Page 13 of The Pakhan’s Forced Bride (West Coast Bratva Pakhans #3)

She’s wearing pink.

It might be my favorite color on her. Whether it’s the soft pink of her silk cami she wore the other day, or the bright and eye-catching pink of the dress she’s wearing now, it looks incredible on her.

Not to mention that the dress hugs tight against every part of her body and shows off every beautiful curve she has.

Fuck.

I can’t stop staring.

In the car on the way here, I had to constantly remind myself to keep my hands on my side of the vehicle. I want to touch her. I want to feel the soft velvet beneath my fingers as I run my hands over her body.

Tonight I want everything to be about her, though.

It’s not about me and my wants and needs.

Belle deserves amazing things, and tonight is about me giving that to her.

That’s why I’ve arranged something very special, something bold and adventurous and exciting. I think she’s going to love it.

The driver parks, and Belle peers out the window, trying to guess where I’m taking her.

“A restaurant on the pier?” she says, grinning. I have a feeling she’s excited to go anywhere. It doesn’t matter—she turns it all into an adventure.

“No,” I say, smirking.

“You really aren’t giving any clues away, you know.”

“I know.”

We climb out of the car and take a breath of fresh ocean air. “I love it out here,” Belle says, looking out across the ocean. “Look how many yachts are out today,” she says excitedly, pointing to the horizon.

I step to her side and wrap my arm around her waist.

“Do you see that white one?” I point to a massive yacht parked in the harbor.

“Stella Nova?” she asks. “Star something.”

“Nova means new star. A sudden, bright light in the sky.”

“It’s a beautiful name for a boat. How did you know what it meant?”

“Because that’s my yacht—and that’s where we’re having dinner.”

“On a yacht? On the ocean? Oh my word!” She jumps in excitement and grabs my hand to pull me towards the jetty. “This is incredible.”

We’re sitting on the deck as the captain guides the boat out past the shore into deeper water. The city becomes the horizon as the crystal ocean glitters around us, reflecting the afternoon sun.

I’ve arranged all of the most luxurious foods for our dinner. The chef has been preparing for hours because I wanted to treat Belle to the finest things I could offer.

Champagne gets poured while the boat rocks gently to and fro.

Her smile is the most beautiful view, no matter which direction I look in.

“I got invited to go on a boat party once. It was in San Francisco, with a group of friends. But Benedikt refused to let me go. He said it was dangerous and he didn’t like the idea of me being out there alone.” She rolls her eyes dramatically.

“He was looking out for you; it’s what older brothers are supposed to do. I admit I’m the same with my sisters. I’ve stopped them from doing certain things, too.”

“Well, it’s annoying and you should let them live a little,” she sasses at me.

The chef serves a plate of caviar with scallops and cheese biscuits, and assorted spreads. We nibble at everything, sipping champagne and talking about life.

“I always wanted a sister,” Belle says.

“You can have one of mine. Two is too many,” I joke.

She drops her mouth open in mock horror. “You don’t mean that.”

“Of course not. I love them more than anything else in this world. My family is everything to me.”

Her smile softens as she nods. “Me too. Even though they drive me crazy sometimes. I can’t imagine what I’d do or where I’d be without them.

” She narrows her eyes, and a cheeky smile touches her lips.

“But, speaking of swapping family members, I’ll trade you a sister for my mother. She drives me completely nuts.”

Loud, rolling laughter spills from my lips. “No thanks. I’ll have to turn that offer down, as hard as it is to decline. I dealt with your mother a bit last year. She’s a freaking handful.”

Belle giggles.

After our starter, the chef brings out the main course—salmon with cream cheese on a bed of rocket, drizzled with balsamic and served with extra baked potatoes coated in real butter.

“You really know the way to a girl's heart,” Belle says, tasting the salmon, closing her eyes as the flavors spread in her mouth. I love watching her eat. She makes it sensual and erotic.

I’m distracted; I’ve completely forgotten what we were talking about. My body is humming, heated with desire for her.

Belle seems obvious to my stare.

“Ever since my brother got married, I kind of do have a sister. I love that girl. Ulyana is basically my best friend and my sister all in one. I’m lucky he married someone so amazing.”

“Did you ever want to get married?” I have no idea why I asked that.

“One day.” She giggles. “I expected it to be voluntary .”

I clench my jaw, hiding the grin that steals across my face. “Sorry about that,” I chuckle.

She shoots me a look that shows nothing but amusement. No animosity at all. My heart warms as her eyes dance over me.

This girl is really something.

Now that I’ve spent so much time with her, I can’t think of one thing about her that I don’t like. In fact, she’s been pulling me out of myself in some ways, forcing me to view the world differently.

Whether that’s good or bad is yet to be decided.

After dinner, I stand up and hold my hand out to Belle.

The sun is moving low on the horizon, and I wanted to save this part of the adventure until the late afternoon—but we still need light. "Come on, I have something cool to show you.”

She stands up and places her hand in mine, letting me lead her to the other side of the boat, down a flight of stairs, and into the pool area.

“A pool on a boat?” she says, mocking me. “That doesn’t make too much sense—" Her words get cut off when she looks into the water. Her jaw drops open. “Are those sharks?” she squeals in horror.

“Great white sharks. They’re juveniles.” I nod, pulling her closer to the pool.

“ What are they doing in the pool?” she squeals.

“They’re not in the pool,” I laugh, enjoying her reaction. “The pool has a glass bottom. The sharks are in the ocean; you can see them through the bottom of the pool.”

“That’s so creepy,” she whispers, stepping a little closer to the edge.

For a moment, she says nothing, and I watch her, her eyes wide and full of wonder as she peers into the water.

“This is mesmerizing,” Belle giggles, holding onto the railing around the pool and leaning over the edge. She gets a fright when the boat rocks, unbalancing her. She quickly steps back, bumping into me.

“Sorry,” she murmurs.

“It’s okay.” I wrap my arms around her and walk her back to the railing. “Here, hold on to me.”

“All my life, I’ve been kept so safe. My brother is not letting me do these types of things, and my mother—well, she was more worried about finding me a husband than letting me enjoy my life.

I’ve never done anything like this before,” she says quietly, her eyes locked onto the pool. “It feels so good to let go.”

Something inside me shifts when I hear her say this. She deserves to live her life to the fullest. To feel fear and excitement, and the adrenaline that both bring. I want to give her more than this.

“Get undressed,” I demand, tugging my shirt off.

“Excuse me,” she huffs.

“Just do it,” I laugh.

I’m already kicking my shoes off and tugging my pants down, leaving only my underwear in place.

“Um,” Belle whimpers, her eyes glued to me.

“Trust me,” I say.

She turns her back to me and slips the dress off her shoulders. I force myself not to watch her, to give her privacy, even though it’s nearly fucking impossible.

When she turns around in nothing but her underwear, with her hands covering herself as much as she can, I’m already standing on the top step of the pool.

“I’m not getting in there,” she shouts in horror.

“You can do this,” I laugh, handing her a pair of goggles. “I promise you, it’s going to be incredible.”

She reaches out to take the goggles and then holds my hand as I guide her, step by step, into the glass-bottom pool.

The sharks circle beneath us, and Belle is reluctant to move off the steps.

She sinks her body into the water but doesn’t swim away from the sides. I move closer to her, hyperaware of her skin against my skin. “Pull the goggles down like this and make sure the strap is tight enough not to let water in.” She nods, the goggles fitted over her eyes.

“Now follow me. Take a deep breath and stay close. I’m right with you, okay?” I reassure her.

She looks terrified, but she nods and takes a massive breath in.

I dive beneath the water, and she follows. Her hair flows out around her like a halo. Her skin glows in the soft light of the water.

We look down, able to see the sharks in full clarity now, their massive bodies gliding past the bottom of the boat.

She holds her breath as long as she can before swimming up again. I follow her, and as soon as she takes a fresh lungful of air, she is talking, fast and excited.

“I can’t believe how big they are. And beautiful. And terrifying, and I was so close. It was almost like I could touch them. I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d ever see anything like this.” She talks quickly, words spilling from her as adrenaline pulses in her blood.

She’s talking so much she can barely get a breath in, and I swim her to the side of the step. Her face is glowing as she pulls the goggles off. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” she shouts.

I don’t know what comes over me. Her joy is infectious. She’s a muse and an angel. A cheerleader and a temptress. I reach out and wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her against me in the water.

My lips crash into hers, and we’re kissing again.

My body floods with pulsing desire, my mouth moving against hers, her skin against mine.

The boat rocks on a wave, and she pushes harder against me. Belle lets out a squeal of fright and pulls away from the kiss.

“Can the glass break?” she asks, her eyes wide with fear.

I laugh and shake my head. “Almost impossible.”

“Almost?”

I nod, pulling her close again, but just as I’m about to kiss her, the captain calls my name. Belle squeals and ducks behind me as he walks into the pool area.

“Sir, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt,” he says sheepishly. “We’ve received several warnings, and we were forced to head back to shore. We’ll be back in the harbor in a few moments. It’s not recommended to stay on the yacht tonight.”

I clench my jaw. I was hoping to spoil Belle with a sunrise breakfast on the yacht tomorrow morning.

And after the kiss, I was thinking about taking her right here in this pool.

“We’ll be out in a minute. Thank you, captain,” I say, disappointed.

The boat jolts against another wave as the ocean gets rougher, and Belle yelps, clinging to me.

“Let’s get out and get you dry and dressed before we get to shore,” I say, not wanting to share her beautiful nakedness with anyone else.

She nods, and we climb out of the pool.

When we dock in the harbor, my hormones are still raging. She was naked in my arms—well, almost naked. And she clearly wanted it as much as I did. Was it just in the moment, the thrill of the swim, or would she want me again?

Belle is standing close to me near the railing, leaning against my side. Her gentle affection tells me she does want more. That it isn’t over yet. Her hand is resting on my arm, her fingers brushing soft patterns on my shirt.

The captain ties us down and lowers the walkway for us to disembark.

As we step off the jetty, Belle whispers, “That would have been lovely to spend the night on the yacht.” Her voice is tinged with disappointment.

“We can do it another time,” I say, opening the car door for her.

In the car, she’s quiet, and I can’t tell what she’s thinking. There is heavy tension in the air. I reach over and place my hand on her thigh. I can’t stop myself. This time, the kiss was too much to bear. I can’t spend another sleepless night fighting those desires again.

“Belle—"

She threads her fingers through mine and pushes my hand higher up her thigh. It answers everything I wanted to ask. She glances across the car at me, biting her lower lip.

My cock goes rigid, pressing uncomfortably against my pants, begging to feel her, throbbing and aching to be inside her.

The car is dark, and I’m not sure if she can see what she’s doing to me. But all I want to do is get her home.