Petrov

Alex rolled over as the alarm sounded an early 6:00 wake-up. She groggily beat the hard plastic until her fingers connected with the off button reducing the morning air to silence. Flopping back down on her back, she groaned. She hated getting up this early. This would be the last semester she picked an 8:00 class. She was just not cut out for rising and shining this early.

Reluctantly she sat back up and put her feet on the chilly hardwood floor. Alex winced as her skin touched the icy surface. She thought for the hundredth time how she should purchase a rug. The walk to the bathroom was a daily torture.

Shrugging off her down comforter, she braved the crisp air. She shivered, running her hands up and down her arms before lurching out of bed and half-danced like an injured marionette the ten steps to her bathroom. ‘Brrr!’ she thought. ‘Who turned off the sun?’

Thus began a day like a hundred before, and Alex slipped under the warm water of her shower, eyes closed as she leaned against the wall. As the water washed over her skin, she ran her hands over her body and thought of Petrov. It had been barely five days since she had seen him. She looked for him on campus yesterday—well, she didn’t go out of her way—but she had hoped to run into him. The memories of last Friday night played over in her mind like a crystal clear video. Each touch of his fingers, every word he whispered, she remembered every detail as if she was still in the moment. She slipped her hand slowly between her legs, lightly caressing her pussy. He played her body perfectly.

They hadn’t said much after their coupling. He had held her for almost an hour afterwards, stroking her hair, sometimes kissing the top of her head or turning her face up to his to plant a soft kiss upon her lips. She hadn’t wanted to break the magic so she remained just as silent, content to lie in his arms. When it was time to go, he drove her home to her apartment and walked her to the door. They still didn’t speak until Alex thanked him for the ride. He just gave her that barely-there smile and squeezed her hand before he turned and left. Their time together, so unexpected, felt so natural.

Alex did not give him her phone number, nor did she expect him to show up at her door, but she had hoped that he would seek her out on campus that Monday. Of course, he was just as busy as she. At any rate, Alex had much to do with preparing for her first set of semester exams.

After showering and slurping down the morning’s coffee, Alex slipped down the walk to the loaner car from the mechanic’s. Her little beast had finally given out Friday night and she was forced to drive a beat-up Escort until her car had been repaired. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been a dead battery that left her momentarily stranded in the campus lot before Petrov rescued her. She smiled as she drove. Bless that damn car.

The first class of the day was quite boring. The professor, a nice man, could lead the class to sleep during fireworks. But the course was required and she dutifully took notes as he droned on. An hour later she was free until early afternoon. During this time Alex usually chose to study in the library, but today she was too restless. She wandered the halls until she found herself in the social sciences wing. She passed several closed doors until she reached the end of the hall. The last was open and boxes were stacked on the floor. Some appeared to be full of books. Alex walked inside and stood looking at the empty bookshelves.

“Good morning, Ms. Caine.” Alex smiled and turned.

Dr. Petrov leaned against the doorway. Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, his frame filled the entry. His cool blue eyes looked directly through her and Alex suddenly was aware that she was probably intruding.

“I just…” she waved her hand, gesturing around the office.

“Yes?”

“I just wandered in,” she said simply.

“I doubt you ‘just do’ anything, Ms. Caine,” he replied walking past her and sitting down in the empty chair behind the large oak desk. “But it’s a pleasant surprise to see you.”

Alex relaxed. “I really had no idea this was your new office. I didn’t think you would be moving in until the fall semester, or at least until right before it starts.”

“Well, I have the time to bring some things in,” he told her. “I’m traveling this summer and thought it best to put away some books and other items now while I had the opportunity.”

“That makes sense,” she said nodding. It was a bit awkward, chatting aimlessly about setting up his office, although it didn’t seem appropriate to discuss the details of their past encounter.

“Are you on your way to class?” he asked.

“Not right now. I’m free until 1:00. I should head to the library to study though,” she told him.

Petrov nodded. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

Alex smiled again, but she was somewhat disappointed. Oh well, some things are just what they are and nothing more.

“It was nice seeing you,” she said as she backed out of his office.

“Goodbye, Ms. Caine.” His lips twitched in a small smile.

“’Bye.” Fuck. Alex felt very insignificant as she turned and made her way back down the empty hall. What did she expect? That he’d throw her back against the wall and fuck her right there in his office? Maybe she didn’t expect it, but she certainly wouldn’t have refused either. She shook her head from side to side to chase the image out of her brain.

*****

Coffee in hand, Alex passed the ancient civilization texts and set her book bag down on the floor by her favorite chair. She slumped down among the cushions and pouted over her cup. Not seeing Petrov was frustrating; seeing him and being disappointed in his casual attitude towards her was painful. ‘So what?’ she said to herself. ‘We fucked, we had a good time, and that’s that’. Sighing, she slouched off her coat and picked up a book. ‘What’s important’, she reminded herself, ‘is this. This is your ticket out of here’.

Alex had a scholarship provided by the university. Her tuition and books were completely paid for. She lived off of savings and a summer job that allowed her to take a class at night during the warmer months. With her grades and support from her professors, she’d have a decent pick of grad schools in a year. Her education came before everything else.

She flipped uncaring through the pages of her text. The words meant nothing today. She blew a long breath through her mouth and looked out the window to the side. It was snowing again. Lately it seemed it would never stop. Everything kept getting buried, everything looked so clean and flawless under a layer of white. Imperfections on the ground were decorated with a blanket of glistening frosty diamonds. One could pretend that there wasn’t a thick sludge of mud under the perfect wintry scene.

Alex covered her eyes and moaned aloud. Sometimes she wished she could shut off her rambling thoughts. Too much.

“Certainly, Ms. Caine, it’s not that bad.”

Alex dropped her hands and looked up. Petrov stood there holding a cup of coffee and a notepad. He shook his head before he sat in the chair across from her. He sipped, blinked, and raised his eyebrows.

“So what’s causing the agony?” he asked.

“Agony?”

“It’s all over your face. You were watching the snowfall as if you were about to be buried in it.” He frowned, the angles of his face becoming sharper. “What gives?”

Alex looked down at her book, at her trembling hand, and finally had the courage to stare Petrov back in the eye.

“I’m really very tired,” she said slowly, deliberately, quietly. Petrov nodded and Alex realized that it was possible that he really did understand what she was saying.

“I know. I could see it in your eyes Friday.” Friday. Finally, someone had the balls to bring it up.

“But I wasn’t tired Friday,” she protested. Then Alex smiled self-consciously. “Well, I mean, you know what I mean.”

Petrov’s expression softened. He held his hand out to her. “Come here.”

“Now?” Alex asked looking around.

“Like you said, no one ever comes to this corner of the floor.” Petrov leaned back in his chair. “Come sit with me.”

Alex stood and walked the short few steps and paused in front of Petrov. He reached up and pulled her down onto his lap. She sat straddling him, her legs hanging over his thighs, her feet swinging inches above the floor. She felt a bit silly, and to cover the growing awkwardness she told him, “but you came back here.”

“Does the idea of getting caught disturb you?”

“I’m sitting on a professor’s lap,” Alex stated.

“Yes, you are. And probably against your better judgment.” Alex saw a flash of amusement in Petrov’s eyes.

“Well,” she hesitated, “yes.”

“But still you are sitting on my lap.”

“Do you enjoy this?” she asked him. “Do you enjoy making me nervous?”

“Why yes, Alex, I do.” Petrov smiled slowly, the amusement obvious in his expression as he began to stroke the side of her face. “And I think you like it too.”

Alex shifted as she considered pushing him away and climbing from Petrov’s lap. His arrogance was overwhelming at times. She could smell the danger crackling faintly in the air. It was a warning and as much as her senses encouraged her to flee this man, she sat for the moment, strangely captivated by his words—his energy.

Petrov continued to push the auburn curls away from her face and tucked a lock behind her ear. His fingertips tickled down her cheek before he caught her delicate chin between his thumb and forefinger. Turning her face gently to the side, Petrov sat up and kissed the soft skin of her neck under her left ear, his mouth just grazing her flesh. Alex shivered slightly and her lips parted. She caught her breath, anticipating his next touch. His hands glided over her shoulders and then lower, cupping her breasts through her sweater. Palming each, his thumbs moved higher to rub surely over her hardening nipples. Alex licked her lips as she closed her eyes. What was it about this man? Yes, he knew he could draw the desired response from her body, yet, didn’t she give into him willingly? Was her weak protest simply an excuse to let her body surrender to do Petrov’s bidding? The thought was disturbing, and enough to jar Alex out of the intoxicating moment. She gripped Petrov’s wrists with her hands.

“No.”

“No Alex?”

“I’ve got to go.” Alex shrugged off Petrov’s touch and stumbled from his lap. He watched her as she twisted and grabbed her bag, shoving the books hastily inside. She didn’t meet his eyes, but instead snatched her coat from her chair. Fight or flight! she thought aimlessly as she whirled. Without looking at Petrov once, Alex hurried past the ancient civilization stacks and left the floor. Once outside, she gulped the frigid air.

It was then Alex realized she had no real place to go. Her next class wasn’t for several more hours, and she didn’t want to return home to an empty apartment. Alex stood in the middle of campus, and for the first time she felt oh-so-very lost. She looked over her shoulder towards the library. It was silent.

*****

The rest of the week was a blur. Alex managed to find enough self-discipline to prepare for her exams and work on her paper. She avoided the hall where Petrov’s office was located. She studied either at home or in an empty classroom she found on the third floor of one campus building. It was exceptionally cold. Wrapping her fingers around her coffee, Alex sipped the rich warmth and tried to focus on her latest assignment. Any thoughts of Petrov were pushed down and left to only be examined after she fell asleep at night. Sometimes she dreamt that he was making love to her on the floor in front of his fireplace; other times he held her against the wall in a dark campus hallway, her body lifted and helpless as he pounded into her willing depths. Alex often woke tired.

Friday evening she hurried to the garage to pick up her car before driving the slippery roads home. The evening would be a quiet one and Alex refused to let the opportunity pass.

Around 10:00 a knock came at her door. Alex looked up from a book and frowned. Who in the hell would be bothering her at this time of night? For a moment she paused to smile ruefully. ‘This time of night’, on a Friday night. ‘Sheesh, Alex’, she shook her head at herself. It wasn’t late. She felt old.

The knock came again and Alex started. Finally she tiptoed across the living room and peeked through the peephole in the door. A short, thirty-ish man stood looking bored.

“Yes?” Alex called through the door.

“Yeah, I’m here to pick you up?”

Alex paused. “What?”

“Alex Caine, right? A Dr. Petrov said that I was to pick you up at 10:00.”

Alex stood puzzled. What in the hell was this man talking about? “Who are you?”

“I’m the freakin’ taxi driver, lady. Are you coming or what?” The man sounded annoyed.

“Um,” Alex leaned her head against the rough surface of the door. “Yeah, I’ll be just a minute. I’ll meet you downstairs.” What was going on? Petrov sent a cab for her? Alex walked over to the window and looked out. Sure enough, a cab was parked down on the street. Alex paced back and forth for a moment trying to desperately collect her thoughts. He sent a cab? He just assumed that she would be here? He just assumed that she would come to him when called? Alex ran her hands through her hair angrily. She should just tell the cabbie that he was mistaken, that she wasn’t going.

But curiosity got the better of her.

Alex was definitely going.

After quickly brushing her teeth and running her hands once more through her hair, Alex met the cabbie downstairs. The ride was quick and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Petrov’s house. She stood shivering in the night air as she contemplated exactly why she had made the choice to come to this man. After her last little episode with him, it was apparent that he might not have her best interest at heart. In fact, he might be quite unhealthy for her. She hated how her mind wandered to him if she didn’t constantly force herself to concentrate on other subjects.

Damn. Alex shifted from foot to foot, stamping once or twice more out of frustration than cold. Well, two choices. Walk home or walk up to the front door. She looked up to the clear night sky for divine inspiration. When it didn’t come, Alex crossed the distance to Petrov’s door. She tapped lightly. A minute later she heard the lock click and the door opened. Petrov stood over her, a chilly smile twisting the corners of his mouth.

“Good evening, Ms. Caine,” he said casually.

“Why?” she asked, unmoving.

“Why did I invite you, or why did you come? Come inside and maybe we can find the answer.” He moved to the side to let her pass. Alex hesitated one last time before stepping inside the warm home. She was grateful to be in out of the cold.

“Let me take your coat.” His fingers slid to the front of her wrap as he unbuttoned it slowly. She stood still, not yet meeting his eyes until he pushed the clothing down her shoulders. She shrugged the article off.

“Why?” she said again, quietly looking up at him.

“Simply because I enjoy your company, and you enjoy mine. Not everything has a deeper meaning, Alex.”

“Oh.” She didn’t disagree. She didn’t know what to say. Petrov took her hand in his and led her into the living room that they had christened with their passion only a week before. He motioned to a chair by the fireplace and asked if she would like a glass of wine. Alex nodded silently, looking away and into the fire until he disappeared. Petrov had been busy. The living room had been set up quite nicely; all the furniture had been uncovered and arranged. Taking advantage of his absence, Alex looked around. It was minimally decorated with several chairs and a couch. Two tables sat beside one another across the room. The bookshelves were packed, and Alex stood up and began to browse. She ran her fingers over the dusty volumes and wondered again what it was about this man that made her want to be with him. Turning, she surveyed the room once more. She noticed that there were no pictures, no framed snapshots anywhere that she could see. Nothing personal—save for his books—was on display.

Petrov reappeared with two glasses of Merlot. She smiled a small thanks and walked back to the fireplace. Keeping her back to him, she stared at the dancing flames. She was comfortable here, even though Petrov made her so uneasy. She could not reconcile the two emotions.

Petrov took a seat to her left and watched her. She could feel his eyes on her, stroking her cheek, touching her lips as she sipped at her wine. She wondered what it was that he saw. Was she a curiosity to him as well? Alex sighed and looked at Petrov.

“Come sit with me,” he said, extending his hand.

Alex remembered the scene in the library. This time she sat sideways on his lap, once again gazing into the fireplace. Petrov pulled her close and cuddled Alex into his body. They sat for some time not saying anything before he took her wine glass and set it on the floor at his side.

“Did your week get any better?” he asked softly.

“It’s getting there,” Alex whispered as Petrov’s lips pressed gently into hers. He kissed her slowly, at first just with his lips, each kiss lingering against hers as if he was savoring the taste of the wine on her mouth. His tongue followed, pressing into her mouth in the same leisurely fashion, sliding in and out, making love to her with his kiss. Alex felt the entire world melt slowly down the walls as she became only aware of Petrov and the amazing way he made her feel. She put her hand on his cheek, her fingertips running over his clean features.

When he pulled back, she could see the fire starting to glow in his eyes. He moved slightly under her, and Alex could feel his erection against her bottom. It made her body hungry for him. She could smell the lust coming off his skin and wondered if she put off the same powerful scent. She wondered if he wanted her as badly as she wanted him, or if he just wanted.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said playing with the neckline of Alex’s sweater.

“Ok.”

He led her back to the foyer and she held his hand as they climbed the dark stairs into a dark hall. The door at the end was open, and Alex could see yet another fireplace lit in the bedroom. She smiled. She so loved these old houses. They were made to enjoy living in them.

The bedroom was like the living room in that it was sparsely furnished. A straight-backed wooden chair sat next to a simple table near the fireplace. A large dresser took up half the space along a wall. The bed itself was huge. It was a four-poster bed, but bigger than any king she had ever seen.

“Your bed is huge,” she commented.

“Custom-made,” he answered.

Alex stood silently, unsure of what she was expected to do at that point. Petrov moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, sliding them down her arms and back up again.

“Warm enough?” he whispered into her ear. She shuddered slightly as his breath tickled her flesh.

“Mmmhmm.”

“Good.” She felt his hands at her hips as he pulled her sweater upwards. Alex lifted her arms and he removed her sweater, dropping it to the floor. Next his hands slid around her waist before he undid the button of her jeans. The zipper was slowly pulled down and he opened her pants. He paused and grazed his fingertips over the fabric of her panties. Alex sucked in a breath and leaned back against his body. This was wonderful torture.

The jeans were pulled to her ankles and as she stepped out of them, removed her socks in the process. Petrov caught her hips between his hands and spun her around to face him. He knelt then, nuzzling the clothed mound between her legs with his nose. She heard him breathe deep and knew he was smelling her. Her nipples hardened inside her bra. She closed her eyes as he began to lick her crotch through her underwear. Her hands found his and she wrapped her fingers around them, swaying slightly as he continued to bath her with his tongue. Alex felt her legs tremble. She couldn’t stand for much longer.