Distorted Hope (24 page)

“If you touch her, I will skin you alive,” Nathan growled.

Yuri’s hand stopped and an amused expression appeared on his face. “You must be special,” he said in a quiet voice. “To make the hardest man I’ve ever known so protective of you.” He smiled, but it wasn’t a particularly nice smile. He stepped backward and flashed his yellow teeth at Nathan. “So where are the girls we can touch? It’s been a long day of travel.”

I sighed in relief when they turned away and gave their attention to the other girls. Mark gave me a reassuring nod and I smiled back weakly. I was tired. I hadn’t been able to sleep this afternoon because I was too worked up, and Nathan had been, too. I could tell he was agitated before he went down to the helicopter pad. But his confidence was now a force to be reckoned with.

We went inside and Nathan showed Yuri and the others to their rooms so they could freshen up before dinner. I had my hands on the back of the couch and my chin rested on my chest when Nathan returned. Alone.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. “My precious kitten,” he murmured, turning me around and pressing his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around him and linked my hands behind his back, soothed by his presence. I
did
love this man.

When I told him that for the first time, his eyes lit up so much I wanted to tell him again and again, just for his reaction. And then he pulled me into bed and made me feel amazing things. His creativity with lovemaking never ceased to amaze me. I sighed, remembering last night.

I had been in a playful mood, and I stuck my tongue out at him when he asked me a question about something. I don’t even remember what the question was, but he looked truly shocked when I did that. Then he chased me around the bedroom until he caught me, flipped me over on his lap, and spanked me. But, oh, what a spanking. My pussy became wet just thinking about it.

He didn’t do it hard, and every few swats he’d plunge his fingers between my legs and play with my clit. Then, just when I was teetering on the edge of an orgasm, he’d pull away and begin swatting me again. He commented on how nice and pink my ass was. He did that over and over again until I screamed in frustration at my lack of orgasm. Nathan simply chuckled and did it one last time, but this time he let me come and I felt that orgasm in my toes. Then he warned me to never stick my tongue out at him again. His eyes sparkled with delight as he told me that. Of course, I planned on doing it again. Soon.

“What was that sigh for, Kitten?” he murmured.

“Remembering last night.”

I felt, rather than heard, his chuckle. “Mmm. Liked that, did you?” I nodded enthusiastically and he laughed. “My sweet Kitten likes kinky things now?”

I looked up at him. “Spanking is kinky?”

He shrugged. “To some. It
is
generally reserved for disciplining a child, you know.” His hand ran down to my hip and he swatted gently.

I buried my face in his white cotton shirt and moaned softly. He did it again and I moaned again. “My dress is going to get wet,” I murmured.

“More to eat later,” he murmured back and kissed me again. His hands ran down my hips to cup my ass and hold me firmly against him. My belly pressed against his hips and I giggled as I felt him hardening against it.

“If we didn’t have guests, I’d bend you over the couch right here.” I felt him fumbling with my dress and a moment later his hand was on my bare hip, caressing the skin. His thumb ran circles over my hip bone and I moaned against his mouth.

Nathan pulled away a few minutes later and adjusted his pants with a boyish grin I was very fond of. It emerged the day I told him I loved him, and I’d been seeing it more and more lately. I reached up to trace his lips with my fingers. “I love that smile,” I said affectionately.

He took my hand in his and kissed my palm. “I love you,” he said, his eyes showing the truth of his words.

“I love you, too.”

We heard footsteps in the hall and turned to see Yuri and Pavel coming toward us, both with curious looks on their faces. Nathan straightened and all evidence of the boyish smile vanished in an instant, replaced with the cold, hard expression he’d worn when he’d walked inside with them.

He smoothed my hip, I think to make sure my dress had fallen back into place, and then took a step away from me and turned to the other men. “Is everything satisfactory?” he asked.

Yuri glanced at me and nodded at Nathan. “
Da
. Thank you.”

We made our way into the dining room and Yuri and Pavel both seemed surprised that I joined them at the table. I guess they were used to eating with just the men.

“It is nice to have a beautiful flower at dinner, yes?” Pavel said, almost leering at me. His accent was as thick as his father’s.

“I think so,” Nathan said, taking his customary seat at the end of the table. Yuri sat next to Nathan, across from me, with Pavel on the other side. Colin and Jason had been moved down two seats. Mark sat on my other side. I felt safe being surrounded by Mark and Nathan.

Dinner conversation was light and loud. Yuri talked about his family and seemed very proud Pavel was doing well in the ‘family business.’ That business, of course, was dealing with illegal weapons and killing people. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Especially when Nathan enthusiastically participated in the conversation, asking how his past weapons had worked for them.

I hadn’t been nauseous for almost two weeks, but I was beginning to feel that way again. I think it had more to do with the topic of conversation than the pregnancy. I stared at my plate and swallowed several times, willing my food to stay in place.

But my stomach refused to cooperate and without a word, I covered my mouth and ran out of the room and up to the bedroom and threw up. I barely made it to the toilet. After tasting my dinner a second time, I lay down on the floor and cried.

“Kyra!” Nathan was yelling from the bedroom doorway. And he didn’t sound happy. “Kyra, where the hell are you?”

I whimpered and crawled out of the small room as Nathan appeared in the doorway of the bathroom.

“Kyra what the f—” His eyes widened when he saw me. “Are you alright?”

I shook my head and stared at the ground. I had angered him. “I’m sorry, Nathan,” I whispered. “I got sick. If I had told you, I wouldn’t have made it and would have thrown up in the dining room.” Tears rushed to my eyes again, fearful he was furious with me. “I’m so sorry.”

I heard him sigh and he walked across the bathroom to the sink. I heard the water run and then turn off. He knelt next to me and rubbed my face gently with a wet washcloth.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking up at him.

His eyes were filled with regret. “You were upset about the conversation?” he asked gently. “Tell me the truth.”

I nodded. “I tried to keep my stomach under control, but…” I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled me into his lap. “It’s okay, Kitten. Your emotions and body are going through a lot right now. I can explain to Yuri what happened.”

“Did I embarrass you?”

“A little. When I thought you were being rude.” Nathan sighed and kissed my head. “It’s alright.” He hugged me close. “Kyra, you may see or hear me do things you don’t like while they’re here. Please, just… keep quiet about them. I can’t show weakness or they will pounce on me. They’re already suspicious because of being engaged. I have to be careful.”

I nodded. “I will be quiet. I promise. I wouldn’t have run away tonight—”

“I know, Kitten,” he interrupted me. “Being ill is a legitimate reason to run away. I’ll do my best to keep you away from the bad stuff.” He cupped my chin to make me look at him. “Kyra, would you forgive me if I had you sit at my feet tonight?”

I blinked, hurt. I hadn’t sat at his feet since I got pregnant. But I knew he wouldn’t ask without true need. “Will it help you?”

He nodded soberly.

“Okay. I will.”

“There will be a lot of drinking tonight. And it will get loud. I need you to stay down there as long as possible. Can you do that for me?” I nodded, a little afraid. He stroked my cheek. “I probably will be too drunk to make love to you tonight. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Nathan.” I kissed his cheek and he gave me a funny look. “I haven’t cleaned out my mouth from throwing up.”

He chuckled and helped me to my feet. “Well, do so and then we’ll go back downstairs.”

I brushed my teeth quickly and then followed Nathan into the living room where the drinking had already begun.

I saw the looks of satisfaction on Yuri’s and Pavel’s faces when I took my place at Nathan’s feet. A few of Nathan’s men, however, frowned at him. Especially Mark. I gave him a small nod to let him know I was okay. I could tell he wasn’t happy about where I was by the grimace on his face; Mark was almost as protective of me as Nathan was.

Even the girls were drinking a little. Oh, how I wished I wasn’t pregnant at that moment. Not that I drank all that much before I came here, but everyone was having a good time and I sat quietly at Nathan’s feet.

“Why is your pretty girl not drinking?” Pavel asked, motioning to me with his full glass. He was sitting on the opposite side of Nathan. I sat in between Yuri and Nathan and was afraid Yuri would touch me.

Nathan, who I could tell was getting a little tipsy, stroked my hair. “She’s having a baby,” he said with slightly slurred words. “Alcohol isn’t good for babies.”

Yuri laughed. “Is that why you are marrying her? You feel obligated because she is pregnant?”

“I want my child to have married parents.”

Pavel snorted. “You sure it is yours? A pretty girl like her is sure to have sucked many dicks in her life.”

I blushed at his crude words and looked at the ground. I wished they’d find another subject of conversation.

“Would
you
marry a girl who had sucked many dicks?” Nathan asked.

“Marry? No, I suppose not. Fuck? Yes.”

That crude comment changed the subject to sex, which was somewhat relieving. I guess. At least they weren’t talking about me. But they continued to drink. And drink. And drink. And it got later and later and later.

And then I yawned.

Pavel saw me and made a comment in Russian, to which his father turned my head to face him. “Pavel says you have a nice mouth. Open.”

I shook my head and tried to back away but he held me firmly. His hand was forcefully removed a moment later and I turned to see Nathan glaring at Yuri. “I told you not to touch her,” he growled.

“Bah,” Yuri spat. “You used to be so generous with your girls, Nathan.”

“You can have any of them. Except Kyra. She’s not available.”

“She really has you by your balls, yes?” Pavel commented.

Oh, why couldn’t they find someone else to talk about? They’d both had thorough blowjobs recently. Why couldn’t they talk about one of them?

“It’s not a bad thing to be caught by a pretty girl,” Nathan said, putting his hand back on my head and pressing it to his thigh.

“Is her mouth big enough to take all of you?” Yuri asked with a laugh.

“Very nicely,” Nathan answered, and I blushed.

“Does she ever not blush?” Pavel asked.

Nathan laughed. He was very drunk. I’d never seen Nathan like this before and wasn’t sure I liked it. “I like her pretty pink cheeks. All of them.”

Oh, God!
Now
he
was talking about me?

“Look how red she is. She really is innocent, yes?”

“She’s only been with one other man.”

Pavel snorted. “And you believed her? American women are all sluts.”

“I know it’s true. I saw her first time.”

My head snapped up of its own accord and I gaped at Nathan. “You what?”

“Everything you did on the yacht was recorded. How do you think Mark knew to give you the safe-sex talk?”

I stared at him, feeling incredibly violated. It made sense now—the things Mark had said on our way here. Tears burned my eyes and I looked away. I was humiliated.

Yuri laughed a drunk laugh. “And an innocent satisfies you in bed?”

“She’s very trainable.”

My shoulders slumped. I wanted to go to bed. I was embarrassed and exhausted.

“Aw, she is getting embarrassed,” Yuri said, taking hold of my hair and pulling my face up. “You should not be embarrassed, little mouse. Not all women can claim to keep Nathan satisfied in bed.”