Tarnished Tyrant - A Mafia Romance

Chapter 3 Episode 3

The pilot comes over the speakers to tell everyone to staycalm. But I barely hear him. We’re dying. I’m sure of it. Thisis the end.

“Hey,” Russian Man says in his unreasonably sexy voice. “Areyou okay?”

I should nod or blink or say something. It doesn’t even have tobe cute or funny or charming. I should just say a single word,any single word, to let him know I’m not out of my mind.

But I can’t make my body do anything. I’m in fight or flight…while on a flight.

That would be a great thing to say right now! A little quip toimpress him. But instead, I shake my head as the plane shakesand rattles again.

Then I stand up and crawl over him. “I’m going to be sick. Forsure this time.”

The flight attendant doesn’t even look surprised when she seesme hop up again. She just glares at me and shakes her head.

Once I get close enough, she wags a finger at me. “No,ma’am. You need to sit down right now. If you’re feeling ill,grab the bag between the seats and—”

“I’m going to be sick,” I gasp. It feels like my lungs are goingto explode. “I need to—”

Get off this plane, I think. Though that isn’t really an option.

“You need to sit down,” she says again.

She glances down the aisle, and I’m sure she’s looking at anair marshal coming to tie me up in duct tape. I wouldn’t evenblame them. I’m being a menace.

But my heart is racing, and—

“Why does this damn plane keep shaking?” I blurt a bit tooloud.

The attendant stiffens. “You’re causing a scene. You need to—”

“Let her by,” a deep voice behind me says. I don’t need to turnaround to know who it is.

Mortification ripples through me at the knowledge thatHandsome Stranger—formerly known as Russian Guy—iswitnessing this epic breakdown. But the plane lurches againand I stumble back.

Instantly, one of his strong arms wraps around my middle,holding me steady. I sink into his warmth and sigh withouteven realizing I’m doing it.

“Open the bathroom,” he orders. “Now.”

The attendant narrows her eyes on me, but even she isn’timmune to Handsome Stranger’s charms and/or impliedthreats. Her face softens and she spins on her heel, bathroomkey in her hand.

She unlocks the door and holds it open. “I don’t want anymore trouble. Get her relaxed and find your seats.”

He nods, pushes me into the small space, and pulls the doorshut behind us.

I was consumed by fear and anxiety and panic out there, butthe moment we’re in the small bathroom together, there is onlyhim. He smells like peppermint and citrus, a bright scent thatcuts through the antiseptic haze of the bathroom.

“Are you going to be sick?” he asks.

I blink up at him, shocked by how close he is to my face.

His hands smooth down my arms. “If you’re going to throwup, I’d like to know.”

“No,” I rasp, swallowing audibly. “I’m okay. I’m—”

“You’re having a panic attack,” he says. “You’re not fine.”

I sag in his grasp. “I hate flying.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I need the money,” I say. “I’m headed to see a bigclient of my company. My boss abandoned me to handle thistrip on my own, and the client is apparently a huge asshole, soI’m stressed and then this goddamn plane keeps hittinggoddamn turbulence, and I just need for my goddamn brain tobe goddamn quiet. I need to figure out how to turn mythoughts off so I can—”

Suddenly, Handsome Stranger lifts me onto the sink, stepsbetween my legs, and presses his lips to mine.

And my entire brain goes dead silent.

His mouth is soft and his body is hard, and I can’t think aboutanything except the fact that he is touching me. Kissing me.

His tongue slides along my bottom lip, and I slowly open mymouth. His hands curve up my back, pulling me closer to himas his tongue probes into my mouth. I moan like—s**t, whatdid that one boyfriend of Mom’s used to call it? Oh, yeah—like a b***h in heat.

The self-aware embarrassment cuts through everything and Ijerk away from him. I clap my hand over my mouth and stareat him, eyes wide.

His eyes aren’t wide, though. They’re perfectly normal.Perfectly gray.

“What was that?” I gasp.

“Spontaneity,” he says. “Did it work?”

I don’t need to glance down to know my n*****s are verymuch visible through my thin cotton shirt. And there’smoisture between my legs.

Did it work? he asked. Duh, it worked. It worked so well thatI’m not sure any other man will ever get me to “work” everagain.

I swallow and nod. “Yeah… Um, thanks for that. I guess. Ineeded that. And a kiss is better than a slap, so—”

“Why would I slap you?” He tilts his head to the side. I wish Ihad run my hands through his hair while I had the chance. It’sgolden brown and falls over his forehead like silk.

“I don’t know. Like in movies? To break me out of my panic?”

“Is that the only reason you think I kissed you?”

God, I hope not. But I can’t say that. Can’t admit to wantingthis stranger. I barely even know him, for crying out loud.

My face is hot and flushed. He reaches out and swipes histhumb over my cheek. “Am I making you nervous again?”

“You can’t just talk to people like that!”

“Being so… honest.” I realize how ridiculous it sounds assoon as the words are out of my mouth. “I mean, like, askingpeople these kinds of questions. I don’t even know yourname.”

I shift in the sink, desperately aware that he is still standingbetween my thighs. “Oh. Um. Hi, Nikolai.”

The mysterious Handsome Stranger has a mysterious,handsome name. I probably shouldn’t be surprised.

He lowers his hand from my cheek and drops it on my thigh.His fingers burn my flesh through my jeans. “And yours?”

His eyebrows dance with a subtle smirk. “Then you should beused to people calling you beautiful. It’s your name.”

My heart is thundering again, panic rising up in me. I press mypalms to my eyes.

“You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine on my own,” Imumble. “I know you only came in here because you feelresponsible for me. Since I accidentally fell on your lap. But Iabsolve you of your chivalrous responsibilities.” I wave himaway without opening my eyes. “You can go on. I won’tbother you anymore.”

I crack an eye open. “Well?”

“I told you you were a bad judge of character,” he drawls.

I frown, but before I can ask what he means, Nikolai slides hishand between our bodies, cupping my heat.

“I’m not f*****g nice. And I’m definitely not fuckingchivalrous,” he growls.

Unable to stop myself, I roll my hips against the heel of hispalm. I chase the pleasure that has been building low in mybelly since the moment I looked into his eyes.

He slides his hand up and starts unbuttoning my jeans.

“Tell me to stop,” he says. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

I do the exact opposite: I lift my hips and help him peel myjeans down my legs, my body moving like it’s in a trance.

Why on earth would I do that? Why would anyone feel thisman’s hands on their skin and tell him to stop? I can’t imaginea straight woman alive who’s foolish enough to turn this down.

He grips my panties and yanks them down, leaving me nakedfrom the waist down on the small counter. But I’m so fixatedwatching him unzip his pants and pull out his gloriously thickcock that I can’t find the energy to be embarrassed.

“Because if you don’t,” he says, gripping his length andpressing himself against my entrance, “I’m going to f**k youuntil you scream so loud that everyone on this plane can hearyou.”

I can’t help gasping and sputtering like a fish on dry land. “I…I… I…”

Distantly, I can feel the plane still trembling. I know that allmy problems will still exist when we’re back on the ground.

But right now, I’m flying high.

And I want to make the most of it before I land.

I wrap my arms around his neck. “I want this.”

In one thrust, Nikolai pushes inside of me. I tip my head backagainst the mirror and moan.

“I knew you’d be tight,” Nikolai grits out.

“I knew you’d be big.”

Nikolai pulls back and smiles down at me. “Maybe you doknow all the right things to say, after all.”

I smile, but then he slides out and thrusts back into me, andjust like that, I can’t smile anymore. Or talk. Or think.

His massive hands palm my thighs, hooking my legs aroundhis waist as he fills me with one savage thrust after another.Then he slides his hand between us again, his thumb circlingover my c**t, and a jolt of electricity courses through me.

“Oh my God,” I moan.

“You like that?” he asks, his voice rough.