Page 25 of The Bratva Contract
Dima’s kiss is frantic, his hands frame my face, his body crowds me in every way, sexy and confining. He traps me against the wall so there’s no escape. He shoves into me roughly, then grinds his hips to mine where he’s pressed intimately. He works pressure on my clit and then buries himself in me, balls deep, and I almost choke from it. When he comes inside me, it feels so right, like it’s what I’ve waited for, for years, but never found.
“Yes!” I scream, lash my nails down his back with abandon.
I come as much from the captivating gush of his spending inside me as I do from the rocking against my clit. I slip my hand between us and press low on my belly where I feel his seed fill me. He kisses my mouth and then my face, gathering me against him like I’m some precious thing. I hold on because it’s all I can do. I wonder if he’s broken me this way, like a horse.
I’m vaguely worried that I’m his creature now, and that he’s my master.
CHAPTER 15
DIMA
She is happy here, I noticed. She seems lighter and more carefree. On the walk to dinner, I set my hand at the small of her back. She leans in and loops an arm around my waist, letting me tuck her tight to my side. The easy intimacy catches me off guard, and I am never off guard. It feels so good to drape my arm over her, to hold her close and claim her in public, that I almost close my eyes. My shoulders lock at the thought, and my jaw clenches. Even at my own resort I must remain vigilant. She studies me curiously, her face open and almost soft. When we slide into the private booth, she settles against me again.
I’m determined to keep her at arm’s length, at least emotionally. Karina, however, is utterly at ease, curling up like a cat beside me. I open the menu and bite back a curse about the dim lighting. I left my goddamn reading glasses upstairs, and I haven’t worn them in front of her yet. She’d crack a joke about my age and call me an old man. She’s teasing me now, acting as though we’re lovers. We are not lovers. She is my wife, and that was a tactical decision, a move for territory and an heir. Part ofme is disappointed that the feisty, unconquerable woman I met proved so easy to fuck into submission. It was the cave, I think, the primitive way I took her against the rocks. I felt different afterward too, but for her it was narcotic. When she strokes the back of my neck, my body goes iron-hard. I struggle to wrestle it down. Just because she was seduced doesn’t mean I was. I am in control, even if the lazy scrape of her nails along my collar feels like the most erotic thing anyone has ever done in the history of time.
Brusquely, I brush her hand from my neck. I can’t endure her touching me this way. It sobers me that she has this strong effect on me, like I’m five drinks in and the whiskey keeps coming. She pulls away a little, chastened, and looks at the menu. I wonder if I should use the flashlight on my phone or just hope she reads some of the damn thing out loud. Otherwise I’ll have to guess what to order. It’s a weakness I despise, but the risk of elective surgery to correct my vision is too great, a man with power such as myself, I would be too vulnerable in a surgery center where enemies could infiltrate while I was unconscious. So humiliation it is.
“What are you ordering?” I ask, hoping she’ll dither and list three or four dishes she’s considering.
“Oh, I think I’ll have this,” she says airily and taps an entry, blurry and too small for me. The tiny smile she hides behind a sip of water betrays her malice. She knows I can’t read it, and I’ll be damned if I ask for help.
“What about you?” she asks, all innocence. “Anything catch your eye?” Her gaze dares me.Only the petty bitch sitting beside me, I think wryly.
“I haven’t decided,” I say tightly.
“Really? That surprises me. I think of you as such a man of action, decisive and straightforward. Are you defeated by a dinner menu?” Her tone drips acid. This is what I get for thinking she’s a tame kitten. She’s still a tiger, toying with her prey.
“Hardly defeated,” I say with forced lightness, affecting unconcern.
The server arrives and waits, polite and silent, while I motion for Karina to order first. Good, she’ll have to say the dish aloud, I think. Instead she simply points, and he nods. Resigned, I switch to Croatian.
“What is the chef’s special?” I ask.
He compliments my command of the language, then waxes poetic, insisting every dish the chef sends out is heaven on a plate and that whatever I choose will be the greatest meal of my life. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but his praise of the restaurant I own, and the chef I employ, helps me not at all.
I continue in Croatian and ask for their most inventive seafood dish. He shares lavish details of a fish tasting menu that I do not want. I select a dish from his long description and say that I want it for my entrée.
The courses arrive in quick succession, delicate asparagus, Karina’s mussel risotto, then my massive red snapper with turnips and wild berries. Everything tastes incredible, bright and fresh. The wines, however, disappoint, and I mentally note to push the sommelier to upgrade his sources. Karina offers me a bite of risotto and spears a few of my berries with her fork, flashing a mischievous smile as she steals them.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?” she demands.
“I wouldn’t have tried the risotto,” I say coolly.
“I mean about the menu. You couldn’t read it.”
“It’s not like you read it to me. I hope there aren’t any blind people counting on you for vital information in your volunteer work.” I say dryly.
“I don’t do volunteer work. I run a business. Apart from that, it’s very time consuming to maintain my appearance.”
“What do you mean? I’ve seen you after dark and you don’t turn into a troll.”
“It’s all an illusion.” She smirks. “It takes a team, personal trainer, dietitian, chef, spray tan, colorist, injectables, not to mention a fortune in clothes, shoes, and makeup.”
“So you’re saying you’re not a natural beauty?”
“I’m a beauty who relies on top-of-the-line technology to look this way.”
I can’t help a half-smile. She’s very self-aware for someone so gorgeous.
