"Of course. You obviously like her, a great deal. Why wouldn't we all go to support her?", Annika pressed."I know. But I mean. It's not like we will be together forever .....", I trailed off when I recalled my conversation with Nikolai, the afternoon I took Rhea at his house for dinner. We agreed I would tell Annika a break up story when the contract was over and Rhea left me. Annika didn't need to know that I was with Rhea because of the contract."Fignya", Annika cursed and dramatically rolled her eyes at me. "Anyone with eyes can see that you adore the girl, and she is completely smitten with you","Tetya, I don't think......."Net," Just as I began, she instantly cut me off."You and your tupoy contract. You can't convince me that what you have with that lovely girl is nothing more than a transaction",My body immediately froze to ice when I heard her words. "How do you know about the contract?", I asked completely startled."You think you and your uncle are so clever?. Did you t
"We don't really talk about that, the end of the contract that is it. I can't Tetya, not without thinking of her leaving and....", I cut myself off and looked down at my curled fist, white knuckled at the force of how tight it was.There was a hollowness in my chest thinking about the end and the rage at the thought of Rhea moving on with someone else while knowing she hated the need for those illicit contracts.~Oh! God I don't want her to go~~How can I let her go when I'm the one who clearly needs her~A deafening silence fell over me as Annika sat back in her chair, simply watching me and the thousands of thoughts flickering behind my eyes. I swallowed past a dry lump in my throat and ran my hand over my face."Is she the one?", My eyes locked on Annika, waiting patiently for me to answer.At this point, I didn't need to dig deep to respond. It was a simple question, and the answer was clear to both of us. Rhea was the woman I once told Annika about, that I loved her. "I didn't e
"Alright, everyone! That's a wrap on practice today", Luke clapped his hands while shouting over the studio. "Everyone performing in the show tonight, go eat dinner and be back early. Not on time! Because on time is late!", He added loudly then walked out."Are you sure, you don't want to grab a bite with me, Rhea?", Ricky asked when we made it to the lockers."It would be nice, but I'm going to the hospital for a bit. Thanks for offering, though", I changed out of my practice clothes and into something warm and casual to wear on the street."You always welcome to join me, girl. You know that", Ricky slipped on an oversized hoodie before leaning in to nudge my shoulder with his. "How is grand pa doing!","About as he good as he can be. It might be the best hospital in New York, but there's only so much the doctors can do. I think he's been stable lately", I retorted to him "That's something at least", Ricky smiled trying to make me feel better when he heard me sigh."Better than noth
Gasping in a deep breath of cold air, I tried to untangle the turmoil burning inside of me. Those emotions I locked away for the interaction were trying to claw their way out.How dare Luke talk to me like that. As if he isn't the man who preys on the ballerinas and introduces them to Dax. I was nothing more than a dancer not until when he overheard me talking about money concerns after Grandpa falling sick.He was a brilliant choreography but he was a terrible asshole. I knew he profited from the contracts with Dax, but he didn't suffer like the dancers he coerced into the contracts did. Luke's inappropriate comments to me didn't start until after I took my first contract. His eyes had always wandered more than they should have during practice, and it seemed like he thought had a chance to have a one night with me.I don't think Luke could fathom that my standards weren't suddenly in the gutter because I was desperate to help my grandpa. If he wasn't paying for my time, he would neve
Rhea was sleeping so soundly, and i couldn't bring myself to wake her up. Instead I kicked off my shoes and stripped down until I was only in my undershirt and pants.Since she cuddled up on my usual side of the bed, I slid under the cover behind her and wrapped up my arms around her waist. Rhea stirred in her sleep as I pulled her against my chest. I shushed her and ran my hand over her side until she settled again. A soft sigh left her, and her body melted against me.It was enough to just hold her like this. To feel her softness against my body and inhale her sweet perfume. I never cared to cuddle before Rhea came into my life, not really. But I longed to touch her any chance I got.Feeling her now in my arms made the pain of my daily life fade away. None of it mattered when she was with me, against me. I could feel her perfect skin and delight in the curves of her body fitting against me flawlessly.My arms around her tightened, crushing her as much as I could get away with while
While she was in the bathroom, I stripped out of my pants and shirt then folded them on the other end of the dresser to deal with later. Left in my black boxers, I made the bed and waited another minute for Rhea to join me. She stepped out of the bathroom in nothing more than her underwear as I had instructed. Today she was wearing a white lace bralette and a matching thong. A vision in white with her golden hair falling in gentle waves down her shoulders was so fucking hot. "You look like an angel", I told her, holding out my hand for her to come closer to me. When she placed her hand in mine, I pulled her closer to me and locked eyes. "You like an angel but God knows you were built for sin, aren't you?", "Aleksander", She whined in response. When she tried to look away, my free hand snatched her chin and forced her to look up at me again. "I promise that's a good thing, baby. At least it is for me", I spoke then I dipped my head and stole another kiss. After breaking away, I held
"Rhea", It surprised me when I sighed her name. I bucked my hips under her and she moaned.She lifted her hips to put some space between us and suddenly grabbed my erection then she began pumping it in her hand. "Shit, that feels good", I groaned."Is it okay?", She asked."Baby, it's so good", My head fell back to the side as she stroked me with one hand. I was blindfolded but I knew the moment she used the other hand to pull her panties to the side."Oh", She lowered herself again, but the length of my throbbing cock was resting against her wet slit. She was dripping wet, and her pussy slipped over my cock as she ground herself back and forth on me.My dick ached to be inside of her, even though it felt fantastic to feel her wetness rubbing on my length. She didn't stop grinding on me as she leaned forward to rub her hands up and down my stomach and over my chest. Her fingers lingered in the light trail of hair below my naval before going across my chest again.All i could feel, he
RHEA'S POV.My eyes snapped open to see the early morning light creeping over the top of the curtains in the bedroom. Breathy pants were slipping through my mouth, and my fingers clawed at the bedsheets underneath my back. I tried to close my legs against the rising tide of swirling heat in my core but Aleksander's head was nestled there.I couldn't see him when I glanced down. He buried his head between my thighs under the blanket, and he was feasting on me as if he were a starving man with his last meal. The flick of his tongue over my clit sent goosebumps flaring across my limbs.Aleksander groaned in the back of his throat as he tasted me, pleasuring me and fanning the flames within. A hot and heavy coil tensed up in my core when he slipped two fingers into my dripping cunt and curled them against my sweet spot. That wicked tongue lapped at my clit expertly while his fingers pumped into me repeatedly.The pleasure was swelling, and my head became lighter as my release barreled tow
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