Page 44 of Claimed in Sin
I keep thrusting through every contraction, feeling her come undone and when the spasms finally start to ease, the pressure in my balls surges. I thrust harder, burying myself completely on each stroke.
“I’m gonna fill you,” I groan against her neck.
Then I release, dumping my load as I bury myself deep into her. She shudders and clings to me, and when my dick is done pulsing, I turn and pull her into my chest.
I don’t want to bring up the conversation I know we have to have and ruin this moment, so I lie there with her in my arms,catching my breath, feeling her press kisses to my knuckles, and before I know it, sleep takes me.
The conversation will wait until tomorrow, and I hope she understands why I’ve done what I’ve done and how I did it all for her.
23
MARINA
Ilie in Stepan's arms, having been startled awake by something, though his house is quiet. The men left hours ago. I heard them lock up and their cars start and drive away, but even then I didn’t get up and leave. I don't want to go home, even knowing what Stepan said. If Maksim's dead, I know my father will be furious, and while he may not accuse me of having any part of it, he'll definitely take it out on me.
Besides, I know being pregnant with another man's baby will come up in conversation and he'll pry. Eventually, he'll force me to abort, and then what? I want to be with Stepan, and I don't know what that means for the family or my father's businesses, but shouldn't I have a say in how my life goes? If Maksim is dead, the deal is dead, and I'm free.
I turn a little, pulling away from his body, and shove the pillow under my head harder, when I hear a noise, a crash near the front of the house. It's so loud, I sit up before my eyes are fully open, and immediately, the alarm starts screeching.
Stepan jerks awake, and for a split second he lies there touching his face. Then he jerks to his feet and off the bed like it's second nature.
"Get dressed," he says. "Right now."
I roll off the mattress and grab my clothes from the floor, but my fingers shake. I can't get the buttons right and I give up on half of them and pull my shoes on without tying them.
"What's going on!" I hiss, stumbling through the darkness as I hear Stepan going through drawers. I find my way to him, but he's focused on whatever he's searching for.
"Be quiet," he whispers harshly, pulling me toward the door. He presses his back flat against the wall beside the frame and leans out for half a second to scan the hallway, then pulls back. "Someone broke in..." I can barely make out the silhouette of his face, but I see the glint of moonlight off the barrel of a gun in his hand and know what he was looking for.
"How many?" I whisper.
"At least three." He sounds angry, or panicked, I can't tell which, but he reaches behind the dresser and pulls out a second handgun then holds it out to me. "You know how to use this?" he asks me, still talking quietly.
"Oh, my God," I whimper, hand shaking as I take it. Of course I know how to use a gun. My father is an arms dealer. He had me in the range shooting when I was ten years old. But I've never had to fire a gun at someone who was trying to harm me. "Stepan, I can't?—"
"Stay behind me," Stepan snips. He didn't even wait for my response. "When I move, you move. You don't stop for anything."
I'm shaking as I follow him into the hallway. I hear the sound of heavy footsteps around the front of the house and more things being broken. I can't believe he's so calm with someone in his house. And it's so dark I can't see where I'm going, so I keep one hand on his lower back to keep up with him.
"Oh, my God," I whimper again as we round the corner into the living room and stop.
"Shh," he hisses, "we have to get to my car." There's more light here, a faint glow streaming in from the window near the door that's been broken. Light from his porch floods the entryway but I can see him reaching to his side table where his keys are. "Can you get to the car if I take care of them?" he asks, turning to face me. I hear the jingle of the keys but it's too late.
A boom echoes through the house and he pulls me to the ground hard. His body covers mine as I hear gunfire erupt around me. I wail and scream, but the sounds are swallowed by more loud explosions as Stepan returns fire.
"Who the hell are you? Get the fuck out of my house!" His grip on my arm is so tight it hurts, but I know he's protecting me.
"Give us the girl," someone snarls loudly, which only makes me more afraid. They're here for me, which means they're either my father’s men or Maksim's men. And if they’re Maksim's men, they know Stepan killed him.
"Fuck you!" he shouts, pulling me harder against his body. I almost can't breathe as he lugs me in a crouching position toward the door. But a man appears beside us, and Stepan fires,dropping him. I watch him clutch at his chest for a second before reaching for the weapon he dropped and Stepan fires again, this time killing him.
Blood begins to pool under him and my eyes stay locked on his dying form as I'm dragged closer to the door. But my breathing is rapid and I feel faint. It's so loud now with shouting and gunshots, I don't think Stepan even hears the man coming up behind us, but I see him. He stalks along the hallway, eyes locked with mine as I see who it is.
"Dimitri?" mumble, but his weapon rises and I know he's going to shoot Stepan. He holds a finger up to his lips, shushing me like he wants me to stay quiet, but I don't want to go with him.
These are my father's men, probably sent to bring me home, thinking Stepan has taken me or something.
My body reacts before my brain can kick into gear and with a trembling hand, I point the weapon at him. But when I pull the trigger, it doesn't fire.
