IV
o0o
Nadezsha stirred awake to the sensation of a hand massaging her shoulder. With a sleepy groan, she rubbed her eyes, pausing as she felt the mattress beneath her, and its exquisite firmness. This wasn't her fold-out. And who was rubbing her?
She lifted her head from the pillow, and Arkady came in focus. He had a magazine in his other hand, and was reading by the light of his lamp. It was already getting dark, and she guessed it to be around five.
"I trust you slept well," he said. She nodded slowly, blinking several times. She felt satin on her body and looked down to see the rich, warm hue against her skin, and heat flooded her cheeks as she recalled just where she was, and how she had come to be here.
"I was thinking that we could order dinner. I'm tempted to have you cook for me, but I am certain you do enough at the restaurant." As he spoke, she took note of what he was wearing. A black and blue tracksuit. So the thing with mobsters and tracksuits was apparently true. But he looked good in it, and the jacket was unzipped, revealing the white of a tank top or undershirt.
"Um. That would be nice."
He nodded, maintaining a casual tone, as if she had imagined the intimacy they'd shared. "Well then. It will give us time to talk."
"About what?" She pulled herself up into a seated position, straightening the robe so that it did not expose so much of her chest.
"Much as I enjoy making passionate love to you, there are other aspects to this relationship that must be considered." He reached out to stroke a finger along her jaw. "Such as consequences of physical intimacy."
"...And?" she asked warily. She knew she was protected, but he didn't.
"Would you rather go to the pharmacy yourself or would you prefer I get the morning-after pills?"
"No. I'm already on the pill." It hadn't started out as a means of birth control but a way to manage difficult periods. She'd always insisted on condoms with the couple of guys she'd gone that far with, so Arkady had indeed planted his seed in virgin earth, so to speak. Not that she was about to mention that to him, lest that over-inflate his ego.
"Oh?"
She fixed him with a level stare. "I'm on it for medical reasons, but it'll do for this. Enough about me, what about you? What sorts of things have you experienced? Someone like you would have had his pick of women." She gestured to his well-toned body to make her point.
"Yes. I am fortunate where physical appearance is concerned and the advantages it gives me, I see no point in not acknowledging that." He shrugged modestly. "And yes, there were women eager to bed me. I did take some of them up on their offers. So I learned from them, and you are the beneficiary of that experience."
"Did you ever have any serious relationships?"
"No. None of them were like you." The back of his hand slid along her cheek. "You are mine now, and I have no intention of letting you go."
She lifted her chin, pondering her responses to that. Could he be baiting her into an argument to have more sex with her, just to show her who was the boss?
"Have you ever had a sexually-transmitted infection?" she asked bluntly. He blinked and slid a finger along the other side of her face.
"You're not the only one who has been careful, my dear. I've seen what carelessness does to a man. And a woman, as well."
She raised her eyebrow, images of wasted people coming to mind. She'd seen pictures of meth and crack addicts in their last days, and there was also the krokodil that was cheap but was reflected in its value the damage it did to a human body. And the pictures she saw in her high school health class of infected genitalia. The lessons had been effective, though, the images searing into her memory and giving her a healthy respect for condoms.
"Well. That certainly is good to know." An awkward silence fell across them for a moment before she rolled over to climb out of bed. Wincing a bit at the soreness between her thighs, she rose to her feet. "I need my clothes," she mumbled, wondering if he'd left them where they'd been discarded.
"Are you in such a rush to replace my robe?" Arkady asked lightly from behind her. "Besides, I plan to have you again before I let you go, and that robe will make things much easier."
"You're going to make the most of this aren't you?" Nadezsha asked dryly as she turned back to him. He set the magazine aside and rose from the bed.
"And why shouldn't I?" he asked bluntly. "I've wanted you for three years, and now I have you." He approached her, lifting his hands to cup her face. "Being with you was more than I had hoped for in my fantasies. Now that I have tasted of you, I can only want more."
He leaned in to envelop her lips within a kiss, and she moaned softly against his mouth. One of his hands slid up to tangle within her hair while the other one moved down her back. Their bodies now flush against one another, she felt the evidence of his renewed desire press against her lower stomach.
When she pulled back, he relinquished his grip. "Shall we order dinner? I have several menus," he offered, and she was grateful for the shift to something more casual.
"Sure, that sounds good."
He showed her several menus he kept in the kitchen nook. Once they'd had a brief discussion, coming to a quick agreement on the food, he called in the order while having her sit in the living room, giving her a blanket. She settled on the couch with her book-bag, pulling out her tablet as Arkady turned on the television.
Not surprisingly, he slid under the blanket, sitting next to her, but fortunately, he did not lean in. She completed her reading assignments for the night, lightly tapping on the screen. Just as she was about to do some casual reading while Black Mirror played on the television, the intercom rang. He rose from the couch, and she caught a nice view of his rear end, taut under the material that covered it.
Arkady spoke into the intercom, and within a couple of minutes, a member of the Volga staff brought up the food. Arkady checked the contents briefly before pulling out a tip and signing the receipt.
