Page 30 of The Bratva's Sold Bride

“No,” she said through panting breaths. “Keep going.”

One more swipe, and she clamped down on my shoulder with her teeth, her wild moan drifting to my ears just as I slammed home one final time and spilled my seed inside her.

She clung to me, shaking, or maybe that was me, for several long moments. Everything slowly came back into focus. I released my grip around her back, and her legs slid down my hips until her feet hit the ground. Keeping a hold on her, I looked into her upturned face, smiling at the glazed look of utter content in her eyes.

“Are you actually looking a little smug?” I asked, frowning an apology when she kicked off what was left of her torn panties.

“You tell me,”she said, leaning down to stuff them in her bag, discarded a few feet away.

She was wobbly on her feet, and when I hurried to catch up with her so she didn’t fall, I realized I was unsteady on my own legs.

“That was… a lot,” I said. “Hell.”

My brain was fried, all my senses alive, but still honed in on Olivia. The ability to properly convey what I meant was lost, but she seemed to understand, smiling at me as she let me take her hand.

Then I cracked up, really taking in the alley we’d ended up in. First the jungle and now the middle of town. “Do you think I’ll ever get to have you in our bed?”

She gave me a saucy look. “Maybe. If you can keep from pissing me off before we get there.”

Not wanting to press my luck, I suggested we head home instead of rejoining the festivities. It was still early enough, and her mood was so bright that I might just get my chance.

Back at home, I made sure none of the guards were in her line of sight, because that was a surefire way to put her in a sour mood. Pouring us each a nightcap, I settled on the new couch in the living area that overlooked the pool.

“It’s starting to look great out there,” I said, clinking her glass. “You’re quite the landscape planner.”

“I try to excel at whatever task I take on,” she said primly, but her eyes showed a glint of mischief.

We sipped our drinks and settled into a comfortable silence, but something had been weighing on my mind for a few days, and since we were getting along, I thought she might be able to help.

“I haven’t heard from your father in two days,” I said.

A bit of the light left her eyes as she shrugged. “So? Why do you care?”

“He was supposed to let me know when he had taken care of Kuzmin’s debt, but then he fell off the radar. Don’t you think it’s odd that he’d disappear when he no longer owed anything? The whole point of paying was so he wouldn’t have to flee to Russia.”

She shrugged again, clearly not wanting to talk about her father. But I wasn’t going to be able to fully relax until I had tabs on anyone who might harm her. That piece of shit who called himself Olivia’s father had gone her whole life thinking she was a bargaining chip. I wouldn’t put it past him to still consider something nefarious if it suited him.

“Have you heard anything from any of the Kuzmins?” she asked.

“Not a peep,” I admitted. “It’s all quiet on that front.”

“So why are you worried that my father hasn’t called you back in two days? He’s always been unreliable. You’re freaking out over nothing. Again.”

“It’s a gut instinct. I really don’t think asking a question is freaking out. I brought it up at all because I wanted to ask you to try leaving him a message.”

That made her laugh, but the sound was bitter. “Do you think he respects me enough to answer any of my questions?He washed his hands of me when the transfer for my sale went through.”

The vitriol in her voice was like a punch to the gut. I wanted to reiterate that I didn’t view our marriage that way, but there was already too much fire in her eyes.

“I’d rather just put it to rest,” I said. “Just a short message asking him to call back and assure us we can stop thinking about the Kuzmins.”

“Absolutely not,” she said, standing up. Her hands shook as she slammed her drink down on the coffee table. “I’m never speaking to that man again.”

I remained seated as she stormed off, listening to her stomp up the stairs. Okay, so I managed to piss her off again. All at once, I realized I should have never asked her to make that call, and certainly shouldn’t have pushed it. It had been supremely stupid, especially after she had opened up to me about the level of the man’s abuse.

I wasn’t used to thinking about the feelings of someone I cared about so deeply, and had been too focused on her physical safety. I only wanted to chase after her and apologize, but I knew her well enough to leave her alone for now.

She was probably right, anyway. There was no reason to get so worked up just because her deadbeat father was off on a bender and not answering his phone.

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