Page 46 of King’s Promise

His face is pensive with my words, then he brushes it off and focuses on me.

“Once we’re married, we’ll be the new power couple in London, you can attend school as long as you play my happy bride.”

“A bribe? Have I not been a good sport over the ordeal?” I bat my eyelashes at him in jest. I notice the tent in his pants. It appears our sexual tension isn’t in my head, and I smile, comforted by the thought he must enjoy our sexual encounters even though he likes older women.

“You’ve been well behaved, I’ll give you that,” he concedes. His broody eyes soften as he observes every contour on my face and I’m suddenly nervous under the intensity of his attention.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

“You have an intense gaze, I’m not used to it, that’s all.”

“You went to great lengths to indulge me tonight, thank you.”

“I need to be your well-kept wife, no?”

“That you do.” He gulps more alcohol and we’re landing.

My eyes check out the door behind us and I wonder what’s in it. For now, I gaze out the window and watch the runway go by. When we reach our destination and exit the private airport, I notice right away the signage is all in French. My stomach flips.

17

Nikolay

“Paris?” Her breathlessness conveys the fact I made points with her. I’m not going to fall in love, but her smile makes my day.

“Yes,” I reply as we make our way to the waiting limo.

“Holy shit,” she exclaims. Her eyes are on me, but I evade her look, it’s easier to be aloof when I’m not meeting her gaze. I enjoy the excitement in her voice, and it makes me want to sink my cock in her again. I’m hard just standing next to her. Amazingly, her body fits into mine in and out of bed. But when we fuck, it’s magical, like an elixir, and I can’t wait to get my next fix. I never dabbled in drugs, but I imagine this is the high junkies get addicted to.

I don’t know if I’ll ever tire of seeing her face as she moans in pleasure under me. No one will even know what it’s like to fuck her because she’s mine. In moments like this, I relish the possibilities of what we can accomplish and maybe the future will bless me with sons. Daughters who look like her would not be terrible. I can see them now, little blond-haired toddlers with flushed cheeks and fair skin. I’ve studied her enough to know every look and every contour of her beautiful face.

“The streets are amazing,” she murmurs, taking in the cityscape as we move through traffic. None of this fazes me as I’ve been here numerous times. I could have made this a business trip and checked on our clubs here, however this week is busy, and this visit is to give Anya my full attention.

“The Eiffel Tower,” I mention as we circle around it. “We’ll come back again to skate around it at night.”

“You skate?”

“Well, I ice skate; here, it’s on wheels,” I reply with a shrug and impish grin. I’m a man of many talents, however, I do love outdoor and indoor sports. My cock twitches as I watch Anya’s doe-like eyes widen with excitement as we pass Parisian sights.

“I’d love to come back and explore,” she exclaims before we pull up in front of the museum.

“The Louvre?” She shoots me a quick look and turns away but not before I notice her eyes are misty. I want to wrap my arms around her and share her excitement, but I’m afraid I’d lose a part of me I promised to never give away. No emotional attachments is my promise to myself. If any woman is capable of changing my mind on that, it would be Anya. She’s the embodiment of elegance wrapped in finery. The earrings she wears dim in comparison to her eyes lit with curiosity and childlike wonder. She’s no child, she’s a woman with goals, and dreams, who unknowingly saved herself for me.

And even though I have been free to roam and party, I made sure to learn the business from my father.

The spell is broken when the car doors open. I slide my fingers in hers as we hold hands and enter the museum. It’s a quick tour, but given the fact we’re getting married, this entire trip is designed to introduce her to my world of refinement. It’s a glimpse into the world she reads about in her magazines, a world I can give her if she will accept it.

We take in the museum, pausing to read the descriptions under each piece of artwork. “You have a Mona Lisa smile when you taunt me, and you purposely do it. Why?”

“I had no idea. I don’t taunt you. We have different opinions, that’s all. I’m not going to give up goals I’ve had my entire life. I’ll be your wife, but I need to be me, too.”

I find her honesty refreshing. Too often women will tell me what they think I want to hear. Anya doesn’t placate me. I respect her honesty even if it’s not the answer I want to hear. The softness in her voice makes my chest expand. She’s true to herself, like me. I don’t deny what I am and what my role in life will be, I’m married to the Bratva, my family. Now, she is joining us. I slip my arm around her and steer her to the most poignant exhibits. She’s totally immersed in the art and the happiness on her face is worth so much more than the cost of the trip.

“We need to leave now,” I interject into the conversation. “I’m sure you’re starving.”

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