The Billionaire's Thief: A Love Forged In Crime

Chapter 2

ANASTASIA

“You’re too tense. Try to relax. What should I call you?”

I startle, my shoulders jerking up to my ears. I’d been staring at the amber glow of my drink, lost in the swirl of ice and worry, and let his voice catch me off guard. The bar stool shifts under me, its metal edge cold against my thigh.

I draw air slow and deep, filling my lungs until my chest eases. Calm down, Tasia. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. One wrong move and everything is over.

I turn to him with a smile I’ve practiced in mirrors, letting it soften the tight set of my jaw. I sit forward, the fabric of my dress brushing his arm where we perch side by side at the bar.

“Sorry. I’m just not used to talking to men I’ve only just met.” My voice comes softer than I intend. “You can call me Ei.”

My real name stays locked behind my teeth.

“Ei.” He lets the sound roll off his tongue, then curves his lips in another smile. “Nice to meet you, Ei. I go by K. Almost matches yours, doesn’t it? Don’t be so wary of me. I won’t do anything to hurt you.” His eyes hold mine, bright and sharp as polished steel.

Now I understand why stories follow Kirill wherever he goes. Why women line up just to be near him for an hour.

He speaks like honey over cool stone—smooth and warm and impossible to resist. His smile never wavers, not even for a second. If I were anyone else, just a woman looking for a night to forget, I would agree to anything he asked. I would follow him out the door without a second thought.

But I see the space between his words, the careful way he holds himself. This is a performance, and I’ve watched enough plays to know when the curtain is up. Still, I’ll play my part. The plan depends on it.

“ Why aren’t you drinking? I’ve been watching you all night.” I lean my chin on my hand, feigning curiosity. “Maybe you can’t hold your liquor?”

He tilts his head, his fingers resting along his jaw. The light catches on a silver ring he wears on his index finger. “Why the interest? Are you waiting for me to get drunk so you can ask me back to your place?” Charm drips from every syllable.

Heat floods my cheeks, so hot I swear the room temperature rises with it. “What? No—of course not. I was just curious.” My words stumble over each other, clumsy and loud.

God, Tasia. Pull yourself together. Why are you acting like a child?

I clear my throat, pressing my palm flat against the cool bar top. “I mean… yes. I was thinking about it.”

His eyes light up, warm and bright as a flame catching dry wood. He waves a waitress over and orders tequila, neat.

I watch him, my throat tight as a knot.

This is not how it was supposed to go. I planned to get him drunk. I did not plan to feel the room tilt under my feet, or watch the bottles behind the bar blur into a rainbow of glass and light. My tolerance has never been high, and the liquor is hitting me harder than I expected.

I keep talking, weaving lies like thread into cloth. I tell him I’ve done this before, that I’m just looking for the same thing he is. Each word feels thick in my mouth, like I’m swallowing sand. I can feel the truth pressing against my ribs, sharp and unyielding.

All I wanted was to loosen his guard. Now the world is spinning, and I can barely keep my eyes open.

Strong arms wrap around me before I can slide off the stool. I look up and find his face close to mine. Kirill. My target.

“I think you’re the one who can’t hold your liquor, Ei.” His voice is gentle, his breath warm against my forehead.

My lungs feel heavy, each inhale a struggle. Heat spreads through my body, starting at my cheeks and moving down to my fingertips.

“K.” The name comes out soft as a whisper.

“You said you wanted to taste freedom, remember?” He leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. The scent of cedar and smoke clings to his skin. “Let me show you what freedom tastes like.”

His lips press to mine before I can answer. I lift my face to him—he is tall enough that I have to crane my neck—and his hands settle on my hips, firm and warm through my dress.

A jolt of heat shoots through me, sharp as lightning. I push at his chest, my hands weak against the solid muscle of him, but my strength melts away like snow in sun.

No. This man is my only chance. If I leave here with nothing, there will be nowhere left to run.

I stop fighting. I let my body lean into his, let the kiss deepen until it’s hot and hungry and all I can feel. The elevator doors slide closed around us and still we don’t pull apart. I don’t care who might see us. I can barely think at all.

I have been kissed before, but never like this. His lips move against mine with a certainty that makes my head spin.

My body aches for more. I need to feel his hands on my skin, to be closer than this.

The kiss breaks when the elevator lurches to a stop. My eyes are heavy, my skin burning like I’ve been sitting in the sun all day. I have never felt anything like this—like every nerve in my body is awake and reaching for him.

He pulls back just far enough to look at me, and I lean forward, chasing the warmth of his mouth. Even through the haze in my vision, I see the curve of his grin.

He lifts me into his arms, one hand under my knees and the other supporting my back. I wrap my legs around his waist and cling to his neck, my fingers tangling in the short strands of his hair. Our lips find each other again, desperate and deep.

A soft sound escapes me when he nips at my lower lip, gentle enough to make me shiver.

He walks while holding me, his steps steady even as our kiss continues. I don’t know where we are going. I don’t care.

Eventually my lungs burn for air, and I pull away to rest my head against his chest. I can feel the steady beat of his heart under my cheek, strong and sure.

I gasp when a door clicks open and cool air washes over my skin.

You’re so done, Tasia. The thought makes me want to laugh, though nothing comes out but a breathy sigh.

I know what will happen tonight. Kirill will take my virginity. Maybe it is better this way. At least I will get something in return for what I am giving up.

I feel weightless, like I’m floating through clouds. He is talking, his voice low and calm, but the words slip past me like water through my fingers.

Then I feel the soft give of sheets under my back.

My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat. The heat hasn’t faded, but the fog in my head is lifting just enough to let fear seep in.

I prop myself up on my elbows and freeze. His shirt is gone, tossed somewhere out of sight, and even through the blur of alcohol I can make out his expression.

He looks like fire—beautiful enough to draw you close, but you know you will be burned. His blonde hair catches the light, and his blue eyes hold mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch.

I swallow hard, my throat dry as dust.

“Getting nervous, Ei?” He climbs onto the bed, moving with a grace that makes my stomach flip. “Don’t be. We’re just getting started.”

—

“Oh… K—” I bit back the rest of his name before it slipped out, my breath catching in my throat.

I didn’t know where to look—every nerve ending in my body was alive, singing with a pleasure I’d never imagined. So this was what it felt like to be with a man? It was better than anything I’d dreamed of—heaven, pure and simple.

Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but god… it was nothing like I’d expected. Thrilling, addictive… I wanted more than just his hands on me. I wanted him—all of him, the hard length I could feel straining against his trousers.

Kirill’s mouth was on my breasts now, alternating between teasing my n*****s with his tongue, grazing them with his teeth, and drawing them deep into his mouth. I was bare beneath him, completely at his mercy, and I’d never felt so exposed—or so alive.

“Oh!” I cried out as his fingers brushed between my legs, finding me already soaking wet.

My body shuddered at the contact, a tight heat coiling low in my belly that made my lips part on a gasp.

“W-Wait, don’t you dare—” I tried to protest, but my voice broke as his fingers traced over my most sensitive spot, playing with me like I was a toy he’d been waiting to unwrap.

I watched him through half-lidded eyes, my teeth sinking into my lower lip as he worked his magic on my breasts, while his hand between my thighs sent shockwaves through me.

A sharp jolt shot through me when he slid a finger inside, and I arched off the bed with a low moan. “Hnngh!” I clutched at the sheets, my body giving way as pleasure washed over me.

He lifted his head from my chest, his attention now fully fixed on where his hand was moving. I could feel his gaze burning into me as he slowly pumped his finger in and out.

“You’re too tight, Ei. I thought you weren’t a virgin anymore?” His voice was rough, sending shivers down my spine.

“Shut up, K,” I snapped, still biting my lip to hold back my sounds. He laughed, then curled his finger inside me, hitting a spot that made me see stars.

“Ahh!” I cried out, tears pricking my eyes—not from pain, but from how intense it all was. I finally understood why women fell at his feet.

“K… turn off the lights—please,” I ordered, my voice shaky.

He paused, and when I forced myself to look up, our eyes met in the soft glow of the room.

He smiled, dark and knowing. “You like a little mystery, don’t you?” He pulled his finger out, then reached over to flip the switch. Darkness swallowed us whole.

Better this way. He wouldn’t see the blood that was sure to come—proof that I’d lied about not being a virgin. The last thing I needed was for him to get suspicious.

I bit back every sound as he slid two fingers inside me now, setting a steady rhythm. If just his fingers felt this good… what would it be like when he was truly inside me?

I had to end this quickly… before exhaustion pulled me under and I woke up later than him.

Gathering all my courage, I pushed myself up and grabbed his arm, making him stop.

“K… I want you. Inside me—no more fingers, please!” I begged, then forced my voice sharp. “f**k me. f**k me for real, right now!” I raised my volume on purpose, to hide how scared I was.

I felt like I was losing my mind—every sensation was overwhelming. I hadn’t forgotten why I was here, what I’d come to do. But in this moment, all I could think about was the freedom he’d promised me, and how badly I wanted to feel it for myself.

“As you wish, Ei,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.

I felt him shift, positioning himself between my legs, spreading them wider as his hands settled on my thighs. Then I felt it—his hard length pressing against my entrance, hot and thick.

That was another reason I’d made him turn off the lights. If I’d seen how big he was, I might have panicked… and ruined everything.

He leaned down, his breath fanning over my face, and I felt the bed dip as he braced himself on his forearms beside my head.

“Take a deep breath, Ei,” he murmured. I did as he said, my chest heaving.

Then he pushed inside, and pain seared through me so sharply that I dug my nails into his back without thinking.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t let him see how much it hurt—he’d know I’d lied. So I bit my lower lip until I tasted copper, bearing through the feeling of something tearing inside me.

“O-Oh… you’re so… big,” I managed to say, forcing the words to sound like praise.

He kissed me then, soft and deep. “Thanks, I guess.”

My breath caught, and my mouth fell open as he thrust deeper, filling me completely.

My eyes flew wide, and tears finally spilled down my cheeks—but this time, pain wasn’t the only thing I felt. A strange, electric pleasure was starting to build, spreading through me like wildfire.

“f**k, you’re so tight,” he groaned against my lips, kissing me again as he began to move.

He let me adjust, taking his time before setting a steady, powerful pace.

It was done. Kirill Yevgenyevich Ivanov—my target—had taken my virginity.

And he was right about what he’d promised me. The pleasure was like lightning—terrifying and brilliant, deadly in the best way possible.

“Oh! Oh god… ah! Hnngh!” Sounds I didn’t recognize poured from my lips as Kirill moved above me, his thrusts fast and deep, sending waves of pleasure crashing over me.

I was so close. Just a few more strokes and I’d shatter—

“Ohhhhh!” I cried out as he drove into me one last time, hard and deep. I dug my nails into his back as my body convulsed, every muscle tightening as release washed over me.

He pulled out moments later, and I felt his hot seed spill across my stomach.

The bed sagged beside me as he collapsed next to me, pulling me into his arms.

“I didn’t expect you to handle ten rounds. You really are something else,” he said, his voice thick with exhaustion. Then sleep pulled me under, heavy and deep.

“Arghh!” I groaned as I woke up, my head pounding and every muscle in my body aching. But I didn’t let that stop me—I couldn’t afford to stay in bed.

My mission was done. It was time to leave.

I didn’t waste a second. Seeing him sound asleep beside me—the man who’d taken my innocence—I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could.

I cleaned myself up and got dressed, the weight of what I’d just done settling heavy in my chest. My dignity—something my ex had never been able to take from me—I’d just traded it away myself.

Next, I searched for what I’d come for. To my relief, his wallet was on the bedside table, along with a ring.

“He must have taken it off last night,” I whispered to myself, my cheeks flushing as I thought about why.

I grabbed both, then paused to leave a note on the table. I set it down carefully, then slipped out of the room with a triumphant smile.

Success… I was finally free!

Or so I thought. Because only a few months later, a new challenge would come crashing into my life. And the worst part? It had everything to do with Kirill—the man I’d stolen from.