It was a short ride through the city to get to Makalov incorporated main building. The crowd outside was bustling ad employees and guests made their way inside. The city was dark but the building lights were nearly blinding. Cars honked and chatter was loud. After taking in everything that was happening, I needed a cigarette at the end.Rhea kept her hand in mine as we got out of the car. Her brilliant eyes were taking in the crowd and the building towering over us, easily one of the largest on this block. I pulled my hand away for a second to get out my smokes and light one before we go inside. Rhea scrunched her face up as I took a long drag but she went back to people watching. It wasn't long before someone in the crowd noticed me. Employees of Makalov. Inc began waving and gesturing for me to join them as they moved inside and out of the slight chill in the air. "Do you work with them?", Rhea whispered after I put out the cigarette. "No", I tugged her close and wrapped my arm aro
By the time we left the ballroom, I was half pissed and half turned on. Rhea wanted me to fuck her now and i wasn't letting anyone get in my way of pleasing her. At the top of the stairs on the right side , I led Rhea around several turns into a darkened part of the building where the music of the ballroom faded away.I knew this part of the building was being worked on and no one would come this way. I took her as far as I could before turning to grab her. "Whoa!", She yelped when i wrapped up my fingers around her arm and pulled her into the dark alcove that used to be a waiting room with two gold and red armchairs.But I didn't need to do anything. Rhea got her barings and before i could make my move, she was wrapping her arms around my neck and started to kiss me. I moaned into her mouth and smiled against her lips knowing that she was the one taking the lead. "Ah! Alexander", She sighed when I grabbed her ass and massaged her through the silk of her dress. Her body pressed again
There were restrooms around the corner from the top of stairs leading to the ballroom. No one was around as we made our way to the doors. "Is pink at least my color?", I asked when Rhea reached for the door handle. I rubbed my chin and pursued my lips for her. "You know I think it looks better on you. I will let you borrow it sometime", Her laughter brought a smile on my face and I gave her one last kiss before letting her slip in the bathroom. I never would have made a joke like that before but there was something about Rhea that brought out another side of me. It was dangerous but with a taste of her on my lips, I didn't really care. ~~~~~~~~~RHEA'S POVThere was still a smile on my face as I cleaned up under the low lights in the bathroom. My body was buzzing and I felt high on Aleksander. The clamps were now tucked away inside my small clutch bag and I kept giggling over how things had escalated. I couldn't control myself any longer.I knew I wanted Aleksander and in that momen
"A whore", She seethed.I clicked my tongue and sighed dramatically rolling my eyes. Then I pulled my hand back to flip my hair over my shoulder."Babe, I'm the goddamn Prima ballerina of New York City", I gave her the cruelest smile I could muster but I hated how it made me feel. "You can have Aleksander when I'm done with him", i added.After this encounter, that might be sooner than later.All those feelings I thought I had a moment ago were now down the drain. There was nothing special between us.This entire time I had been nothing more than an expensive fuck toy just like Luke said. Had it been thrilling for Aleksander to pay for me?! Was it fun for him to own the city's ballerina.The woman, his assistant, just stood there staring at me. Perhaps in shock that I would give up Aleksander as if he was the toy in this scenario. I took the opportunity to turn and push the door before she could open her mouth again. Once under the brighter lights in the hallway, I turned and made my
The curtain was pulled back suddenly and my eyes snapped open instinctively to look in that direction. Aleksander immediately froze when he looked down on me and caught me staring up at him. That second stretched on like an eternity and i didn't know how I felt as I looked at him and those dark eyes.God! I was happy to see him. But my heart was hurting at the same time."Rhea", The spell broke and Aleksander rushed to the side of the bed. He curled his hand around mine and the feeling of his warm skin sent tears over the edge. A hard sob wretched it's self from my lips and I felt like a fool crying for him."Shit! Baby, I'm here.i have got you", He leaned down and scooped me into his arms, holding me tight and allowing me to release everything without a question. "I have got you baby, you now safe", He whispered again.I silently listened to him but after the shock of my memories hitting me, I managed to pull myself together. I took several deep breaths and built up the courage to p
"She pushed me because she wanted you to herself", i admitted to him."You will never see her again, I promise you that right now. It's just me and you baby", Aleksander might have read the relief on my face because he finally closed the distance and pressed the softest kiss on my lips. There was a lot unsaid between us in this moment and it proved that my feelings for Aleksander weren't going anywhere.They were bright and burning in my chest and they were shattering me apart at the same time.But I wanted them, and I wanted him."I have got you baby", His forehead pressed against mine and our breaths mingled in the aftermath of the tender kisses.And now I had something else to worry about."I'm going to need to see the doctors to talk about my injuries. I can't miss my performances", Pulling back, I pressed my hand against the ache in my chest. "Already taken care of, baby. Doctor said with your concussion and leg you can't go on for at least four weeks. Nikolai reached out to Da
Still jiggling, Rhea lowered her hands and let the lizard go. It scampered across the patio and dove into one of the hedge at the base of the stone wall around us."We were you scared of the lizard?", She asked."Of course not", I scoffed curling my fingers around the knot on my tie to straighten it out. The corner of my mouth was still curled up, hearing the breathy laughter coming from her sweet lips."You're home early today. I'm making soup for the dinner", She braced her hands on her knees to get up. Without a second thought, I swooped down, wrapped up my arms under her arms and lifted her up."I saw the soup", I said as soon as she was upright and against my chest. Her small hands braced my shoulders as she gaped up at me with a hint of pink growing on her cheeks."You're doing too much, Rhea. You should be resting", I brushed back a stray strand of her golden hair behind her hair, enjoying the softness of her skin when I traced my fingers along her jaw. She was shivering agains
I needed to feel more of her. All of her. One of my hands trailed down her side to her hip and i grabbed her, pulling her closer to my chest. I palmed her perfectly round ass, enjoying the softness of her petite frame in my hands.A little whimper slipped free out of her mouth when I pulled her harder against me, hoping she could feel my growing excitement. The way she arched her back and wiggled against me, I knew she could. I took the opportunity to plunge my tongue deeper in her mouth, the kiss turning wet and sloppy as if we were on the edge of devouring one another .Rhea's breathy whimpers of ecstasy drove me wild. The front of my pants felt tight as my groin throbbed with my growing desire. Her hands traveled down my chest, over my stomach, flicking open the buttons of my black dress shirt as she went. The feeling of her delicate touch on my skin made the muscles along my stomach tighten.I felt the smile on her lips against mine when she reveled in the feeling of my abs under
EPILOGUE RHEA'S POV Three wonderful years came and went. Each one became a new chapter in my life that I'd never forget. I couldn't when I had otherworldly love pouring through me every day. More than I ever thought I'd experience in my life.Trudging through the grief of losing so much family ate a hole in my heart. Aleksander came along and slowly threaded the chasm together, healing me with each delicate touch and sensual kiss. An unlikely love formed from that illicit contract, and through turmoil and pain, we forged our story.Glowing, floating on top of the world, I swept into the kitchen. A delightful buzz from champagne left a rosy flush across my cheeks. I poured myself a glass of water, listening to precious laughter drifting from upstairs as I did."Rhea!" Annika's excited coo made me whirl around from the sink. I came face to face with her, waving her red nails, gesturing for a hug. I stepped into her arms. Annika shimmied against me. "How did the event go?""It was great
The technician broke the silence first. "Your chart says that you're estimated to be about eighteen weeks along. Is that correct?""Yes," Rhea swiftly answered. Her smile widened. "The size of a bell pepper this week.""That's right," the technician chortled. She glanced between the three Makalovs in the dimly lit room. One hand clicked a button on the ultrasound keyboard and the monitor flickered on. With the probe hovering over Rhea's navel, she asked, "Are you interested in knowing the gender?"Rhea's throat bobbed. Her fingers twitched in mine. Simultaneously, we locked gazes. It was an important question, and one we hadn't discussed nearly enough."I'm going to love them, regardless." Her bottom lip trembled as she studied my face. "As long as they're healthy.""Do you want it to be a surprise?" I whispered in my wife's ears alone. Leaning closer, I nuzzled into the side of her face. "Whatever you want, baby. Just say the word."Despite her nerves, Rhea giggled. She turned her he
ALEKSANDER'S POV A month passed, and we returned home.Keeping my promise to Rhea, I relinquished the reins over to Nikolai to close the loose ends with the Genovese crime family.My aunt and uncle understood and approved of my wish to keep my hands clean for my wife's sake. Nikolai didn't bat an eye when he proclaimed the Genovese would accept a deal and leave our family alone if we did the same.Antonio recovered from his injuries from the car accident. After two weeks in bed, he returned with renewed vigor. The incidents of that day wounded his honor, and he stated he needed to make up for it. As much as I argued, he needed to take time away. He continued showing up in uniform.Rhea had a checkup with her doctor. That was an appointment I wouldn't miss for the world. I held her hand through the follow-up tests, using her as my lifeline through the stress. I'm sure I was the same for her.The thumping sound of a heartbeat lifted a weight off my chest. Rhea cried from the sweet tast
Keeping one hand on his cheek, our lips a hair's breadth apart, I hooked my other arm around his neck. Chest to chest except for his hand on my breast, I breathed my promise into him. "I love you, Aleksander. Forever."A relieved shudder rushed through his body from head to toe. The stuttered sigh past his lips tickled my mouth. I repeated my vow to him, again and again, accompanied by each primal thrust of his hips. "I love you. I love you. I love you."Lush warmth blossomed in the center of my being. It rose from a taut coil in the depths of my core. All at once the carnal pleasure of Aleksander making love to me exploded through my body, rushing in waves from between my thighs to each of my limbs.Quaking against him with searing pleasure wracking my body, Aleksander couldn't hold back. My pulsing cunt forced him into the throes of his climax, following the heels of mine. He painted me from within, claiming me in the salacious way that I enjoyed.He caught my cries on his tongue, s
He seized me in his hands, tenderly stroking them over my fevered flesh. I didn't notice when the gloves came off, but I savored the sensation of his skin on mine. Aleksander explored every dip and curve of my body as if discovering me for the first time.His scruff tickled my throat as his lips tasted me from my chin to my collarbone. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and Aleksander grabbed my hips. In one swift motion, he lifted me off the floor. My legs curled around his waist.The stiffness of his growing erection slipped against the wet center of me. A groan escaped from his mouth into mine. We shared a brief moan at the sweet moment of friction.Aleksander's lips clashed with mine in a passionate frenzy. He moved forward, marching us under the hot spray of the shower. We didn't stop until my back met the tile, crushed between the shower wall and Aleksander's perfectly sculpted frame.I grasped the back of his hair in one hand, tugging slightly as Aleksander's teeth nipped at my
RHEA'S POV Every ounce of my consciousness slipped from my grasp the moment Aleksander freed me. While all the world moved around me, my thoughts stayed still within the pit of darkness consuming my mind. My awareness stayed on my pulsing veins, coursing with cold blood and the rough pounding of my heart throbbing through my limbs.Each breath cleaved through my lungs, strained and burning. Only the heat of Aleksander's hand on my arms kept me on my feet. He was my anchor to reality during a turbulent car ride, and as he swept me through the blinding lights of a semi crowded lobby.A hotel, I thought, somewhere downtown. My eyes couldn't focus on anything, from the onlooking strangers in the shadows to the overly bright glow of opulent lighting. Aleksander and Nikolai's hushed voices brushed against something inside my head. I knew they were with me, but I moved on autopilot.My body floated on a cloud. Up an elevator. Several turns down hallways that felt like a damn never-ending ma
Men screamed. Blood and brains splattered the walls and floors as they went down.A figure popped out around a corner. I fired one shot at his head, and he descended to the ground like an axed tree falling in a forest.Another came behind him. Too close to shoot from afar. My left arm shot out and blocked his. I used the momentum to force his aim up. My opponent shot and missed, bullets lodging in the ceiling. With my left hand, I pointed the gun at his stomach and fired two rounds.The last shot went into the side of his skull as he stumbled to his knees. Then he dropped like a stone on the filthy concrete.An arm emerged at the end of the corridor I passed through. I pulled the trigger, yet nothing left the chamber.Regardless of my unloaded pistol, I grabbed the arm in front of me. One twist of the wrist forced his weapon from his hand. The gun clattered away on the floor.The man grunted. When I jammed the butt of my gun into his face, breaking his nose, he screamed. As he fell, I
ALEKSANDER'S POV Nikolai burst from the front doors of the Makalov mansion. I followed hot on his heels, rushing toward the line of awaiting cars parked around the massive fountain at the end of the driveway.The very last thing Nikolai and I expected was to receive a call from an anonymous contact who worked for the Genovese. Someone in their organization vehemently opposed a potential war. Enough to give away Luca's location.Rhea was the one thing in this world I wanted more desperately than my body needed air. Luca Genovese stole her from me. Now betrayed by his own, I would take his life.The fiery glow of dusk settled itself over the horizon. A brisk wind whipped up the edges of my coat. My fingers twitched, itching for a cigarette to relieve my bristling nerves.Leaving Annika safe at the mansion, I joined my uncle in the backseat of the first car. Personal guards accompanied us. All well-trained and armed with the same pistol I carried.Savage anger writhed like a serpentine
"I'll handle it." The snarky response pulled me from my thoughts. Then the door at my back pushed open with a grating creak of metal on metal. I slammed back into reality, where I sat handcuffed to a chair in some semi-abandoned building.Every breath I took burned my chest. My body tensed with the fear running in my blood. As Luca's shadow rose ominously over the opposite wall, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move a muscle as each sinister thump of his shoes carried him closer.Luca appeared in front of me with an eerie aura. His disturbing grin slashed wider upon finding me alert.I tried maintaining my gaze at first. He lasciviously ogled every inch of me with a malicious sneer, twisting his features. The threatening glint in his eyes forced my gaze down to his expensive leather loafers crunching on bits of broken glass beneath us."You're finally awake," Luca announced, cocking his head to the side. "The accident was unfortunate, but I didn't think your driver knew any defensive ma