Page 38

Well, there it was, hurtling back to nearly knock me off my chair. Reality. That bitch.

I could only stare blankly at Arkadi’s announcement that we were going back to Los Angeles.

It had to end sooner or later. Of course, I couldn’t keep living in this lovely little bubble of intrigue and disguises and Arkadi’s kisses.

Every day, it got harder and harder to pretend we were just any other normal couple, living out our daily lives in peace.

Ha, not exactly in peace. Half the fun was the amount of asses we were kicking, together.

It was getting harder to ignore those painful stabs of guilt whenever I thought about how much my brothers must have been worrying about me.

There was no way they didn’t know I was missing by now, and were probably frantically scouring the globe for any sign of me.

All while I was traipsing around under our parents’ noses in wigs and prosthetics, and other makeup.

Swanning around like I was the queen of Arkadi’s castle, lost in a cloud of…

What? What was I lost in? The revenge was sweet, for sure, but over right away. Was it happiness? Love? But how could I possibly have either of those with my family’s worst enemy?

Was there any other way?

Arkadi had been taking me to his appointments, and not just to get me out of the house and keep me from feeling like a prisoner.

He’d been asking for my advice, urging me to speak up when I had an opinion.

I had video meetings about the quarry almost every day, and while he sometimes sat in when he had a spare moment, he never took over or spoke up unless I asked him to.

The business Aleks had given me, but couldn’t keep his nose out of, was running without a hitch.

Despite the whirlwind of the last couple of weeks, we’d managed to sign the contract with the sculpture company, and the first commissions were underway.

Unlike my older brother, Arkadi treated me like an equal, someone competent enough to run a business.

My confidence was back, and it was all because of him.

Or me, partly because of me, because I hadn’t shriveled at my life’s complete upheaval.

I was as strong as Arkadi believed me to be.

Stronger.

But was I strong enough to face the Pandora’s box that was sure to open once my overprotective brothers knew where I’d been all this time.

Who I was with. Just the fact that Arkadi had kidnapped me and forced me into marriage was going to be a problem.

Once they learned that I kind of, sort of, didn’t want things to change?

Oh God, and now Arkadi announced out of the blue that he wanted to take back everything my brothers wrested from him. That wasn’t going to go over well, to put it nicely. That meant another war. This time, with so much more at stake, at least for me. Because now I couldn’t easily choose a side.

He kept looking at me beseechingly, as if whatever I said meant the world to him. The way he treated me, I could easily believe it did. He wouldn’t leave me. He wouldn’t go back to being a tyrant. Right?

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, my thudding heart cutting off the words that could shatter everything. What the hell did I do to make everyone happy in this situation? And still manage to keep a drop of happiness for myself.

“I—I can’t,” I finally managed, keeping my eyes down. “I can’t be part of something that will hurt my family.” Tears blurred my vision as I twisted my hands in my lap. The chocolate cake we ate after the lavish meal he had prepared sat like a lead ball in my stomach.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “We can finally have the peace we should have had.”

My head whipped up, hackles raised at that little shot. “That last rupture certainly wasn’t my brothers’ fault,” I snapped, glaring at him. Arkadi had kidnapped my newest sister-in-law, for goodness’ sake.

He held up his hand in surrender. “I get it. That was all me. Mila, I’ve changed since then, grown the maturity I thought I had but obviously didn’t. Things are different now.”

He sounded sincere, instantly taking responsibility. But could I honestly trust him, or was it the effects of the bubble that had me yearning to be on his side?

“How are things different?” I asked, still glaring.

He reached for my hand, pulling it out of my lap and twining his fingers with mine. “Because now I have a reason to want to build instead of burning everything down.”

He wouldn’t let me look away. I was trapped in his dark eyes, so full of everything I wanted to see there. It was such a sweet sentiment, and I wanted more than anything to believe it. I wanted my fairytale back. And yes, I really wanted to go back to LA. It was my home.

With a sigh, I leaned back in the chair, letting him continue to hold onto my hand. “I will never go against my family,” I reiterated.

“I’ll never make you,” he said, leaning closer. “But I won’t give up what’s mine. That means you, too.” Drawing my hand to his lips, he kissed the knuckles, his eyes never wavering from mine. “You still need a ring on this finger,” he chuckled.

I shook my head. “I don’t. I only need reassurance that things will go peacefully if we go back. If .”

He didn’t put me in my place, didn’t utter the harsh command that I’d go where he told me to. “That will be up to your brothers.”

I bristled slightly at that, but he was slowly kissing his way up my arm, tugging me closer.

It might have felt like a dig at my brothers, but it was true that they were stubborn.

So was Arkadi. So was I. Was it possible that I could find a way to be the bridge between them, heal the rift between our families, and get everything I wanted?

Hadn’t I proven how capable I was these last few weeks?

Of course, I could. Clinging to that hope, I moved from my chair to Arkadi’s lap.

His arms enveloped me, and I let my head fall to his shoulder, turning to breathe in his spicy cologne and the hint of after-dinner coffee.

His hands moved up my back to tug gently on my hair, and I lifted my chin to look at him.

His eyes were as dark as coals but overflowing with emotions. I wish I could read every single one, lay them out before me, and shuffle them like cards, pulling out my favorites and holding them close. How could I have ever believed this man was unfeeling and ice-cold?

At the moment, he was burning up, and so was I. As soon as our eyes met, he pulled my head in for a kiss. Our lips met, soft and sweet, but layered with passion. I sighed against his mouth, my tongue darting out to meet his, ravenous in spite of the meal. It wasn’t food I was hungry for.

It was always going to be Arkadi. There was simply no denying what we had when we touched.

“I promise you, Mila,” he murmured, his hands roaming down to cup my bottom and nudge me close to him.

I squirmed against him, holding onto his shoulders so I could switch positions on his lap.

Not expecting to come downstairs to a date after a day of video meetings, I had on a staid, tailored blouse, perfectly done hair and makeup, but only sweatpants on the bottom.

It was a ridiculous combination, but one I was glad for now, making it easy to straddle him.

“I—” I wanted to tell him I unequivocally believed him, but the pulsing bulge against my tender, needy core distracted me.

Writhing against him, I began to unbutton his shirt. “I want to believe you,” I said as I revealed his muscular chest.

Flattening my palms against his hot skin, I smiled and looked up at him, but there was no answering smile on his face. He sighed, moving strands of hair behind my ears.

“You’ll see that I mean every word I say.”

All I could do was nod, hoping it was true. Only time would tell, and it was honestly the furthest thing on my mind as long as his hard cock was between my thighs. “Okay,” I whispered, leaning back to run my hands down his abs to his pants.

The button and zipper were undone in a flash, and I scrambled off his lap to kneel between his parted legs. His hand smoothed over my hair, and when I looked up, his eyes were closed, his head tilted back.

“Mila,” he growled.

Was that a warning or a plea? I shoved his boxer briefs down and grabbed the big beast that emerged, stroking from root to tip.

He was magnificent. And all mine. I leaned close and blew cool air across the length, making him slice his fingers into my hair.

I wouldn’t be denied, though, and took every inch of that big cock into my mouth.

He went still, even his fingers went limp in my hair, as I eased him in and out of my mouth, wrapping my lips around the tip and sucking the moisture away with a satisfied moan.

I had put myself firmly back in my bubble and was perfectly happy to be there.

Arkadi seemed all right with it, too, making low noises in his throat as I had my way.

“Tell me you’re mine,” I said, immediately going back to teasing his cock with my tongue. Up and down and around, loving every second of the tightly coiled muscles in his thighs and the way his hands kept reaching for my hair.

“You know it,” he said, voice strained. “Fuck, Mila. You’re going to kill me.”

“Not today,” I said, giggling. “I’m going to want this big thing for other purposes in a little while.”

“Fuck,” he repeated.

“Yes, that.”

I went back to enjoying myself and driving him crazy until his hand wrapped around a chunk of my hair, and he held my head still. “Enough,” he rumbled. “My turn.”

He lifted me up and back onto his lap. His fingers trembled slightly as he undid my blouse, swearing softly at the tiny, silk-covered buttons.

I really liked this blouse, but mentally kissed it goodbye.

Halfway through, he gave me a mischievous look and popped the rest of them, tearing it open.

I laughed, letting my head fall back, so ready for whatever he had in mind.

“Maybe clothes with zippers would be a better investment,” he said, dipping his head to nuzzle the tops of my breasts.

“That didn’t work so well the other day,” I reminded him, thinking of the expensive wool dress that was currently at the tailor having the zipper repaired. “You’re just impatient.”

“How can I not be when you’re so damn gorgeous? I need every inch of you.”

Pushing my bra straps down, he snapped it off, letting it fall from his fingertips as he took me in with roving eyes. I had finally learned he truly did appreciate my curves and was bold around him now, not trying to hide anything. Not that I could. When Arkadi wanted something, he got it.

Right now, he wanted me, taking each nipple into his mouth in turns, rolling his thumbs over the tight nubs, and just looking at me like he couldn’t believe I was real.

Who would want to leave something like this?

I was in heaven, with his hard cock hitting all the right places and his mouth and fingers working magic on my body.

As he lazily played with me and drove me wild, I squirmed and writhed, working myself into a frenzy of need. By the time he lifted his head from my breasts, I was panting and on the brink.

“Do you want me to fuck you on the table, little girl?” he asked, his hands gripping my waist. “Or carry you upstairs to our bed and spread your legs there?”

I moaned, pressing down hard against his thick shaft. He slid his hand beneath the waistband of my sweats and found my clit, already swollen and aching for more. He tugged my soaked panties aside, pushing his fingers deep into my wet heat.

“Table,” I gasped. I couldn’t wait another second, let alone the time it would take to get upstairs.

With a sweep of his arm, he cleared half the table.

Plates and silverware clattered to the floor, and the beautiful bouquet of tropical flowers he must have spent a small fortune on to please me teetered dangerously.

I grabbed it and pushed it back out of the way, then turned to grab Arkadi’s face and kiss him.

His tongue pushed into my mouth as he shoved my sweats and panties down around my knees.

I thrashed my legs to get free of them, finally able to wrap them around my big hunk of man.

My ass hit the edge of the table, and in one hard thrust, he was deep inside me, our bodies colliding so hard we both gasped.

Tucking his palms under my backside, he eased out until I moaned, then pulled me closer again, a bit less violently.

I held on with my arms locked around his neck, my head lolling back as I let myself be taken away on one of his magical rides. He pushed my knees almost up to my armpits, as desperate as I was to go deeper and harder.

“More,” I screamed as the first orgasm shattered me. Arkadi growled like a wild animal, finding my mouth to swallow my shouts with a kiss.

“More,” he repeated, laying me back on the table.

My arms fell to my sides until her found my clit, circling with his fingers as he continued to fuck me, slower and with more determination now. I opened my eyes to see that every muscle in his arms was tense, like he was barely holding on as he dragged more pleasure out of me.

“Come again,” he demanded. “Right now.”

The last word of his command wasn’t out when I was consumed again. Aching, shivery pulses expanded from his fingertips, and I grappled at his shoulders. What was he doing to me, and how was I still alive?

I was better than alive, and let him know by pulling him close and holding on tight. “I want to feel you claim me.”

“You’re already mine,” he roared, thrusting hard enough to shake the table legs, finally collapsing against my chest.

My legs unlocked around his hips, and my fingers untangled from his hair. My mouth fell open, and I let myself go completely limp, basking in the aftershocks that still pulsed through me.

“Arkadi,” I whispered after a long moment of nothing but heartbeats and gasping. “I can’t breathe.”

He rose instantly, gathering me into his arms. Leaving our clothes and the mess of plates on the floor, he carried me up to our room. A press of the button opened the curtains that were still closed, revealing the dark trees silhouetted in the distance against a brilliantly starry sky.

He didn’t put me down, but carried me to the windows so we could take it in. It was practically unheard of to see so many stars this close to the congested city, but there was a blanket of golden sparkles above us.

I rested my head against his shoulder, sighing. “Should I make a wish?” I asked.

What would I wish for? Peace between our families? That we could stay this blissful forever? That my brothers wouldn’t murder Arkadi at the first chance they got, making me a widow in my early twenties?

Damn it, reality was such a jerk.

Arkadi tightened his grasp on me, dropping a kiss on my head. “You don’t need wishes,” he said. “I’ll make everything you’re dreaming about come true.”

Oh God, how I wanted to believe it.