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He dropped his hand from mine, trapping me in the cage between his arms as he gripped the island behind me. The distance between us narrowed, and I felt his bulge push against the hem of my dress, teasing at my entrance.
“Don’t push me,” he said softly, his voice soft and silky.
“Or you’ll what?” I asked defiantly. I felt a pulse of pleasure shoot through me in that moment as I pushed against him. There was a power that I never knew I had over him. I could feel it. I wanted to keep pushing against him, because a part of me wanted to see what he would look like when he lost control.
“What could you possibly do to me that you haven’t already done?” I whispered.
He growled low in his throat, and I could see his pulse racing on the side of his neck just above his collar. I could do this, I told myself. Iwasdoing this. I was pushing his buttons the way he had pushed mine.
“Kiss me,” I challenged, whispering. “I dare you.”
For a moment, Aleksey looked as if he was going to back away. But then his hands reached up to take hold of my face and brought me up at the same time his head dipped down. His lips crashed into mine as he captured my mouth in a kiss that was equally feral and possessive. His tongue forced its way through my parted lips and found mine. I tasted him, lost myself in his intoxicating scent, and stood on my tiptoes as my lips parted to invite him deeper. Desire swirled around me, cocooning me like a warm blanket.
My surprise lasted only a few seconds before I was sliding my hands up around his neck and kissing him back, meeting his tongue like I met his cock when he thrust it into my body.
There was no softness in his kiss, but I didn’t care. My husband was finally kissing me, and my heart thundered in approval as I fell deeper into it.
His lips bruised mine and I nipped at his tongue lightly, grazing it with my teeth to egg him on. I felt his hands on my hips and he lifted me onto the island, never once breaking the connection between us. Aleksey stepped between my legs, his hands finding my face and framing it to hold me in place.
His warmth slid over me as we melted into each other, nipping and sucking until he finally broke away. His chest was heaving just as much as mine was. My strong, powerful husband looked rattled, his lips red from my assault on them.
“Why did you marry me?” he asked.
Surprised, I swallowed a few times to pull myself together.
“I had no choice.” Had he lost his mind with that kiss? He knewexactlywhy I had married him.
“No,” he bit out, thrusting his hand through his hair. “Why did your father send you to marry me?”
“Do you think I have that much influence over my father?” I let out a small, mirthless laugh. “I’m nothing but a pawn in his games. This has always been the plan for me.”
The truth was: if it hadn’t been Aleksey, it would have been someone else that would have taken his place. This was always going to be my destiny. And for what it was worth, it could have been a hell of a lot worse, all things considered.
My husband continued to stare at me, dumbstruck. Did he not realize that I wasn’t lying to him? Surely he—the heir of his father’s Bratva—knew the unfair burden placed upon women of Mafia families. Surely he knew that we never had a say in our futures. Surely he knew that his own sister would stand in my place one day, begging her own husband to kiss her and prove to her that she was a wife who was to be treasured and loved.
What had he thought? Did he think I was some sort of spy for my father? The heat and triumph that I had felt so recently died away, and in their place was cold dread.Was this why he refused to kiss me? Did he not trust me?
“What do you think I felt on that day when I learned of our marriage?” I asked. My voice was low and even. “When I was told that I would spread my legs for the man who murdered my brother?”
My voice caught with the last word, but I swallowed the emotion. No. Fuck this. I wasn’t about to cry in front of him. “Or that I would grow to crave your touch, knowing those same hands had been stained with my brother’s blood?”
Aleksey was very still, his expression shuttered once more, but I couldn’t help but press on. He needed to know that this wasn’t my choice. He wouldneverhave been my choice if I ever had one.
“How would you feel,” I continued, “if your sister was forced to fuckyourmurderer?”
“Stop it,” Aleksey growled.
“I’m just telling you the truth.” I shook my head, sliding off the island. “That is all I’ve done with you. You are supposed to be my enemy,” I said, leveling my gaze at him. “And somehow, you became the man who vowed to protect me for the rest of my life.”
Aleksey moved quickly, his lips covering mine, and I succumbed to another kiss, though far gentler than the last we had just shared. When he broke away, he rested his forehead on mine.
“No more,” he said softly as I struggled to catch my breath. “What’s done is done. We don’t need to fight with each other about things we can’t control.”
His words were surprising given the last few weeks, but I couldn’t find it in my heart to reply right now. Something was on the verge of breaking inside me, and I didn’t want him to see me weak.
I didn’t want him to think that I needed him. I was stronger than he thought. Iwantedto be stronger than he thought.
When Aleksey turned away, I didn’t stop him. Instead, I watched his broad back as it disappeared down the hallway. I had gotten what I wanted in his kiss, but would I get anything else from him?
