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  He could have turned Lauren over to the local authorities when he rescued her, but he was smart enough to know there was little they could have done to protect her. They might have hidden her in a safe house for a while, however Dmitry knew Yenin would never go to trial. It was damn near impossible to nail a man like him to the wall. Then what would become of Lauren?

  The Feds could hold him for racketeering charges for months, but not forever. And where would that leave Lauren? High and dry—and dead. If Yenin ever found out she was alive, he would make her disappear, never to be found, in less than an hour. Nope. Dmitry knew he could keep her safer than the local police in Vegas. They knew it too. That was why they let him go with her. They didn’t have the resources.

  And he had done his job. So far. But she was obviously done with his keep-Lauren-safe plan. Which sucked when combined with how much he felt for her.

  “Why would he want me? It’s not like he can actually have me from jail.”

  Dmitry shook his head. “He doesn’t care. He doesn’t take no for an answer. It’s insulting to him.” He let his shoulders slump as he continued. “You’ll never be totally safe, baby. Never. I will forever be looking over my shoulder and holding my breath in an effort to protect you.”

  She shook her head. “I refuse to believe that. And you can’t keep me trapped here for the rest of my life in an effort to avoid something so far-fetched. I don’t care what the risk is, I’m not a monkey. I’m a human being. And I can’t remain caged. That train has left the station.”

  Dmitry closed his eyes, trying to think how he could convince her she was wrong. She could really put her safety in jeopardy by doing something stupid. And by default, his.

  “And what about you? Yenin has to be looking for you and Mikhail. You totally kidnapped me from his property and fled the state.”

  He nodded. “I’m going under the assumption he has no idea I’m the one who rescued you. And I’m sure he’s keeping tabs on me. Or has men doing his dirty work for him. I’m also certain he could easily find out exactly where I am any day of the week. He’s got people all over the country. He follows fighting. Even from behind bars, he could have his father and his men track me down in a heartbeat. If he really wanted me, all he’d have to do is have someone pick me up.”

  “And that doesn’t scare you?”

  Dmitry smirked. “I’m bigger. I’m also diligent.”

  Yenin had been in jail six months. He would undoubtedly get out soon. Frankly, Dmitry was surprised they’d managed to hold him as long as they had. A plea filed by his expensive lawyers could free him at any time. The clock was ticking.

  She rolled her eyes. “You can’t force me to stay in this apartment, Dmitry,” she added, her voice gentler. “I’m a human being. Keeping me here against my will is no different from Anton keeping me at his estate.”

  Dmitry jerked at her words. “You can’t possibly mean that.” When she didn’t respond, he continued, “Lauren, you’re not a prisoner here. I would hope you would stay inside the apartment of your own free will with the understanding that it’s the only way I can ensure your safety.

  “This is a nice apartment complex in a safe area. There’s surveillance. Every time you walk outside, you put yourself at risk. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you.

  “Besides, it’s insulting for you to make such a comparison. I’ve never hit you. I’ve never raped you. I’ve never shouted at you or abused you verbally. You’re not degraded under my care. I swear to do everything in my power to keep you happy. Please, Lauren.” He’d never begged a woman to do anything before. It was foreign. But so was this situation. And this woman.

  He didn’t know what drew him to her specifically, but something about her calm demeanor and feisty attitude lured him in. She’d proven her ability to verbally spar with him again. She could somehow manage to state everything she needed to say concisely without so much as raising her voice.

  As he stared at her, he thought about the first few times he’d met her in Vegas. Anton Yenin lured her in with his charm and then started bringing her to his estate. At first she was all smiles and giggles, but over the weeks Dmitry knew she lost her allure for Yenin. The man was a tyrant, and he didn’t keep that from her. She would flinch in his presence, step back when he screamed at his men.

  And she was trapped. When Yenin wanted something, he got it. No was not an acceptable answer. He went so far as to pretend to let her go, having his men rough her up and kick her out the door only to send someone after her and bring her back into the fold.

  Through all of it, Dmitry had cringed in the background, lured to her like a magnet. She wasn’t just sexy—she was captivating. Her face could light up a room. She was also the first woman Dmitry could honestly say he’d fallen in love with.

  But Yenin was a manipulative asshole who got everything he wanted. After he went to jail, he still managed to create a sense of control over every inch of the country. And the man hadn’t even been prosecuted for anything yet. Hell, the Feds undoubtedly didn’t have enough to charge him. It was a game. The government would hold Yenin as long as they could without charging him with a crime in hopes they could nail him for something big while they had him. If they didn’t get enough evidence, they would release him and watch him like a hawk until he did something stupid and then start all over again. Cat and mouse.

  Abram Gromov, Dmitry’s manager in Chicago, had connections. He wasn’t a member of Yenin’s crew, but he knew things. And he kept Dmitry informed of the level of danger he, Mikhail, Lauren, and Alena were under any chance he got. With good reason—Dmitry and Mikhail made him a pile of money fighting for him. Their safety was in his best interests.

  Few people even knew about Alena. She was a secret kept extra tight. Mikhail trusted no one with the existence or the whereabouts of his sister. Abram had gotten her the papers she needed to get out of Russia, but the four of them were the only ones aware of her arrival and sequester. Even Abram didn’t know where his fighters and the women lived.

  Lauren’s shoulders dipped. “You’re right. This is nothing like living under Anton. But the result is the same. It’s stifling. I have to go outside. I need fresh air and sunlight.” She glanced down at her body. “Hell, I’m so pale I look like I belong in Alaska.”

  Dmitry let his hands smooth up her waist until he stroked the undersides of her breasts. “You take my breath away. If this is what you call pale, I love it.”

  She inhaled sharply. “Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, teasing me into submission? Or are you going to take your clothes off and fuck me?”

  “Is it what you want?” he asked, stroking higher until he flicked his thumbs over both nipples at once. Jesus, she was responsive. He knew he wasn’t playing fair, but goddamn he wanted her.

  “Yes.” The word hissed out as he pinched both nipples at once. She rose onto her tiptoes and leaned into him.

  “You’re sure?” he asked as he lowered his head and sucked one tight bud between his lips.

  She squeaked. “Fuck…”

  With a pop, he released the first nipple and lifted his gaze. “Are you always so responsive and loud?” He dipped his head to suck the other nipple into his mouth without waiting for a response.

  Her body melted on a long moan. Before her legs collapsed, he hauled her closer and turned to ease her back onto the bed.

  Needing to see all of her, he tucked his thumbs into her panties and slid them down her legs until they fell to the floor. She looked amazing with her white skin resting against the deep purple comforter. Like royalty.

  Lauren’s entire body shook.

  Dmitry smoothed his hands up her shins until he reached her knees, and then he spread her wide open to enjoy his first glimpse of her pussy. Smooth skin greeted his gaze. She shaved. Bare. Holy mother of God. So hot. He traced a finger along the edges of her lower lips.

  Heaven.

  “Baby, you’re so wet.” Her moisture d
ripped in a line from her sex to her ass.

  She pressed her knees against his hands in an attempt to close them.

  Dmitry didn’t relent. “Don’t close yourself off from me, Lauren. Ever. Now that I’ve seen you, I’ll never get enough.”

  He eased his palms slowly up her thighs until he reached her pussy and pressed her open wider. He inhaled the first full scent of her musk, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. He was so screwed. After he had a taste of her, he would never be able to stop.

  “Dmitry…” she begged, though he didn’t know what for. She pushed herself onto her elbows. “Please, you’re unnerving me. Just fuck me. I need you. I’m so hot. Do you have a condom?”

  Was she crazy? No way in hell was he going to rush this. Not a chance.

  What he intended to do was make her body hum so many times that he erased every bad memory she had from any past sexual experience and replaced them with his face, his lips, his mouth, his cock.

  All night long.

  So that she would never even glance at another man as long as she lived.

  He intended to mark her as his in a way that left not a morsel of doubt.

  Because one thing he knew with extreme clarity.

  Lauren Schneider was now his.

  And he would never let her go.

  Chapter Four

  Lauren breathed heavily as she waited for Dmitry to respond. She prayed to any God who would listen the man had a condom. Preferably two. Or three.

  It had been so long since she’d had sex, it would take more than one go to satisfy her. And she prayed he was up to the task. Some men could go more than once. And others fell asleep instantly afterward without the ability to rally.

  Somehow she doubted Dmitry was the roll-over-and-snore type.

  But the important thing was for him to take off his damned jeans and fuck her hard and fast and now. Get the first awkward fuck out of the way and build on it from there.

  “Not a chance.”

  She froze. “You don’t have a condom?”

  He lifted his gaze, a grin spreading slowly. “I have plenty of condoms.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind. I’ll be humiliated.

  He chuckled. “Lauren, you need to know something about me.”

  “What?” Now she hoped he wasn’t going to inform her he was actually a woman or that his cock didn’t work properly or something. Though she knew for a fact neither could be true. The raised outline of his cock was so pronounced, it practically ripped a hole in his jeans.

  “I’m rather dominant in the bedroom.” He tugged his shirt over his head with one hand by reaching over his head and hauling it upward by the neckline.

  She swallowed hard while he stared at her. Her arousal had been about an eleven out of ten. It shot to fifty with that announcement. All she could do was nod. Who knew she would find the idea of him being dominant so arousing?

  On the other hand, Anton had insinuated he too was some sort of Dom. Initially, she’d been excited by the prospect with him also. But that man’s idea of dominating her had not matched any woman’s fantasy. He’d been an abusive dick. On that thought, she shivered. What if Dmitry turned out to be like Anton in the bedroom? Cruel. Abusive. Selfish. Is that what he meant by dominant? It would be stupid to fall for his gentle words and soft touches this early in the game after such an announcement. Because she would never again fall prey to a man like Yenin.

  “Hell, you can probably tell I’m rather dominant out of the bedroom too.”

  She pulled her knees instinctively closer and used her heels to inch backward.

  Dmitry released her instantly. His swollen eye had relaxed marginally—at least enough for him to see through. “Jesus. I’m sorry. Yenin fucked with your head, didn’t he? He said the same thing to you, didn’t he?”

  She nodded, her arousal taking a nose dive.

  Dmitry sucked in a lungful of air. “Lauren, I’m nothing like that asshole. He’s a pussy. He’s nothing. Any man who would lift a hand to a woman is a pansy—dog shit beneath my shoes.

  “Dominance is nothing like what you experienced with him. I will erase the entire memory from your mind. I swear to you. Even if it takes a thousand rounds, I promise you’ll learn to melt under my touch. My words. My voice will bring you to your knees.”

  “It already does. That’s what scares me.”

  He smiled slowly…in triumph? Jesus, should she let him have that level of power over her? “Well, grab on to the feeling you had the first few seconds after I told you I was a Dom, and don’t let yourself slip past that into a space where another man scarred you. He doesn’t belong here in this bedroom. Don’t give him another ounce of your energy.

  “You’re mine now.”

  She couldn’t believe his words. Every one was chosen so carefully. How did he know precisely what she needed to hear?

  “I will never strike you in anger.”

  She squirmed. “You say that as though you intend to hit me under other circumstances.” She tried to smile through the lame joke.

  He didn’t find her funny. Instead he nodded. “I can’t deny how badly I want to spank your sexy ass until you see my way of thinking, but I’ll save that for another time. My point is that anytime I lay a hand on you, it will be strictly for your pleasure and mine, together. Never with the intent to injure you. I would never leave a lasting mark.”

  “My pleasure?” She cringed again. She shouldn’t be so shocked. She knew enough about BDSM to follow his line of thinking. She’d just never been with a man who ever expressed the need or desire—with the exception of Anton, who didn’t qualify as a man at all.

  Really, she should have realized Dmitry wasn’t like other men. He exuded a level of confidence she’d never seen in anyone—except perhaps Mikhail. He gave off a similar vibe.

  The fact he’d told her he was a Dominant shouldn’t be so shocking. He’d done nothing but boss her around since she met him. Although somehow she didn’t think that was what he meant.

  Dmitry tugged her closer and pressed her legs open again. “Yes. But relax. Not tonight. Tonight is all about erasing past damage. I wouldn’t risk tainting that with my palm across your sweet butt cheeks until I’m sure you’re ready for that kind of step.”

  “What if I’m never ready for that, Dmitry?” She squirmed against his hold again, battling a war inside her that demanded she both run from the room screaming and relax into his touch and enjoy herself.

  “You will be, but Lauren, if you weren’t, I wouldn’t do it. It’s that simple. I’ll be able to read your cues. You never have to worry about me doing something you can’t handle.”

  “How old are you?” She suddenly realized she’d never asked. She knew he was somewhat older than her twenty-five years, but how much?

  “Thirty-one.”

  She nodded. He’d certainly had more years to experience things than her.

  “Does it bother you?”

  She shook her head. “No, it calms me.”

  He smiled. “Good.”

  “How many years have you been fighting?”

  “Since I was a teenager. I didn’t really know what I was doing until I moved to the States and learned better technique under Yenin’s guidance, though.”

  “Weren’t you like eighteen when you moved here?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s a lot of years. How many years can a person fight?”

  He shrugged. “Not as many as I have. I seem to have better genes than other men. I haven’t slowed down yet. I keep thinking it will happen, but so far I still heal like a twenty-year-old, most of the time.”

  She let her gaze slide down his body until she reached his pecs, and she lost her breath.

  “Can I taste you now?”

  She moaned, let herself sink farther into the comforter, and tipped her head back. Her fingers gripped the sheets at her sides in anticipation of his lips landing on her pussy. Her legs quivered.r />
  Dmitry leaned forward, set his elbows on her knees, and lowered his face.

  And then he stopped.

  Jesus.

  He stared at her pussy so closely with such scrutiny she felt like she was at a job interview—for a porn site.

  Her heart rate increased under his gaze. Her pussy grew wetter by the second. Her clit throbbed. And the ball of need in her belly threatened to burst.

  By the time he licked a line through her folds, she was so pent up she screamed.

  Dmitry chuckled against her, not helping matters at all. And then he lifted his face to meet her gaze. “I don’t care if you scream. In fact, I love it. But Alena’s in the room across the hall. And Mikhail is in the room next door to her. Do you want me to gag you so you don’t have to consciously worry about making noises?”

  The heat that rose across her cheeks made her wince. “I’m not that loud,” she muttered.

  He chuckled again. “I think you underestimate my abilities. And I’m good either way. It won’t bother me a bit for those two to know how I made you hum. It’s up to you.” He shrugged and returned to his perusal of her sex.

  That’s it? He asks me if I want a gag and then drops the subject?

  What was she supposed to say? Please, Sir. I would love for you to fill my mouth with my panties to muffle my inability to control my voice.

  She shivered. Not a chance in hell… And where did she get the visual of her own panties in her mouth? She was losing her mind.

  Dmitry blew across her wet center, making her squirm. She fisted the sheets tighter and moaned loudly. Mother of God, what was he waiting for?

  When his tongue flicked over her clit, she came off the mattress. His strength was no match for her adrenaline rush. She dug her heels into the mattress and lifted her hips into the air.

  No man had ever treated her with this level of reverence, especially not Anton. The first time she’d had sex with Anton had been quick and disappointing. He’d lured her in for days by then, and she had fallen hard for his quick smile. Or had it been his obvious wealth and suave style?