Page 56 of Used By the Bratva

I’m the one in control of the household, I didn’t realize that I am still accountable to another person. Natalie is undoubtedly a strong woman, but she also needs me to get through everything that life has thrown at her.

Three days already spent in Saint Tropez have shown me how much I have neglected my wife. Natalie is too good for my world.

She puts her hand on my jaw and turns my face toward her. “I like to think that we’re friends who have really great sex, even if we fight and drive each other crazy sometimes.”

“It’s a good thing I like feisty women then.” I lean closer to her, my mouth grazing over hers.

Natalie laughs against my lips as the car rolls to a stop outside the concert hall.

Her quiet gasp when she sees the old baroque building in front of us is proof enough that I did the right thing by booking the tickets for the orchestra tonight.

When she turns and looks back at me, she shakes her head. “There's no way we’re seeing the European Orchestra tonight. Absolutely not.”

I glance at the posters advertising the orchestral performance. “Yeah, I think we're here to see it. Unless you don’t feel like it. You did say something about wanting to rip my tux off my body.”

Her face beams. “I believe you have found the one thing for which I will reject your body.”

I huff, wrap my arms around her waist, and rasp in her ear. “I think you'll pay for that comment later tonight when I finally get you alone.”

“How did you know I wanted to see them?” She grabs my hand, frees herself from my arms, and drags me up the stairs.

“I hear you listening to classical music almost every time you paint, and I know that you have been playing the violin for years.”

She turns to me. Surprise is written all over her face, her eyes wide, and her mouth gaping open. “How did you know that?”

Shit.

I wasn’t going to tell her that I had rung Marina to find out what she liked.

All I wanted to do tonight was surprise her with something special—something she had always wanted to see in person. I pressured Marina to tell me everything about Natalie, everything since the day she arrived in Russia, especially since she hadn't come to our wedding. It was a very long conversation, but I didn’t let her off the hook; she owed me that much.

“I did some investigating.” I pull the tickets from the pocket inside my tux jacket, handing it over to the attendant.

Natalie frowns. “Investigating?”

“I thought it was only fair. After all, you googled me and then abandoned me in my bed,” I say, teasingly leading her to the front row. “And then you let that pathetic little schoolboy track Boris down, even though that douchebag made it clear he's not a man you could ever see yourself with.”

She purses her lips and pauses to straighten my tie. “Sounds like you were a little jealous of Tyler.”

“Impossible.” I put my hand around the back of her neck, gently tugging her head back until I can lean in and kiss her. “Unfortunately for him, there were some drugs found in his belongings. It looks like schoolboy is going to be spending some time in jail.”

“You framed him because he helped me?” She shakes her head, pressing her lips together as she struggles not to smile. “You didn’t, did you?”

“Natalie, you haven’t the faintest idea what I’m capable of when someone tries to touch what’s mine.”

My hand slips down her back, pressing against the small of it as I guide her to our seats in the middle of the first row.

Her hand flies to her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes as she realizes how close we are to the stage. “You really shouldn’t have done that. I don’t even want to think about how expensive these tickets were.”

“You could ask me to buy the world for you, and I would find a way to do it, solnyshko.” I wait for her to sit down before taking the seat next to her. “I know this probably isn’t the way you envisioned settling down or finding a husband, but I think we can make it work.”

She grins and looks back and forth between the musicians, who emerge with their instruments as the lights dim, and me. “So, friends with benefits, huh?”

I laugh and settle down next to her.

Although I don't want to listen to hours of classical music, it’s worth seeing Natalie’s happy face as the cellos fill the room with a haunting melody.

She takes a deep breath, reaches for my hand, and laces our fingers together.

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