ARIANA I STEPPED OUT OF THE bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body and my hair still dripping down my back from the one-hour shower I took to wash the stress and pent-up emotions of the night away. The calm that came with the shower quickly vanished when I noticed Aleksei in my room. As in, sitting on the foot of my bed uninvited like he owned the space. He might as well not be wearing a stitch of clothing on his upper half from the way the black t-shirt molded over his muscles like a second skin. I tried and failed to not admire his toned muscles and the curve of his neck, tapering off to broad, sculpted shoulders that put bodybuilders to shame. A black necklace hung around his neck, melting easily into the blackness of his shirt while the black and gold cross pendant at the tip swayed from side to side. It was laughable to see him wearing it. The necklace, I mean. His hands were soiled with blood, and I was sure he would burn if he stepped foot in a church. Yet,
ARIANA I gently tugged my arm out of Aleksei's grasp, stalking into the closet to get some clothes on. I threw on the first pajama set I grabbed from my luggage. Whoever packed for me had done a good job of grabbing all my necessities except pajama shorts that covered my ass properly. I'd checked the bag before I got into the shower, and the two pajama sets in there were tiny shorts and a camisole. I hadn't minded because I hated wearing a lot of clothing to bed. That, and I thought I'd have the room all to myself, but that wasn't the case anymore. My dearest husband had thrown a wrench in my plans. I gritted my teeth as I shoved my arms through a bathrobe I'd tossed carelessly on the counter earlier. I secured the belt around my waist, stepping out into the room. Luckily, Aleksei wasn't in the room, and from the distant sound of flowing water, I figured he was in the bathroom. I grabbed the pillows from the bed, setting up a demarcation in the center of the bed. The inten
ALEKSEI "WHAT ARE YOU DOING here? It better be worth me putting clothes on." I climbed down the last of the stairs, pinning my father with a glare. "I don't remember inviting you." Green eyes the same shade as mine filled with nonchalance as he helped himself to Mikhail's scotch he'd discarded on the coffee table before he went to bed. "Every day, I think your attitude will get better, but you always end up spawning into a worse monster." I flashed him a humorless smile as I came to take the seat right across from him, the coffee table separating us. "I live for disappointing you, don't I? You told me that yourself." I signaled for Anton, one of my senior guards who'd alerted me of my father's presence, to leave. A thoughtful look crossed Igor's eyes. "Hm. I did say something like that." He lifted his gaze to meet mine. "I apologize." I coiled back like I'd been struck by a cobra, my fingers frozen where they were curled around the neck of the bottle. "What the fuck is goi
ARIANA "LAST NIGHT WAS A DISASTER for obvious reasons," Reina started, looking around the table at everyone who had gathered. Her eyes fell on the empty seat next to me, and she scowled. "And where's Aleksei? I didn't see him come in with you guys." "I'd be more worried about your husband if I were you." Mikhail pointed at the empty seat at the head of the table. "He's not here, is he? Why is that, aunt? Is he cheat—" "Do not." She slammed her fist down on the table, rattling the dishes around her. "I repeat, do not complete that sentence." Mikhail threw his arms in the air, a rueful smirk twisting his lips. "Still in denial, I see. You can never change." Reina's lips curved with malice. "Just like how your mother couldn't change her crack whore ways? Seems like I have more in common with my disgrace of a sister than I thought. How dreadful." Chortles sprung around the table from Reina's venomous group of friends. Each one looked more spiteful than the last, and it was cle
ARIANA Aleksei's walk to the table was cocky and his expression unbothered despite the glowers he received from the men around the table. Knowing him, he wasn't oblivious to their reactions to him. He simply did not give fuck. Now, I was almost curious to hear what happened in their just concluded meeting that made them all mad at him. Aleksei lowered himself on the chair, and the hushed whispers immediately began. My eyes flitted around the table, trying to pinpoint what the cause of this silent uproar was, but Aleksei stole my attention before I could figure anything out. "I didn't believe it when Mikhail said you tagged along, but you might be more stubborn than I initially thought." My lips twisted into a smile. I pulled out my phone from the tiny purse on my lap, typing out to reply to him under the table before sending it to him. "I prefer tenacious." Mirth singed his irises. "I'm guessing you had a great day." I nodded. "I went shopping with Anastasia. She was a
ALEKSEI I WASN'T A MAN easily surprised. It was a running argument between Mikhail and me whenever he planned extravagant surprises for me on my birthday and they didn't have the desired effect on me. Hell, when my cousin challenged me for the position as the Pakhan earlier today, I hadn't batted an eyelid like everyone expected me to. But, hearing Ariana speak for the first time left me stunned... speechless even. Get a life, old man. That's what she said. I had no idea if I was more surprised by the fact that she spoke or the sound of her voice. Although barely above a whisper, it was warm like the first rays of the morning sun after a cold, dreadful night, with underlying passion woven into every syllable. My lips parted. How could a voice so warm also hold a silky promise of brazen pleasure? Fuck, I knew she was going to be trouble from the moment I laid eyes on her, but I was just realizing how much. Her voice was like a shot of dopamine into my veins, sending a stream o
ALEKSEI I crossed the threshold, ambling to her side as she stared at herself in the mirror. It was like the outside world or her immediate surroundings ceased to exist to her. A better man would have let her slowly come to terms with things on her own, but I wasn't a better man. Hell, I wasn't even remotely a good man. I wanted to pick and prod at her brain, know what made her tick, from her fears to what made her gift the world with her rare genuine smiles. Everything. I slid behind her, my hand falling on her hip to get her attention. "Ariana." Her clouded gaze met mine in the mirror. She was staring at me, but at the same time, it was as though she was staring right through me. The emptiness in her eyes unsettled me. It was a scary look on her, one I hated with my entire being. It brought unsavory memories from my childhood; memories I kept buried in the recess of my mind. That explained why the emptiness in her eyes had stirred
ARIANA I WOKE UP ON cloud nine the next morning. I could still speak, and the rope showed no signs of returning. I stood in front of the mirror this morning in disbelief, patting my face to make sure I wasn't living in a false reality I made up in my head. I smiled. God, I couldn't wait to get home and surprise everyone with the news. Mom, Matteo, Enzo, Drea, everyone! "Did you and Aleksei finally get it over with?" Mikhail asked, dryly, guzzling down a shot of vodka. It was just seven in the morning, and he was already drinking. I pointed it out to him when he first joined me earlier, and he'd merely shrugged it off. I didn't have to dig deep to know where he got his devil-may-care attitude from. His brother possessed it in spades; case in point, ignoring those people at dinner yesterday when they talked shit about his family. As expected, Aleksei was long gone when I woke up this morning. His side of the bed was cold, and the room showed no signs of him being there in
ALEKSEI present An hour later, and my pockets were two million dollars lighter, but nothing beat the smile on my wife's face as she let loose possibly for the first time in her life. "Did you have fun up there?" "Mhm." She bobbed her head, the air of excitement around her palpable. "Even though Deo cheated." I laughed, dropping my forehead on hers. "I don't think he did. You just suck at playing." "Hey, be on my side!" She whined as her arms wound their way around my neck. "You're my husband, aren't you?" Fuck. "A man can only have so much restraint, Solnyshko." I nipped at her lower lip, pulling away before I gave the entire dancefloor a show. "Don't tempt me like that in public." If she kept saying things like that, there was no predicting when my already fragile control would snap. Not to mention her short dress that barely grazed her mid-thigh, showing off those tempting legs I had wrapped around my waist some hours ago. Ariana heard about the underground nightclub in the
ALEKSEInineteen years ago"Why do you keep coming here?" The slurred words filled my ears as I mopped the dried vomit stuck to the floor. "I tried to kill you before. Do you think I couldn't do it again?"It was ten in the morning, and Mom was already drunk. I couldn't remember the last time she was fully sober. Or nice. Now, she was always so angry and mean."Don't ignore me, you brat!" She snapped, tossing her half-empty bottle of beer at me. The alcohol dulled her aim, and the bottle crashed into pieces at my feet instead of hitting my head like she intended.I sighed, wiping the sweat off my brow. At this rate, I wouldn't be done with cleaning before the nanny dropped Misha off. "I'm here because you're lonely all the time."Dad couldn't care less about her, and he hadn't come to see her since he kicked her out. She would have no one if Misha and I abandoned her, too."Don't pity me, bastard!" She threw another bottle at me. "And don't look at me with those ugly eyes!"I dropped
ALEKSEINinety minutes later, the pianist had wrapped up her performance, and Ariana was fangirling over her at the side, where they conversed animatedly.I'd accidentally stumbled upon her conversation with her best friend on the phone a while ago. Apparently, they were big fans of the pianist, and they'd missed the opportunity to get tickets to her New York show before they sold out.Deo happened to be hosting an event for a few acquaintances, and I found he'd hired her services for the night. Long story short, I made him kick out a few intended guests to take their spots.How Viktor was one of the few guests in attendance remained a mystery to me, and Deo refused to tell. Speaking of Viktor...I turned slightly in my seat, tearing my gaze off Ariana for a few seconds to find Viktor in the crowd. He stood quietly to the side, nursing a glass of wine—his preferred drink of choice—while he leaned his weight against the walls of the glass dome.I followed the
ALEKSEIOLD ME WOULD BE balking at current me.Not only had I skipped work for forty-eight hours—and counting; I'd also taken a flight out of New York for reasons unrelated to my work. Both choices were unlike me.My entire adult years revolved around work, and it was a conscious decision I had taken because I was avoiding everything else around me.The one thing I feared the most was coming to fruition right before my very eyes, but my brain had completely turned off when it came to dealing with this woman, it seemed.The very thing I made the decision to run away from when I was ten stood in front of me in the form of a frowning, five-foot-nothing woman, who looked at me like she wanted chop my dick off.Maybe losing control wasn't so bad, after all."Tell me!" Ariana whined, grabbing onto my forearm to stop me from moving forward."It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now, would it?""Ugh, you suck." She let go of my arm, turning to walk in
ARIANAHe did scrub me clean, but it didn't end there.He made me sit still while he dried and brushed my hair for me. And color me surprised when I walked into the closet to find clothes all in my size next to his—clothes I was sure I never purchased for myself—and all my care products I didn't remember telling him about.Now I was perched on the couch, watching him frolic around the kitchen because he didn't want me to lift a finger. More than sixty minutes passed with me scrolling through endless movie options on Netflix before he rounded the counter with a tray of food and drinks.I sat up straight, adjusting the pillows around me as he approached the couch.This was my second time seeing him in casual clothing. That one time back in Russia didn't count because he took off the sweatpants almost immediately, and I never got a good look at him because I was trying not to pay attention to him.Big mistake on my part because he looked just as gorgeous in his
ARIANA"Currently my type is a blonde, five-foot-four spitfire. Kind as fuck, too stunning for this world, gets mad for my sake. What's not to love?"My breath hitched in my chest. I didn't miss his less than subtle use of the L-word."Also, her protectiveness turns me the fuck on, and her nonchalance after she gets called out on it is even better. And that smart mouth of hers..." he trailed off."And what about it?""I could listen to it talk about the most mundane things, and I still wouldn't get tired of listening to her sweet voice."I released the shaky breath I was holding. I didn't realize those were the things he thought of me, and I'd be lying if I said I was unaffected by his words. "Currently?""Hm?""You said currently. Are you looking to change your type again?" "Depends. Is she going to dye her hair a different color again?""Maybe?" I hid my smile."Then the list will be updated." His lips hovered over mine seductively. "Do
ARIANAI STIRRED OUT OF my slumber, slowly blinking my eyelids open to take in my surroundings.Where was I?This didn't look like my bedroom, and neither did it look like Aleksei's. For some reason, I was also sore. What the hell happened last night?I pushed my hair out of my face, trying to sit up on my bed, but a thick arm around my waist prevented me from doing so, pulling me closer into a muscular, warm body."Where are you going, baby?" Aleksei's sleepy mumble drifted into my ears as he buried his face in my neck, tightening his grip around my waist."Nowhere."Memories from last night played in my head like a movie.Aleksei picking me up from Niko's house; me asking him to fuck me, and then him bringing us to this penthouse. The remaining details didn't need to be recounted in my head. My body could feel it.I buried my face in my palm, groaning quietly as my words from last night bombarded my head. I couldn't believe I'd said half the thi
ALEKSEI I LET MY EYES briefly fall shut as I slid in to the hilt, burying myself deep in her warm heat. Her walls tightened around my cock despite her not having full control of her body yet, and she whimpered softly, clawing at the sheets. It was hard to tear my eyes off her face. She was flawless in every sense of the word from her long lashes that spilled over high cheekbones to her full lips parted with pleasure, to the slight pinch between her perfectly arched brows. I lowered my lips to her forehead, softly kissing the wrinkle between her brows away. Her cheeks flushed a slight pink, and she tried turning her face away from me. This woman. I just made her come twice, once on my tongue and once around my cock. Yet she still blushed over a little kiss on her forehead, like I didn't have my cock inside of her right now, fucking her to the brink of another orgasm. I smiled to myself. Of course, she got shy over a kiss lik
ARIANAMY BACK ARCHED OFF the bed as he thrust in slowly, filling me inch by excruciating inch until I was sure I'd explode if I took any more of him."Fuck," I cried out, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as pain seared through my body.Aleksei stopped moving. "Don't look away from me, Solnyshko. I want to see your face." His fingers sank into my hair, gently pulling my head back. Worry filled his eyes when they clashed with mine. "Tell me how you feel.""Full," I admitted. "It hurts a little.""That's just the tip, baby. Are you sure we shouldn't stop?"My eyes rounded into saucers. "Just the tip?"I looked down at where we were joined, and my jaw dropped.Oh, fuck. He wasn't lying.God, I knew he was huge - I'd felt it in my palms when I touched him - but I didn't expect him to be that huge that I mistook just a few inches for the entire length of his cock.Nonetheless, I shook my head, even though I damn well knew I was dancing with