Page 49 of The Bratva's Prisoner Bride

At that moment, I could only focus on her and how gorgeous she looked. I had half a mind to take her right there.

Whether she knew it or not, she was making it so hard to hold back.

I cursed the fact that we were in public still the moment a drop of tequila rolled past her lips and down her jaw. Unable to resist, I leaned in and lapped it up from where it reached her neck, savoring the taste along with the smooth texture of her skin.

We both shivered, and I could feel my restraint slipping more as I pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her neck.

It was obvious what we both wanted, and I knew it wouldn’t take long before we were making a complete mess of each other.

Caught in a pleasant tipsy haze, it was unclear how the rest of our time at the club went. In between flashes of recognition, I could feel the back seat of the SUV beneath us, and the softness of her lips through messy kisses.

Every touch and taste pushed me closer to the brink of losing my mind, not registering anything outside of that moment between us in the back of the vehicle, silently praying we’d be home sooner rather than later.

Completely consumed by the feeling of her skin beneath my hands and the way her mouth was just as eager as mine, I knew I wouldn’t be sated until I had her again. Until she was writhing beneath me.

Chapter 20 - Daria

That heat didn’t leave my skin all the while we entered the house, exchanging those lustful glances and vaguely amused grins all the while we moved through the place, eventually heading up the stairs.

We were both tipsy enough to find most things funny, like the way Ivan stumbled slightly down the hall, yet there was no denying the presence of that electricity between us—the thickening tension that spoke of how badly we both wanted each other.

With wandering hands, we were both all over one another, hardly paying attention to our surroundings.

Ivan snuck kisses in between gradual steps through the quiet hallway, letting his palms ghost along my sides, bracing himself against me from time to time, needing to catch his balance again.

“You know…” he murmured in between pressing his lips against mine, pausing against the wall while his thumbs traced slow circles against my hips. “That dress looks incredible on you, but I can’t deny how badly I’ve been wanting to take it off you.”

Humming in return, I grinned knowingly and reached for the extra fabric of his button-down he had tucked into his slacks, gently freeing it before ghosting my fingers beneath it to rove over the taut muscles I had come to appreciate. A lot. “So you really were undressing me with your eyes earlier?”

A lazy smile settled on his lips at that, allowing himself the moment to take it in before he met my gaze again. “Of course I was…can you blame me?”

“I suppose I can’t,” I murmured, feeling more of his body before the beginning of an idea took root within my booze-hazy mind.

He lifted a brow while he gazed down at me and grazed a hand against my spine. “You have lots of mischief in your eyes…what are you thinking about?”

Amused by his observation and thrilled about the tempting thoughts, I reached for his hand. “I’ll just have to show you…”

Ivan, intrigued by this, allowed me to pull him by our joined hands despite the skepticism in his features. In all honesty, he looked like he would’ve preferred to keep kissing in the hallway or making our way to the bedroom instead. But I had a plan.

“Where are you taking me?” He asked with a chuckle, seeming a lot more compliant than usual.

“I’m not ruining the surprise…”

Unable to protest, Ivan let me lead him through the second story toward my home studio, and before long, I pushed the door open.

Sweeping him in after me, I brought him a few steps farther into the room before reluctantly releasing his hand.

“I want to show you something…” I said, gravitating towards the oil painting I had sitting on a drying rack. I pulled it out and kept the canvas' backside facing him.

Despite his own liquor-induced stupor, he gave me his undivided attention. “Another Daria original?”

“Of course…and one I think you’ll like.”

Not leaving him in suspense for too long, I turned the canvas around, showing him the start of his requested piece.

His brows went up slightly as he took it in, letting his eyes track all around the painting before he glanced at me. “My portrait…”

Smiling, I nodded. “Mhm…I’ve been working on it slowly, but I still have a long way to go.”

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