"i want you to tell me about the man who raised the most beautiful and genuine woman, I have ever met",The pink blush that painted Rhea's cheeks was lovely, and her eyes became animated with life once again as she dove into the stories about her grandfather. I sat back and listened, knowing this was cathartic for her. Rhea needed to talk, to let these emotions our after the trauma, she endured this past week, and I could give her that.Our food came out and we talked as we ate. By the end of the dinner, she was finally laughing again while telling a story about her grandfather, giving in and taking her to the toy store after she spent a weekend crying about a new doll she had wanted.Before we knew it, an hour had passed and the dinner staff was cleaning up around us in order to close for the night. Rhea yawned trying to hide it behind her hand, during a break in the conversation."Oh! Wow it's late", She cringed at the time on the wall, noticing that dinner was closing up any minute
I faced the door at the sound of Aleksander's voice. He was just standing there with the glass in his hands."I didn't know what else to do, so I got you a glass of ice water", He spokeWhen l heard his words, I froze for a moment. I was now sure that Aleksander came after me and brought me back here because he genuinely cared."Rhea are you alright?", His eyes widened when he noticed the fresh tesrs that were spilling down my cheeks. He set the glass of water down on the bathroom counter and crossed the chasm that was separating us quickly.At that moment, I made up my mind. To find my happiness where I could and take what I wanted for myself. And I wanted Aleksander. To find my happiness with him, even if it was only for a limited time. Even if we only had right now. I was going to take it.Taking a step, I wrapped my arms around Aleksander before he could close the distance first. "Stay. Please stay with me", I whispered.He paused only for a second. Then I felt his shuddered brea
ALEKSANDER'S POVRhea was mine in every sense of the word. She knew it now with no hesitation or doubt. My little dancer would soon come to learn how utterly wrapped around her dainty finger, I was in return. While she was mine, I was hers. We belonged so wholly to one another that there could be no question, fate always meant for us to cross paths.The stars aligned at the birth of the world leading up to every moment until the fateful night we fell first into one another's arms. She was burning up from within more power than even the first stars that made the universe. Rhea was the brightest star, and I loved her with the force of any supernova.I held her delicately against my chest all morning along. Thin shafts of pale yellow light slipped through a break in the curtains. I didn't move a muscle as I watched the light move around the room as the early hours passed and she remained asleep. What she has been through the past days exhausted her, and I was content to let her sleep.My
Even with the smell of bacon, pancakes and coffee, all I could think about was Rhea's sweet scent and the softness of her skin. I finished cooking, watching her make coffee from the corner of my eyes the entire time. My eyes were drawn to her like a magnet. Maybe some part of me worried. Maybe some part of me worried that if l looked away she would vanish away."Do you want to sit at the island or dining table?", I asked her. There was a small smile on her face as she stirred cream into her coffee cup. I hoped that smile was for me."Let's sit in the dining room, The sky is blue today", When she looked at me, my only thought was that her eyes were the only blue I needed to see in my life."Anything you want baby", My tone dipped a tad lower than I meant it to be. A hint of pink tinted her cheeks, causing her to bite her lip and reach for the coffee mugs as a distraction. I cleared my throat and followed her with our plates.We fell into our usual seats, following our pattern from our
How dare they take advantage of Rhea in the first place?, At this point it was almost unbelievable."YA sobirayous' bit Dax golymi rukami", I raged. There was an active volcano in my chest, and I felt the lava of hatred flowing through me."Aleksander?", Rhea whimpered. My eyes snapped over to her and the fear in her eyes only made it worse. However guilty I felt for being responsible for her fear, i couldn't seem to stop myself from the war path coming to life in front of me. My fists arched to crush someone's skull. The memory of Dax's slimy smile was looking like a target in my mind."Shit", I cursed turning away from her glistening blue eyes. I couldn't let her see me like this. It didn't stop me from knowing that I needed to leave.I didn't stop to look at her again, although I desperately wanted to sink myself deeper inside of her and take out all my raging emotions.. Rhea deserved more than that right now and i needed to leave. My feet thundered upstairs as i raced to my room
James got the message, I left him. He sent a message back before Antonio pulled the car onto the highway. At first I hesitated to call Nikolai. However I was using Makalov resources. Nikolai would realize eventually what I had done and I would rather let him know now, compared to trying to cover my ass later.When I tried calling him, the line just continued to ring but without any response. "Shit", I cursed and dropped my phone onto my lap. It was almost noon on a work day now. Nikolai Makalov would be waist deep in meetings and phone calls were probably muted. Best I could do now was to send a vague text message in Russian and hope he understands what I was going to do.I didn't care about what prior relationship he had with Dax and their family. It didn't matter to me what the consequences for my actions might be. I suppose many people in my situation wouldn't. When the concept for asking for forgiveness after the fact existed. I wouldn't stop now.Dax wanted five million dollars f
"Well since I have you here before your former director, I'm gonna share the news now", My hands dropped to my sides as I stared at Luke. I took a step forward and the dark aura that hang over my head followed. Luke quickly noticed it and every muscle in his body tensed up."You fired Luke", It felt so good to say that. "You will never work as a choreography in New York ballet again", I added."What?", Luke breathed out. His eyes fell as he scanned the floor, rolling my words around in his head as the dismay of the situation sank in. It was only for a second before his eyes snapped up and his audacity came out to play."You can't do this to me. Do you know who I am?", He spoke confidently.When I heard his words, a loud bark of laughter flew past my lips and I tossed my head back with mirth. When I looked at him again, he was trembling with anger as his face turned bright red."I know exactly who you are. I'm honestly surprised you haven't recognized me yet. You know who l am or at le
The young hostess with dark hair swept into a tight bun noticed me enter. She took me in from head to toe and didn't miss the cigarette hanging from my lip as I scanned the restaurant."Sir you can't smoke in here", Her tone was polite but I didn't bother looking in her direction."Is Dax here. He is expecting me", He wasn't and I hoped she didn't notice that."Oh", Her olive completion went pale as I said his name. Though now she looked at me differently if at all. She tried to keep her eyes on the floor instead of making direct contact. "He's in the back", She responded."Perfect", Luck was in my favor, it seemed. I didn't want to beat him in a pulp in the middle of his family's shady restaurant. After all that wouldn't look good for the Makalov family. I had just enough good sense left to contemplate what was going to happen and the potential consequences.Anton was waiting in one of the black cars on the street. If his Intel was correct, Dax was here and he was alone. That's what
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