Page 12 of Arranged Marriage By the Bratva

“Because,” I say in a clipped tone, thinking it would be obvious to him, and not wanting to dive into the rabbit hole with him.

“Because?” he says, smirking, intense coils of heat rolling off his ripped body. I stare blankly at his bare chest, his tattoos visible, studying the raised scar at the base of his abdomen. God. A Russian Adonis. This is all I need. A secondary ripple of heat blazes through my body as an unfamiliar ache takes root in my core. Fuck. Am I turned on by this guy? How can I be? Embarrassment sets in, but I don’t let on.

“Because, I think it’s better I sleep on the couch tonight,” I mumble, casting my gaze elsewhere, but I fear it’s too late. His victorious smile is giving him away. He knows I’m feeling nervous. I’ve taken it to second and third base with a guy, but never all the way, and Nikk is experienced. I know he is. I can tell by the way his eyes are gobbling me up.

“Will you be sleeping on the couch for the entire year? We will be living in the same room. The same house and working together. Are you aware of that?”

Snickering, and regaining my senses partially, I finally raise my eyes to level up with his in challenge. “Surely, we’ll be able to stay in separate rooms. I know New York is known for its tiny spaces, but surely your house isn’t that small, is it?”

Nikk’s holds a deadpan expression, his deadly eyes peeling back my vulnerability. Okay. That didn’t work out as I hoped. God, I wish he wouldn’t look at me as if he wants to eat me alive. “There’s no clauses in the contract about us not sleeping in the same bed,” he explains drolly, his chest muscles flexing involuntarily. I sneak a look down further to his bulge. It’s still there, and as my eyes scan further, I note the strength and stability of his legs, but I pretend to be stretching.

“It might not be in the contract, but I did say to you that you can’t touch me unless I say so,” I remind him.

Nikk chuckles, cracking his knuckles. “Donna, you will sleep in the same room as me, and that’s final,” he presses, his jaw hardening.

Crossing my legs, I let out a whisper of a breath. I could pretend I don’t like his authority, but that would be a bold-faced lie. The slice of his words hit me in all the right places, but still, I’m not backing down to a filthy Orlov. “Why should it be final?” I challenge, fire in my eyes as Nikk shakes his head.

“You Mancinis. First you want to work and go against my tradition.”

“It’s part of the business arrangement we decided upon, yes.”

“Part of the business deal is marriage, Elena. You will sleep in the same room as a mark of respect. You are my wife now. If the help in the house see you’re sleeping in another room, they will think you’re my mistress. Now, you don’t want that, do you?”

Thinking about it for a quick second, I flip my hair over my shoulder. “No, I don’t.”

“Good, then it’s settled. Besides, I caught you looking,” he teases, a smirk holding laughter lines on his face.

“Caught me looking where?” I quip, my face reddening.

“At my cock, Elena,” he blurts out brashly, my face close to bursting into flames as the pulse in my core grows.

“I wasn’t doing that. You’re showing off. You should put a shirt on.”

“Why? You’re my wife. Have you not seen a man before fresh out of the shower?”

Squirming in discomfort, I reach for the remote wanting to watch TV, but Nikk craftily slides in front of it, his eyes questioning as he switches it off.

“Elena, are you a virgin?” he asks, and I wish only for the ground to swallow me whole.

“Shut up! I didn’t need to sleep my way to the top. I’m already on top. I’ll save myself for my one true love. And there’s no way I want to share a bed with you,” I spit out, acid on the tip of my tongue.

“Oh, you say that now, but soon, Elena, you will be begging me to share a bed with you. You’re already telling me with your eyes, wife,” he taunts.

Dammit.

Chapter Ten

Nikk

Now is where the real games begin. The pretty little L’vitsa is on my turf. I swivel in my leather chair, tapping on my cherrywood desk, overlooking the skyscrapers of New York. It’s only been two days, but Elena is all I can think about. She’s become my favorite obsession and if I think hard enough, I find myself wanting to jack off to fantasies about her.

Wait. It’s a tightrope game, Nikk. Soon you won’t have too. It’s going to be the ultimate conquest given she’s a Mancini, and I got her to agree to marry me in the first place. She’s going to sleep with me whether she knows it or not. I’m a hard man to resist.

Flicking on my computer, I take a sip of my coffee, standing up to shake my legs out. I don’t mind being in the office, but more so I like to be out in the field working, and hunting, cutting deals and moving mountains. Today, though, because we took time out for the wedding, I’m playing catch-up.

She’s a virgin too. A swirl of fire blazes through my veins, my cock swelling. So hot. It’s going to be even better when I break her in. Smirking, I do my best to control myself. Not yet. She hasn’t quite warmed up to me. As much as I want to “keep her in place,” I want to see her in action as well.

By the time the dregs of my coffee is cold, the door opens to a leggy Elena with a face of determination. “Hi,” I greet with a smile of appreciation, wanting to keep her onside for my purposes.

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