Chapter Thirty

She gave herself a headache trying to decide what she could do for him.  She wanted to show him how much she loved him and to repay him for all the wonderful things he had done for her.  Three days ago, she got to meet Sidney Crosby, Matt Cooke and Evgeni Malkin.  Alex had arranged for her and Catherine to meet them after they played against the Caps in DC.  It had been a surreal experience.  They had all been so nice and friendly, just as she had always imagined them.  Sid was even more handsome in person and she blushed when he smiled at her. Geno was huge.  She had no idea how really big he was.  She actually held a conversation with Matt about DC and how she met Alex.  She’d completely forgotten that he used to play here. They all signed the Pens jersey that she was wearing.

Alex had only frowned just a little when he realized she would be wearing it to the game. 

“You were that to my game?” he teased.

“I will have your t-shirt underneath,” she grinned.

“As long as I get to take it off,” he smiled and kissed her quickly.

Just thinking about it made her smile all over again. She had to find a way to make him smile that way. He’d shared everything with her, his life, his passion.  She finally decided that maybe she could share some of her own passion with him.

“What you need me here for?” he asked, walking into the stable.

“I’m going to share something with you.”

“What?”

“I’m going to teach you to ride.”

Alex looked the tall, saddled gelding beside her and then back at her skeptically.

“Alex, you love fast cars and roller coasters and doing things that give you a rush, how can you be nervous about this?” she giggled.

“He bigger than me and he don’t like me.”

She took his hand and brought him closer to Tsar.  “It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He reacts to you that way because he can sense that you are nervous.  He just needs to trust you. Talk to him in Russian,” she smiled. “It worked for me.”

Alex smirked at her and turned his attention back to the 1000 pound beast in front of him.

“Не сделать меня выглядеть плохо,” he said in a soft voice and reached up to stroke Tsar’s forehead.  Tsar bowed his head toward him, snorted, but allowed Alex to pat him.

“See,” said Sophie triumphantly. “Keep going.”

Alex continued to speak in Russian to the horse, moving his hand down his graceful neck and up into his black mane. Tsar shuffled his feet and Alex froze for just a second before continuing to croon in Russian.  His voice was low and his words almost musical.  Tsar stood still and calm and so did Sophie. Alex worked his magic on both of them. 

“Time to get on,” she said, smiling at the stricken look on his face. She instructed him to put his foot in the stirrup and she held Tsar while Alex swung his leg over. Tsar threw his head up feeling Alex’s weight on his back, but stood still with Sophie’s hand gently stroking his neck.  Alex’s lips pursed slightly as Tsar’s reaction, but if he was nervous, he kept it to himself pretty well. 

“Now I’m going to get on behind you,” she said.

“You behind me, that different,” he grinned. She smiled and ran her hand up his inner thigh reaching for the saddle horn and climbed on behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and up his chest.  Tsar shifted his feet again, restlessly. Alex grasped the reins tightly.

“Talk to him some more,” she said.  “And let him loose a little.” 

Alex spoke in his deep, sing-song voice once more and Tsar began walking off toward the woods behind the stable.  She showed him the finer points of steering and acceleration, likening Tsar to his Mercedes. 

“It not like driving a car, Sophia,” Alex laughed.

“It’s better.   You urge him to run and he does it because you ask him to. He is not a machine. He has a mind of his own.  And when you and him are running together, it’s like flying with the wind stinging your eyes to tears. It’s freedom, real freedom.”

Alex shifted back to look at her. She smiled bashfully and kissed his cheek. 

“So, when we run?”

“Well, if you think you’re ready, just squeeze him with your heels.”  Sophie tightened her grip around Alex’s torso as Tsar began to gallop. She felt Alex hunch over just a little and begin moving with Tsar’s stride. He was a natural. He already seemed relaxed and confident holding the reins. Alex squeezed his legs again and Tsar kicked it into a higher gear.  Sophie hugged him tighter and could swear she heard him laugh.

Tsar slowed as they came up to the stream that split the woods in two.  Alex pulled back on the reins and they came to a stop. He took a deep breath and grinned back at Sophie.

“You should just say it was like skating as fast as you can go!” He reached around, putting his arms around her and pulled her from behind him to his lap.  He kissed her hard and she could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest.  His kiss brought the same kind of reaction in her.  Tsar shifted his weight, interrupting the kiss. 

“Thank you,” Alex smiled. Sophie grinned back at him, delighted. 

“You never cease to amaze me, my Alex,” she whispered and kissed him again beside the babbling brook, with the brilliant sunlight shining down on their shoulders.

THE END.

Chapter Twenty nine

There were boxes scattered here and there in her living room. Deciding what to take with her and what to leave behind was a difficult process.  She had decided to keep the house. It was her parents house, after all.  She wasn’t ready to give it up and Alex really seemed fine with it.  At least, he didn’t act like he thought she was keeping it in case things didn’t work out.  It had crossed her mind, but her heart was completely Alex’s and she couldn’t imagine being without him.  He made her believe he felt the same.  She was so happy. She’d just finished closing up a box with masking tape as he walked in.

“You have lots of stuff,” he teased her.

“This is nothing, handsome. I’m leaving half of it here.”

He walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and sighed.

“You sad?”

“Sad? No, I’m happy.”

“I would understand if you sad. You leaving your home and friends behind.”

She turned to face him and wrapped her hands around his neck.

“I am happier than I have ever been, Alexander Ovechkin. I have a new world waiting for me and there is no one I’d rather share it with.”

She stood on her tip toes and kissed his soft lips.  He wrapped his hands in her soft hair and held her close.

“We could stop for little bit and go back to your room,” he tempted her, nuzzling her neck.

“Can’t you wait until we get home?” she smiled.

“Home. I like this. Okay, wait for home,” he slapped her lightly on the pockets of her new Ovi jeans.  “I park truck up the street. You move Mustang out of drive?”

She nodded and squeezed his hand before he moved out the door. 

Sophie picked up the box and moved it to the kitchen table, smiling to herself. She turned to get her keys off the hook on the wall and froze.  He was standing in the doorway, grinning with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“So, what’s going on here?” Dave asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Sophie backed slowly toward the doorway to the living room, panic rising in her throat making her unable to speak.

“Packing?  Where do you think you’re going, Sophie?” he sneered.

She made a break for the front door. He chased after her, shoving her from behind into the door itself.  She crumpled and he pinned her to the door.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he hissed in her ear. “You think you can just leave and start a whole new life somewhere else, with someone else? That’s not gonna happen, Sweetheart. You’re mine – always have been, always will be.”

Sophie forced herself to get her breathing under control. She was close to hyperventilating. If that happened, she could pass out. She couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t make it that easy for him.  She swallowed hard and braced her hands against the door.  She took a deep breath and brought her foot down hard on Dave’s.  She tagged him right at the base of the ankle. His grasp on her let up in his surprise and she pushed hard against the door, knocking him off balance. She slammed her hand against the panic button on the alarm pad and fumbled with the door. In her panic, she didn’t realize that it was locked and before she could get it open Dave was on her again.  She tried to fight him off, but his right connected with her jaw first and she slumped to the floor. She was dazed for a moment and barely registered another voice.

She fought the fog from her head and saw that Alex had Dave pinned to the floor.  Dave had his hands around Alex’s throat, but Alex continued to pummel him with his right hand.  Dave was shorter than Alex, but somehow he was holding his own against him. Sophie could hear Alex growling in Russian as she tried to get to her feet.  The alarm was wailing throughout the house. She could hear the distant sound of the phone ringing.  She stumbled toward the table to the phone.  Dave’s eyes shot toward her and he flashed his hand out to grab her ankle. Alex was momentarily distracted by Sophie’s fall and Dave flipped him over onto his back. Dave landed two solid punches to Alex’s jaw, then wrapped his hands around Alex’s neck.  Sophie regained her feet and ran into the kitchen.  She grabbed the bat she kept in the corner - the bat with Dave’s name on it.  She ran back to the living room. Alex was still punching at Dave, but his eyes were slightly bigger and his lips were turning blue.  Sophie raised the bat over her head and brought it down across Dave’s shoulders before he even registered that she was there. He collapsed on top of Alex and she heard Alex take in a deep breath.  Alex pushed Dave’s unconscious body off of him and reached for Sophie. She was trembling and the fog was starting to come back. She didn’t have the strength to hold the bat anymore. Alex caught her before she fell and held her until the swimming in her head subsided. Just then, two uniformed police officers burst through the front door.

“It’s over, Sophia,” he whispered to her, rocking her in his arms.  She clung to him as tight as she could.  Over, she thought. Finally over.

Chapter Twenty eight

“He’s beautiful, Sophie. I can’t believe he got you a horse.”  Catherine stepped over to the fence with the apple that Sophie had offered.  She extended her hand and Tsar snorted at her before accepting the treat.   Catherine had come to Arlington for the afternoon.  After a lovely lunch at the bistro in town, Sophie had taken her to the stable to show off her new prize.   

“He’s wonderful.”

“Who, the horse or Alex?” her friend snickered.

“Well, both, but I meant Tsar. Come ride with me. The stable has a couple of other horses that I’ve used before. Charlie won’t mind.”

“Okay, but just slow, not too much bouncing around.”  Catherine’s ribs were still tender at times.  Sophie discussed one of the horses with Charlie, the owner of the stable.  He brought Copper out for Catherine to ride. Copper was a 7 yr old sorrel mare.  She was very gentle and Charlie routinely used her for more inexperienced riders. Sophie saddled Tsar and she and her best friend took off down the path to the woods behind the far pasture. 

“So, are you going to tell me?” Catherine asked after they’d been walking for a few minutes.

“What?”

“Sophie, you’ve had something on your mind all day. I’m tired of waiting. Tell me.”

Sophie smiled. She never could keep anything from Catherine. Her friend knew her like an old tattered book.

“Cat,” she sighed and smiled. “He asked me to move in with him.”

Catherine pulled Copper’s reins up short and looked at her friend in shock. Sophie’s smile faded just a bit.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m really surprised. Are you – I mean, do you want to?”

“Well, he wanted me to think about it,” she said quietly, perplexed by Catherine’s reaction. She thought sure that Catherine would be so excited that she could hardly keep from jumping up and down.

“And have you thought about it -- pros and cons?”

“Well, sure I have. I thought you’d be happy for me. I thought you liked Alex.”

“I do like Alex, Sophie, but moving in is a big step. Have you thought about what happens when he’s on the road or what you’re going do for a job? What are you going to do with your parent’s house?”

“It wouldn’t be any different than when he’s on the road now and I don’t have a job anymore in Baltimore. There are plenty of things I can do in Arlington. I don’t know what I’ll do about Mom and Dad’s house. I haven’t decided.”

“But, clearly, you’ve decided to move in with him.”

“Yes, I have. I’m moving in with him.”

A smile started at the corners of Catherine’s mouth and spread to a wide grin. “Then you better give me a hug.”

Sophie laughed and leaned over on the horse to hug her friend.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“It’s only an hour away. We’ll see each other all the time.”

“Hell, maybe I’ll get to see more of Mike this way. You might not be the only one who gets to live the dream.”

Chapter Twenty eight

There was nowhere else Sophie would rather be than right here.  He held her close to him, her head on his chest, swaying back and forth to the music.  She never pictured Alex as a dancer, but as she’d come to discover, he was full of surprises.  He seemed to thrive on finding new ways to catch her off guard.  Unpredictable was definitely the word for him.  He never failed to put a smile on her face. He seemed just a little bit nervous tonight.  It was odd considering he was never short on confidence and she found herself getting anxious, wondering what was on his mind.  She did her best to dismiss the feeling. She knew he would tell her in his own time. Besides, he was holding her in his arms, running his hands over her back and into her hair and what possibly could be better than that. She felt his soft lips on her forehead and his fingers on her chin, raising her mouth to his.  His kiss was slow and gentle. At first, short and then starting again developing into a deep, long kiss, making her weak in the knees. She loved it when he kissed her that way. It always left her breathless. 

Her fingers fumbled with a couple of the buttons on his shirt and he groaned softly when her lips touched his chest.  She gently pushed him backwards making him sit down on the couch.  She leaned over him and kissed him again.  He ran his hands up her thighs and slid the hem of her dress up while urging her to straddle him. He moaned softly again as he discovered she had left her panties upstairs. He unzipped the back of her dress and slid it off her shoulders leaving it bunched around her hips.  He buried his face between her breasts, kissing first one then the other.  She continued to unfasten his buttons and slid her hands across his massive chest under the fabric.  She loved the feel of his soft skin under her fingers. She ran her hands over his massive shoulders and up his neck pulling his face back up to her and kissing him hard.  His large hands cupped her butt cheeks as he raised his hips toward her so that she could feel how hard he was trapped against the fabric of his pants.  She reached down and rubbed his stiffening cock through his pants for a minute before unzipping them and allowing him to escape.  He moaned as she squeezed him, wiping the precum from the tip of his penis down the shaft.  He swiftly grabbed her hips and pulled her down on him, impaling her as far as he could go.  She gasped, arching her back and tossed her hair back so that it teased his knees.  He cried out in Russian, his voice low and breathy. She didn’t understand the words, but his tone imitated her own as she moaned his name.  She moved her hips up and down as he raised his to meet her.  He kept his hands high on her thighs and thumbed her clit as he thrust into her. She held the back of his neck and pressed her forehead to his gazing into the deep blue pools of his eyes.

“Oh, Alex,” she moaned, feeling the orgasm tingle at the base of her spine and begin to shake her. It rushed through her like a wildfire out of control consuming ever fiber in her body as if every nerve was being licked by flames.

“Sophia,” he grunted.  She felt his own body shake as he exploded into her. She rode him until he was completely spent and then collapsed onto his chest, breathless.  He lay his head back on the couch panting, but with a smile.  He slid his hands into her hair and cradled her as he lay her on the couch, kissing her neck softly.

“My Alex,” she whispered dreamily. “I love you.”

“я тебя люблю, Sophia. I love you.” He answered, his low voice like a song in her ear.  He covered her body with his and held her close, caressing her hair and running his finger over her cheek.

“Stay with me, Sophia.”  He reached for into a dish on the coffee table and pulled out a small silver key. “No go back to Baltimore.  This can be your home.  I want this to be your home. Stay with me.”

She looked up into his eyes and then at the key he held up.

“You no have to answer me now,” he said putting his finger over her lips. “Think about it. I know it is big decision to leave your home and your friends.  You should think about it.  But I want you here with me. I no want you to go back to Baltimore.”

She was completely shocked.  She never expected him to ask her to move in.  The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.  She would do as he asked and think about it, but she already knew what her decision would be.  She looked up into those astounding blue eyes and back over to the key he held in his hand, complete with Pittsburgh Penguins keychain, and kissed him with all the love she had in her heart. 

Chapter Twenty seven

There was nowhere else Sophie would rather be than right here.  He held her close to him, her head on his chest, swaying back and forth to the music.  She never pictured Alex as a dancer, but as she’d come to discover, he was full of surprises.  He seemed to thrive on finding new ways to catch her off guard.  Unpredictable was definitely the word for him.  He never failed to put a smile on her face. He seemed just a little bit nervous tonight.  It was odd considering he was never short on confidence and she found herself getting anxious, wondering what was on his mind.  She did her best to dismiss the feeling. She knew he would tell her in his own time. Besides, he was holding her in his arms, running his hands over her back and into her hair and what possibly could be better than that. She felt his soft lips on her forehead and his fingers on her chin, raising her mouth to his.  His kiss was slow and gentle. At first, short and then starting again developing into a deep, long kiss, making her weak in the knees. She loved it when he kissed her that way. It always left her breathless. 

Her fingers fumbled with a couple of the buttons on his shirt and he groaned softly when her lips touched his chest.  She gently pushed him backwards making him sit down on the couch.  She leaned over him and kissed him again.  He ran his hands up her thighs and slid the hem of her dress up while urging her to straddle him. He moaned softly again as he discovered she had left her panties upstairs. He unzipped the back of her dress and slid it off her shoulders leaving it bunched around her hips.  He buried his face between her breasts, kissing first one then the other.  She continued to unfasten his buttons and slid her hands across his massive chest under the fabric.  She loved the feel of his soft skin under her fingers. She ran her hands over his massive shoulders and up his neck pulling his face back up to her and kissing him hard.  His large hands cupped her butt cheeks as he raised his hips toward her so that she could feel how hard he was trapped against the fabric of his pants.  She reached down and rubbed his stiffening cock through his pants for a minute before unzipping them and allowing him to escape.  He moaned as she squeezed him, wiping the precum from the tip of his penis down the shaft.  He swiftly grabbed her hips and pulled her down on him, impaling her as far as he could go.  She gasped, arching her back and tossed her hair back so that it teased his knees.  He cried out in Russian, his voice low and breathy. She didn’t understand the words, but his tone imitated her own as she moaned his name.  She moved her hips up and down as he raised his to meet her.  He kept his hands high on her thighs and thumbed her clit as he thrust into her. She held the back of his neck and pressed her forehead to his gazing into the deep blue pools of his eyes.

“Oh, Alex,” she moaned, feeling the orgasm tingle at the base of her spine and begin to shake her. It rushed through her like a wildfire out of control consuming ever fiber in her body as if every nerve was being licked by flames.

“Sophia,” he grunted.  She felt his own body shake as he exploded into her. She rode him until he was completely spent and then collapsed onto his chest, breathless.  He lay his head back on the couch panting, but with a smile.  He slid his hands into her hair and cradled her as he lay her on the couch, kissing her neck softly.

“My Alex,” she whispered dreamily. “I love you.”

“я тебя люблю, Sophia. I love you.” He answered, his low voice like a song in her ear.  He covered her body with his and held her close, caressing her hair and running his finger over her cheek.

“Stay with me, Sophia.”  He reached for into a dish on the coffee table and pulled out a small silver key. “No go back to Baltimore.  This can be your home.  I want this to be your home. Stay with me.”

She looked up into his eyes and then at the key he held up.

“You no have to answer me now,” he said putting his finger over her lips. “Think about it. I know it is big decision to leave your home and your friends.  You should think about it.  But I want you here with me. I no want you to go back to Baltimore.”

She was completely shocked.  She never expected him to ask her to move in.  The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.  She would do as he asked and think about it, but she already knew what her decision would be.  She looked up into those astounding blue eyes and back over to the key he held in his hand, complete with Pittsburgh Penguins keychain, and kissed him with all the love she had in her heart. 

Chapter Twenty Six

She spent every morning for the next week at the stable with her new friend.  She discovered he had a very smooth gate and a fondness for apples. By the end of the week, he would come to the fence to greet her, waiting for his treat. He pranced around the paddock tossing his mane until she produced the apple. His impatience reminded her of Alex. He was beautiful. He had a long, graceful neck and powerful shoulders and he looked at Sophie with the same kind of intensity that Alex did, though his eyes were a deep dark brown.  She watched him interact with the other horses.  He was friendly enough, but held his head high. It seemed clear to her that he thought he was in charge.

Alex joined her at the fence and watched the horse stomp his feet and snort.

“You no ride today?”

“No, I was just enjoying watching him.” 

Alex watched as the horse tossed his head and snorted again.

“He do not like me,” he observed.

“That’s not really true. You haven’t been around much. You are still a stranger to him. He will like you after he gets to know you,” she smiled. “I did.”

He grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing her forehead.

“Have you chosen a name?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Want to tell me?” he said raising his eyebrows.

“Tsar.  I think he is a Tsar.”

“Tsar? What make you think this?”

“Watch him for a little while. He thinks he is.”

Alex watched the gelding trot around the enclosure, tossing his head and whinnying to a couple of other horses in the pasture behind his.  Alex smiled and looked at Sophie.

“Okay, you may be right.”

“He’s just wonderful Alex. I can never thank you enough for him.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.  He looked down at her.

“I’m sure I could think of something,” he said raising his eyebrows.  He leaned down and kissed her softly. Suddenly, there was a snort right next to them. Alex jumped and Sophie stifled a laugh.  Tsar had come back to investigate.  Alex eyed the horse suspiciously.

“She mine. You step back. I make you glue,” he said to the horse.

“Alex!” Sophie swatted at him and followed as he led her back to the car.

Tsar snorted again as they walked away.

Alex smiled at her in the car and she eyed him suspiciously. 

“What are you up to?” she asked.

“Who me?”

“You are the only other person in the car, Alex,” she grinned.

He smiled but was silent and she couldn’t get any more information out of him.  She walked into the house to find the kitchen table set with a white table cloth, china and tall candles. There was a bouquet of roses on the counter.

“Alex,” was all she could muster as she caught her breath.  He pulled her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

“Dinner will be served soon. Go upstairs and change,” he said softly. Her jaw dropped slightly and she moved toward the stairs speechless. She looked back over her shoulder at him and he grinned that devilish smile that never failed to melt her resolved.  She dashed excitedly upstairs to find a beautiful white dress lain out on the bed.  It was a sleeveless sheath dress with a white, embroidered lace overlay. She slipped into it and admired her look in the mirror.  She sorted through her jewelry box and found a crystal clip that had been her mother’s and pulled back the front of her hair to better show her features.  Her eyes were her best feature, in her opinion, and her mother always said that wearing her hair this way brought out her eyes.  She found herself wishing that her mother was still around. She would want her to meet Alex.  She’d missed her so much since the accident. Maybe her grief played a part in why she was so blind to who Dave really was. Losing her both parents in the car crash had sent her reeling into a whirlwind of turmoil that she never thought she’d recover from. Now, with Alex, she was the girl her mother knew again. She was happy. Her mother would have loved Alex. Sophie took a deep breath, remembering that her Prince Charming was waiting downstairs and hurried with a touch of lipstick before heading for the door.

He was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He had changed clothes himself, into a pair of black slacks and a blue dress shirt.   He was smiling at her. She could tell he was pleased at how she looked in the dress.  She stood in front of him, looking into his eyes.  He touched her hair, smiling.

“I like it this way. You look so beautiful, Sophia.”

He took her hand and led her to the table. The candles were lit. There was soft music playing over the speakers. Alex brought out two large bowls and placed them on the table.  Sophie quickly realized what he had done.

“You cooked for me?  Borscht?”

He smiled at her.  She looked down at the bowl. It looked beautiful. He’d dropped a bit of sour cream and dill on top of the red of the beets to make a lovely presentation. 

 “I can’t believe you cooked for me,” she kept her sweet, happy face on trying to disguise her skeptism.

“You trust me. You like it. I promise,” he said, not fooled by her smile.

She raised the spoon to her lips and tasted. She smiled at him. He grinned a satisfied smile.

“What I say?  You like it.”

“It’s not as bad as I thought,” she said grinning. “I’m overwhelmed Alex. Why did you do all of this?”

“I want to have special night,” he said. “Very special night.”

Chapter Twenty Five

When she woke up in his bed the next morning, she never dreamed of the surprise he had waiting for her.  It was just a little chilly and she was warm and comfortable under the quilt with him. When he got up to go to practice, she resisted.

“No, don’t leave me in here by myself. It’s cold,” she pouted. “And I’ll miss you,” she added, taking his hand and covering her breast with it.

“Not fair to tempt me. I have to go to practice,” he said smirking, but did not remove his hand.  He leaned over her and kissed her lips softly.  Her lips parted for him and he kissed her deep and slow.  She sighed as his lips traveled down her neck.  He pulled the blankets down to reveal her breast and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She shivered with desire and from the sudden chill.  He looked up at her and grinned. Then he jumped out of bed and flung the quilt to the floor.

“I have to go to practice,” he exclaimed laughing as he made his way to the shower.

“Alex!” she called after him in frustration, scrambling for the covers. “Not cool! You’re going to pay for that!”

She slipped her naked body into a pair of sweats and one of his hoodies and went downstairs to make coffee.  She had finally learned how to use his fancy cappuccino machine, so she could make more than one cup at a time.  She stopped short and decided he didn’t deserve any coffee after that display and refused to make a pot.  She was still standing at the counter over the French press when he bounded down the stairs.

“Hey, where’s mine?” he pouted. She raised her eyebrows at him and went back to sipping from her own cup.

“Oh, you not mad. I just playing. Come on,” he said wrapping his hands around her and caressing her stomach underneath the hoodie.

“You cut that out. You had your chance.”

“Don’t be that way,” he pleaded and reached his hands up further and cupped both breasts.

  

“Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin, you cut that out,” she cried, pushing back against him making him let go. “You have practice remember.”

He looked into her face and saw the sparkle in her eyes and the smile that she was almost successful in hiding.

“Okay,” he said. “Your loss. I be back in two hours. I have surprise for you.”  He started walking away from her and she grabbed his hand.

“Surprise? What surprise?” she asked.

“No tell you. That’s what surprise is. Means you don’t know,” he insisted and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before heading out to the garage.

“Bye,” he grinned, waving the bottle at her.

“Wait!”  She ran into his arms and kissed him good-bye, enjoying how good his hands felt as he cupped her rear.

                                                                                                                                                         

She spent the next two hours, showering and cleaning up the house.  Alex’s home was quite neat and clean, since he’d hardly been home lately.  Though he had some dirty clothes tossed on the floor.  He picked up after him, shaking her head.  She heard a car and rushed to the window, but it was just someone driving by.  She was anticipating his return more than she thought as she caught herself glancing out the window several times over the next few minutes.  Stop it, she thought to herself, he’ll be here when he gets here.  She finally made herself sit down and turn on the TV. The NHL Network was replaying the Olympic Special on Alex and Sidney Crosby.  She remembered watching this special before she’d met Alex. Remembered think how nice Sidney was and how wild Alex had seemed.  He wasn’t though. Not really.  He was exciting and he made everything he did fun, but he wasn’t the crazy risk-taker that the media made him out to be. Except for the speeding.  The speeding was bang on.  She worried about him driving still, though he was adamant that he’d slowed down. That was mainly because he didn’t want a ticket, though. 

The door opened from the garage and she jumped up, quickly pushing the off button on the remote.  The Olympics was still a bit of a sore spot with Alex and she would not have him see what she’d been watching. 

“You not waiting by the door for your surprise, huh?” he teased after accepting her kiss.

She grinned up at him. He took her hand and led her outside.  They walked through the garage and out to the driveway where a trailer waited.  A burly man in jeans and boots was leaning back against a red pickup truck.

“Alex?” Sophie questioned.  He only grinned at her while the burly man went around to the back of the trailer.  He opened the gate and backed a beautiful bay gelding out onto the drive way. Sophie was astounded.  She looked over the beautiful horse with her mouth open.  She reached up to pat the velvet nose and he allowed it before snorting slightly.

“You like him?  He is supposed to be very good horse. He only three years old.  You have to tell me. I don’t know much about horses,” Alex explained.

“Alex, he’s amazing!” she exclaimed running her hand down the horse’s neck and into the long black mane.  He stood about 17 hands high and he was all muscle.  He shifted his footing restlessly on the concrete of the driveway. 

“There is stable about ten minutes away. I thought you might want to keep him there,” he said and added quietly, “unless you would like to take him to Baltimore.”

She smiled at him and suddenly threw her arms around his neck planting a big kiss on his mouth.  The horse threw up his head reacting to her sudden movement, but the burly man had a hold of him and he did nothing but back up a few steps.  Alex noticed though and wasn’t very happy about it.

“Are you sure he a good horse?”

“Yes, I just moved too fast. Horses have reflexes like hockey players. He’s wonderful, Alex.”

Alex looked at her understanding the analogy, but skeptical nonetheless. 

“He really big.  You are really little. Maybe he too big.”

“He’s not too big, Silly. He’s just right.  I’ll teach you how to ride.”

“Me, ride?  Uh, he is for you.”

“Alex? You’re not scared are you?” she teased.

“Of course not!  I never scared.”  Though, he eyed the horse with distrust.  The horse looked back at him seeming to share his feelings.

Chapter Twenty four

“You come home with me today,” he mumbled, his mouth full of day-old biscuit.  She had grabbed her old flannel shirt off the back of the chair upstairs and slid her arms inside as she came down.  She didn’t bother with all the buttons, but modesty prevented her joining him completely naked in the kitchen.  Alex clearly did not have that problem.  She brushed a crumb of biscuit off the side of his mouth and let her eyes travel across the expanse of this beautiful, naked body. She would never get tired of looking at him. 

“I could make you a fresh breakfast, you know. You don’t have to eat yesterday’s biscuits.”

“These still good,” he mumbled again, dripping a bit of honey on his next bite.  “You eat too.”

“Are you in a hurry?”

He flashed her a devilish grin and wrapped an arm around her, drawing her down to sit on his lap.  He kissed her quick, leaving the lingering taste of honey in her mouth. He grunted an “mmm” at her and pushed the shirt to the side revealing her left breast.  He dipped his index finger in the honey and rubbed it across her nipple.  She gasped slightly as he smothered it with his tongue, licking and sucking the sweetness away. He looked deep in her eyes and grinned. She sighed.

“Aren’t you ever satisfied?” she breathed.

“You made me wait long time. I still hungry,” he whispered nuzzling her ear. She whimpered against him, knowing he was not talking about breakfast.

“A long time?” she croaked. He stopped kissing her neck and looked into her eyes.

 “Yes, long time for me. I no have sex since I found you.”  She looked deep into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. She also knew Mikhail had told him about her reaction to the news story.

“Alex, I-”

“Why you never ask me? You were upset, but you never ask me. I do not understand.”

“I don’t know,” she started. 

“I understand if you no trust me. People say things. Not true.”

“I do trust you Alex. I wanted to trust you.”

“But you not trust me.  You did not ask me. You were afraid of truth. You hurt,” he put his hand over her heart, “for nothing. I no be with anyone else.”

“I do trust you. When you came to the hospital, I knew.  And then it didn’t seem to matter anymore.  I didn’t have to ask.”

He looked into her eyes and kissed her slow and deep.  He pulled away brushing her nose with his own. 

“Sophia, next time, if something wrong, you must tell me.  I no ever hurt you. I no want you to hurt for nothing. You must tell me.”

She nodded, lost in the warm feeling of how incredible he was. 

“Come on,” he stood her on her feet. “Shower time. I have practice. You come with me.”

“Home or the shower?” she smiled.

He grinned at her mischievously and took her by the hand, leading her out of the kitchen.

Chapter Twenty Three

Sophie woke to the sun shining in the window, leaving a soft glow on the skin of the incredible man lying next to her. She gazed at him, taking in how different his features were when he was asleep. He looked younger, softer. His soft brown hair was lying across his brow, nearly hanging into his eyes. She noticed how long his lashes were, resting against the tops of his high cheekbones. The scruff of a mustache didn’t hide the rosy fullness of his lips.  His bottom lip was full and plump and she licked her own, thinking of how much she loved kissing his beautiful mouth.  His beard was only four days full and went halfway down his long, strong neck.  Her gaze trailed over his broad shoulders and down his wide chest. She grazed her hand across it, gently fingering the auburn hairs that were scattered there.  She felt his nipple harden as her finger brushed across it. She swallowed hard and fought against the compulsion to taste it.  She let her fingers continue their journey across his soft skin.  His abdomen was so firm.  His hand slowly joined hers and she looked up to find his deep blue eyes watching her. 

“Good morning,” he said quietly and licked his lips.  She reached up to kiss him.  His kiss was urgent and expectant.

“No stop,” he said, moving her hand even lower. She wrapped her fingers around his firm cock and squeezed gently.  He closed his eyes and moaned.  She snuggled even closer to him, sliding her hand up and down.  She kissed his chest and slowly and softly ran her tongue across his nipple and took it into her mouth sucking gently.  He slid his hand up to her breast and teased her own nipple with his fingers. He kissed her again, his tongue teasing her lips and then kissing down her neck. He rolled her over and slid his hand between her legs. He moved his hips slightly encouraging her to continue pumping his cock with her fingers. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing and licking and nibbling until she was whimpering with desire.  He moved his fingers across her clit and she gasped.  He rubbed in a circular pattern before plunging his fingers inside her. She was breathing hard and having a hard time concentrating on anything but his fingers plunging in and out of her.  He rolled over quickly and kneeled between her legs. He leaned over her continuing to tease her nipples with his tongue and fingered her clit until she cried out in pleasure.  As she orgasmed, he plunged his cock deep inside her and pumped her hard and fast. He slid his hands under her shoulders and up into her hair, whispering in breathless Russian as he kissed her neck. The muscles in his body seized and he shook with his orgasm. He kissed her hard, collapsing on top of her in exhaustion.

“Sophia,” he breathed.  She kissed his neck and shoulders, holding him tightly to her.  He rolled over and brought her with him holding her on top of him. Her long dark hair cascaded down over him.  She gently kissed his full lips. She started to roll off of him, but he held her close.

“No, no let you go yet,” he grinned that crooked grin at her.

“Do you plan to keep me here all day?” she asked, biting her lip.

“I like sound of that,” he said kissing her again. “But I need food, if you going to wake me like that.” He quickly rolled her over and slipped out of bed heading down to the kitchen, his bare ass shining in the morning light.

Chapter Twenty-two

Catherine stayed in the hospital for three days.  Sophie had driven her to her parent’s house in Bethesda.  Even with Catherine’s constant insistence that it wasn’t her fault, Sophie still had trouble shaking the guilt. Every time Catherine winced or moved tenderly, Sophie felt another pang to her heart.  She had stayed with Catherine and her parents for two days while Alex was out of town again.  Now they were back at her place.  He’d been teasing her, joking with her and making her laugh for most of the day.

“Give me remote,” he ordered.

“No, the Pens are on.”

“No watch the Pens, give me remote,” he grinned at her devilishly.

“No, Alex,” she giggled as he tried to take it from her. “I want to watch the game!”

 “I no want to watch you drool over Crosby.”

“I do not drool over Sidney Crosby,” she insisted, still holding the remote out of his reach. “Not since I met you anyway.”

He raised his eyebrows at her and smiled out of the corner of his mouth. “Watch game, if you can.”  He proceeded to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear, slowly sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

“Cut that out,” she said, pushing at him, doing her best to keep her eyes on the television.

He pulled her chin toward him, but she kept her eyes on the tv. He kissed her lips softly and smiled at her feeble attempt to resist him.

“Sophia, Вы являетесь прекрасной. Ваши волосы столь софт,” he whispered in her ear, sliding his fingers through her hair.  Her resolve melted away with a sigh.

 He ran his thumb along her lips.  “Поцелуй меня, Sophia.”

She looked up into his eyes. “You’re relentless,” she whispered.

“What means relentless?”

“Never quit.”

“Yes, I never quit.”  He brushed his lips across hers enticingly and she surrendered to his kiss.  He kissed her deep and long and she pulled away from him breathless.

“I could always record the game,” she whimpered.  His triumphant smile made her heart flutter.  He swung her up into his strong arms and carried her to the bedroom.  He lay her gently on the bed and pulled his t-shirt off over his head.  He lay next to her, sliding his hand across her belly under her shirt.

“Whisper to me, Alex.”

“What you want me to say?”

“Anything, I just want to hear your voice. Whisper to me in Russian,” she breathed against him, kissing his neck. 

“Я хочу, чтобы Вы столь плохие,” he murmured, sliding his hand up her forearm and under the strap of her bra. “Я хочу вкус всех вас.”

She sighed as he grazed his lips across her collarbone and up her neck.  He slid his fingers into her hair and pulled her head back to give him better access to her neck.  His arms were strong around her. She could feel the muscles in his biceps when he pulled her close. She rubbed her hands across his broad back and up to his powerful shoulders.  God, he smelled so good.  He tugged at the buttons on her top, unfastening them one by one. He watched her eyes as he continued to speak Russian in a low, seductive tone. She didn’t understand him, but it didn’t matter. The tone of his voice was enough.  She raised her hands to the back of his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him slow and passionately. His breathing was rapidly quickening as he kissed back down her neck and onto her chest. He slowly unhooked the front clasp of her bra and bared her breasts. He leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She moaned softly at the pleasure she felt.  Every time he stopped kissing her, he said something else in Russian.  She arched her back and pressed her hips toward him.

“Вкус так хорошо,” he moaned and pulled her to him and kissed her hard.  He leaned back and looked her body up and down. She was lean and tan with long brown waves cascading down over her shoulders, past the middle of her back. She was nearly a foot shorter than him, but they fit together anyway. She looked at him questioningly as she bit her full bottom lip.

“You sure?” he asked, staring deep into her brown eyes.  She smiled and gazed back into his fierce blue ones.  She reached for him, caressing his full lips with her fingertips.

“Yes.”

He reacted quickly, diving in for a kiss and lifting her hips just enough to pull her panties from her. He unbuckled his jeans and they and his briefs joined her panties on the floor.  He pressed his cock up against her.  She closed her eyes and threw her head back as he slowly began to enter her.  He hesitated.

“Open your eyes.”

She slowly acquiesced, gazing into his.

“I want to know I am the one you see.”

He pressed further into her, staring into her eyes until he was as deep as he could go. Her heart was beating so fast and loud, surely he could hear it.  Finally, he moaned and closed his eyes burying his face in her neck smothering it with kisses.  Pressing and pulling in and out slowly and softly, he held her so tight to him, she could hardly breathe. His large hands were twisted into her hair as he cradled her head.  His kisses made her skin come alive. His hands were so warm and strong.  She scratched her nails softly across his powerful back. She heard his soft groan in her ear. The soft hair on his chest tickled her nipples as he rubbed against her.  She locked her ankles around his hips as the tingle of her orgasm traveled up her spine. She closed her eyes again losing herself in the bliss that he was bringing her. 

“Oh, Alex,” she whimpered. She felt the power of his orgasm pouring into her.  He was breathing hard against her shoulder.  He raised his sparkling eyes to hers and kissed her gently and raised up on his elbows, his face flushed with a smile.  His beautiful honey-colored skin was glistening with sweat.  He looked amazing as she let her eyes wander across his chest and shoulders. She ran her hands up his chest, to his neck and then his cheeks and pulled him closer. She gently kissed his lips while looking into the deep fathoms of his blue eyes.  “I will never see anyone else.”

Twenty One

“He pushed his way in when I got home from work. I didn’t even hear him come up behind me, Sophie. He got mad when I told him I didn’t know where you were. He pushed me down and I thought he was going to leave,” Catherine explained fighting back a new onslaught of tears. “But he just went and locked the door.”

Sophie couldn’t speak through her own tears. She just held her friend’s hand and looked away. She couldn’t bring herself to look Catherine in the eye. Her face was red and purple, swollen more than Sophie thought possible. Her left eye was actually swollen shut. Her lip had required stitches.  Sophie hadn’t stopped crying since she first walked into the room.

“It’s all my fault, Cat. I’m so sorry.”

“Sh, Sophie, it’s not. You’re not responsible for what Dave does. The police will get him. It’s only a matter of time.”

Sophie did her best to put on a brave face, wiped her tears and gave Catherine a reassuring smile. There was a knock on the door.  A uniformed police officer poked his head in asked to speak to Sophie.  By the time she came back in, Catherine was sleeping. She sat in the chair and put her head down on the side of the bed and quietly cried into her arm.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered through her tears.

The nurse who allowed her to stay with Catherine came in to check her vitals around three a.m. Sophie stirred and the nurse spoke quietly too her.

“Miss, there is a gentlemen outside. He’s asking for you.”

Sophie sat up straight in the chair, apprehensive.

“Did he give you his name?”

“No, Ma’am, but he is tall and handsome, even with the missing tooth.”

“Alex!” she exclaimed, rushing out the door and into his waiting arms. He held her and shushed her when she cried. He told her everything would be okay. He kissed her forehead softly and raised her face to his. She glanced into his sad blue eyes and she looked away from him. At that moment, she couldn’t keep from seeing the beautiful blonde in the picture. She swallowed hard.

“Sophia, she will be okay.”

“No, everyone I love gets hurt. It won’t stop. It will never stop. You should go, Alex,” she pushed against his chest. He grabbed her hand.

“I not go. I stay with you. I not get hurt,” he looked at her questioningly.

“You don’t want to be with me, Alex. I’m broken. You can’t fix me. You should be with someone else. Someone who can give you what you need,” her voice broke. She tried to get away from him, but he wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“You what I need. Sophia, why you say this?”

“Please, just let me go, Alex,” she pleaded as a tear fell down her cheek again.

“No, I no let you go,” he pulled her close to him again and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Sophia.”

She looked up into his eyes. There was no blonde there anymore, only her - only plain, broken Sophie. She knew he was telling the truth even if she didn’t know why. She stroked the whiskers on his chin and kissed his soft lips. She clung to him. He held her so tight, she didn’t think he was going to let go. She ran her finger across his lips and looked up into the deep blue pools of his eyes.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Twenty

The oncoming headlights were blinding her as she raced up I-495. It would help if she could stop crying. But she couldn’t. It was just too much. She kept her feelings bottled up after the news report. But then the phone call broke her walls down. Now she couldn’t get to back to Baltimore fast enough.

She was snuggling on Alex’s couch with her novel that evening when the report came on the NHL Network. The tag line caught Mikhail’s attention as well, and he put his newspaper down to watch it.

                “And in Phoenix, Alex Ovechkin and the Caps hit the Hounds Club for some fun last night.  Looks like Mike Green and Alexander Semin joined in on the fun…” They showed a picture taken from the club that showed Alex and Mike Green dancing with two beautiful girls.   Sophie really didn’t hear anything else that the announcer was saying.  Her heart fell looking at the tall, skinny blonde snuggling up to Alex on the screen.  She looked away from the television and felt Mikhail’s eyes on her.

“Sophia, don’t believe everything they report on that thing.  The media likes to make Sasha into a bad boy.  He is not. Sophia?”

“I know,” she said quietly and went back to her book. But her heart ached all the same.  She couldn’t blame him for wanting to have a little fun. He deserved to let off a little steam with the guys.  She really couldn’t even blame him if things went too far. He wasn’t getting it from her. Maybe she was too damaged, used up and broken. Maybe he really didn’t want to. She never understood why he wanted to be with her anyway. He could have whatever he wanted, whoever he wanted. Why would he want her?  She closed her eyes and took a breath. She closed her book and went upstairs, smiling at Mikhail’s look of concern as she walked by. She stood by the French doors and looked out over the dimming back yard. She tried to remember the feel of his arms around her as they lay in his bed. She wanted him more than anything. But he still said no. She believed his excuse, but maybe it was more than that. Stop, she thought, Mikhail is right. She would find out when she saw him again.  Her phone rang and she jumped. She was disappointed that it wasn’t him.

“Sophie Murray?” the voice asked.

“This is she.”

“This is Sue from St. Mary’s Hospital. I’m calling because Catherine Heinz listed you as an emergency contact.”

Sophie’s heart leapt in her chest. “What’s happened?”

“Ms. Heinz was brought into the ER this afternoon. She is stable, but I was asked to contact you.”

“What happened to her?” Sophie cried, her apprehension growing.

“She was beaten, Ms. Murray. She has some broken ribs, cuts and bruises, but she is going to be okay.  I’m sorry I don’t have any more details.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

Sophie dropped the phone and gathered her scattered things, tossing them into a duffle. She was still wearing Alex’s shirt. She swallowed hard and traded it for one of her own, leaving it at the end of the bed. She stumbled out of his door and down the steps.

“Where you going?” Mikhail called after her.

“Catherine’s in the hospital. I should have never left Baltimore. I have to go,” she explained.

“You can’t go. What if he is waiting for you to show up?”

“It doesn’t matter. I have to go, Mikhail. She’s the closest thing to family I have.”

“No, Sophia. I cannot let you go. It’s too dangerous.”

“You will not stop me, Mikhail. I AM going. And don’t call me that. My name is Sophie,” she declared.  Alex was the only one who ever called her Sophia. Now she wasn’t even sure he’d ever call her that again. Maybe she didn’t want him to. Maybe she never wanted to hear that name again. He made her believe she was something special, but she wasn’t. But she wasn’t going to bother about that now. Catherine was in the hospital.  Sophie knew it was because of her. Now she had to face the one person that meant the most to her in the world.