Page 4 of Marked & Bred By the Bratva
He gives me a lazy grin. “Well, if you need anything…”
Yeah. I know what that means.
I take my donut, smile, and say thanks. Then I walk away. Fast.
Back home, I throw my hoodie on the floor, toss my shoes toward the closet, and strip down to my underwear. My back still hurts from carrying moving boxes, so I do a little half-assed yoga in the living room while singing off-key.
When I’m done, I head for the dirty clothes hamper to tidy around a bit.
Only… something’s weird.
I stare for a full ten seconds before I register what’s missing.
My panties.
Not all of them. Just enough that I notice.
My stomach drops. My whole body flushes hot.
Okay. Think, Ava. Maybe I didn’t bring all of them. Maybe I left a bag in the car? Or at my old place…
I shake it off. I am not going to spiral over laundry. The building manager said the place had been vacant for months. The lock was changed. I’m perfectly safe.
I still double-check the front door. It’s locked. The windows. All closed.
I tell myself I’m being paranoid.
Later that evening, I step outside to toss some trash and nearly slam into my hot neighbor again. The man’s tall, broad, and brooding, wearing all black like he moonlights as a hitman. He’s closing the apartment next door, same as the other day. I smile before I can stop myself. “Hey.” He glances at me. His eyes are dark, unreadable, and way too intense for my poor, horny little heart. Then he nods, grunts something unintelligible, and walks off without another word.
Okay. Rude. Hot. Still rude. But like…damn. Why does my neighbor look like he could bench-press me and ruin my life in the same breath? And why am I kind of into that?
Four
Lev
She smiled at me again.
All soft and bright. She doesn’t know she lives in a cage I fucking made for her. Doesn’t realize the man holding the keys just brushed past her in the hallway and nearly lost his fucking mind.
“Hey,” she said. All friendly and light. In that fucking voice that does something to my brain, my heart, slides all the way down to my fucking balls. All syrup and sunshine. No fear. No clue.
I grunted. Nodded. Didn’t trust my voice not to give me away. Not with how tight her little top was. No bra. Again. Her nipples were diamonds under that thin cotton, and her ass bounced in tiny shorts made for my wet dreams.
I almost said something. Almost dragged her back upstairs right then and there.
You don’t walk around like that, little girl. Not when you’remine.
Instead, I went still. Memorized the sway of her hips. The shade of gloss on her lips. The exact color her deep brown skin turned in the dying sun. Fucking glowing. Dark, warm and fucking perfect. I wanted to mark it. Fucking brand her.
She looked at me like I was just another neighbor. Some quiet guy.
She has no idea I’d already jacked off twice today to the sound of her voice through the walls.
And the way she smells… Fuck me.
I rubbed myself raw thinking about how even in sleep, she spreads her legs. Just enough to make my cock ache. Like she’s whispering yes without knowing she’s doing it. The hem of her shirt twisted from tossing around. Sitting just under her tits.
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