Ava I insist on saying goodbye to Tatiana before we leave. As you would expect Nikolai isn't exactly thrilled at my need to be polite but I tell him that it's rude to leave without at least saying goodbye to the bride and groom Tatiana smiles when she sees us approaching, her expression a one of excitement and pleasant surprise. "Ava," She chortles, standing up from her seat beside her new husband and smoothing a hand down the front of her dress. Even after hours of festivities and celebrations, Tatiana still manages to look as beautiful as ever, rocking that radiant glow all brides seem to possess during their wedding. Except you're me of course. While Tatiana had spent the earlier hours of the evening floating effortlessly around the hall with her groom in hand, greeting close family and friends, I spent my time trying to recall the face of one single guest who attended my wedding. I couldn't. Tatiana was surrounded by people she loved on her big day, while I was surrounded by
Ava "Nikolai" I cry out, just as his phone buzzes in the back pocket of his pants. His lips seers a path of burning kisses into my skin, down my neck and my back nearly arches off the door when nips at my collarbone. One of my legs is slung over his hip and my dress is bunched over my waist as he grips the back of my thigh in one hand, his thumb rubbing slow circles against my skin. "Don't stop", I practically beg, tilting my head back against the door and allowing his lips to work my skin. We are both panting and his erection is pressing desperately against the inside of my thigh, seeking friction. Everything about the way he's touching me sets my entire body ablaze, and I'm mildly aware that his jacket is somewhere on the floor, right beside the little dignity I had when I stepped into his house. His hot breath fans my skin as his lips find the sensitive spot just below my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He rolls his pelvis against my clit, and a sigh of pleasure escapes m
NikolaiI extend a hand towards her, waiting for her to hand over the gun like I requested. She doesn't but I notice the way her grip falters around the handle.A long second passes between us and I wait for her to lower the gun. She does not.My stubborn wife remains rooted in the same position, her gaze frantic, confused as she searches my expression."Why do you have a gun?" She asks, and I arch a brow in her direction, considering her question for a moment. "Is that what you Americans call a trick question?"She frowns at me, clearly not finding my humour as faltering as I hoped she would. "I'm serious Nikolai." she says, her voice stern, "Tell me why you have a gun in your room?""You are aware of my profession, or do you want to add that to the list of things you don't know about me?"Her frown deepens. Clearly, she doesn't appreciate my response."When you are the head of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the whole of America and Russia, you learn to never leave a s
Nikolai "I'm a virgin Nikolai" Her words linger in the air for a solid minute, neither one of us moving. She's a virgin? A fucking virgin. Sure, I suspected that she was inexperienced, but a virgin? My gaze roams over my wife's figure, taking in every delicate curve, from the swell of her breasts to the flare of her hips then over the curve of her ass. How is that even possible? "Say something" she urges, biting down on her bottom lip. Don't tell me, I study her expression, watching her press her lips into a thin line, is she nervous? The corner of my mouth curves slightly as I take in the worried expression etched into her features. Was she worried that I'd be turned off by this? Did she think that her lack of experience made her inferior? I want to tell her not to worry, but the words are lodged in my throat, and instead, I frame her face gently in my hands, stroking my thumb over the curve of her jaw as I press my forehead against hers. "No other man has touched you befor
Ava Anger does not even begin to cover the synonyms of emotions that coursed through my veins when I woke up the next morning. Alone. Nikolai was nowhere to be found, and after a few disgruntled attempts at reaching for him on his side of the bed, I realised the horrible truth. I'd been abandoned. His sheets were cold, and I realised he'd probably been gone for hours, maybe even long, before I woke up, and in his place lingered only the faintest trace of cinnamon on the sheets. A pang of disappointment surged through me, sharp and aching. How could he leave? I wasn't familiar with the terms of one-night stands, but I'm pretty sure leaving your wife in bed after giving her not one, not two, but three mind-blowing orgasms was filed under the cabinet of dickery. He could've at least waited until I woke up before pulling the rug from under my feet. I'd pushed myself out of bed thirty minutes later, determined to find my husband and give him a piece of my mind but he was nowhere
NikolaiMy wife is ignoring me.My fingers clench at my sides as I watch my wife walk into our house, her shoulder subtly grazing mine as she steps into the living room, just enough for me to catch the sweet scent of cherries and vanilla she leaves in her wake.That fucking scent had been engraved in my mind all morning, and after last night, I determined I never wanted to get away from it. I wanted it everywhere I was, and I was willing to have it engraved in my fucking veins if I had to.I could think of every word in the dictionary but none would do justice to how absolutely devastating last night had been for me. I'd been wrecked in more ways than one and my wife was the only one with the ability to put me back together. Her soft whimpers of pleasure had filled my head and haunted my mind, making it impossible for me to focus on anything else.I watch her ascend the staircase, admiring the denim of her jeans clinging to her curves, the sway of hips equal parts mesmerizing and temp
AvaI didn't know what I expected Nikolai's room to look like and yet this right here manages to live up to the image I'd built up in my head. Compared to my room, Nikolai’s is massive, a plain that seems to stretch the further It goes.This amount of space seems absurd for one man and yet Nikolai seems to manage it just fine.A king-sized bed laid in dark satin sheets dominates the centre. The colour matches the charcoal grey drapes that hang from the ceiling to floor window that leads to a balcony. Identical armchairs facing each other serve as the only piece of furniture in the large room.There's nothing remotely homely about the place, and yet, for some odd reason, it feels warm.After I adamantly told Nikolai that there was no universe where I agreed to move into his room, he'd simply taken my hand in his and led me towards his bedroom door at the end of the hallway without so much as a word.The words he'd whispered to me in the hallway, our forehead pressed against each other
Ava"What are you doing, Malysh?" Nikolai asks, his voice low yet curious as he watches me stack pillow after pillow in the space between us.The corner of my mouth pulls downward, barely sparing him a glance. “Isn't it obvious? I'm building a barrier” I reply simply, reaching for another pillow.Nikolai leans back against the headboard, the mattress crinkling softly under his movements. His gaze never leaves mine as he watches me effectively build the only thing I could come up with last minute to serve as a barrier.“And why exactly do you need a barrier, Solnyshko? Especially one made from such flimsy building material" He says, eyeing said flimsy building material.His comment shouldn't bother me half as much as it does and yet it does.I release a puff of air, tucking the stray strands from my bun to the back of my ear before shooting him a sharp look.“If you must know I intend for there to be some sort of distance between us tonight. As long as this barrier is in place, there
AvaThe Uber rolls to a stop in front of a barely standing building. The middle-aged driver glances at me through the rearview mirror, his brows pinching together. I ignore the look he gives me and shove a few bills into his hand before stepping out.The address Aaron sends me leads me to the industrial side of Chicago, where rusting metal fences and abandoned buildings line the quiet streets. Why the hell did he want to meet up in a place like this? The moment I shut the door, the Uber peels away, the roar of the engine fading into the distance, leaving me with nothing but a puff of engine smoke and dust.Coming to an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere simply because my brother preferred it over coffee in a cafe like normal people should certainly count as my top ten biggest mistakes.My gaze scans the area, and so far, it seems safe and normal.Slipping away from Benjamin had proven difficult. I'd asked him to stop at a random art store, claiming I needed to get some art
AvaMy phone buzzes in my pants as soon as I step out of my art history test on Wednesday. I reach for it, my pulse thrumming when I see the unknown number flashing across the screen. I hesitate for only a second before answering, my hand fisting the phone tightly."Hello?" "How are you, Ava?"That voice. I knew that voice. I grew up with that voice."Aaron?""The one and only"It's meant to come off as playful but there's a restrained edge to it. He sounds tired somehow and nothing like the boy I grew up with.Whereas that voice was lighter and always playful, this voice sounded older, wearier—like life had taken its toll on him in ways I would never understand.Why was he calling me? Now of all times. He abandoned me and now he's calling me like everything is just peachy between us when it's not. He knows it's not.I open my mouth to tell him he's an asshole for ignoring me for months and then trying to joke it off like nothing happene
Ava"I want to show you something," Nikolai tells me when I step into the house after a very long day of classes. I'm tired and my feet ache from shuffling between one lecture hall to the other in hopes of learning something relating to the path I chose to walk in life but am now violently cursing myself from doing.Kira throws me a toothy grin from over her shoulder as she's escorted back to her room by Lydia, her nanny, a grey-haired Russian woman with manners as stiff as a stick. She smiles at me politely as she ushers the little girl who'd tumbled into my legs the moment she saw me walk through the door, her tiny fists clutching the fabric of my skirt tightly like she couldn't let go.It took a while for her to notice me when I first came in, but when she did, she smiled at me so brightly from her father's lap that my heart stopped right there in my chest. Is this what it feels like to be missed?I lift a brow at Nikolai clearly confused at what he needs to show me. Today he's dr
Ava"You look different"Cara announces when we meet up later at one of the cafés around campus. The place is buzzing with students even though it's a Saturday and the campus is less crowded than usual.I glance up from the heart shaped design on my latte, shooting her a puzzled look."Different how?"She shrugs, "Just different"That's strange. I hadn't done anything peculiar to up my style this morning. My hair was in a loose ponytail and the dress I wore to the studio today was less than flattering on my figure. It had to be since I knew that it'd be coated in paint whenever I decided to leave the studio today. Which was thirty minutes ago when Cara called to ask if I was free for lattes.Cara tilts her head, deliberately trailing her gaze up and down my body. She looks at me the way a scientist would look at an equation they can't solve, stern and focused and I try not to let it unnerve me more than it already does.I lift the latte to my lips, taking a sip. The heavy creamy textu
Ava."Are you going to the studio?" Nikolai asks me once I sling my backpack over my shoulder. I'm now fully dressed and trying to ignore the lingering heat on my skin from what happened barely thirty minutes ago between us. After running me a bath, Nikolai asked to join me to which I declined with a firm no. When he realised there was no shaking my conviction, he reluctantly left the bathroom with a small pout, eventually giving me the space I required to clean up.After my bath, he hopped into the bathroom while I got dressed. Since it was a Saturday, I didn't have any classes today, but the deadline for my art project was drawing fast, and I was still a thousand steps away from starting it, not to talk of finishing it. I had to be having some type of artistic block. I mean, what else would you call me just staring at my canvas for three solid hours before deciding that the line I sketched wasn't straight enough and redoing the whole thing.I've been going to the studio every day
AvaI wake up to the feeling of my husband's lips dotting wet kisses across my cheeks, down the column of my neck to the base of my throat and then lower.I stir in the bed, my eyes still closed, when I feel his smile against my skin. "I know you're awake, Solnyshko" Nikolai's deep, husky morning voice rumbles against my collarbone, sending goosebumps erupting all over my skin. He sounds so good for someone who just woke up."Open those pretty eyes for me"He drops another kiss on my collarbone, following it with a quick nip. I wince, involuntarily arching towards him. My eyes snap open and I glance down at the head of dark curls brushing lightly against my chest.Nikolai lifts his head, his piercing green eyes colliding with mine. His lips stretch into a slow, lazy smirk as he looks at me, and I can feel the organ in my chest go into partial shock from how gorgeous my husband looks at the moment. A small teasing glint sparks in his eyes when he sees me watching him and my body ten
BearThe new prisoner his father brought was rather chatty, Bear decided after he heard the third knock on the wall on the second day of his exile."Bear?" came the little voice, soft and curious, as always. He'd come to realize that despite himself he actually found her voice rather tolerable. It was a drift from the normal silence that consumed him whenever his father would send him on one of these exiles.He'd grown so used to the silence his father's punishments often left him with that he never thought that he'd appreciate the sound of another person’s voice. Yet here he was, lying against the cold wall, listening to the sound of her timid knocks and hesitant words, almost as if she was afraid he wouldn't answer.And he almost didn't."Bear, I know you're in there. The least you can do is tell me you don't want to speak to me instead of avoiding me"She had him there."Mozhesh' li ty byt' gromche?" he muttered, his voice slightly hoarse.(Can you be any louder)"I knew you were s
NikolaiAva returns with a pack of frozen peas, a thin towel and a change of clothes. She places the things she brought by my side on the bed and returns to her position on her knees. On any other day, the sight of my wife on her knees in front of me would've sent me coming in my pants, but the tightness in her lips, the subtle puffiness around her eyes, mixed with the throbbing pain in my ribs makes it impossible for me to get aroused in this situation."Take off your shirt?" She orders and I bite down on my tongue to keep from making a joke on how eager she was to get me naked. Considering how well she'd taken my last attempt at a joke stopping myself before the words slip out seems like the only wise thing to do.I discard the blood-stained fabric of my shirt to the floor a few feet away from her, wincing as the movement pulls at my ribs. Ava notices. Her fingers pause, hesitation flickering across her features before she schools her expression and reaches for the ice pack."Hold
AvaI spend the next day exploring the halls of the Volkov mansion. The library more than anywhere else and by the time it's evening, strange as it might sound, I'm more than excited to see my husband again Except I don't see him.Because he doesn't return. At first, I thought maybe something might have come up to keep him a day longer, but then, I didn't hear from him for the next two days, which only grooms my worry.My thoughts spiral, raging from, did something happen to him? To, What if he's hurt? And then my personal favourite, Why won't he answer his goddamn phone?I do everything I can to reach him. Calls texts, you name It. I try it all, and each time, I'm met with nothing. It's almost as if he just disappeared.By the time the third day rolls out, it feels like I can't breathe. I can't focus on anything else, and I try, my God, do I try to reach him, but as usual, I'm met with the constant automatic voice, which I've come to grow annoyed with, informing me that the number