would’ve been more sensible to turn around, but that would have required releasing her lips, and that was something he had no intention of doing…ever.

  Fortunately the distance was very short and he dropped down on the bed, their lips still entwined. He pulled her into his lap, his hands went under the hem of her skirt, needing to feel her flesh against his. The hose went all the way to her waist and he tugged at them in increasing frustrating until he finally found the waistband. She reached down to assist him otherwise the damned things probably would’ve been in shreds in another moment or two. Standing in front of him she stepped out of the hose and shoes. He groaned in delight. Finally he had access to her silky brown skin. He moved his hands back under her dress, luxuriating in, devouring the luscious feel of her flesh against his. Consumed with a need to feel every inch of her under his tongue he stood and pulled the soft knit dress over her head. Now she was wearing only a pair of black lace panties and a matching bra. He ground his teeth together, his jaw tight with tension, fighting the urge to simply throw her to the bed and slam his cock into her. He knew he had to slow down. Though it nearly killed him to do so he pulled her into a chaste embrace, or it would’ve been chaste had she been wearing more clothes and he wasn’t sporting a massive erection.

  She looked up at him with a confused expression.

  “Just slowing down for a moment Vrieshka. I don’t want this to be over too soon.”

  She nodded, then leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss right on his collarbone. He couldn’t recall anyone ever kissing him there and it almost sent him off like a rocket. Pushing her down on the bed he quickly followed. No longer able to go slow, he shoved his fingers in her hair and devoured her. Their tongues danced, and teeth clicked as they found their rhythm. Her scarf quickly disappeared as his marauding hands clutched at her hair, frantic to have it loose. One of his hands remained clutching the silky dark strands, and the other moved down to one pouting breast still encased in black lace. He wanted her naked, and he wanted it now.

  Vries wasn’t a passive lover, she quickly grabbed the bottom of his sweater and he helped her pull it and his t-shirt over his head. Then she arched her upper body off the bed and quickly disposed of her bra. He pulled her to him, satiating himself with the feel of her skin against his, but he couldn’t stand it for long, the feel of her against him was driving him crazy. He still wanted to, needed to taste her. He lay her back on the bed. The contrast between her skin and the crisp white sheets was unbelievably erotic. Her breasts were small and slightly conical. Her nipples were tiny but rock hard just begging to be touched. He complied. Leaning forward to take one between his lips, he rolled it with his tongue, delighted with her gasp of response and the way she arched off the bed. He tugged at the nipple, then took nearly her whole breast in his mouth sucking strongly.

  He looked up at her swollen mouth. Her succulent bottom lip was pulled up between her teeth as she squirmed on the bed. Suddenly he wanted nothing so much as to feel that mouth again. Leaning upwards he took her lips under his. While he was matching his lips to hers, suddenly he felt one of her hands brushing against his painfully erect cock. Again and again she stroked him, and he had to grab her hand to keep from coming in his pants. He stood and quickly shucked the pants, almost tripping over his own feet in his rush as he’d forgotten to remove his shoes first. She looked up at him her mouth swollen and delicious from his assault, then she wrapped a hand around his cock, which was distended from his body and leaking pre-cum like crazy. She slipped her hand up and down, pausing at the base to lightly caress his balls and stroking the underside of the corona, sending delicious chills all over his body. Leo felt as though the top of his head had come off. How on earth had he ever thought he’d ever be able to take his time with her?

  Reaching down he quickly pulled at the tiny scrap of lace hiding her pussy from him. Her mound was neatly trimmed but not bare and like everything about her, the sight of it drove him nearly insane. Slipping between her legs he pressed them farther apart and stared down at the succulent beauty before him. Her silken folds glistened a sultry pink concealing and then revealing the jewel of her clitoris above her pussy.

  Knowing he was much too aroused to last much longer and w
anting to make her come at least once, he took her nipple in his mouth again, sucking and gently biting. Vries writhed beneath him, her hips undulating off the bed as though seeking penetration. He slipped one hand down until it reached the lips of her pussy, he stroked back and forth gently, his fingers gliding along the well-lubricated slit. Then with no warning he suddenly shoved two fingers into her steamy canal as at the same time he sucked strongly at her nipple.

  It was all he could do to hold her onto the bed. Back and forth he went from nipple to nipple until she was panting with need, then with fingers slicked by her juices, he slowly encircled her clitoris. Slowly, ever so slowly, he made increasingly small circles around the little bundle of nerves. She was really going crazy under him now and when his fingers finally reached it, she cried out in what was almost a howl. While his thumb was busily strumming her clit, he slipped a finger back inside her tight heat. He added another finger, then another, and roughly pumped them in and out of her. His other hand and mouth remained at her breasts, playing with her nipples. Harder and harder he finger fucked her as her moans grew louder and her breathing more uneven. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, her tongue darting out every few moments.

  “Open your eyes,” he said. As the words left his mouth her eyes sprang open and she stared at him in dazed confusion. “I want to see your eyes when you come,” he said.

  Then without warning he pressed down on her clit as he shoved his fingers in as deeply as possible. That was all it took. Every muscle in her body shook as her orgasm racked through her. Her eyes glazed over as her orgasm hit, bowing her body up into his hands, forcing his fingers deeper inside of her. She thrashed on the bed under him, shivering her release, but he wouldn’t back off, keeping her there on the precipice even as her body screamed in release. He watched, amazed as a dark flush rose from the peaks of her breasts to her cheeks. Her lips grew fuller and her flesh even more heated as she struggled to maintain eye contact with him. Watching her come was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen and he never wanted to end.

  He didn’t give her time to recover, but began thrusting his fingers again. He lowered his head to pussy, unbearably aroused by her sweet aroma. He found her clit with his tongue and teeth and sucked and nipped as he continued to finger fuck her. He was a madman now, driven by the need to make her come and come again. She was soaking wet, but still tight against his fingers. He wanted to be inside her, but he needed to make her come again first. The contradiction between his desperate need to be balls deep inside her and the overriding desire to bring her to another peak was something he’d never experienced. He had to have it, even if it drove him insane. He attacked her with every skill he had, curling his fingers inside her finally finding that super sensitive area deep inside her vagina that would trigger another explosive orgasm. She came again, her juices flooding his face and that was when he knew just how far gone he was. He could spend the rest of his life right where he was, making his woman come again and again and he would be so okay with that.

  “Condom?” he gritted out, unable to wait another moment. With her eyes closed again Vries gestured toward the delicate bedside table. He opened it and found what he needed. In record time he had the condom out and slowly slid it over his penis.

  He couldn’t wait any longer. He flipped her over onto her belly and shoved a pillow beneath her hips. Her ass was angled up toward him, her pussy swollen and pink from his attentions. He rose to his knees behind her and rubbed his penis against her, prolonging the moment before he entered her. Her inner thighs glistened from her juices and he slid his fingers up and down as he slowly fisted his cock, anticipating the feel of her tightness squeezing him. Finally unable to resist he leaned forward and began pushing his way inside. She was tight, maybe too tight despite her multiple orgasms. He had to work his way into her, pushing in a bit farther each time, rocking back and forth. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her back toward him and she began pushing back against him each time he flexed forward. Finally, minutes later, he bottomed out, every inch of him inside her tight sheath. Her internal muscles rippled against him as he fought for just a few more minutes of control and he lost the fight.

  “So goddamned good. So wet. So tight. Oh my God,” he groaned through gritted teeth. Then unable to translate any longer he switched to Russian. He whispered, he cajoled, he begged. Knowing she couldn’t understand him he couldn’t stop the words as they poured out of him. Words of love. Of desire. Of uncontrollable need.

  He brought one of his hands down in a hard smack against her upturned ass as he began to fuck her, hard. He stretched out over her, taking her breasts into his hands he pulled her back and into him with each thrust. He pinched her nipples, more roughly than he intended, but couldn’t help it now. She would have bruises from his hands most likely. Right now he didn’t have the mentality to care and if her groaned responses were any indication, she didn’t object. She moaned into the pillow clearly on the verge of yet another orgasm. She arched her back, opening herself even more to him and that nearly sent him over the edge.

  Rearing up, he grabbed a handful of her hair and wrenched her head back, bringing her up to her knees. With his other hand he grabbed her chin, turning her face so he could reach her mouth with his. He bit at her lips, then soothed away the pain with his tongue. His hand still tangled in her hair he deepened the kiss as he pumped his body into hers again and again. The sensual slide of skin against skin just pushed him closer to the edge. He was going to come soon and all his senses were heightened. The evocative aroma of their straining bodies enveloped him driving his lust to greater heights. The strands of her hair in his hands seemed to rub against his nerve endings triggering a violent reaction through his body. More than anything he wanted to hold onto it. Hold onto her. For life.

  His orgasm inched tantalizingly closer. He could feel it, just a millisecond away. His balls drew up. He slammed his hips against her as though compelled by a force outside himself and sensations like ice, which inexplicably burned as it slid down his spine. In and out of her wet heat. Suddenly his head arched back involuntarily and he couldn’t help the scream that was forced from his throat when his orgasm finally crashed into him. Needing an anchor, a force to keep him from flying into a million pieces he brought his head forward to sink his teeth into her shoulder. He tasted her blood in his mouth as she screamed out her own release. A release apparently triggered by the pain of his bite. Then unable to remain upright for another moment he lowered them to the bed, careful not to fall on top of her. He lay beside her for a long moment, convinced he’d never breathe again unaided, before he rose from the bed to dispose of the condom. After doing so in the bathroom and washing his hands, he returned to the bed. Sleep overtook him almost before he made it to the bed.

  ***

  Vries came awake slowly, not sure if she’d been asleep for minutes or days. The lassitude that enveloped her body was almost impossible to resist. More than anything she wanted to remain right where she was, cuddled up next to Leo’s side for the next millennium. Unfortunately some things are impossible to ignore; she had to pee. With one last look at her ardent lover who hadn’t moved one bit, she slipped out of the bed wincing a bit at the lingering soreness in various areas, not least of which was her ass. Her lover was as passionate as she’d imagined, and she had the aches and pains to show for it. After using the toilet and washing her hands, she paused briefly to secure her hair in a couple of loose braids. The bite mark on her shoulder while small was still quite vivid. There were a few other bruises as well. She shook her head ruefully. Damn if she even remembered him doing that. “Girl you’ve got it bad, and that ain’t good,” she murmured to herself as she returned to the bedroom. Leo was sitting with his back propped up against her wrought iron headboard. His gaze went unerringly to the mark on her shoulder.

  “Oh baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me, I just lost it for a moment. Does it hurt terribly? Please forgive me?”

  Vries sat down
on the bed and turned into his waiting arms. “No,” she said, snuggling close with her head on his shoulder, “It doesn’t hurt terribly. Actually, it doesn’t hurt at all. I don’t remember you doing it to be honest. Who knew staid old businessmen could be such freaks?” she said, stroking a hand over his bare chest. Like many blonde men, Leo’s body hair was very sparse but it was denser here and emphasized the firm muscles underneath quite nicely. She slid her hands over his skin loving the texture and the contrasts. The hair under her hands had a slightly rough texture like raw silk, the skin was smooth as well, but it covered pure sinewy muscle as she’d seen when they worked out. His nipples stood out copper dark against his lighter flesh, and she leaned down to nip one with her teeth, gratified to feel him shudder beneath her in response. She looked down at his crotch where his reaction was even more strongly evident.

  “Hmmm, I thought you said a man your age wouldn’t be up to two shows in one night,” she whispered against his lips.

  “I guess I’ve got some really strong motivation,” he said wrapping his arms around her to pull her closer.

  “You won’t hear me complaining.”

  “I promise this time will be sweeter,” he said turning to lay her down on the rumpled white bed.

  And it was.

  ***

  Vries rolled over and began crawling out of bed. Leo grabbed her leg.

  “Where are you going, Vrieshka?” he said in his sleep roughened voice. Vries wanted to cover her ears from its allure. She really did have work to do today, she also had to touch base with Deringer. Despite her diligence, she’d seen no evidence of any danger. That made her nervous. Either Lelia was totally wrong or the Russians had gotten better at covering their tracks. Lelia was never wrong.

  “To get away from you. If you do that to me again I’ll die.”

  “But I told you I wanted to spend the next two weeks with you. What did you think I had in mind?”