29
Aurora
“This is very unattractive,” I said. “I look a mess.”
“Because of your bandaged arm?”
“Look at it.” I wrinkled my nose, indicating the clean bandage the doctor had applied. I’d pulled out my arm stitches by being in the kitchen. When the doctor said no heavy lifting, what he actually meant was to do nothing.
I couldn’t sit around all day doing nothing.
“You’re going to be fine.”
“I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb. No, sore arm. It’s my arm that’s the injured party. Look at it.”
Slavik laughed.
I glared at him.
He’d been so attentive the last few days. I hated how easy it was to enjoy his company. Nothing was ever a rush for him, and he’d been annoyed with me for hurting my arm. Sex hadn’t happened.
He didn’t even have to go out to work. He stayed at the penthouse, on a laptop and his cell phone, while I walked around him. Swimming was a no, as was working out.
My arm put a dent in my weight-loss plans. Slavik also didn’t help. He ordered takeout from a nice Italian place. Their pastas were heavenly and well, I’d gained a couple of pounds. My clothes weren’t tight, but my arm hindered me.
We were heading to Andrei and Adelaide’s wedding. I hadn’t seen a picture of the bride. She’d taken over from Bethany without a hitch. All I knew, the woman was a few years younger than Bethany.
The last place I wished to go was to a wedding. My own wedding had been enough of an ordeal to get through, but Slavik insisted. All the Volkov brigadiers were going, and I was going as Slavik’s wife.
“You know, this morning I woke up feeling a little sick. I told the doctor about it when he came to repair the stitches. He said it’s a little bug going around. Nothing to alarm myself with. I don’t think I should leave.”
“If he thought you were contagious, he would’ve advised me to keep you home.”
No matter what I seemed to say to this man, we were going to this wedding. We’d already taken the plane ride. I hated planes and being in the sky. Anything with heights terrified me.
Slavik offered me the window seat, which I declined. I didn’t need to be reminded for an hour flight that I was above ground. Now firmly on the ground, we were traveling to our hotel. Two cars were in front, two at the back.
We would stay at the hotel tonight, and tomorrow was the wedding. I was supposed to be a bridesmaid. This was all news to me. Slavik had blurted out that news to me as we got in the car. The dress waited for me to try on at the hotel room.
The last thing I wanted was to be a bridesmaid to a woman I didn’t know. This was Bethany’s sister.
I leaned back, resting my hand on my stomach. I’d thrown up this morning. The sickness had struck me hard. After some dry toast, I felt a little better. The coffee I’d made for myself set it off again. I ended up drinking water.
“Are you okay?” Slavik asked.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
It was on the tip of my tongue to lie. I went for the truth. “No. I feel sick. My arm hurts. I refuse to take pain medication. I’m going to a wedding I don’t wish to attend. I’m now going to be a bridesmaid for a woman I’ve never met. Yeah, everything is great.” The sarcasm dripped from my tone, and I froze.
I realized who I spoke to and I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.
I chanced a glance at Slavik to find him smiling. “It’s cute to watch you panic.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“It’s hilarious. You’re the first woman in my life to be honest with me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Most people hate me, remember?”
“No, they don’t hate you. They fear you. It’s different.” I’d been hated most of my life, or not liked. Do not go down that morbid self-pitying hole, Aurora. I forced a smile to my lips.
“Do you fear me?” he asked.
“Sometimes.”
“You have no reason to fear me.”
“You’re my husband.”
“And I will protect you.”
“Unless you feel I’m trouble for Ivan Volkov. I know my value only exists while I play nice. If I cause you or the Volkov Bratva trouble, my days are numbered.”
“Do you have any reason to risk your life?”
“No. I intend to live a long and happy prison sentence.” I slapped my hand across my mouth.
“You find being with me a prison sentence.”
I winced. “No. It’s … I meant my family.”
“Aurora, I’m not an idiot.”
“It’s not a prison sentence, okay? I didn’t mean it like that and I know it sounded like that, but I promise, it wasn’t.”
I’d screwed up.
“You’re a guy in this world. You wouldn’t understand what I meant. It’s different for men.”
“Try me. I don’t see much different. You were ordered to get married to me. I was instructed to marry you. We both serve the Volkov Bratva. Our roles are different, but we’re the same.”
“You can do what you want,” I said.
“Elaborate.”
My mouth went dry. “If you wanted a mistress or other women, you’d have them. I couldn’t do anything about it. I could scream and get angry. You killed Sergei for kissing me. We weren’t having an affair. You didn’t see Cara as a threat. It’s why she’s still walking around. You get to do things. I … stay at your apartment. I have no purpose. I’m not allowed to go to college, or get a job.”
“Do you want those things?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I think I’d like the option.”
Slavik continued to stare at me, and I averted my gaze. The early part of our marriage was a nightmare, no doubt about it. There was no love, not even conversation. We’d cohabited the same space.
Now, nearly ten months together, we’d changed. We talked, made love, fucked, and spent time together. Not just for the cameras either, or the spies. I enjoyed his company. He didn’t scare me. I never believed he’d hurt me, not really.
The threat was obviously always there, but it had nothing to do with him.
Our positions were thrust on us by our positions.
I wondered if he’d have tried harder with Isabella.
Don’t go there. No pity party for Aurora.
When Isabella did visit the last time with the whole fish dinner, Slavik hadn’t paid her the slightest bit of attention. He hadn’t shown me any either.
I didn’t know what would have been worse.
“Working is not an option, however, I have no issue with you studying. I’ll arrange for a multitude of courses to be presented to you. You can take your pick.”
We’d spoken about it before, but nothing had come from the conversation. This time, it was different. He already had his cell phone and was barking orders at someone to find the right college for me.
My mouth fell open in surprise.
The moment he finished the call, I hugged him, showing him my appreciation. “Thank you.”
“We’ll see if you’ll be thanking me when we get back.”
I didn’t care. I was so happy we’d arrived at our hotel room.
It was a large building, fancy, private car parking. Slavik’s men took the lead and were already booking us in as we were headed to the elevator.
I ignored the stares, refusing to let it bother me today. I was so happy. I was going to pick a college course and further my education.
I had no idea what I’d pick. Again, our conversation from before rushed through me but now with my choice of any course, I wondered what would hold my attention the most.
My smile dissipated when I saw the dress waiting for us on the sofa. Considering this was a hotel room, there was a small sitting room and even a table for us to take our meals.
“Can you cancel me being a bridesmaid?” I asked.
“It’s good for public image.”
“How?”
“Andrei is one of us. You’re my wife. It shows a unity of power.” Slavik picked up the dress. It was a pastel pink. “Come on. I’ll help you get it on.”
We went into the bedroom as the guards brought up our stuff. The last thing I wanted to do was wear the bridesmaid’s dress.
Slavik helped me out of my current dress, sliding the zipper down. “Doesn’t the bride want someone she knows to be at her wedding?”
“Aurora, shut up. You’re not going to get out of this.”
I rolled my eyes, stepping out of the dress and turning to Slavik. His gaze was on my ass and slowly traveled up my body. I was very much aware at that moment of how not perfect I was.
“You’re beautiful,” Slavik said.
“Would you please stop saying stuff like that?”
“You want me to stop paying you a compliment?”
“When it’s not true, yes.”
“And who says it’s not true?” he asked.
I sighed. “Come on. You and I both know the truth. You don’t have to pretend with me.” I’d been told all my life how ugly I was. How I didn’t measure up to my sister.
Slavik dropped the dress, and within seconds, I was trapped on the bed. My arms pinned above my head, his body flush against mine. In the process, my legs had spread open and he lay pressed against me.
Pleasure rushed through me. Instantaneous. A burning need only he could put out.
“I find you beautiful,” he said. “I’m your husband. Your keeper. Your protector. My word, in your world, is fucking law. I’m getting tired of having to compete with all the bullshit going on inside your head. It doesn’t have a right to fucking live there, Aurora. I don’t say shit I don’t mean. When I tell you I think you’re beautiful, I mean it. Do you understand me?”
I nodded.
“Are you beautiful?” he asked.
I started to shake my head. He glared down at me.
“I can’t.”
“Wrong answer.” He slammed his lips down on mine.
I kept my eyes open as he kissed me. Slavik didn’t close his as he thrust his body against me. I gasped as he touched just the right spot. With most of my clothes off, I only had the lingerie to protect me. He knew this and used it to his advantage.
I gasped as he held my hands above my head, and with a single finger, he traced down my arm, going to the puckered bead of my nipple.
This man aroused me. Slavik was doing stuff to me that I wasn’t sure I liked. I wanted to hate him, but the truth was he shattered my defenses. He took me by surprise and the guard I had up came down so easily around him.
He stroked my nipple gently through the fabric of my bra. I tried to keep my arousal in check. My body, the traitorous bitch that it was, had other ideas. She didn’t want to play nice with me. No, she liked Slavik. The more he stroked, the hotter I got, my pussy heating with each touch. He pushed the cup of the bra back, and I nearly jolted off the bed as his mouth covered the hard peak.
He flicked his tongue back and forth and made no move to leave me alone. Then he slid his body to the other side, making sure not to hurt me. The pain in my shoulder was a dull ache. The pleasure far outweighed the hurt.
I didn’t want him to stop. I liked the way he held me down as he played with me.
He did the same to my other nipple and released it with a plop, which seemed to echo in the large room.
“I fucking love your tits. They were designed for a man’s pleasure.” He cupped them both together and nibbled the edge of one. “You are beautiful to me, Aurora, and I’m the only one who should matter to you.”
He thrust his cock against me, and I couldn’t help but gasp. He was hard as rock for me. I sank my teeth into my lip in an attempt to get control of myself, but nothing worked.
Slavik let go of my tit to cup my face. His thumb held my chin, and he pulled down, releasing me. “I want to hear every single sound you make.”
“Please.”
“Do you want me to fuck you?”
“Can you?”
His gaze flickered to my arm and he smiled. “I can make it so it doesn’t even hurt.”
Was that a promise?
The moment he touched me, everything stopped hurting.
“Show me,” I said.
Slavik eased off my body and reached for his pants. The sound of the zipper echoed in the air. I never knew this sound could be so erotic, but he worked it so damn well. He pressed the tip of his cock against my wet pussy. He slid up and down my slit, getting his cock nice and slick before lining it up with my entrance.
Slowly, inch by inch, he sank inside me so I felt it all.
It was amazing. So hard. I no longer cared about the pain in my arm. My only focus was the man inside me.
He cupped my hips and gave me a few firm strokes, each seeming deeper than the one before. The angle made me desperate for more.
Suddenly, he stopped. One of his hands released me but not for long as his fingers began to stroke over my clit while he was still inside me.
“I want to feel you come all over my cock, Aurora,” he said. “Give it to me.”
His fingers were magical. I had no idea I could feel this way beneath his touch. Slavik set me on fire, hungry and desperate for more. There was no control.
He held on to it.
Nurtured it.
Captured it all to himself.
I cried out, begging for more but not really sure what I was asking for. Slavik knew. Of course, he did. This man knew everything when it came to sex and pleasure.
He was the master.
I, his student.
I came hard, screaming his name. Slavik rewarded me by pounding into my pussy, not letting go, and damn it, he was right, there was no pain. I only focused on my need for him. On the hardness as he plunged inside me. Each thrust driving me higher and higher into need unlike anything else.
He showed me what I could take. Never holding back, and when he came, I followed him into another mini-orgasm as he stroked just the right points inside me. Each flow of his cum made me feel whole. This was what scared me.
My husband, Slavik Ivanov, had started to make me fall for him, and I had no clue how to stop it.