Page 32 of The Bratva King's Twins

“Come on, just a lap? She’s sound, I promise,” I encouraged him, reaching out for his hand.

Ari watched as I twined our fingers together, and I noted how he seemed to relax at the touch. For a moment, he looked like the gentle version of himself again—vulnerable and without that usual cold edge of his.

It was strange seeing him so unlike that man who stormed into my family’s home, making his demands and not taking no for an answer.

Instead, nothing other than his size and sheer muscle seemed brutish.

Letting go of a conceding breath, Ari met my gaze again. “Alright, fine. But I’m not wearing that silly helmet.”

“Fine,” I replied, cracking a smile for him. “Get on and I’ll walk her around.”

While certainly unsure about the whole thing, Ari let go of my hand to walk around to the mare’s side, and he hoisted himself into the saddle.

He sat up there skeptically while he tried to make himself comfortable, flashing me a nervous look. “How do you do this so often? It feels awful.”

Snickering, I gently reached for the mare’s bridle and started leading her around the ring. “Quit complaining and hold onto the reins. Make sure your feet stay in the stirrups.”

Ari grumbled to himself as he did what I told him to, looking completely out of his depth despite moving at a slow pace.

I tried my best to be supportive of him since it was his first time on horseback and very unlike his usual work, but there was something funny about how he looked up there, seeming ready to get down at any moment.

Hiding my laughter as best as I could, I made sure the mare didn’t make any sudden turns or movements, and as ridiculous as he looked, it was incredibly endearing.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” I said once the mare eventually stopped, and I allowed him to hop down.

The moment he had both feet on the ground again, Ari dusted himself off and narrowed his eyes at me playfully.

“Don’t you dare tell anyone about this.”

Laughing quietly as I led the horse back to the stable, I found myself feeling grateful for that sense of normalcy. Like the playing field was even for once, and I got to see a less measured and confident side of him.

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

At least Ari was able to see the humor in it, too, as he chuckled to himself and gently pet the mare’s flank. “For such a majestic beast, that is one uncomfortable ride. I’ll stick to my cars, thank you.”

As we wrapped up our time at the stable, feeling lighthearted and at ease, I couldn’t deny that I was seeing Ari in a different light.

He went out of his way to meet my needs in a way I never expected, he didn’t complain all the while he let me do as I wanted, and he even gave it a shot for me. As reluctant as he was, at least he tried, and he made me laugh in the process.

Even if he seemed like a brutal, bloodthirsty man before, there was no denying how much he changed, and how willing he was to make things work.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, being his wife didn’t seem quite so bad anymore.

Chapter 15 - Ari

It turned out that horseback riding suited Vivian, and watching her sheer joy suited me even more.

Buying the stable felt like a small price to pay for the chance to see that side of her come to life, able to take in how comfortable and at ease she was. It was a refreshing sight after only knowing her resentment and vague disinterest for weeks.

Giving in to our mutual attraction seemed to be the catalyst we both needed to open up to one another so that we could better understand each other.

I was glad I heard her out.

She had been missing something that brought her so much fulfillment, and I hoped giving that to her again would reassure her that marrying me wasn’t the end of her life.

Even while I sat at my desk at work, leafing through some documents that needed my attention, I couldn’t pull my focus away from Vivian and how perfect that day at the stable was.

She smiled so much that it was burned into my brain, and her laughter was so sweet that I just wanted to hear more of it. I wanted to be the reason she did both those things more and to prove to her I treasured every moment of it.

---