“Okay,” she rasped shakily. “I want my punishment to be quick but gentle.”“I can do quick. And for your sake, gentle.”My fingers found the knot keeping her robe tied together, and I unraveled it. The soft material came apart, and I skimmed a hand, brushing past her stomach, to knead her breasts. They were soft and full. And her tits pebbled under my touch.She arched into me, whimpering. “You don’t even know what the punishment is.”“Well, it better be what I have in mind.”Growling, I pulled away the robe off her thighs, kissing my way up to her sex. As expected, she was already so pink and so fucking wet for me. I buried my face between her legs and covered her hot cunt with my mouth. An oasis.I grazed her nub with my teeth, sucked hard on her pussy, keeping her from squirming with a firm grip on her waist. I dipped my head, licking from the base of her ass up to her quivering folds and back again. And when I couldn’t get enough, I smacked her ass hard.Her hips bucked, driving h
Leonora The afternoon was quiet, and it was the kind that felt heavier than it should have. For the past five months, the weight in my chest grew as steadily as the child in my womb. I sat on the edge of the sofa, resting my hands protectively over my swollen belly. The house was still, except for the distant noise from some of the men beyond the windows. When I heard familiar footsteps echo through the foyer, I knew it was Rafayel before his tall frame came through the parlor. Relief swept through me. He was home. Recently, I craved his presence as much as I craved his body. Just having him in the same space kept me from teetering off the edge or crying for no reason. I looked up as he stepped inside, his tie loosened, his phone still pressed to his ear. I smiled, but he didn’t. He mouthed, “Just a second,” and retreated to the kitchen to finish his call. I sat there, staring at the pattern on the rug, rehearsing the words I’d been turning over in my mind for weeks. When he
The priest’s voice rose for the final prayer, and Matteo gently released me, guiding me closer to the grave. I stepped forward, my legs trembling, and stared down at the casket. My vision blurred with tears, but I could still see it. The stark reality of it.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words choking me. My fingers gripped the edge of the rose I held, its thorns biting into my skin—a fitting pain. I deserved it.“I love you,” I said, louder this time, though it felt like shouting into an abyss. The wind carried my words, but I knew they would never reach him. Not now.I let the rose fall, watching as it landed on the smooth wood, its crimson petals stark against the dark rain-soaked surface. My heart twisted as the first shovelful of earth fell, a dull thud that felt like it echoed in my soul.Then, I looked up, and I remembered Mama.“He’s alone.” Salty tears dripped on my lips. “Watch over him, too, okay?”I took my fingers to my head and my chest and drew the cross to my shoulders
LeonoraNormal girls wanted normal men to cook for them, clean for them, and treat them like princesses, which honestly wasn’t a bad thing. But in the world where I came from, the women did the serving. They treated their husbands like kings, even if they were the world’s biggest assholes. Finding a man to uphold you like his queen—rub your feet, feed you breakfast in bed, eat you up like delicious dinner—was extremely rare.Luckily for me, I found one. Or he found me.Or we found each other, really.I woke to the weight of my body pressing me into the mattress and the ache in my back more fucking insistent than it had been the day before.My swollen feet throbbed even as they lay propped up on a pillow, and the baby, as if in a bid to remind me of its imminent arrival, kicked sharply against my ribs. I groaned and shifted, but even that simple movement felt monumental. My belly was like a fucking obstacle.“Leonya?”Rafayel’s voice came from somewhere nearby. It was low, and he sounde
RafayelBlood, sweat, and fear were a trifecta I had grown all too familiar with over the years. And the room reeked of it now.When I had my casino designed, it wasn’t for this kind of business. The leather chairs, polished oak desk, and the glittering lights of the slot machines beyond the tinted glass were to depict opulence. Yet here I was, standing before a pathetic excuse for a man strapped to a chair, his head lolling forward like a broken puppet.The idiot who thought he could slither out of my grasp.“You almost sang, Rocky.”I flexed my fingers inside the tight leather gloves, the blade in my hand catching the low, artificial light. It gleamed with the promise of pain, and I knew it wasn’t a question ofifI’d use it.It waswhen.Rocky’s muffled whimpering grated on my nerves, though I hadn’t even touched him yet.“You disappointed me, Rocky. I gave you opportunities, much more than you deserved. And this? You run your mouth to the fucking cops?”He could barely crack his swol
LeonoraEpilogueOne Year Later“You know what we can control. But what if I told you we could offer something more? Something that the corporate world would benefit from, something that could take your business to new heights?”I clicked a button, and the screen behind me flickered to life, revealing a sleek, detailed proposal. The corporate elite in front of me shifted in their seats. They had no idea how deep this went.“Paragon Syndicate Inc. is one of the most powerful players in the business world. But even the most secure empire can fall without the right protection and alliances,” I continued, pacing slightly, my eyes narrowing on each individual in the room. “In our line of work, we’ve learned the importance of protecting what matters. And trust me when I say, your assets, your brand, can never be truly secure without the right people watching over it.”A murmur rippled through the room.“Security, control, and influence are what we offer—not just in the form of muscle but in
“I love you, Rafa.”He kissed my forehead and relaxed on the seat with his eyes shut. “I know you do.”****We stepped out of the car as we arrived at Timur’s house, and I smiled at the imposing structure before us. Serena invited us for lunch today. Rafayel didn’t say it often, but we both knew how appreciative he was that Timur and his family shuttled between states just to spend time with us. And it was surely a blessing because Serena had fallen madly in love with Nadya.Normally, I stayed home with our daughter, who was a rare moment of peace in the madness of our lives. Marco was more than capable of handling the operations while I focused on what mattered most—our baby girl. But tonight, it was different. I had to be with Rafayel at the meeting with Paragon, and I knew Serena would be happy to take over for a while, giving me the time I needed.I didn’t like leaving Nadya in someone else’s hands, but Serena had always been good with her. She’d always been a mother in her own ri
“Don’t make noise. She’s asleep.”“You should take your own advice, sweetheart.”Like an animal, Rafayel ripped the thong from my waist, cupped me where I’d ached for him all day, and pressed my back against the door until I was breathing his scent and nothing else. His breath came fast and shallow, his eyes fixed on me with a hunger that matched my own.“Spread your legs,” he ordered, and I obeyed.He slipped one finger in, grunted against my neck, and pumped in another one. My back flew off the door, and I dug my fingernails into his hard biceps to keep my legs steady. He moved against me, thrusting his finger inside me with a rough speed that I wholly welcomed.“Punishment for teasing me tonight,” he growled against my ear and nipped at my earlobe.The words in my brain had turned into an incoherent mush, but I was still able to say, “You started it, staring at me like I was dinner.”A low chuckle rumbled from his throat and his mouth latched on my nape while his finger worked its
I was grateful.Andrei’s face creased with worry. “Are you okay?”I drifted back to the presence and nodded. “I just thought of Dad. I mean, isn’t it funny how I was able to meet you because of the shipment he hid?”“Tell me about it. You think Peter had this all mapped out before he died?” Andrei asked with a playful grin. “That he wanted me to meet you?”I shrugged. “He was a genius. It’s not completely out of the box. He worked with you, so he must’ve known how great of a person you are.”Andrei chuckled. “Your father watched me murder men in cold blood a few times. There is no way he would have wanted a man like me for his daughter.”I looked him straight in the eyes and corrected him. “Every father wants a man who would love and protect their daughter. You’re all of those things, and I’m sure he would have approved.”Even if Mom hadn’t been a fan of it at first, she’d adjusted pretty well.Andrei took my hands and kissed the back of my palm. “And I promise to always love and prot
GiselleSeven Months Later“It’s your birthday in less than an hour,” Mom said over the phone.For the first time since Dad died, she sounded happier, as if she’d finally gotten to that final stage of grief.Acceptance.The stage where even though the pain was still there, it just became easier to live with.I believed I’d also gotten to that stage.There were days when I missed Dad so much and wished he was still here, but those days were fleeting, and I found myself cherishing the memories we had when he was here.I’d shifted my focus to finding my own path in life and living in the moment. Andrei was the moment; because of him, I could live happily and smile freely again, something I never thought I would experience after Dad died.I stared blankly at the wall above me and sighed. “Yes, Mom. It’s my twenty-third birthday in an hour, and the only company I have is an empty house.”It was the first time I’d ever been home alone for a while now. Andrei made it a duty to always come ho
“I think we need to celebrate.” She leaned in and whispered. “Let’s sneak away from here.”I took her hand in mine. “Come with me.”She squinted. “Where are we going?”“You’ll see.”I led her to the rooftop of the building, closing the door behind us to avoid any interruptions and burying the noise of the chaos below.The rooftop was quiet, and the city stretched out before us, a glittering expanse of lights and movement. The night breeze was cool, carrying with it the distant sounds of cars racing down the street.Giselle stood beside me, her hands covered in mine as she admired the full moon and the bed of stars in the sky.Our fingers grazed, and it felt like the entire world had been set ablaze, the heat licking through my veins and the air cracking with a jolt of tension.The weird feeling in my chest intensified, and my pulse raced. It was a reminder of what she meant to me—what I’d just discovered she meant to me.I watched her, something in my chest fluttering as I admired how
AndreiThe air was thick with the aroma of burning cigars, the low murmur of laughter and conversation blending with the shuffle of cards and the clinking of crystal glasses.My fingers drummed idly against the felt-covered table, my gaze sweeping across my opponents.They were all seasoned members of the Bratva with hands that were scarred from bloodshed and dark eyes that threatened death.Antonio Morozov and Victor Volkov.We were all cut from the same cloak—all three of us—bred with cruelty, brutality, and bloodshed. Different in many ways yet similar in more than one.And at this table, every card we tossed was a matter of our pride. The joy that came with victory surpassed winning a war with a rival family.I’d always been a good player, only lost a game a couple of times. My skills were unbeatable, and everyone here knew it.But it was different tonight. Giselle’s presence made it different.She sat on the edge of a leather chair across the room, her back straight and hands fol
I wrapped my arms around his neck, reveling in the heat seeping from his body and into mine as he carried me to our room.His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his body pressing against mine and enveloping me with warmth.We barely made it past the bedroom door when I shifted from the position in one fluid motion, wrapping my legs around his hips and tracing his lips with mine.His arm snaked around me, and one of his hands slid under my swimsuit, finding my bare breast and cupping it.I raked my fingers through his hair and kissed him. It was a hot, searing, primal kiss that evoked something deeper than lust from both of us. It was need, mixed with deep yearning.He deepened the kiss, dragging his thumb across my nipple and twisting it lightly.I moaned into his mouth, bucking when I felt his erection poke against my sex, and ground against him, desperate to ease the throbbing between my thighs.He slid a hand through my thong and cupped my sex, and then, fisting the thong, he ripp
I swam toward him, resting my elbow on the edge just by his feet and tilting my head to look at him. “It’s called a two-piece swimsuit.”“Ah, I see.” He whipped his head around and glared at his guards, a silent signal for them to look away.I laughed. He hadn’t just grown more protective; he’d become even more possessive and jealous as well. It was cute to see. “You know they’ve been watching me swim every day for weeks now, right?”“Well, they’re not allowed to watch you swim anymore. No man is allowed to watch you swim beside me.”I huffed. He’d just saved me from having to discuss the bodyguard situation. “How was work today, husband?”“I had a couple of meetings with thePakhanand a couple of members of the Bratva. All I could think of while I was there was coming back home to you.” He placed a finger beneath my chin and leaned in. “I missed you.”“Me, too.” I squinted and grinned. “I think I missed you more.”He pretended to think for a moment. “I doubt it.”Something about the w
GiselleIt’d been two months since the whole fiasco with the FBI and Tyfun-1. Luckily, the cops hadn’t found anything to implicate me with the drugs, and the news about it had become irrelevant.A lot of things had changed—like my relationship with Andrei.I’d started to truly enjoy his presence, with no fear or doubts attached, and I missed him in his absence—like a part of me had been torn away.He’d changed a lot, too, over the months.Although he was still that dominant, fearful, and brutal man others feared, he’d become softer with me. He smiled more now and didn’t have to pretend to be cold whenever we were together.To be honest, I didn’t think I could’ve pulled a better man than him on my own, even if I tried.It was the middle of summer, and the weather outside was scorching. Andrei wouldn’t be home until evening, and I’d grown tired of watching TV.I went to the pool outside, sliding off my robe and slipping into the water. I groaned as a blissful chill cascaded over me, was
And there was no way in hell I was going home tonight without the damn camellias.***When I got home, Giselle was standing in the living room, arms crossed, waiting. Her hair was loose, falling in dark waves over her shoulders. Her lips parted slightly as her gaze dropped to the box in my hands.She held her chest and exhaled. She ran to me, pressing up on her toes to hug me.I snaked one arm around her waist, hugging her back. She smelled jasmine and vanilla tonight—delicious and sweet.“I was so worried, Andrei,” she whispered, hugging me tightly, as if I would vanish into thin air if she pulled away. “You told me you were coming home hours ago.”I pulled back first and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I was coming home until I saw something that looked just as beautiful as you.”She peered at the box again but completely ignored it. “Did you get into trouble? Was thePakhanmad at you?”I looked at her long and hard—the way her brows creased with worry and her emerald eyes da
“I’ve seen how you men live. I’ll be damned before I let myself become that kind of a mess.”I nodded. I’d thought the same thing months ago, and here I was, risking it all for a woman I never thought I’d meet.She’d been freaking worried this morning, afraid of how this would turn out. I needed to go back home to her. I needed to see her face and watch her give that delightful smile when I broke the news to her.Rising to my feet, I smoothed out my suit and nodded to thePakhan. “I’ll be leaving now. I’ll give you an update if there’s any soon.”He nodded back. “Khorosho.”Dobryn was leaning on the white S.U.V. when I reached the parking lot. His face wrinkled with concern when he saw me. “How did it go, sir?”“Luckily, he wasn’t angry.” I climbed into the back seat, pulling out my phone to text Giselle that I was on my way home.The car roared beneath me, and soon, Dobryn reeled it out of the parking lot. “Where are we going now?” he asked, peering at me through the rearview mirror.