9 Yulia Breathing hard, I lie under Lucas, my heart pounding in the aftermath of the devastation that is s*x with my captor. Why is it always like this with him, with this difficult, dangerous man who hates me? I’m far from inexperienced. It’s true that I’ve survived s*x at its ugliest, but I’ve also known its more pleasant variations. My second assignment—Vladimir Vashkov, a trim forty-something FSB liaison—prided himself on being a good lover, and he introduced me to real orgasms, teaching me about arousal and pleasure. I thought I was able to handle anything a man could throw at me in bed, but clearly I was wrong. I can’t handle Lucas Kent. Maybe it would’ve been better if he had taken me roughly again. Lust—pounding, punishing lust—is what I expected when he reached for me. And it