From Russia With Claws (7 page)

Andrey set her gently down on her bed. “Stay there,” he ordered when she moved to get up. He disappeared back into the living room of her apartment.

Galina unbuttoned her jacket and slid it off, then did the same with her skirt. She stripped down and pulled on her old Clash T-shirt that sat at the foot of her bed before crawling under the covers.

“I thought I told you not to move,” Andrey said, his voice a dark rumble from the doorway. She barely heard his footsteps as he crossed the room to help her lie down.

“I’ve always been shit at listening.” Galina lay back against the pillows with a tired sigh.

“Shocking.” He held a towel filled with ice up to her forehead. When she put her hand up to hold it, Andrey swatted it away lightly. “Still.”

“You are a very bossy person.”

“That’s why I’m Alpha.”

“You’re not
my
Alpha,” she countered, but she subsided into the bed.

One side of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Will you please be quiet?”

Galina heard the laughter in his voice. “You’re making fun of me.”

He shook his head, making minute adjustments to the homemade ice pack. “Never,” he said, his voice a soft sound in the darkness. “I couldn’t possibly make fun of you.”

She turned her head and hissed out a breath of pain. “I find that highly doubtful.” Her voice sounded strained as she tried to find a comfortable spot for her neck.

Strong hands pushed lightly at her shoulder. “Let me see.”

Galina rolled over onto her stomach. Andrey set the ice pack on her nightstand and laid cool hands against her neck. He began to lightly knead at the knotted muscles. “You want to tell me what happened?”

She sighed, cracking open one green eye to look at him. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she warned him.

“Of that I have no doubt,” Andrey answered, his voice soft. “Still, I would like very much to know what happened.” His hands stroked the sides of her neck and the tops of her shoulders, fingers only barely digging into the painful collection of tension gathered there.

“I was getting some stuff out of my car and someone came up behind me and slammed my head into it. Hard. So I elbowed them somewhere soft and chased after them.” She luxuriated in the feel of his hands on her. “You could do that forever, you know.”

Andrey laughed, a quiet puff of breath. Galina felt him gather her long hair in one hand and push it aside, giving him better access to her back. She heard him moving and turned enough to watch him remove his jacket. He undid the buttons on his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, before returning to the place beside her on the bed.

“And?” he prompted, going back to massaging her shoulders.

“And, that’s it. I was a little dazed, understandably,” she added, finding she was too tired to be more than slightly defensive, “so he got away.”

“Did you recognize him?” There was something dark in Andrey’s voice, the threat of violence lying just beneath the pleasant sounding surface.

“I really only got an excellent up close and personal look at the roof of my car—you know, when my forehead was being introduced to it—so I didn’t get a good look.”

Andrey lay down next to her, his fingers tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “You are entirely too sarcastic, has anyone ever told you that?”

“No,” she answered, voice deadpan. “I have never heard that before in my life.”

He chuckled. “Did he smell familiar?”

Galina tried to nod, thinking better of it when her neck muscles rebelled. Andrey began to knead them again. “That was one of the strange things.” She bit back a yawn, not wanting to do it in his face. Because nothing said sexy times like yawning into a blazingly, mind numbingly hot man’s face. “I didn’t smell him at all until he was right there. And even then, his scent was faint, like he’d masked it somehow.” She had wolfsbane perfume that operated in much the same way.

“Didn’t your father assign a bodyguard to you?” He smiled at her indrawn breath when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “You’re carrying quite a bit of tension.”

“I can’t imagine why.” She smirked when she said it. She was beginning to feel a bit better, although whether it was because her were-healing was finally kicking in or Andrey’s presence she wasn’t able to say. “And yes, he did.”

“So where were they?” He traced a finger down her jawline.

“That’s an excellent question. And one I intend to ask my father tomorrow.” She paused. “I don’t think I’m carrying tension there,” Galina observed, feeling a rush of heat to her face.

His blue eyes sparked with his impish grin. “Just trying to be thorough.”

“Hmm,” she hummed. Her eyes drifted closed. She needed to sleep. And with Andrey here, she felt it safe to do just that. But she fought it to try to think more about the attack. Too much about it didn’t add up. Was it related to Sergei’s shooting? It didn’t feel that way.

A light touch on her brow at the spot between her eyes snapped her out of her sluggish thoughts. “You get a wrinkle right here,” Andrey said, before dipping his mouth to place a soft kiss to the spot. “It means you’re thinking.” He brushed his fingertips down her cheek. “Rest now. Whatever you’re thinking about can wait until you wake up.”

“Will you?” She hadn’t meant to ask, but it slipped out. Galina blamed the head injury.

A slow smile spread across his face and Galina shut her eyes, mortified. Stupid attack.

He leaned in closer. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Galina snuggled deeper into the covers and tried not to smile.

Water Conservation Measures

G
ALINA
A
WOKE
S
LOWLY
to the feel of arms around her. She stayed still, letting her sleep-dulled mind catch up to the waking world. Andrey’s scent wrapped around her, like his arm clung to her waist. It made her feel protected, a new feeling for her. None of her partners had been long term and she’d never let one spend the night. She preferred her space to stay
hers
.

Even when she’d been growing up, she’d never felt this way. Her father cared about her safety, of that she had no doubt, but it was a sort of absent care due to what she was. Being a rare female Alpha made her a valuable commodity, treasured by her father for what she could bring, not for who she was.

And then there was Alexei. Galina was positive that if her elder brother could have gotten away with hurting her more when they were kids, he would have. He’d been the oldest and had attention, love, and care lavished on him. But when Galina was born, some of that attention was transferred to her. He’d never forgiven her for it, and had made her pay for existing in a hundred different little ways. Her father turned a blind eye to his elder son’s torments.

But lying here with Andrey, Galina felt like nothing could touch her. It was a dangerous feeling, and a strange one. She didn’t want to get used to this. Relying on anyone just led to disappointment. And she knew she couldn’t have this, not really. Andrey was Romani. Despite being an Alpha, or maybe because he was, Galina knew her father would never allow her match to be wasted on someone he thought unworthy.

It didn’t matter that Galina might think otherwise.

She brought a hand up and touched her forehead. The lump was there, but not nearly as large as it had been. She imagined she was bruised, but it barely hurt when she pressed on it. She tried moving her neck and felt only a faint twinge.

Andrey’s hold on her tightened. Galina rolled over slowly so she could see his face. His eyes were open, watching her, his grey-blue gaze open and frank. “Good morning,” he said, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

“Morning,” she murmured. She lifted a hand to his face, feeling the stubble beneath her palm. He turned his head into it and pressed a kiss there.

“How are you feeling?” Andrey carefully touched her forehead.

“Better than expected,” she admitted, feeling herself flush. “Thank you for staying.”

He nuzzled her hair. “Like I said, there was nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Galina slid her palms against his chest and stared at the buttons on his shirt. She wanted him, more than anyone she’d ever met. It wasn’t something she could explain. And it wasn’t something she should pursue, no matter how much she may want it.

“I’m going to put on some clothes.” That was probably the safest course of action. Galina was keenly aware that she was wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a ratty T-shirt.

Andrey dropped flat on the bed. “Now that’s a damn shame.” He pillowed his head on his hands.

Galina climbed out of bed, taking a moment to stare at Andrey. He looked good lying there in her bed, even if he was fully clothed. Plus it gave her a moment to make sure her legs would support her without going all bendy as they had the night before. When she was sure she could walk without staggering, she headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

In the mirror, she surveyed the damage. A small bump decorated her forehead with lovely purple and yellow bruising surrounding it. She had dark circles beneath green eyes that were still dull from sleep. Galina leaned forward, pushing back her hair to get a better look. She could probably cover the worst of it with some carefully applied makeup. She’d heal up completely in a day or so.

She turned on the shower. She brushed her teeth as the water heated, desperate to get the morning breath taste out of her mouth. Steam soon filled the bathroom and Galina stripped, tossing her clothes into the hamper. She wanted to feel clean.

The water was just shy of skin blistering and Galina sighed in pleasure as the heat of it went to work on tired and sore muscles. She soaped her hair first, then reached for the body wash and bath poof. Cool air hit her back and she turned around in surprise.

Andrey closed the glass shower door behind him, joining her in the steaming water. It glistened on his tanned chest and stomach. Galina’s eyes traveled over his body, learning it by sight before she even thought about touching him.

His torso was well-muscled, broad shoulders tapering down to a lean waist. His stomach was flat, and the planes of his chest held a smattering of dark hair. Her eyes dipped down, following the line of hair down to his cock. He was half erect already and a more than adequate size. Galina swallowed and continued her perusal.

Everything about him was perfect. His legs, his ass, even his feet. It was like he’d been designed just for her. She finished her mental inventory of his parts, sweeping her gaze back up to his face.

“Mind if I join you?” Andrey asked, a slow smile sliding across his lips.

“If I said yes, would you leave?” Galina countered, tilting her head up to look at him when he stepped closer.

His arms reached out to wrap around her waist, pulling her into him. “But you’re not going to say yes,” he whispered before capturing her mouth with his.

Galina leaned into the kiss, opening her mouth beneath his. Andrey’s tongue slid along hers, drawing it into his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him until they fit together without any space between them.

His mouth left hers only to press kisses across her jaw to the spot right above where her pulse beat. With the flat of his tongue, he licked a line from the base of her neck up to that pulse point, and stayed there, pressing against it as if he wanted to taste her heart. “No bites,” she managed to gasp out around the heat coiling inside her that was making her stupid. As much as Andrey turned her on, there was no way she was risking a mating bite right now.

Werewolves mated for life, and in order to have viable offspring, they first had to administer the mating bite. Even a were/human combo needed the bite in order to have children, but the subject had to be willing to accept the bite. And that was a complication that Galina didn’t need in her life now.

Andrey growled against her throat but relented. “Fine,” he said, “and the same goes for you.”

“I have no interest in
biting
you,” she answered, shoving him back against the tile wall of her shower. He allowed her to move him with just the pressure of her fingertips on his chest, giving her a dark chuckle as she did.

“What, pray tell, do you have an interest in?” The smile stuttered off his face when she gripped the base of his cock.

“I think you can figure that out for yourself.” Galina slowly lowered herself to her knees, keeping eye contact with him while she did so. “You’re a smart boy.”

Galina didn’t take him in her mouth right away. She pressed kisses to the outside of his shaft, then licked it from the tip to the base. He grimaced and she grinned up at him. “Don’t tease,” he ground out, hands clenching against the tile wall.

His words ended on a gasp as Galina took him in her mouth. He tasted of man and musk and something indefinable that was uniquely wolf and uniquely Andrey. She lowered her head further until her lips met the hand that was holding him. She fell into a rhythm, sucking on the upstroke, her tongue teasing the head of him.

Andrey moaned deep in his chest. Galina felt hands in her hair, lightly holding her but letting her set the pace. She placed her free hand against his thigh to better brace herself. She hummed around him, earning another groan in response. She increased her pace, lingering on the downstroke when Andrey’s hands tightened in her hair.

Galina heard the faint noises he was making, felt the involuntary twitches in his hips. She slid her hand from his thigh to cup his balls, fingering them lightly. When she sucked hard on the upstroke, Andrey cried out as if he couldn’t help himself, banging his head against the wall. Her jaw ached—she hadn’t done this in a while—but it was nice to see she hadn’t lost her touch. She wished she could watch him as he came undone.

A spasm passed through him. Galina felt him shudder. He was always so serious, so buttoned up in his dealings—she’d seen him out and heard the talk about him. Always so controlled. It was a joy to see him lose himself in her like this, that he allowed her to do this to him.

“Galya,” he gasped out, his voice hoarse.

She hummed in encouragement, wanting his release. Andrey’s hips thrust forward as he cried out, spilling himself down her throat. Galina swallowed everything. His fingers flexed and released against her head. When he’d spent himself, he dropped his hands to her arms and pulled her upright.

“Jesus, woman,” he said, after swallowing heavily. “I’d ask where you learned to do that, but I’m not sure I should ever know. There have to be state secrets involved.” He pulled her into his arms, then stepped them into the stream of hot water.

Galina laughed, nuzzling his neck. “As much as I’d love to stay here all day, I have to check on my sister.”
And talk to my father
, but she didn’t want to say that aloud while naked in the shower. Her father would kill her if he knew what she was doing with Andrey.

Andrey slipped his hands under her ass and lifted her up. He wrapped her legs around his waist. “If I didn’t have a previous appointment, I would take you back into your bedroom and let you know just how much I appreciate your oral skills.” He kissed her deeply. “But since it sounds like we both have prior engagements, I will have to wait.”

Digging her fingers into his hair, Galina bit at his earlobe. “Damn shame.” She unwrapped herself from around him and stood on her own two feet once more.

“It is,” he said, eyes roving over her appreciatively. “I wish I had more time to properly acquaint myself with your naked body.” His hand skimmed down her side, lightly brushing her breast before coming to rest on her hip.

Galina stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. He tasted of mint and she wondered if he’d brushed his teeth in the guest bath using one of the spare toothbrushes and toothpaste. She’d kept them there in case Irina had needed to spend the night. She supposed her sister wouldn’t have need of a safe haven any more.

Andrey pulled away, blue eyes dark with lust. “If you keep doing that, we’ll be in here until the hot water runs out.”

“And I wouldn’t want to make you late,” Galina countered slyly, knowing the devious look on her face turned her words into a lie. But she had an appointment of her own to get to and so she stepped back and finished rinsing her hair. She handed Andrey a bar of soap and then stepped out of the shower.

She dried herself quickly, and then pulled out a towel for him. Galina found she didn’t mind him in her space first thing in the morning, which was an odd thing. She typically hated sleeping with anyone beside her, hated being touched or held at night. But he’d spent the night and had joined her in the shower and instead of the expected warning bells and tension in her gut, all she felt was a sort of low grade satisfaction that he was still here.

She pulled on a robe and squeezed out the excess water in her hair. When Andrey exited the shower, she was waiting, ready with the towel. He thanked her with a light, wet kiss and then began to dry himself. When he was finished, he wrapped the towel around his waist and turned to her. She’d watched him the entire time, enjoying the sight of his naked body. Again, she marveled at just how well he was put together. And she was reminded of how much she wanted to explore him with hands and mouth.

He stood in front of her, the towel riding low on his hips. Galina’s hands itched to remove it, meetings and responsibilities be damned, and just enjoy the gift that he was. But she did have responsibilities and so did he, and the easiest way to get caught was to forget that.

“Galya,” he said softly, his hand brushing her chin. “When can I see you again?”

She met his eyes, studying what she saw there. She had several very great reasons to stop this right now, her father’s anger and disapproval chief among them. All of the families had heard the rumors, dark gossip really, of what Papa had done to her elder sister. No one talked about Elena, but Galina had been listening to what people didn’t say as much as what they did. Elena had rebelled and she had been punished for it.

Then there were her brothers. Alexei was a loose cannon, unfit—at least as far as she was concerned—to run the Sudenko family. He’d have a field day if he found out she was…doing whatever it was she was doing with Andrey. Her plans to oust him from his position and put someone more suitable in his place would be ruined if he had that kind of leverage over her. And Nikolai was wonderful, but she doubted he would understand what it was like to go against their father’s wishes for them. He was loyal and dutiful and intelligent: the perfect son. He would never dream of disappointing their father.

Galina shook her head, at war with herself. “I don’t know,” she said. The part of her that wasn’t a slave to her familial obligations didn’t want to let him go. Andrey was a secret that was hers alone. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep him, but she did know that she wasn’t ready to end things yet.

“Can I call you later?” she asked, making up her mind, at least for the moment.

He nodded, pressing a finger against her lips. His black hair hung in his face. “If you promise me something.”

She raised one pale eyebrow at his words. His face was serious, no half smiles, no mirth snapping at the back of his blue eyes. Galina waited for him to continue. She wasn’t going to promise anything until she heard exactly what he wanted from her.

He put his knuckles beneath her chin, lifting her head up and holding it there so he could stare down at her. “I want you to tell your father about what happened last night and to accept whatever protective measures he offers.”

Galina tried to draw back, but his hold on her chin tightened. “I’m serious, Galya. I know you think you can handle this yourself, but you need to tell your father what’s going on. It may be related to your sister’s husband’s shooting.”