Page 38 of Claimed By Desire

Dasha leaves and I’m alone with my wife for the very first time.

I should be happy. I just got married. My wife is pregnant with my child.

But all I can think about is the hell that’s about to rain down on both of us.

I walk back to my bedroom and find the dress lying on the ground. The sight of it in a puddle on the floor sends a chill down my spine, because that means Natalya is somewhere nearby, and she’s not wearing it anymore.

The memory of her sitting at the piano nearly naked as sweat dripped down her stiff nipples?—

It sends a thrill into my spine.

But she comes out of my bathroom a moment later wearing a pair of my sweats and a sweatshirt. She has the cuffs rolled and it looks huge on her, but she still manages to glare at me as if she weren’t practically swimming in my clothes.

“I have something for you.”

Her arms cross. “Yeah? Is it maybe an apology?”

“I have nothing to apologize for.”

“You kissed me.”

“I kiss you,” I agree, walking over. She backs away until her legs bump into the bed, then she sits down on the edge, her eyes going wide. I drop to my knees in front of her.

“What are you doing?”

I take the ring from my pocket and pull her hand toward me. Her skin is so soft under mine, and her mouth hangs open as I slide it onto her finger. The diamonds glitter in the light.

“Now you’re really mine,” I tell her.

“Where did you get this?”

“The shop.” I stay on my knees. “Do you like it?”

“Alex—“ She starts, but I don’t get to find out what she’s going to say.

Because someone’s pounding on the door like they’re trying to break it down.

Chapter 14

Natalya

Isit in the corner on the couch as my father paces like a prowling tiger.

Sometimes I forget that he’s an old mercenary. Back when he was younger, Dad was part of the Russian special forces, and even though he’s gotten soft and round in the middle in his old age, he still retains some of that old edge.

And right now, he’s sharper than ever.

Alex sits in a chair in the middle of the room, his hands bound behind his back with rope. Lev stands behind him with a gun pointed at his head. Several of my father’s soldiers are nearby, looking grim, and none of them speak.

The tension in the room is so heavy it makes me sick.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” Dad growls at Alex. His voice is soft and raspy. “Do you have any idea what’s going to happen now?”

“The Italians are going to be angry,” Alex says, his tone completely flat and emotionless.

“That’s a fucking understatement,” Dad shouts in Alex’s face. “You stole my daughter away from her own fucking wedding day. You left the god damn Italians at the altar and made them look like fools. Do you have any idea how angry they are? Do you know what Don Marino’s been threatening?”

“I’ll explain everything to them.” Alex doesn’t flinch when Dad backhands him across the face.

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