Page 22 of Vile Bastards
It’s our first real kiss.
If asked beforehand what I imagined he’d taste like, I would’ve described (and expected) something tentative, uneasy, and inexperienced. Instead, he sweeps his tongue against my own in carnal greeting and presses forward, mingling our breaths, scalding me with the heat of that perfect mouth. The fingers of his right hand briefly alight on the side of my chin with an obsessive reverence that has my heart pounding.
It only lasts a few seconds, but the impact is meteoric, crashing into me and setting me on fire; it leaves a crater in my libido that’s got me shifting suggestively and silently begging to be filled. Holy, hot damn, I need that princely cock—stat.
He allows my palms to press against his chest, but then he’s pulling back abruptly and shuddering like he’s swallowed a spider. Oh, here we go. Alexei moves away from me and over to the bathroom sink, putting his hands on either side of it and leaning over. He pants for a minute, and I truly expect him to pick up a toothbrush and start attacking his teeth.
Instead, even though his skin is pebbled with goose bumps, he turns around to face me and our eyes lock. I can still taste him, this freshness on my lips that makes me want to lick them. So … I do.
Alexei notices, shivering and turning his head in the opposite direction as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Did you drive all the way out here just to thank me, Miss Force?” he asks, but now that I’m here, I know that I didn’t just come out for a thank you. But the thing I did come out here for, I’m not going to get from Alexei Grove. Not tonight anyway.
“What did they say to you on the phone?” I ask, referring to the call he made to the mobsters. “Right before we crashed.”
“Ah.” Alexei sighs heavily and looks down toward the floor. “I don’t believe they’re working with the mayor.”
I perk up a little at that as Bohnes shifts behind me, taking in the information along with me. I’m curious to hear his take on everything; he’s one of the only people I’ve ever met that can keep up with me.
“That’s a good thing, right?” I ask, but Alexei’s already shaking his head, his princely blond hair shimmering like gold, even under the harshness of the fluorescent lights.
“It would be if they didn’t also tell me they suspect Papa of having worked with the FBI.” Alexei lets out a sharp sounding sigh. “Oh, Papa.” He looks up at the ceiling and, for the very first time, he looks almost afraid. “You’d never do something so incredibly naïve, would you?”
“The FBI?” I ask, and then it all clicks into place.
If the mob thinks Alexei’s father was working with the feds, and then he mysteriously up and disappears, and then Alexei is on the run … “Oh, fuck.” That was me, I think, that just said it aloud.
“Oh, fuck is right,” Bohnes adds with another sigh, and then he’s reaching out and grabbing me by my upper arms. He drags me backward a step until my back is pressed to his front, and it’s impossible to miss that he’s hard, and I’m wet, and I just really, really, really need him to fuck me. “Let’s go. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
Alexei remains silent as Bohnes drags me out of the warehouse, puts me in the Chevelle, and even fastens my seat belt for me. I give him a look that he returns with a challenge of his own.
“I will care for you—whether you like it or not.”
“You’ll do no such fucking thing,” I retort automatically, but whatever, I mean … am I really going to protest the guy I like pampering me after I damn near died? Nah. He snorts at me and slams the door, heading for the driver’s side and climbing in.
“Back to your place?” I ask, but he shakes his head and then offers up a slow, menacing sort of grin.
“No. Back to yours.”
I gape at him, but he’s entirely serious.
I’m too proud to protest, so I say nothing, allowing Bohnes to drive me home, walk me to the front door, and leave again. I have an inkling that he might be back.
He fucking better be.
Nisha and Bastian are lights-fucking-out, but only because I pretended to be asleep so that they’d stop fussing and worrying about me. In reality, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to sleep again. The thought of closing my eyes and drifting off freaks me out a little, so I end up downstairs with the fridge door open, searching for a snack.
“Finally.”
I gasp as hard, strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me back against an equally hard body. Bohnes’ tongue slides along my throbbing carotid, and a violent shiver whips through me. My hands drop to his, locked together over my stomach.
