Beneath the Ice Ch. 04

"How are you?" Alexei's arms slid around Charlotte's middle as he stood behind her.

She sighed as she settled back against his chest and tipped her head up to look at him. "I'm great. Thank you so much for bringing me."

He kissed her head and she turned, setting her glass on the counter. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. He huffed out a breath and squeezed her tight for a second, stealing her breath.

"We should go?"

"Really? It's not late."

"You have to work early tomorrow."

That was true. Black Friday waited for no one. She glanced at the clock over the stove and nodded. "I suppose we should get going. By the time we get home, Zoe will be wiped out too, I bet."

"I'll go get her." He kissed her forehead and let her go to retrieve her child from somewhere in the depths of the house. The kids had migrated from the playroom to the great room to the kitchen and back again throughout the day and evening.

"Are you guys going to head out?" Joelle had escaped Olle's amorous clutches and faced her again.

"Yeah. I work tomorrow and Zoe needs to get to bed."

"I'm so happy you came, Charlotte." Joelle embraced her tightly. "You have my number and I'm up for coffee or a baby-sitting gig anytime you need me."

Charlotte smiled as she hugged the woman in return. "I appreciate it. I will take you up on that soon."

As Alexei reappeared with Zoe in his arms, the little girl talking at him with animated hand gestures, Joelle shot Charlotte a wink. "You'd better. I get the feeling Alexei would be happy for some one-on-one time with you too."

"Oh, well, I--" Charlotte didn't know what to say to that. Never mind that Sarah had been teasing her about the same thing for weeks.

Joelle giggled and squeezed her arm against her side. "Don't get me wrong. We can all tell how much Alexei loves Zoe, but I'm sure any parent will tell you a night alone together is a welcome treat."

Charlotte had to agree. The more time she spent with Alexei, the more she leaned towards giving themselves that treat.

They walked to the front door, Olle trailing them, and wrangled Zoe into her boots and winter coat.

"Thank you so much for dinner and everything." Charlotte hugged Joelle once more and turned to hug her husband as well. "I had a great time. So did Zoe, didn't you?"

Zoe nodded and hugged Joelle tight for a second. "So fun. Can I come tomorrow?"

The adults all laughed at that and Charlotte rubbed a hand over Zoe's head. "These kids won't be here tomorrow, but we'll see them again for your birthday party."

"Yay!" Zoe clapped her hands, still vibrating with energy from her time there.

Alexei scooped her up to keep her still and shook hands with Olle. "We should go. Have a good night."

"See you at practice in the morning."

Alexei nodded and led the way outside, Zoe in one arm, Charlotte holding onto his other. The car was cold as they got in but warmed up quickly when Alexei got the vents going. The drive home wasn't as slow as their arrival but by the time they parked at their building, Zoe was out cold. At least this time, Charlotte had Alexei to carry the girl inside.

After Zoe was tucked into bed, Charlotte found Alexei in her bed, reclined on her propped up pillows, one arm behind his head and still fully clothed. She smiled when she closed the bedroom door, watching as he tapped on his phone for a few seconds before he looked up and returned her smile.

"Are you tired?"

She shrugged as she pulled off her cardigan and tossed it in the laundry basket. "I'm not bad, really. It's only nine."

"You have an early morning tomorrow."

Charlotte sighed and nodded as she bent to double check the time for her alarm clock. "I do, but I'm only working until two, so that's okay."

The store was opening early for the Black Friday sales, but everyone was on shift for the day at some point, so there would be plenty of coverage. As well, the store was closing for the rest of the weekend, to give everyone a bonus three days off in a row. The only other time Ursula closed the store for so long was over the Christmas holidays.

"Come, sit with me. We can watch something before you sleep." Alexei patted the bed beside him and Charlotte smiled before sliding onto the bed beside him, but he didn't turn the television on.

His arm went around her middle, tugging her right up against his side and she went, resting her head on his shoulder. She loved the quiet nights after they'd put Zoe to bed.

"You had fun tonight?" He stroked his fingers through her hair as he spoke. "Not so bad, after all?"

She smiled and shook her head, playing with the top button on his shirt. "No, it was really a nice evening."

"You and Joelle talked a lot."

"Yeah, we did. I like her. Though, she's hard not to like."

"I think so too. I like spending time with her and Olle."

"Joelle offered to babysit Zoe."

"Oh? When?"

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder, popping the top button on his shirt free, then tucking it back through the hole. "Whenever. She also offered their place to host Zoe's birthday party."

"That's great." Alexei continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Now we can plan the rest."

Charlotte smiled. 'We'. She was starting to love the sound of it. It had been ages since she'd been part of any we, aside from Zoe.

"I like your dress."

Charlotte let out a light laugh at his non-sequitar.

Alexei's hand slid down to her hip, his palm rubbing over the fabric there. "I thought about taking you into another room while we were out."

"What?"

Alexei made a humming noise and the skirt started to bunch under his fingers, sliding up and revealing her bare skin underneath.

"I kept watching you, in this dress, and I wanted to touch you. Like this." His long fingers curled around her upper thigh, sliding along the curve of her ass.

"Alexei--"

"Shh. Quiet, remember."

Honestly, in all the weeks since that first night together, Charlotte had come to realize just how sound a sleeper her daughter was. Not that she wanted to be screaming Alexei's name with Zoe two doors away, but maybe they didn't need to be so worried. And yet, the way he told her to keep quiet always made her shiver. It made their nights together seem so illicit and wicked, and fun.

Then Alexei hooked his fingers around the edge of her panties and tugged, stealing Charlotte's breath altogether.

A moment later, she was on her back and Alexei's mouth was on hers. She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him close as he licked his way into her mouth. His hands were both under her skirt now, pulling her panties down. She wriggled in his hold, turning one way, then back, until he slipped the paltry bit of fabric all the way off.

Lifting his head, he stared down into her eyes, his own low and dark with desire. Charlotte licked her lips, drawing his gaze back to her mouth and he made a low, growling noise before tracing the same line with his own tongue. She moaned and arched under him, wanting his kiss again. She'd always want his kisses. They were the best kind of drug.

"Quiet," he said against her lips.

She let her head fall back on the pillow and stared up at him, a hundred thoughts crowding in her head suddenly.

As if sensing her need to say something, Alexei paused in his touches, his hands stilling on her hips.

"I want--" She stopped and cleared her throat, heat rising in her cheeks. "I want to please you, Alexei." Okay, maybe she hadn't meant to sound so... she didn't even know how it made her sound, but it was how she felt. He was so generous with her, beyond generous in everything they did, not just in the bedroom, and never pushed for more.

His expression softened. It was still full of need, for her, but he lowered his body over hers and brushed the hair from her face with gentle hands. "You do, lyubov. All the time."

"No, I mean--" God, what did she mean? Dropping her gaze, she ran her hands down his sides to the belt at his waist. There, she traced its shape to the front, where he was hard for her.

He shifted, giving her hands some space and she let out a breath before unbuckling his belt and button in one quick move. A moment later, he grasped her wrist, halting her movements.

"Charlotte."

She looked up, biting her lip. "I want you, Alexei."

He let out a low groan as she wriggled her hands free to unzip his pants.

"Charlotte, wait. We don't have to--"

He moved to his side, putting his arms around her to try and still her movements. She twisted though and he let her go, rolling to his back at her urging.

Before she could get his pants off, Alexei grabbed her arms and held her back, one of his legs between hers.

"Charlotte, I don't want to push you."

She smiled and shook her head. "You're not. You've been so amazing all this time."

"I don't expect anything in return."

"I know, that's what makes you even more amazing."

It was dim in her room, the only light coming from her nightstand but she saw his cheeks turn a little pink at her words.

"I like to make you feel good."

Now it was her turning pink, all over. "And you do."

His eyes went dark again, his jaw clenching.

"I don't--" She reached for the buttons of his shirt as she spoke, her thoughts still jumbled even as she forced herself to speak. He let her undo his buttons, his fingers still around her arms, but not restricting her movements. "I don't have a lot of experience. I mean, I'm obviously no virgin, but before that, I didn't... do a lot. You know?"

He gave a short nod in understanding as she worked all his buttons loose and spread his shirt wide. Charlotte let out a breath and ran her hands up his torso, her breath coming faster as her fingers bumped over the ridges of his abdomen and across his firm chest. Leaning down, she kissed his shoulder first, then dragged her lips across his collarbone to the center, where she licked him once.

Under her lips, his pulse skipped a little faster and she smiled against his skin before lifting her head. When she moved again, he released her arms and watched with hooded eyes as she shimmied off his leg to kneel between them. She met his dark gaze as she tugged his zipper down, then curled her fingers around his pants and boxer briefs. He lifted his hips without saying anything when she tugged.

Her eyes dropped as he was revealed to her, the hot, hard length of him. Her mouth watered and she swallowed a few times as nerves threatened for an instant. Lifting her eyes to his again, she shifted, brushing her fingers along his bare skin. He sucked in a breath but didn't move, except for his hands clenching at his sides.

"If I don't do it right, you'll tell me?"

A dry laugh came out of him and he reached with one hand to brush her hair off her forehead, the touch so slow and gentle that she had to blink hard several times. "Nothing you do could be wrong, lyubov moya."

"Still." She wrapped her fingers around him, her heart thundering. "You'll tell me what you want me to do?"

Something flickered in his eyes but he jerked his head once. His jaw clenched as she stroked down the full length of him, then all the way back up. At the tip, she rubbed her thumb over him, marveling at the smooth skin.

Mouth watering again, Charlotte leaned over him. At the touch of her tongue to him, he sucked in a breath, his whole body jerking under her.

"Is that okay?" She lifted her head to take in his expression, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest.

"Yes."

At his strangled tone, Charlotte smiled and licked him again. Another full body jerk and she relished the sensations she was giving him. This. This was what he did to her every time he kissed her or put his hands on her body. And he was letting her do it to him now.

"Tell me, Alexei."

"What?" He sounded so breathless, his chest pumping hard with each pass of her lips and tongue on his rigid length.

"Tell me if this is all right."

"You know it is, lyubov."

"I need to know." She parted her lips and sucked him into her mouth.

With a low groan, he shoved his hands into her hair. He didn't push or pull, just held her head as she dipped low, sliding her mouth over him. He pulsed against her tongue and she rubbed it against him, eliciting another strangled sound from him.

Lifting her head with a grin, she met his wide eyes. She pressed a finger to her wet lips. "Quiet, Alexei."

He gritted his teeth, his hands flexing on her head, but he said nothing.

As she lowered her head again, one hand stroking down to his base, he didn't make another sound. He shook under her hands and mouth, his body jerking and tensing as she licked and tasted all of him.

Her body sang with need and the power she held over him. Every inch of her skin tingled as she slid more of him into her mouth, letting him tap the back of her throat. His fingers tensed and tangled in her hair, tugging once or twice, but he didn't push her. He didn't thrust, didn't force more of himself into her mouth. She rewarded him, slicking her tongue all around him and stroking with her hand until he tapped her shoulder in a wild gesture that had her looking up into his face.

"Lyubov, I'm--"

Oh, she knew exactly what he meant. She took him deep and held her mouth over him as he spent into it, hitting her tongue and making her groan around him. The hand that had tapped her shoulder disappeared and the other clenched tight in her hair, stinging just enough that Charlotte knew she'd done it right.

She lifted her head after a moment, the last of his climax trickling over her hand. She took him in, his head thrown back, his free hand over his mouth, and his chest working like he'd just run a marathon.

"Not so easy to stay quiet, is it?"

He dropped his hand and met her giddy gaze. When he still said nothing, Charlotte licked her lips and tipped her head to one side. "Did I do it wrong?"

His laugh was low but rumbled around the room and curled into her chest. She was falling so hard for this man.

"Come here." He waved a hand at her, his voice hoarse.

She looked down at her hands and shook her head. "One second." Shuffling to the side, she slid from the bed and hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands off.

But Alexei didn't let her linger. His body pressed into her from behind as she dried her hands, pinning her to the bathroom vanity. She gasped as he wrapped her hair around one fist and lifted it to the side. His mouth came down on her neck, nipping once and licking the spot to soothe after. She jumped when he did it again, his other hand gathering handfuls of her skirt.

"Hold on to the sink."

She did, her now-shaking hands dropping to the porcelain, doing nothing to cool her skin.

He met her eyes in the mirror as he slid his fingers between her thighs. She didn't even have a second to be embarrassed by how aroused he found her, moisture coating the insides of her thighs. He made a sound and sucked her ear lobe into his mouth.

She gasped and one of his hands lifted to cover her mouth.

"No sounds, remember?"

She couldn't even nod as he delved into her body, two thick fingers filling her. He rubbed the heel of his hand against her, grinding as he stroked in and out. She was so wound up from what she'd done to him that it was seconds-- seconds!-- before she was clawing at his wrist, writhing in his hold. He was relentless, thrusting hard and fast, his breath hot at her ear, his hands hot on her skin. She rode his hand, her body arching like a bow in his embrace.

He started to whisper in her ear, even as ecstasy rushed in around her.

"Quiet, lyubov. Don't let anyone hear you scream." It was hot, so hot, and she shouldn't be even more turned on as she was by his words. "I make you scream, don't I? Me, my hands, my cock."

She jerked in his hold, his words sending her spiraling into a climax that turned her inside out.

"That's it, yes. You want this, you want me holding you, keeping you quiet as you come."

His fingers plunged deeper, his body surrounding her, his words fading as her orgasm wiped out everything but pleasure.

When she came back to herself, Alexei was lifting her into his arms. Her dress was gone, as was his shirt, and they slipped beneath the covers of her bed, naked.

He kissed her, slow and gentle, brushing his fingers through her hair, soothing her until she drifted off, happy and safe in his embrace.