Dom moved across the floor and sat beside Sergei. He took Sergei’s hands between his, holding them tight to still them. This side of Sergei scared Dom more than the contract on his own head. Sergei had always been so strong, so solid—bordering on cold more often than not. But now he was falling apart, trembling like a terrified child and fighting back tears that wouldn’t be stopped.
“You’re one of them,” Sergei sobbed. “I’m supposed to… you’re supposed to…” He wiped his eyes with shaking hands. “You’re a Mafioso. You’re not supposed to be…human.”
“Sergei, look at me.”
Sergei lifted his chin, blinking a few times, and met Dom’s eyes as another tear rolled down his prominent cheekbone.
Dom brushed it away with his thumb, and cupped his face. “I’m human and so are you. And I don’t know what to do now. All I know is…” He swallowed hard, his own emotions threatening to get the best of him. “I love you, Sergei.”
Sergei’s lips parted, and he stared at him in disbelief.
The words were out, and Dom didn’t know what else to say. So he tipped up Sergei’s chin and kissed him.
Sergei broke the kiss and touched his forehead to Dom’s. “I don’t want to hurt you, Dom. I can’t.”
Dom’s gut twisted into knots.
You have to. We both know you do. This only ends one way.
He knew all too well how those contracts had to play out. Sergei had no more choice than Dom had had when he’d taken out Luciano.
Sniffing sharply, Sergei wiped his eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We don’t have to figure it out tonight.”
“There isn’t much time. They’re putting pressure on me.”
“I know.” Dom stood, and held out his hand. “But we have tonight.”
They locked eyes, and his heart thumped against his ribs. It didn’t need to be said, but he knew damn well Sergei was thinking the same thing he was: Tonight was all they had.
Sergei clasped his hand around Dom’s forearm, and Dom helped him to his feet.
“Let’s go back in the bedroom,” Dom whispered. “I don’t know what we can do, but for right now, I just… I need you.”
Nothing else needed to be said. Dom couldn’t even remember moving from the kitchen to the bedroom—they may as well have just materialized there. They stripped off what few clothes they had on, and once again sank into bed together.
Sergei kissed his neck, warm breath raising goose bumps all over Dom’s back and shoulders and soft lips gliding along Dom’s jugular.
Dom ran his hands over Sergei’s lean, powerful torso, marveling at the strength, at the simultaneous softness of flesh and firmness of the toned muscles beneath. Everything about him made sense now. His rigid fa?ade, his catlike stealth, the way he moved like a prowling panther. He was a professional killer. A hunter. His lithe body—flawlessly fit and toned—didn’t just make him an attractive lover and a mouthwatering stripper. It made him fast. Strong. Not a single ounce wasted by forming anything that might slow down the efficient predator or give his prey an advantage over him.
And Dom should have been afraid of him. He was Sergei’s prey this time. Dom had been the hunter himself more times than he cared to imagine, and he knew all too well how much danger he was in, but there was no pulling back now. As they kissed and groped and turned each other on, Sergei was every bit the assassin who’d subdued Dom in the kitchen as well as the vulnerable kid who couldn’t hold back the tears while he’d told Dom he loved him. Still dangerous. Still scared. A man Dom should have run away from and couldn’t help protecting.
Tangling up in bed like this, naked and hard with a predator’s mouth against his and a killer’s hands all over his skin, was deliciously dangerous—if this was what it was like to dance with the devil, then Dom hoped the music never stopped playing.
He pushed Sergei onto his back and pinned his arms. Sergei arched underneath him, and when Dom rocked against him, rubbing the underside of his dick against Sergei’s, Sergei groaned into his kiss.
Sergei wrenched one arm free and slung it over Dom. Dom released his other arm, and Sergei wrapped both around him, pulling him down against him as they moved together, rubbed together.
Dom hadn’t even realized how many barriers they’d put up until now. It was as if they’d carefully surrounded themselves with wall after wall, protecting themselves on every level, and now they’d all come down and he and Sergei were tangled up on top of the rubble.
He kept one hand around the back of Dom’s neck, as if he thought Dom would even consider breaking this kiss, and with the other he stroked Dom’s cock.
He desperately wanted to fuck. And definitely no condom this time. That would’ve been a layer between them. A thin one, but he couldn’t stand the thought of anything between them now. He couldn’t even imagine separating long enough to change positions or find lube or…
Not a chance. With every kiss and thrust, he was as close to breaking down as he was to getting off, and he wouldn’t let go of Sergei. He couldn’t. He’d never been this close to someone, this wrapped up in something so needy and honest and raw. Death was waiting outside for both of them, but at least they finally got to know what it was like to feel this alive.