Ivan 2 (Her Russian Protector #9) - Roxie Rivera Page 0,15

system before returning to the living room. Erin had moved to the loveseat closer to the fire. He crouched down to add another log and rearrange the glowing coals. When the fire was burning hot the way she liked, he joined her on the loveseat, sinking into the deep, plush cushions and opening his arms. She cuddled into his embrace, placing her head against his chest and wiggling in closer. He held her tightly, knowing that she needed to feel safe.

As he combed his fingers through her hair, he said, “When Ruby calls you, don’t say anything about what happened today.”

She didn’t seem surprised by his request. “I wasn’t planning to,” she replied. “I...I want to see her face when she finds out. It’s the only way I’ll know if she’s...well...you know.”

“I know.” He understood her reticence. She didn’t want to accuse her sister of setting her up, especially when it was likely that Ruby was a victim of something terrible.

“What do you think they want her to be quiet about?” Erin asked, her voice filled with worry. “Like...a murder?”

He winced at the possibility. “Fuck, I hope not.”

“Drugs? Maybe some kind of dealing inside the jail?”

“Probably.” He didn’t want to tell Erin that he feared it might be something worse than drugs. Jails and prisons here were different than the ones back home, but they weren’t that different. There was a fair chance that some kind of forced prostitution or sexual coercion was going on behind the walls of the jail. The type of men who wanted to be guards seemed to have an affinity for playing power games with inmates. He had seen it plenty of times during his short stints as a teenager and then young adult. Whatever went on in women’s jails had to be a hundred times worse than what went on in the men’s side.

“I’m getting my hair done with Lena tomorrow.”

Her comment pulled him away from those old, horrible memories. “Yeah?”

“I’m getting extensions.”

In all the time they had been together, he hadn’t ever seen her with long hair. It would be a novelty to see her look so different so quickly.

Misreading his silence, she glanced up at him with doubt in her eyes. “Is that okay?”

“Erin.” He tipped her chin and claimed her mouth. Holding her gaze so she would know he meant it, he said, “You could shave your head tomorrow, and you would still be the most beautiful fucking woman I’ve ever seen.” With a grin, he added, “I would miss being able to pull your hair when we’re in bed, but I’m sure I could find something else that would make you scream.”

She snorted playfully and pressed a noisy kiss to his jaw. “Wow. So romantic!”

“Make sure to ask them to put those extensions in extra tight,” he teased. “If you want them to last longer than one night.”

“Ivan!” Laughing, she swatted at him. “Stop!”

“Not a chance,” he murmured against her mouth, careful of her bruised bottom lip. When he dragged her onto his lap, hauling her thighs over his until she straddled him, she sighed happily and rocked against him. Not wanting to push her into being intimate after what she had experienced that morning, he asked, “Do you still want me to stop?”

“Nope.” She gripped the back of his neck as he kissed his way down her neck to the curve of her shoulder peeking out of her oversized sweater. “But—.”

“But?”

“I’m on my period.”

“Like that’s ever stopped me before,” he muttered and nipped at her skin. “Are you using it?”

Before Erin, he had never given much thought to women’s cycles or the ways they handled them. Once she had moved in with him, he had become quickly acquainted with things like cups and discs and all of the interesting benefits they had—including allowing them to be intimate anytime they wanted.

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice shaky as he traced his fingers along the seam of her leggings, right between her plump cheeks.

“Good.”

Her short nails bit into the back of his neck as he slipped his hand into her leggings. Exhaling with need, she begged, “Make me forget how gross that other guy made me feel when he touched me. Take me upstairs and fuck me. Remind me that I belong to you—and only you.”

“Fucking right you do,” he growled and captured her mouth. Overcome with the need to claim her, to mark her like a wild beast would its mate, he thrust his tongue against hers. As he stood holding