Page 52 of Paid for By the Bratva

"You're welcome." I close my eyes, breathing in the scent of the sea mingled with his cologne. "I love making you happy."

"You do. More than you know." His hand slides up to cradle the back of my head, tilting my face up to his, and meets me in a kiss.

My heart races. This surprise trip may have been meant for Dima, but the gift of his company is all I could ever want or need.

***

We stay out on the deck for a long time, holding each other close as the yacht glides through the inky sea. The crew have made themselves scarce, giving us privacy.

Dima's hands roam over my body, slipping under my dress and caressing my skin. I shiver at his touch, desire pooling low in my belly. When his fingers dip between my legs, I gasp softly.

"We're all alone out here," he murmurs against my neck. "No one to interrupt us."

"Dima…" His name comes out as a moan as his fingers stroke and tease. I cling to his shoulders, arousal and need clouding my thoughts.

Suddenly, the yacht shudders, and the engines sputter, then die completely. We stagger, thrown off balance, as the yacht begins to drift.

Dima swears under his breath, withdrawing his hands. "Something's wrong with the engines. We've lost power."

Panic rips through me as I take in our situation. Stranded in the middle of the sea, the yacht is dead in the water.

I swallow hard, trying to stay calm. Now is not the time to panic, no matter how much I want to. Dima needs me to keep a level head.

"The crew will have to assess the damage and try to repair the engines," Dima says, already striding toward the helm. I hurry after him on shaky legs.

At the helm, the captain and crew are shouting at each other in Russian, panic etched on their faces. Dima barks an order, demanding a report, and the shouting quiets.

The captain grimaces. "We've lost all engine power, and most of the electrical systems are down. We have no propulsion and limited functionality. We've put out a distress call, but we have no way of knowing how long it will take for help to arrive."

Dima's jaw clenches, his eyes flashing with anger, but his voice remains even. "Do what you must to repair the damage. In the meantime, ensure we have emergency power, navigation equipment, and supplies."

The crew salute and hurry off to follow his orders. Dima turns to me, his expression softening. "Do not worry, Lara. We are safe for now, and help will come. But for now, it looks like we’ll be spending the night on board."

Okay. This was totally not the plan. The panic swells in me. I know I’m being irrational. This is a huge yacht. Nothing can happen.But, still.

He gathers me into his arms, enveloping me in a hug. “Listen,” he murmurs into my ear. “We’ll never have the sea all for ourselves in the middle of the night. Let’s get your mind off this mess and hit the water. What do you say?”

“A night swim in the ocean?” I ask, my heart racing all over again.

He looks down at me and grins. “Or, you’re scared?”

Feigning courage I don’t have, I step back, raising my hands up in defiance. “Oh, watch me,” I dare back, and slide the dress off my body.

Dima gasps and comes closer, clutching my waist in his big palms. Then, he sweeps me off the floor and together, we jump right into the ocean.

The water is cold yet beautiful. Dima and I reach for the surface from the jump, gasping for air, laughing as we do. Above us on deck, the captain comes to let us know they’ve put the ladder down for us to come back up when we like.

“Thank you,” Dima yells back. “We’ll be here a while.”

“Oh?” I inquire, freezing but having the time of my life. “We will?”

He swims closer, and I inch my legs around his thighs, my arms around his neck, as we float away. “I want you all to myself,” he whispers. I watch the water drop off like beads from his chiseled shoulders, and my legs tremble in need.

With the stars shimmering above us like scattered diamonds, Dima plants a chain of kisses on my collarbone, up my neck, to my lips.

He tastes like salt. Like the sea.

And as we float together under the watchful gaze of the moon, I know that no matter what challenges we may face, Dima and I will face them together, hand in hand. The moon casts a shimmering glow on the water's surface, reflecting our intertwined forms as we swim. I feel truly alive in this moment, our laughter and splashes filling the night air as we revel in each other's company.

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