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1 YEAR LATER

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CLARA ROSSI

My business class finished twenty minutes late tonight.

Daniel always insisted on picking me up, and my phone had probably been buzzing with his messages. But I was in front of class at the end, presenting the latest achievements of my company.

And as I swung my leather bag over my shoulder and rushed out, Dr. Davis caught up with me. My professor, who had to be in his mid-thirties, and clearly knew that many students found his charming smile and tall frame irresistible.

"Thank you for showing us your hard work tonight, Clara. I'm still in shock. It takes most entrepreneurs years to get to where you are now." At least his compliment sounded genuine.

And it was a fact. I'd been working my ass off day and night to ensure it. "Thank you, Dr. Davis. I'm happy that I signed up for your class, I'm learning a lot."

He followed me out of the building into the empty campus grounds, towards the pick-up corner. Our footsteps echoed on the pavement, much louder given the night time.

"You can call me Jon." He chuckled. "Dr. Davis is so formal, I'm not that old. Listen, you know that seminar happening for entrepreneurs next weekend?"

I couldn't shake the thought that Daniel might see us. "Uh-huh. Yeah, I know."

"I'm allowed to invite only one student. Would you be interested? It's a great opportunity to-"

Yes, yes, I knew. The other students had been raving about it since day one. But my business was thriving, plus I doubted Dr. Davis's intentions were entirely professional.

"That's so sweet! Thank you. Let me check my schedule, though. I can't make any commitments right now." I flashed him a quick, reassuring smile.-

And just then, as we turned the corner, Daniel was there waiting.

Against the brick buildings and trees. In front of his sleek black Benz, which gleamed seductively under the dim street lamps. His tall figure draped in all black, blending seamlessly with the shadows. His face looked unreadable but intense, fixated on us.

Dr. Davis finally came to his senses. "K-keep me posted, then. Goodnight, Miss Rossi."

Miss Rossi, huh? Not Clara anymore? I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Goodnight."

As I approached, Daniel opened the car door for me. "Who's that?" were his first words, cool and indifferent.

I replied once he settled behind the wheel, enveloped by the darkness of his car. "My professor."

"Why was he walking with you?"

Despite his jealousy, I found it hard to resist absorbing every detail of him. The silver rings encircling his fingers, accentuating their length and thickness and...capabilities.

"He was complimenting me for my class presentation. Sorry to keep you waiting, by the way. The other students have no time management skills."

"It's fine..." He meant it too. Daniel would never hold such things against me. Time and time again, he'd been my biggest support. Encouraging me to work hard, being sweet when I was exhausted, making me smile when I doubted myself.

"How was your day?" I tried to lighten the tension.

He always kept the details of his complicated operations vague. "Fine." But never that vague.

Punishment for smiling at the professor, I assumed. Sulking baby. I wasn't going to explain myself. Instead, I uncrossed and crossed my legs, drawing his eyes to my bare thighs in my red summer dress.

"Did he invite you to the seminar?" he asked.

My head whipped to him. "How'd you-Oh my God. Did you make Felix hack into his accounts?"

"Did he?" That nonchalant arrogance.

I gritted my teeth. "None of your business, Volkov."

Did we care for each other? More than most would ever understand. Was he the only man I thought about, the only one I wanted? Yes. Always yes. And I knew that despite our lives being so different, I was the only woman in his heart and on his mind. I knew, but...

Making our relationship official meant becoming a don's girlfriend, and I needed to have control over my life. I needed it to stay normal and he knew. He knew, yet he still stuck around.

He parked in front of my house and walked me to my front door.

"What, you're not going to invite me in?" he asked when I unlocked quietly.

"Charlotte's home."

The corner of his mouth lifted. His eyes dark and brimming with danger. "No, she's not."

No, she wasn't. She was on a date with Andrei. "Fine." I rolled my eyes. "Come in."

Just because we were alone, it didn't mean we had to rip each other's clothes off. Dropping my purse on the floor, I was about to undo my heeled sandals-

Daniel beat me to it. And as his knuckles softly brushed my ankles, I felt my irritation splinter.

He unclasped and slipped my shoes off, and I hoped...he'd snake his hands up my dress, maybe, because I was wearing it for him. To tease him, taunt him. But he stood up straight and studied me for a moment. Studied the gold necklace in the hollow of my throat. Or maybe how my breathing had changed. Because he was so close, but not close enough.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"Did you tell him that you'd go?"

"Oh my God, are we still talking about Dr. Davis?" I stomped to the kitchen, taking my jacket off. "No, I'm not going on a 'business trip' with my professor. Do I look that naive? I can tell the difference between professional friendliness and tiptoeing the line to see if I might indulge him."

"If you know that, then why were you smiling like that?" He followed me. "Hm?"

"It's called being polite-and why do I have to explain this to you? As if you don't smile at women day in and day out."

"I don't. Especially not like that."

I scoffed, flipping the amber lights under the kitchen cabinets on. Daniel braced his palms on the white island in the middle of the kitchen, his muscular arms bathed in the glow and shadows.

I bent over the stone and traced the veins down his forearm. "This passive aggressive bullshit isn't cute, Volkov." I smirked at his stoic expression under my lashes. "Can you leave my poor professor alone or should I be worried?"

"Oh, your professor?" The jealousy simmered and I fought back a satisfied grin.

"He is very impressive. Intelligent. I like listening to him."

"Hm..." His unbothered sigh scraped the back of his throat, sending a thrill through me. "You bend over like this in class?" He studied my position, more specifically the curve of my ass in this short dress. "You bend like this for your professor, Clara?"

I should've found relief at the playful hint in his tone, but as he shifted behind me-pinned me between him and the stone. My breath hitched. When one hand wrapped around the back of my neck and the other one...the other one lifted my dress-

I heard the sharp slap of his palm before I felt its bite.

Then the burn, the humiliating and overpowering burn that spread across my ass, and contorted my face with pain.

"Maybe I need to teach you a lesson." He mocked, the filthy tone erupting a wave of goosebumps. He caressed the scorching print his fingers had left. I hissed at the swelling sensitivity and tried to jerk away. But he tightened his grip on my neck and kept me right where he wanted. "Uh-uh. Where do you think you're going?"

"Fuck you." I laughed, but it wasn't very convincing.

"Fuck me, huh-" He paused and I knew exactly why. He finally noticed what was under the dress. "Wait a minute. You wore these crotchless panties to class?"

"So what if I-" My wit died on my tongue as he traced two fingers over my exposed slit, a whisper of a touch...and I couldn't think beyond that point of contact as he dipped them further and massaged my clit.

I clenched my thighs, fighting a moan. But of course, he noticed. He loved this game, just as much as I did. When I switched from glaring at him to rolling my eyes to the back of my head.

"Is this what you wanted?" He drawled, like he could do this for hours.

I could barely form words, thoughts. "Fuck you."

Daniel struck his palm on my other cheek so fast, I let out a high-pitched cry.

"Care to repeat that?"

Oh, I hated him. Hated him-My chest was rising and falling at a more rapid rate. Stupid. He made me stupid and it was humiliating and I did not care.

He groaned with pleasure, slipping his finger inside me. Slowly, too slowly. In and out. My toes curled. My hands clenched. I held my breath not to whimper and all he did was laugh.

"That's what I thought." Daniel grabbed me by the throat and pushed my spine against his chest. I felt the smile of his lips against my neck. "Spread your legs, love."

My dignity faded behind a fog of lust. I breathed heavy with anticipation. And when he removed his gun from his pants and set it on the counter. When I heard his belt unbuckle, the whoosh of leather, the clank of metal. His zipper...

"I think someone missed me, and doesn't want to admit it." He sneered, squeezing my throat and pushing his cock in-and in, and in.

All my nerve-endings clenched around him, all of them burst at the same time and my vision shattered with pleasure. Out of control and on command, on his command.

"There, maybe this will help." He slowed pulled out, then slowly thrust back in, licking my neck more like an animal than a human. "How's that? Does that feel better?"

My moan was a pleading.

"Use your words. Go on. Did you miss me? Did you miss this cock?" Each word was punctuated with a slow, deep thrust. Each word heightened the pleasure to a blinding level.

"Y-yes," I said through a clenched jaw and dug my nails into his forearm, into the muscles beneath.

"That's a good girl." He claimed my neck as I cried out again. Never once stopped his rhythm. Never once missing that spot that made me see stars. "That's much better."

His hands multitasked. One cutting off my oxygen, only softening his grip on my neck when darkness threatened. And with release flooded with pleasure. At the same time, his other hand teased my nipples. Pinched them. Flicked them. And the piercing pain bolted to my clit.

When I moaned desperately, his hand shot into my hair and angled me to kiss him, and I kissed him back, unable to get enough.

Because even when aggressive, he craved that connection, the intimacy. And it was his vulnerability that surrendered mine. Made this more than just sex, more than just lust. He needed me, as much as I needed him. He'd do anything for me, as I'd do anything for him.

And after the whole street had heard my screams, I happily got on my knees and swallowed every drop of him. I relished every twitch and shake of his body, the way his brows furrowed and lips parted. His throaty moan. The way his neck arched with ecstasy. Ecstasy I gave to him.

"God, I ruined you..." He laughed sheepishly, helping me up. He buttoned his jeans, then bent to study the damage on my ass. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to make you a bath?"

I gave him a drunken smile. "No, I want to cuddle." I didn't mind the bruises.

"Okay, whatever you want." He kissed my forehead, then my lips, then started cleaning up the kitchen. "Go wash up, I'll meet you in bed."

Just like that, our tension and arguments were gone. After the adrenaline, the high of happy chemicals, we basked in euphoric relaxation. Tangled in the sheets, my cheek against his warm chest, his arms solid around me. Safe. Content.

"I did miss you, by the way," I mumbled, snuggling closer.

"I missed you too." He stroked my hair.

I savored the beat of his heart, thankful that it was beating. The dull pain of almost losing him never left my mind. I felt it in his silence, his mind lurking in those shadows too.

His hazel eyes settled on me, and I probably looked back at him like a lovesick teenager. "I'll take you to the seminar, if you want to go."

"You're busy."

"I'm never busy for you."

My heart squeezed. I hated that in thirty minutes, he'd have to leave. Because I always made him leave.

"You want to go to New York together?" he murmured, drawing lazy shapes on my naked spine.

I closed my eyes at the sensation. "I do."

"Then we'll go." He turned me around and pulled me close, spooning me against him.

I was sleepy...and I wondered, if I could pretend to forget the rules, all these stupid rules that I made.

He kissed the back of my shoulder, the scars on his chest pressed against me. What he'd been through. A constant reminder that tomorrow, the nightmares could begin again and maybe this time, they wouldn't end. Maybe we just got lucky the first time.

But still. He was here right now. With me.

So I forced my choking panic to calm. Stifled the fears from running circles in my head. I could only wish to be lucky enough that nothing would take him away from me.

THE END

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Author's Note

Thank you for reading. I know romance books usually end with marriage and kids, but this story didn't want that. I had to mentally go into dark places for Clara and Daniel, and by the end of it, slapping a happy ending didn't feel right.

So it ends on a bittersweet note (with smut, only cause that's what a lot of people expect). Knowing them, knowing how they feel, it's up to you to imagine how their future will turn out. I have ideas swirling in my head, but no plans at the moment to put them into writing.

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Special thank you to Maddylewis998 and Mierda_you This story would not be the same without you

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Thank you to everyone else, those who commented, those who didn't, those who voted, those who read silently. I love and appreciate you

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Feel tree to drop a review here! It could help me to promote this book. I would love for more people to see it

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Until next time. Your Blunt Weirdo