Romance Patches of Ice

The time that Lena spent with Anatoli after her return to Washington was not what she'd expected. She understood that he had to travel most of the year for games, so she wasn't expecting to see him as often as she did. She'd returned home from Moscow just before New Year's and already Anatoli had spent more time at her place than at his own. They'd been unable to spend the New Year together, but he'd made up for it in other ways; ways that made Lena feel weak in the knees just thinking about them.

"Don't you think you should get a full night's sleep in your own place?" Lena asked when Anatoli showed up at her front door after a home game a few nights after the New Year.

He shrugged off her question and walked inside, closing the door behind him. "What good is that? I'm going to be on the road for three days starting tomorrow and all I do in my spare time is sleep."

Lena grinned and shook her head. "Aren't your teammates worried about you spending so much time with a strange woman?"

He laughed and reached for her, pulling her into the circle of his strong arms. "They're just jealous that they don't have a woman like mine."

Lena lifted her eyebrows, leaning back in his arms to look up into his face. He was just as handsome to her as when they'd first met in the airport, barely more than a week ago, and his crystal blue eyes were glinting at her. "I'm your woman, am I?"

"Don't you want to be?"

Lena shrugged, lowering her lashes and biting her lip when she felt his grip around her waist tighten. Barely more than a week and she already knew she'd never be the same again.

"Lena," he murmured her name close to her ear, his breath tickling the fine hairs that trailed loose from her messy ponytail. "Don't you want to be my woman?"

She sighed as she reached up with her hands to close her fingers behind his head. "I don't know if you want to be my man," she replied, trying to sound casual.

She liked him more than he knew and she didn't want to rush into this without being smart. He had a very intense job and lived a fast life for nearly seven months of the year, longer when the team did well. Lena wanted badly to find a place in that life but she wasn't about to force herself on him. So she decided to leave that up to him.

"Lena," he growled her name and pulled her closer.

Their bodies came together hard and Lena gasped, lifting up to her toes as she met his dark gaze. He grinned at her and she felt her knees give way.

Oh, lord help me, she thought as he scooped her up into his arms.

Without another word, he carried her to her bedroom and shut the door. She had the brief thought that she was glad her roommate was away for the holidays. Then Anatoli kissed her and she didn't think about her roommate anymore.

For now, Lena let him make her his. She would deal with her overwhelming feelings another time.

On his first road trip after the brief winter break, Anatoli found himself, for the first time ever, not wanting to leave Washington D.C. He loved his host city and loved living with his brother, Vlad - most of the time - but he found every opportunity to travel on this continent refreshing. This time, he had Lena. Or rather, she had him. Wrapped around her delicate fingers and clinging desperately to her body.

With a sigh, Anatoli pushed himself out of his airport seat and followed his teammates towards the boarding gate. Someone gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before moving on. Everyone was quiet; it was early in the morning. They had their first game that evening in Atlanta and then they were off to Raleigh. It would be another four days before he'd have the chance to see Lena again and only if the coach went easy on them in practice following the trip.

The first game that night against the Thrashers was tough; not just because of the traveling but because his mind wasn't on the game. Afterward, the coach pulled him aside and asked if he was still upset about Natasha.

Anatoli laughed out loud, drawing a few amused glances from his teammates and a jovial thumbs up from Drew Stamenski, another player.

"Coach, I haven't thought about her for while now," Anatoli replied honestly. And he hadn't, not until the coach had brought her up.

"Then why the hell wasn't your head in this game tonight?" Coach asked, abandoning any semblance of sympathy.

Anatoli shrugged, blowing out a deep breath at the same time. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I'll do better in Raleigh, I promise."

"You'd better," Coach grumbled before walking away.

Left alone with his teammates, Anatoli grinned sheepishly at Drew who punched him on the shoulder as he walked back over.

"Your new woman's got your head spinning pretty good, huh?" Drew asked with a grin.

"My head is fine," Anatoli replied.

A few of the other guys chuckled. He looked up and around at their curious faces, wondering if they saw something that he didn't.

"You weren't this distracted when you first met Natasha," Mark Gaines commented as he pulled a fresh shirt on over his head.

"Yeah and we all thought you were over her already," Drew added.

Anatoli scowled. No mention of his ex-girlfriend from any of the guys for weeks, and now everyone wanted to talk about her. "This has nothing to do with Natasha."

"What's her name then?" someone else piped up.

So far, Anatoli had remained fairly close-lipped about Lena. Mostly because it was so new to him and he didn't want to add any unnecessary pressure to this budding relationship, if that's what he'd even call it. He loved his teammates but sometimes, they could be a bit overbearing. He didn't want to bring Lena into this circle of friends; not yet, anyway.

She hadn't even known I played hockey when we met, he thought, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face as he recalled their time in Moscow. She has no idea what these guys can be like.

"Holy crap," Mark barked out a laugh and pointed at Anatoli. "Has he got it bad, or what?"

The others laughed at Mark's comment and Anatoli threw his dirty towel at Mark before tightening the laces on his sneakers. Soon they were all piled onto the bus and headed to their hotel for the night. Anatoli picked up the phone as soon as he settled into his room, ignoring the knowing look he got from his roommate, Drew. He turned his back towards his companion who laughed and headed for the washroom.

"Hello?" Lena's tired voice came over the line and Anatoli felt his body react instantly.

"Hi," he replied, shifting and pulling the covers over himself to hide his erection. "Did I wake you up?"

"No," Lena told him and then yawned. "Well, sort of. I was trying to stay awake for your call."

"I'm sorry," Anatoli said and smiled as she yawned again.

"It's all right. I wanted to talk to you. That was a good game."

He laughed and shook his head. She was sweet for trying but it was blatantly obvious at times that she knew nothing about hockey. "You're nice, but it was terrible."

"No! I thought it was very exciting. You play so well."

"Thank you," he said and ridiculously pleased by her praise. "But we didn't win."

"Is it always all about winning?" Lena asked with a short laugh. "Oh, well, I guess when it's your job to win, it kind of does, doesn't it?"

Anatoli laughed. "Kind of."

"You know, maybe you should be getting to sleep instead of talking to some hockey dummy."

"Are you trying to get me to hang up the phone?"

"Not at all, but I don't want to get you in trouble if you lose again next time."

"We won't lose," Anatoli said, already determined to make a better showing in Raleigh.

"Such confidence," Lena scoffed and laughed to take the edge off her words. "I don't know how I ever let you talk me into sleeping with you."

Anatoli laughed and shook his head. He fell silent when he heard the bathroom door open. Drew poked his head around the corner.

"I'm going to head down to the bar for a drink," he told Anatoli with a grin. "Let you and your lady have some privacy." He coupled his words with a suggestive gesture and Anatoli flung a pillow at him along with some choice Russian expletives.

"What was that all about?" Lena asked after Drew disappeared.

"My roommate just left," Anatoli said, settling under the covers.

"Did you have to swear at him before he went?"

"How do you know I was swearing?"

"Anatoli, learning curse words is the easiest part of any language. I spent some time with Vlad before I came home, remember?"

Anatoli started to laugh but stopped when he thought of Lena alone with his brother, Vlad. He didn't think his brother would ever stoop so low as to make a move on a woman Anatoli was seeing, but he felt inexplicably jealous. He was glad Vlad was staying in Moscow until after the Orthodox Christmas celebrations.

"Are you too tired to talk?" Anatoli asked, pushing his jealous thoughts aside for the moment.

"No, I'm wide awake now."

"Are you? How awake?" Anatoli asked and shifted under the covers again as he heard Lena's soft laugh.

"Awake enough to wish you were in bed with me," she told him. "Especially since I'm naked and kind of cold."

"Lena, you are torturing me," he replied with a groan. She laughed at him again and he heard a rustling sound. He pictured her rolling over in bed. That thought had him sliding a hand beneath the bed covers to put pressure on his erection before he got too excited.

"I don't want to torture you. Maybe I should hang up."

"No!" he growled and clenched his fingers around the telephone. "I don't want you to hang up."

"Then what do you want me to do, Anatoli?" she asked, her voice husky.

Swallowing hard, Anatoli told her exactly what she should do and in great detail. She laughed and he heard the sound of more rustling bed covers.

"All right," she murmured. "I'm getting warmer."

"Why?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The hand under his bed covers was no longer pushing down on his erection. Instead he was cupping himself, aching to feel Lena beside him.

"I'm touching myself," she told him and then giggled, sending another jolt through Anatoli. "My fingers are cold."

"My hands are warm, Lena," he replied and pushed his hand beneath his boxers.

For a short time, neither of them said anything. Anatoli bit the inside of his cheek when he heard the soft catch in Lena's breathing, and asked her if she was all right.

"No," she replied. "I wish you were here. I wish I felt your hands between my legs instead of just my own."

"I wish that too," he said, wishing with all his heart for the next three days to pass quickly, so he could get back to Washington and back into her bed.

"What do you want to do to me when you see me again?" Lena asked him after another several seconds of heavy breathing.

"Oh, Lena," he said with a sharp exhalation. "What don't I want to do to you?"

She giggled again and he groaned, squeezing his fingers around his erection.

"Are you... are you hard, Anatoli?" Lena asked, her voice hesitant.

Smiling, Anatoli stroked himself from top to bottom. "What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Anatoli. I feel like I'm inside-out right now."

"Is that because you're so wet for me?"

Lena gasped and he heard more rustling noises. "Yes," she breathed into the phone and Anatoli nearly came right then.

God, their first time together after he got back was going to be very fast, and very wild.

For now, her soft voice and rapid breathing was sending him rapidly to the edge. He spoke low words to her as he continued to touch himself and lost the phone under the covers in another few minutes.

"Lena?" he spoke into the phone when he found it. He was breathless and could feel the sweat on his brow.

"I'm still here," she whispered. "Barely," she added a moment later with a weak laugh.

"I can't wait to see you again."

"Me too."

They spoke quietly for another minute or two and then Anatoli knew he needed some sleep. So he said 'good-bye,' promising to call the next day. She agreed around another loud yawn and they hung up.

Anatoli dreamt of the ice that night and dreamt of showing Lena how good, a good game could be.

After speaking on the phone with Anatoli, Lena couldn't sleep. She was flushed and felt overheated.

And no wonder, she thought. She got up from her bed and wrapped a fluffy robe around herself. That man can make me crazy even at a distance.

The thought made her feel even hotter. She brushed a hand over her cheek and drew in a shaky breath as she walked out of her bedroom. Down the hall she saw a blue light in the front room and walked in to find her roommate, Hilary, watching television. Her roommate had arrived back home earlier in the day.

"Hey," Hilary said with a smile. "I didn't think you'd still be up."

"I was..." Lena started and then stopped herself. "I couldn't sleep," she finished lamely as she plopped down on the couch beside her friend.

Hilary laughed at her. "You're such a liar. I heard the phone ring half an hour ago. Was it that Russian guy you refuse to introduce me to? Or talk about?"

Lena shook her head mutely, blushing even more. Hilary, her dear, long-time friend and roommate, laughed at her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Now you have to tell me," Hilary told her.

After some more futile protesting, Lena relented and told her about meeting Anatoli in the airport and then spending time with his family in Moscow.

"It was so much fun," Lena gushed and smiled at her brief memories. She'd left Moscow earlier than she'd intended to, but in the end, it had been worth it. Before Anatoli had left on his road trip, they'd spent every spare moment together. Looking back, it felt like so much more than the few days it actually was. They'd talked, made love and just been quiet together sometimes.

"He's... great," she said and flushed crimson under her friend's wide-eyed gaze.

"Where is he now?" Hilary asked, smiling knowingly.

"In Atlanta. Then tomorrow he's in Raleigh," Lena said.

"Oh, he travels for work or something?" Hilary said and then blinked a few times. "Wait a second... what did you say his name was?"

"Anatoli."

"Not... Anatoli Oborotenski?"

"Yeah," Lena confirmed reluctantly. She hadn't wanted to tell anyone who exactly he was. She must be the only person in D.C. who hadn't recognized his name the first time she heard it.

"Are you telling me that you met and are now seeing Anatoli Oborotenski? The hockey player? The superstar of Washington hockey?"

Lena sighed and nodded.

"Oh. My. God." Hilary said, sitting back on the couch with a gobsmacked expression on her face. Then she broke into helpless giggles, falling against her roommate in her mirth.

"What's so funny?" Lena asked, grinning at her hysterical friend.

"You're dating Anatoli Oborotenski!"

"So?"

"It's just... he's a hockey player!"

"So?" Lena repeated, beginning to feel frustrated.

"Lena, you broke up with Eddy because he couldn't stop sleep - uh, seeing other women," Hilary explained, stumbling over her words for a moment. "And now you're seeing a hockey player?"

"What's the big deal?" Lena demanded. She hated being ignorant of this culture she'd stumbled into. It seemed like everyone but her knew something about Anatoli that she didn't and, even though she'd only known him for a couple weeks, she already felt that she knew who he was inside.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I shouldn't have said anything," Hilary said, looking away.

"Well, you can't just leave it like that, Hil. Tell me what you meant."

Hilary sighed and shook her head. Lena groaned and jerked the remote control out of her friend's hand, holding it out of her reach until she explained her words to Lena.

"Fine," Hilary snapped but she was smiling so Lena knew she wasn't upset. "He's a hockey player, Lena. They sort of have a reputation as... players. I mean, with women. They travel all over the country, and into Canada, for hockey games and there are women that just throw themselves at them."

Lena flushed. She'd never thought about Anatoli meeting women on his road trips. Even if she had, she'd never have suspected that he'd sleep with any of them. He didn't seem like the type. "He's not like that," she said quietly, after a few moments of silence.

Hilary just gave her a long look and took the remote control back. "Well, you'd know him better than me. I've never met him."

They sat quietly for a few seconds before Hilary glanced her way again. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Lena. If he's interested in you, he's already showing good judgment."

Lena smiled weakly at her friend but didn't say anything after that. She stared numbly at the television screen for a while before getting up and wandering down the hallway to the washroom. Inside with the door closed, she looked at herself in the mirror.

He's not like that, she told herself. He wouldn't sleep around on road trips. Anyway, we're not dating exclusively. We never decided anything before he left.

She blew out a noisy and frustrated breath as images of Anatoli chatting up other women bombarded her mind. Shaking her head, she turned on the taps and splashed cold water on her face.

It didn't help.

She went to bed that night thinking about Anatoli on the road and wondering if he had a woman in his bed by now.

Anatoli was nearly beside himself with excitement as the plane landed back in Washington. The coach had told everyone to go home for a good night's sleep and then come back to the arena for practice at ten the following morning. That gave Anatoli more time than he'd hoped for with Lena.

As soon as he was free of the plane and the team, he pulled his phone out and dialed Lena's number. It rang several times before the machine picked up. He listened to Lena's voice mixed with that of her roommate and smiled. Just the sound of her voice over the machine was enough for the moment. He listened for the few seconds as it played and then hung up the phone.

I'll call her when I get home, he thought as he hurried outside and jumped into a cab. See if she wants to come over.

Vlad still wasn't home for another week and he had the house to himself until then. He grinned to himself as the cab pulled away from the curb and thought about what he could put together in the time it would take Lena to come over.

Once inside his empty house, he called Lena and got the machine again. He frowned as he hung up, again not leaving a message. Then he shrugged it off and went to change his clothes. After another two attempts calling her, he decided to leave a message. Then he sat up on the couch and watched some late night television, waiting for her to call back. By two in the morning, he was getting worried.

"Where is she?" he wondered out loud and began to wander aimlessly through the house.

He had a sudden flashback to the later days of his relationship with Natasha. She'd stopped taking his calls almost altogether and it would be days in between their conversations. Shaking those thoughts free, he wandered up to his bedroom and told himself that Lena wasn't like that.

She's probably just out with friends, he thought and climbed into bed. I'll call her in the morning and see if she wants to do something tomorrow night.

With that, he tried to get some sleep.

"Lena, you can't call him back now," Hilary scolded her as they listened to the message on the machine again.

Lena stared at her friend, eyes beseeching. "I want to talk to him. What's wrong with that?"

"It after twelve," Hilary said, pointing at the clock on the wall. "That is nothing but a booty call."

Lena snorted and shook her head as she pressed 'play' on the machine as soon as his accented voice stopped speaking. His message filled the apartment again and Lena couldn't help but smile. Out of nowhere, Hilary's hand came down on the machine, deleting the message.

"Hilary!" Lena exclaimed and pressed 'play.' "Why did you do that?"

"Because I'm tired of listening to it," Hilary grumbled as she walked away.

"Well, I wasn't. It wasn't your message," Lena replied and sighed as the machine told her in an electronic tone that there were no more messages.

They'd returned home from a late movie and just missed the phone call from Anatoli. The message had just been beeping off when they'd walked in the apartment. From the first moment they heard his voice on the machine, they'd started arguing.

"Are you going to call him?" Hilary asked as Lena followed her into their tiny kitchen.

"I don't know," Lena replied and glanced at the clock on the stove. "I bet he's still awake."

Hilary rolled her eyes. "Yeah, waiting for his D.C. woman to call so he can get some action tonight."

Lena flushed at Hilary's blunt words, hating herself for agreeing even the tiniest bit. "He's not like that."

"Then why is he calling you so late?"

"He just got back to town. He had a game in Raleigh earlier and he said he'd call as soon as he got in."

Again, Hilary just gave her a knowing look. Lena glared right back at her before spinning on her heel and stomping down the hallway to her room. She picked up the cordless phone in her room and pressed the buttons to his number.

Her mind conjured a picture of Anatoli calling another woman when he couldn't get a hold of her. She hit the 'end' button and stared at the phone in her hands. She tried dialing again but just couldn't complete the call. Every time she tried, she thought that she might be interrupting something.

Sighing heavily, she flopped back on her bed and dropped the phone on the floor. Fully clothed, she yanked the bed covers over her head and tried to sleep.

Early the next morning the phone ringing woke her up. Groggily she sat up in bed and stared at the clock on her nightstand. The red numbers glared at her, letting her know that it was just past eight a.m. Groaning, she looked around for the phone. Finding it on the floor, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Lena?" Anatoli's warm voice came over the line and Lena felt herself wake up entirely in an instant.

"Anatoli," she breathed, feeling her heart thump hard against her rib cage. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied with a chuckle. "I woke you up again, didn't I?"

She laughed and nodded. She glanced down at herself and realized she hadn't changed out of her clothes. Sighing, she lay back against her pillows. "Yes, but that's all right. I don't need to sleep in."

"Were you out late last night?" he asked and Lena thought she heard some hesitancy in his voice.

She felt a stab of guilt and wished she'd just called him last night, no matter how late it had been. Just hearing his voice now was making her regret passing up the chance to spend the night with him. "Yeah, Hilary and I went to a late movie."

"Oh. I tried calling a few times and left a message but I thought it might have been too late. I was hoping to see you."

"I'd like that."

"How about tonight? What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Lena replied honestly. She was still on holidays from work since her trip to Moscow was originally supposed to have lasted three weeks. So far she had planned on relaxing and reading some of her pile of books, maybe visiting her family in Annapolis, as well.

"OK, you should come over tonight then," he told her. "I want to see you before I have to go away again."

"All right," Lena replied with a smile. "What do you want to do?"

He chuckled in a low tone and Lena felt the laugh practically reach through the phone and tickle her insides. She clenched her thighs together to stave off the sensation and felt her entire body heating up.

"I don't think I should start to tell you now," he said a moment later, his tone still deep and promising. "I don't want to be late for practice."

Lena laughed and agreed. "What time tonight then?"

They agreed that she'd come to his house for eight o'clock. As they hung up, Lena felt a warmth settle over her and she clutched the phone to her chest for a long while. A minute later she heard a knock at her bedroom door and called for Hilary to come in.

Her roommate shuffled into the room and crossed to join her in bed. "Who the hell calls at eight in the morning?" she demanded, her tone grumpy and her voice rough with sleep.

Laughing, Lena tossed the phone at her, satisfied to hear Hilary yelp in protest. "It was Anatoli. He wants to get together tonight."

"Oh Lena," Hilary said and shook her head. "I thought you weren't going to see him."

"I never said that. I just didn't call him last night. He wants to see me, so I'm going over to his place tonight."

Hilary sighed and looked over at her roommate. "I don't think it's a good idea, Lena."

"Well, you're not the one seeing him, so let it go, all right?" Lena replied, sharper than she'd intended, but she was beginning to get frustrated with her friend's lack of support.

She hauled herself out of bed and began to pull some fresh clothes out of the closet. She'd shower and go out for coffee and breakfast. She didn't feel like staying home if Hilary was just going to criticize her, or try to talk her out of seeing Anatoli.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Hilary spoke up, sitting up on her bed.

Lena looked over and saw the genuine concern in her friend's face. She sighed and nodded. "I know, Hil, but we've only known each other for a couple weeks. It's not serious."

"As long as you know that," Hilary said and got up to leave. She paused in the doorway and turned to look back at Lena. "You should wear that fancy green top. It brings out the color of your eyes."

Lena smiled after her friend as she left the room. Even with her doubts, Hilary was still trying to be supportive and Lena loved her for it. She gathered her clothes for the day and laid out her outfit before heading to the bathroom to shower.

Anatoli was nervous as he waited for Lena to arrive. He'd spent most of the day tidying the house. Not that he and Vlad were messy guys, but he'd wanted it to look nice for Lena. He lit some candles, setting them around the main room and kept the lights dim. There was no fire in the fireplace but he didn't think Lena would mind. Then he checked on the wine he had chilling and tried to stop counting the minutes until she would arrive.

At last there was a timid knock at the front door and Anatoli practically ran down the hallway to answer it. On the other side, wrapped in a warm jacket against the chill in the evening was Lena. Her cheeks turned pink as their eyes met and Anatoli reached out for her, pulling her inside.

As he shut the door, he pressed her back against it, lowering his head until he could brush her lips with his. She sighed and lifted her hands to his arms, holding on as he parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. He wasn't sure how long they stood there, but she weakly broke the kiss after some time and told him she was beginning to feel too hot. Laughing, he helped her out of her coat and hung it up for her before leading her into the kitchen.

"Would you like some wine?" he asked as he walked to the fridge.

"Sure, that sounds nice," Lena replied, her voice husky.

Anatoli grinned at her, delighted to see the blush high in her cheeks. "It's a bottle my parents sent home with me. They told me to have it for Christmas."

Lena frowned. "They sent you a bottle of wine for next Christmas?"

"No, for this year," he told her as he worked the cork out of the bottle. "Russian Orthodox Christmas is tomorrow."

"Oh, right," Lena said with a nod and moved closer so that she was leaning against the counter next to him. She was reminded of the church service and dinner with the Oborotenskis in Moscow during her visit. They'd explained then that, even though Russian Orthodox Christmas was in early January, there were people who celebrated the western holiday in December. Their family traditions included both holidays and she'd been a part of the celebration on December 24th and 25th.

"That's nice that they sent the wine," Lena said, smiling up at him as he poured the liquid into two glasses for them.

"It is," he agreed.

"Do you miss them at this time of year?"

"A little, but I was lucky to visit in December." He held up his glass of wine and she did the same.

"Well, I'm glad you want to celebrate with me tonight," she told him and they clinked their glasses together. "Merry Christmas."

"And Happy New Year!" he added.

They both had a sip of the wine.

"This is good," she said and tasted it again. "I've never been a big wine drinker but I like this one."

Anatoli smiled at her as she licked her lips to get more of the wine's flavor. She flushed as his gaze darkened and blinked when he lifted the glass from her hands. A second later he had her pressed back against the counter. His lips were on hers and he buried his hands in her hair. She made a small sound against his lips but held onto his shoulders as he hungrily tasted her mouth. She tasted of the chilled wine and faintly of toothpaste and underneath it all, she tasted of Lena. Pure, sweet Lena.

Anatoli's fingers twined in her hair and he twisted his lips over hers, pushing his tongue deeper, wanting more of her. She was so warm against him, so welcoming with her mouth and he grew hard against her soft body as he kissed her. She lifted herself onto her toes and met his kiss with as much force, her tongue dancing against his and arousing him further. He dropped one hand to her hip and hauled her against his body, pressing his hard desire against her.

She gasped and broke the kiss, blushing as their eyes met. He grinned at her and cupped her cheek in one hand as he laid another kiss against her lips. He eased across her cheek, planting kisses all the way to her ear lobe. There, he sucked on her skin just below her ear and delighted in the soft noises she made.

"We're wasting the wine," she whispered breathlessly as he licked along the edge of her ear.

"I don't care," he replied and drew back to look into her eyes. "I'd rather waste wine than the time I have with you."

Lena smiled. Her eyes were shining at him and her lips were swollen from his kisses. Without speaking, he bent his head and kissed her bottom lip, running his tongue just along the inside of it. Her mouth fell open on a sigh and he grinned, watching her body bend back. He slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her so she was sitting on the edge of the counter.

"What... are you doing?" she asked, her fingers tense on his shoulders.

He didn't answer her; not with words. Instead he placed himself between her legs and was pleased when he felt her legs lift to hook around his waist. He lifted his hands to the hem of her shirt, a lovely green shirt with a silver pattern along the neckline. Giving it no more thought, he gripped the shirt and pulled it off over her head. She lifted her arms to oblige, smiling shyly at him as he ran one hand across her bared collarbone.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured and bent closer to plant light kisses at the base of her throat.

She shuddered in his arms as he let his tongue create a path to one shoulder. There, he bit the edge of her bra strap and pulled it down her arm. She giggled as he slid the other strap down the same way. Then he lifted his mouth to hers as he reached behind her to undo the clasp. She parted her lips and nibbled on his lower lip, making him jerk his hips against hers in reaction. With a low growl, he yanked the bra clasp free. Instead of pulling away to take it off of her, he moved closer, sliding both his arms around her and slanting his mouth over hers.

God, she tasted so good to him. She was so warm and inviting, her tongue so delightful inside his mouth. He kissed her back, swallowing her moan and pressing closer, wanting to inhale her. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted another woman and he didn't know how she'd done it to him. He didn't care either. He just wanted inside her, badly.

With that thought breaking through his passionate haze, he drew back so he could pull her bra off. He tried to keep from breaking their kiss and he felt her mouth curl up at the ends in a smile. With her naked from the waist up, he cupped her breast in his hand and ran his thumb across the puckered tip. She made a sound low in her throat and he did it again, putting a little more pressure on it. When she pressed into his hand, he squeezed, caressing her and drawing more pleasing sounds from her.

He continued to toy with her, delaying his own pleasure just so he could make her crazy. He moved his mouth to her neck, sucking hard on one spot and then licking it to soften the kiss. Then he moved on and did the same thing to different sensitive spots on her skin; the soft skin under her ear, the spot where her shoulder met her neck, and the little indentation at the front of her collarbone.

Then he moved lower, closing his mouth over one taut nipple and holding her up as she arched away from him. Her legs around his waist were trembling and he could feel the heat coming from between her thighs. He was pressed so closely against her there. As he tasted her, he reached between them and undid the button at waist of her jeans. She leaned further back, her breathing ragged as he slid the zipper down.

"Lena," he moaned against her breast as he stroked her over the cover of her panties. "You're so ready for me."

She laughed breathlessly and when he looked up, she was nodding at him. Her eyes were glassy and dark, and her mouth was open as she panted. He stroked her again over the thin cotton before slipping a finger underneath the fabric. They both groaned as his finger slid between her soft folds and found that spot that was aching for him to touch. She jerked in his arms, pinning his hand between their bodies.

"Please, Anatoli," she murmured, still staring down at him and breathing hard. "Please."

He didn't need to be told twice. He withdrew his hand and began yanking her jeans and underwear down her legs, stepping back to let them fall to the floor. As he stepped close again, Lena reached for the waist of his pants and her fingers fumbled with the button. Chuckling, he helped her, pushing his pants down over his hips. He watched her face as he stripped before her and she bit her lip, reaching down to stroke him once.

That was all he allowed her. Any more of that and he'd be done before they'd even started.

He pulled her hand away and sucked one of her fingers into his mouth as he placed himself at her opening. Their eyes met and he pushed into her, delighting in the guttural noise she made when he slid all the way in.

She put her hands at the back of his neck as he pulled back and thrust again. He slipped one arm behind her waist to hold her against him and cupped her head with the other. They moved together, pushing and pulling as their lips met. Her mouth was open as she gasped for breath and Anatoli took advantage, thrusting his tongue inside while he brought their bodies back together with force.

He kissed her, tangling his hand in the hair at the back of her head and worked himself into her. Her legs tightened around him and she dug her heels into the back of his thighs. He pressed against her back with his arm and drew them close again, going deeper with each thrust.

"Anatoli," she breathed against his mouth and made a surprised noise. "Oh... oh..."

He sucked her lower lip into his mouth as she climaxed around him. They rocked together, riding the high and Anatoli moved faster. He buried himself inside of her, kissing her hard and most likely leaving bruises on her waist with his fingers. Then it hit him like a tidal wave and he threw his head back as he came.

For a short while he kept pushing into her and then stopped, resting his forehead on her shoulder. She ran a hand down his spine and then back up again, drawing a shiver from him. She giggled faintly and he lifted his head to plant a hot kiss on her mouth.

"I don't think I can ever look at this kitchen the same way again," she said.

"Me either," he agreed with a glance around. "Definitely won't tell Vlad about what we did on his counter."

Lena laughed and it turned into a soft groan as he withdrew from her. He didn't let her get down from the counter. He lifted her easily into his arms and carried her from the kitchen, leaving the wine forgotten on the counter and their clothes on the floor. He leaned his head down and kissed her as he carried her upstairs to his bedroom. She kissed him back, opening her mouth sweetly under his and letting him lazily explore her with his tongue. At last they reclined together on his bed and Anatoli drew the covers up around them both.

"You're not tired, are you?" she asked him, lifting herself up on one elbow to smile down at him.

"A little," he confessed. "I've been traveling so much and I was up very late last night."

Something passed across her face at his words and her smile disappeared. She looked away from him, raising a hand to nibble on a thumbnail. Smiling, he playfully swatted the hand away from her mouth, earning a dirty look from her. He laughed and pulled her down over him for another kiss. That kiss turned into another one, and then another until she was sliding across his body, her thighs pinning him down.

"Not so tired after all," she murmured against his lips, sliding her hands down over his stomach until she was holding his revived cock.

He nodded his agreement at her words and pulled her down for another kiss, unable to get enough of her.

Much later, Lena lay awake in Anatoli's bed and wondered why she couldn't get to sleep. They had spent only a few nights together since they'd first made love. So far, she'd had no trouble getting to sleep with him beside her but for some reason tonight, she couldn't relax. She told herself it was because she just wasn't as tired, but a glance at the clock told her she should be exhausted; it was well past midnight.

Sighing, Lena threw the covers back and rose from the bed. Searching in the dim room, she found a shirt that belonged to Anatoli and pulled it over her head. Then she quietly walked out, not wanting to disturb him. She carefully made her way through the house, following the light they'd left on in the kitchen.

Once inside the kitchen, she smiled at their casually discarded clothes and abandoned wine. She poured the remaining wine out of the glasses and set them in the sink before wedging the cork back in the wine bottle and pushing it back, out of the way on the counter. She didn't know if the wine would keep but she also didn't know what else to do with it. She picked up their clothes and carried them back upstairs to his room.

Anatoli was still snoring and she left him sleeping, depositing their clothes just inside the door before backing out and going back downstairs. She found the front room and managed to turn the television on. She flipped through all the channels, finding a late night movie and settling on the couch to watch it.

She didn't care what was on; she wasn't really watching it. Her mind was still going over all her conversations with Hilary and she couldn't get past them. She knew that Anatoli wasn't the kind of guy to just sleep around. Then she'd tell herself that she didn't know anything about him. They'd met and spent mere days together before he'd left Moscow. Here, in D.C., they'd had another few days.​