19. Lara
Chapter 19
Lara
L uka kisses me like he’ll never be able to get enough, and when I hear his family start to whistle and shout who the hell knows what in Russian, he lets me go with a laugh, the most beautiful smile on his face as he looks down at me.
“I love you, kisa, ” he whispers before kissing me once more.
“I love you, too.”
I’ve barely gotten the words out before we’re pulled apart so everyone can hug and congratulate us. I’m completely overcome with emotion as I hug my new family, and I lose my battle with my tears when my mom wraps her arms around me and says, “I’m so happy for you, Lara.”
My mom has come a long way, and I’m so proud of her. I know it hasn’t been easy, but the fact that she’s even here, smiling and telling me she’s happy, is a goddamn miracle. We moved her into a nicer apartment that’s a few minutes away from us, and I think the change is helping her to move on and to let go of the past and the chokehold it’s had on her all these years.
“Thanks, Mom,” I tell her, squeezing her tighter. “I’m so glad you’re here. ”
“Me too, baby.” She kisses my cheek and lets me go with a laugh when Vitaly swoops in to give me a big bear hug. Having an uncle and aunt in my life is turning out to be a lot of fun. Luka and I go over for supper at least once a week, and I already feel close to Sveta and Val. My life has changed so drastically since meeting Luka, and I wake up every day feeling grateful for it.
The crowd slowly makes its way to the adjoining tent that’s filled with tables and a team of caterers who have been working their asses off all morning. Everything looks perfect. It’s a dream wedding, but the real reason isn’t because of the lavish decorations or expensive dress I’m wearing. It’s all because of the man standing next to me. I could’ve married Luka in a parking lot and it still would’ve been the most romantic wedding I could imagine. I just need him.
He holds a chair out for me at the main table before taking the seat next to me. His hand finds mine, threading our fingers together, and the feel of his wedding band pleases some deep part of myself that I hadn’t realized was lacking. I love that he’s mine. I love that my name is tattooed on his chest, and I love that he now has a band around his finger. I’m possessive when it comes to him. I want every part of him, and I want the whole world to know that he’s mine.
“Someone’s looking adorably possessive,” he teases, whispering the words near my ear as his thumb strokes my hand.
I’m not surprised he can read me so easily. He’s always been able to tell exactly what I’m thinking.
“I really like the way that wedding band looks on you,” I tell him. “It’s a very obvious sign that you’re taken.”
He gives a soft laugh and kisses my cheek. “Baby, I was taken the second I saw you. Ring or no ring, I will never belong to anyone but you.”
I smile at his answer as the caterers start dropping off plates of food. We eat and laugh and when the sun starts to set, the music changes and everyone heads to the dance floor that’s now set up where the first tent had been. I don’t know who his family hired to do all this, but they’re doing an amazing job. We’ve had photographers following us around all night, but they’ve been keeping their distance, and I’ve hardly noticed them. When Luka takes my hand, leading me to the middle of the dance floor, I smile and follow his lead. The rest of the wedding party comes out to join us when Luka waves them over. Dominic watches as Max dances with his wife, and although he has a relaxed smile on his face, his eyes never leave her. Sveta and Damien glide past us, and when I turn my head, I see Vitya staring at her just as intently, even if he is technically off duty tonight. I’m not so sure that guy ever takes a night off.
Sasha twirls a laughing Mia around, and I laugh when I see she’s traded her heels in for a comfy pair of black Converse sneakers. I can’t say I blame her. I don’t know how Natalya is doing it. She’s gliding around on a sexy pair of pink heels like it’s nothing while my feet are absolutely killing me. When I take another step and wince, Luka’s hand immediately goes to my stomach. “What’s wrong?”
I smile up at him. “I’m fine. It’s not the baby. It’s my feet,” I say with a laugh. “These heels are killing me.”
He drops to his knees, ignoring all the couples dancing around us, and slowly starts to unbuckle the strap around my ankle. My dress hides what he’s doing from view, and when he squeezes my calf before slowly sliding his hand up my leg, I look down at him while trying to keep my face unreadable. He drags a finger along the top of my thigh high and lifts a brow at me.
“Thigh highs?” His fingers keep exploring. “And a garter? Jesus, kisa , you trying to kill me?”
He dips a finger under the lacy, white garter I’d chosen for today and gives it a soft tug.
“It’s tradition for you to throw that,” I tell him, but he looks at me like I’m crazy.
“I’ll kill anyone who touches this. It’s been wrapped around your upper thigh, baby. No one gets to see or touch this but me.”
“Already so possessive,” I tease, “and we haven’t even been married a full day yet.”
“Always.” His green eyes stare into mine as he gives the garter another soft tug. “I’ve been possessive of you since the first second I saw you. You are mine, Lara, and no one else gets to see or touch what’s mine.”
He gives me a wink and keeps traveling up my inner thigh before lightly grazing his fingers along the thin scrap of lace between my thighs.
“What are you doing?” I whisper just loud enough for him to hear.
“I’m memorizing every detail of my beautiful wife, and I’m thinking about how amazing you’re going to look when I fuck you while you’re wearing this.”
“What are you doing, Luka?”
The question is loud enough to rise above the music, and I don’t need to look to know it’s Vitaly who’s just yelled it. When my face turns beet red, everyone around us laughs while Luka smiles up at me, not looking even slightly ashamed as he gives my pussy one last rub and then slips the high heel from my foot. When they’re both off, I let out a relieved breath and grab his hand again. My heels hang from one of his fingers as we sway to the music.
Soon everyone else starts to join in. Dominic quickly takes Max’s place, reclaiming his wife, while Sasha and Damien both end their dances to go and talk with a group of men by the corner of the tent. I notice that Val and Yelena keep dancing, and even though they’re keeping a respectable distance between their bodies, there’s no hiding the quick, heated looks they’re giving one another. Luka explained their relationship to me, and I quickly told him I’d be right by his side whenever they decide to announce their relationship, doing everything I can to help. Val’s my cousin, and I’m more than happy to have his back.
Luka’s lips graze my ear, pulling all my attention back to him. “How about you hurry up and throw your bouquet and then we can sneak out of here?”
“You want to escape our own wedding?”
The heat of his breath tickles my ear as he grazes his nose along my skin. “I want to fuck my wife.”
The deep tone of his voice mixed with the obvious desire has a need growing inside me, and when I quickly nod my head in agreement, he gives a soft laugh and pats my ass. “Good girl. Now go get your bouquet.”
He doesn’t have to ask me twice. I weave my way through the dancing bodies in my bare feet and quickly grab the bouquet of red and white roses that’s sitting next to the seven tier cake that’s had a good dent put in it. There are a lot of Bratva members here that I don’t recognize, but they all smile and raise their glasses in a toast as I pass by. I spot Arkady standing off to the side, one of the few men here without a drink in hand, and when I walk over to him, he immediately straightens up. All I know about the man is that he’s thirty-two and evidently married to the job.
“Please tell me you’re not working tonight,” I say as soon as I’m close enough.
“Not exactly,” he says in his thick accent. “We have the place surrounded with men, but you can never be too safe.” He gives a shrug like it’s no big deal. “I’ll have a drink when Luka takes you in for the night.”
I laugh and hold up my bouquet. “You won’t have long to wait.”
He smiles and nods to where Luka is standing with his dad and Lev. He laughs at something his uncle says, but his eyes never leave mine. He looks hungry, damn hungry, and it gets my ass moving. I say a quick bye to Arkady and make my way over to my Aunt Katya. I’m still not used to calling her that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love saying it.
“I think I’m going to throw my bouquet,” I tell her.
She laughs and looks over at Luka. “I take it someone has waited long enough.”
I laugh but neither confirm nor deny. She takes pity on me and says, “I’ll distract my husband after you throw it,” right before she gives an impressive whistle that gets everyone’s attention. When all eyes are on her, she smiles and yells, “All the single ladies get your butts on the dance floor!”
Some of the Bratva guys brought dates, so it’s more than just Sveta, Yelena, and Mia out there. It’s still a small group, but at least I’m throwing it to more than three people. Before I turn around to toss it, I see Mia scoot her ass off to the side, having no desire at all to catch what I’m about to throw.
“Good thinking, Mia,” Lev calls out to her while Vitaly yells, “Don’t even think about it, Sveta!”
I laugh and toss back the bouquet, hearing the clicking of heels on the dance floor and then a soft grunt before I turn around and see Sveta proudly holding the flowers in the air.
“Jesus Christ,” Vitaly hollers. “Are you just collecting them now to give me a heart attack?”
She laughs and waves the bouquet at him before giving the roses a good sniff while Vitya watches on with an unreadable look on his face.
“Nicely done,” Luka says, walking over to me. “She caught Natalya’s bouquet, too.”
“Guess she’ll be the next to get married.”
“Maybe.” He laughs and looks over at his cousins. “It’s sure as hell not going to be Mia.”
“It might be Yelena,” I say.
He looks back at me and smiles. “One day it will be.”
Stepping closer, he pulls me against him and ducks his head so he can kiss me. His lips linger on mine, sending warmth to every part of my body.
“I’ve waited long enough,” he says, and that’s the only warning I get. The next thing I know his arm is around my waist and he’s guiding me across the lawn at a pace that I never would’ve been able to match if I were still wearing my heels.
Before we get too far away, I hear my Aunt Katya yell, “Vitaly, get your sexy ass on the dance floor!”
I laugh, knowing she’s distracting him so we can make our getaway into the house. We didn’t want to fly out on the night of our wedding, so we decided to stay at the farmhouse and head to the airport in the morning. Luka surprised me with a trip to Spain. I’d mentioned that I once saw a picture of the beaches there and thought it looked gorgeous, so he rented us a private cottage on the coast, and after that we’re going to Italy because Dominic insisted we spend some time at his family home. There’s a guest house that we can use as long as we want with access to a private beach. I’ve never been out of the state, let alone the country, and I’m beyond excited to see a bit of the world, and Sveta was more than happy to volunteer to cat sit.
When we slip into the house through a side door, Luka scoops me up, carrying me over the threshold and then keeping me in his arms as he takes the stairs up to the third floor. This level is ours for the night, and when he steps into the large bedroom, I whisper a quick, “Wow,” when I see all the flowers that have been set out for us. Roses fill several vases throughout the room, and the bed is covered in them. The sweet scent fills the air, and when Luka sets me on the bed, I run my hands over the loose, velvety petals.
Before I can say anything about how gorgeous everything is or how happy I am to be married to him, his mouth is on mine, stealing my breath with his hungry lips and chasing every other thought out of my head except for the one that’s screaming at me to get him naked and inside me.
He’d ditched his tux jacket a few hours ago, and when he hovers his body over mine, I start working on the buttons of his white dress shirt while he cups the back of my head, teasing me with his tongue. The kiss is aggressive and hungry, and it leaves me fucking breathless. My fingers stumble over his buttons in my eagerness to get him naked as he smiles against my lips and gives me a soft nip.
“Is my wife eager for my cock?”
“Yes,” I whisper, knowing he can hear the raw need in my voice.
He gives a soft laugh and drags his teeth along my lower lip. “Too bad for you I’ve got my heart set on taking my time.”
Lifting up, he runs his eyes over me while dragging a finger along the swell of my breast. “I’m going to enjoy every second of this, kisa .” His hands run down my waist before he lifts his hips and starts grabbing at my dress, lifting the satin fabric until it’s bunched around my stomach and he can see the lacy, white panties I’m wearing.
“Jesus,” he growls, grazing his thumb over the thin material between my thighs. “Already so fucking wet for me. You're dripping through the lace, sweetheart. Such a filthy little cunt under this innocent, white dress.”
“Luka,” I moan when he drags his thumb lower, teasing my slit with the soft stroke.
“Hmm?” He raises a brow at me, enjoying every second of my torture.
“Stop teasing me and fuck me.”
He gives me a wicked, sexy smile that has my pussy clenching desperately at air. He feels how badly my body is trying to get him inside me and laughs.
“This is not funny,” I whine when he circles my clit, making my hips rock up in a useless attempt at more friction.
“No?” he teases, rubbing me just a little bit harder. “It’s pretty humorous from where I’m sitting.”
Before I can tell him that payback’s a bitch and it’s headed his way, he pinches my clit hard enough to make me gasp.
“Don’t be so quick to yell at me, sweetheart. I’m about to make you feel pretty damn good.”
When he sees me perk up at that, he smiles and pulls his shirt off the rest of the way so he’s in nothing but his dress pants. The sight of my name on his chest always sends a flutter through me, and when he grabs one of my thighs and I see the glint of his wedding ring, a warmth floods through every part of my body.
My husband.
There’s something so damn beautiful about that phrase. He’s mine and only mine. We’ve promised our lives to one another, and he’s the only man who will ever touch me like this. The intimacy of it is like a fucking aphrodisiac, and when he spreads my thighs wider and groans, I know he can see how much it’s turning me on.
“So fucking perfect,” he murmurs. His green eyes are locked on my pussy, and when he spreads me wider and uses his other hand to grab my panties, pulling them tighter against me so they’re digging into my slit, parting my lips and making me spill over the edges, I fist the bedding as he growls my name and lowers his head.
He keeps my panties pressed tightly against my slit as he flattens his tongue and licks me from bottom to top, and the sensation has me letting out a loud whimper as I rock my hips, following the movement of his tongue so it lasts as long as possible.
“Fuck,” I groan when he circles my clit, pulling my panties tighter so the lace digs into my sensitive flesh.
“So fucking wet and swollen,” he murmurs against my pussy, licking and kissing and sucking every inch of me as his filthy words and talented mouth bring me closer and closer to the edge. “You taste like heaven, kisa , pure fucking heaven.”
With my dress bunched up, I can’t see a damn thing that he’s doing, and when he roughly rips my panties off, I let out a surprised yelp right before he latches onto my clit, sucking hard while plunging two fingers into me.
“Fuck!” I shout as my back arches and my heels dig into the bed. He brings me right to the edge, and as soon as I start to feel the orgasm ignite, he backs off, leaving me shaking and gasping for air.
I yell his name and feel the heat of his breath against my aching clit as he gives a soft laugh, and when I try to move, he digs his fingers into my hip, gripping me and pinning me in place.
“Not so fast,” he murmurs with his face still so close to my sex that every breath sends another spark of pleasure through my shaking body. “I’m not done with you yet, kisa. ”
He scissors his fingers, pressing against my inner walls as he slowly slides them out of me while teasing my clit with his tongue. His movements are slow, giving me just enough to drive me crazy but not enough to give me what I want. When his fingers slide from my folds, I let out a whimpering protest, but he just gives my clit a soft suck as he drags his wet finger lower until he’s pressing against my asshole. The tight ring of muscle instinctively tightens even more, refusing him access, but he lazily circles the pad of his finger against my sensitive nerve endings, lighting my body on fire with just a few well-placed strokes .
When I start to relax and the tip of his finger presses in, he groans against my pussy, lapping at my clit and making me see stars. He has me right on the edge again, and that’s exactly where he keeps me. Every time I’m about to come, he backs off just enough to stop me.
“You’re not coming until my entire finger is in your ass, baby.” He presses in a little more, the foreign sensation making me gasp his name as I try to catch my breath.
“Easy, baby,” he murmurs while kissing my clit. He twirls his finger, pulling a moan from deep within me before slowly sliding all the way in. “That’s it, kisa. ” He nuzzles my pussy like he’s worshipping it, and just when I think I can’t take a second more of this sweet torture, he starts to slowly finger fuck my ass.
“Luka, please,” I beg, writhing beneath his touch and spiraling out of control while my body screams for more.
“Does my wife need to come?” The question is a taunt, a tease, and when I let out a pained whimper of frustration, I hear his wicked chuckle from between my thighs. “When I push you over the edge, I want to feel this tight ass squeeze my finger. Show me what you’re going to be doing to my cock in a few days.”
“Huh?” I manage to gasp.
He gives a soft laugh and nips at my clit. “I’m taking your ass on our honeymoon, kisa ."
Before I can respond, he wraps his lips around my clit, sucking hard while he works his finger faster. The warring sensations throw me off the goddamn cliff, and I come with a ragged scream. He growls against my pussy when he feels my ass tighten, gripping his finger as my hips rock and I come all over his face. The orgasm consumes me, stealing my vision and my breath as I shatter beneath his touch. He brings me down gently, softening his movements until every part of me is shaking and so sensitive that just the heat of his breath has me squirming.
Unable to move, I lay on the bed as Luka slides his finger out of my ass and kisses a path along my inner thigh.
“I love these thigh highs,” he whispers against my skin. “So goddamn sexy. ”
I’m still riding out my high, and when he lifts his head and sees the goofy grin on my face, he laughs and reaches for the zipper on the side of my dress. Being careful to not tear the delicate material, he undresses me, leaving me in nothing but the thigh highs before making quick work of his pants. He looks painfully hard when he gets back on the bed and positions himself between my legs.
“Don’t fall asleep yet, baby. I’m not even close to being done with you.”
I smile and wrap my arms and legs around him. “Good.” Pulling him closer, I kiss him, loving that he tastes like me, because I will never get tired of marking this man as mine. I dig my heel into his perfectly chiseled ass. “Time to make this official, husband.”
He grins before kissing me harder as he presses into me and joins our bodies together.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you too,” I whisper back, cupping his face and looking into his green eyes, memorizing every detail of this moment.
He doesn’t look away. He keeps his eyes locked on mine as he very slowly starts to move, fucking me at an excruciatingly slow pace that allows me to feel every thick inch of him. It’s so intense that all I can do is cling to him, fisting the back of his hair as he hits every damn nerve ending in my pussy.
My tits press against his hard chest as I rock beneath him, meeting his slow thrusts until I’m trembling and begging him to speed up. He keeps his eyes on mine and shakes his head. I can see the tense hold of his jaw, the way the vein in his neck is throbbing beneath his tattooed skin, and the way every muscle in his body is taut. It’s taking all his willpower to not fuck me hard right now, to not tear into me until we’re both coming and gasping for air. He’s holding back for me. This is something he wants to give me, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to turn down such a selfless gift.
I cup his face, keeping my eyes on his, letting him see how much I love him and how goddamn good he’s making me feel. His eyes darken when the familiar coil of pleasure starts to ignite deep inside me. The first sparks have my breaths coming faster as my fingers clutch at the back of his neck. My instinct is to rock my hips, to grind harder and faster and push myself over the edge, but I’m not the one in control. Luka keeps up the slow pace, forcing me to savor every second of my building orgasm, and when it finally hits me, it’s like pure ecstasy flooding my body in slow motion. The intensity of it brings tears to my eyes. He watches me the whole time, never taking his eyes off me, and I’ve never felt closer to him.
He waits until I start to come down, and only then does he pick up the pace. Everything he’d been holding back comes rushing to the surface as he fucks me hard and fast. I’m quickly thrown into another orgasm as he kisses me like he’ll never be able to get enough and fucks me like he wants to possess every part of me. Luka never half-asses anything. Everything he does, he does exceptionally well. He’s never going to be the kind of guy who gives a few lackluster thrusts and calls it a night. He’s a perfectionist in many ways, and I want nothing more than to give him that same kind of pleasure and attention.
“I want on top,” I say, and with only a slight, questioning rise of his brow, he flips us over so I’m straddling him.
“Fuck,” I whisper, bracing my hands against his chest as I rise up and start to work my hips. He groans as he watches me ride him, a look of pure, raw hunger on his handsome face.
Rocking my hips, I clench around him even tighter, smiling when he rewards me with a deep groan and his strong hands on my hips, fingers digging into my flesh. I drag my nails down his chest, reveling in the power I have over this man. It’s a heady thing to know I have all of Luka’s attention, and right now I’m drunk on that feeling. It makes me bold, and when I rise up even higher before slowly sinking back down onto the length of him, he groans and thrusts up into me, making my tits bounce as he gives an appreciative groan.
He cups one of my tits, squeezing my nipple and making me throw my head back at the sensation.
“I love when you ride me, kisa . You look so fucking sexy when you take control.” His other hand runs down my chest and along my stomach, stopping to stroke along the tiny baby bump that he swears he can already see before resting his thumb on my clit. He rubs me in slow circles while I ride his cock, bringing us both closer and closer to the orgasm that’s just out of reach.
“That’s right, baby. Your pretty pink pussy is taking me so goddamn good. You hear how sloppy wet you are?”
I nod my head because the wet sounds of our fucking are impossible to miss.
“Such a good girl,” he praises while pinching my nipple. “You’ve fucking soaked me, sweetheart.” His thumb speeds up, rubbing me harder and faster. “That’s right, baby. Come on my cock and use that tight pussy to take me with you.”
His words push me over the edge. I throw my head back and moan his name, riding his cock as my pussy clenches around him. He growls my name, gripping my hips with both his hands as he thrusts up into me right before I feel him start to pulse inside me with his release. I fall against his chest, kissing him as I thread my fingers in his hair, needing him closer. He wraps his arms around me, knowing what I want, surrounding me in his touch and scent as he gives one last thrust, his stomach muscles tensing as he shoots the last of his seed deep inside me.
I’m breathless and shaking and every muscle in my body feels like jelly, and I’ve never been so fucking happy in my life. I smile against his lips and give a soft laugh when he rolls us back over. He brushes back the strands of my sweaty hair and cups my face before kissing me again.
“I think it’s official now.”
I laugh and run my fingers through his hair. “I think so too. No one can say we didn’t consummate this marriage.”
He smiles and kisses me. “Rest up, baby, because we’re going to be consummating the hell out of this marriage all night long.”
My laugh turns into a yawn, and when he sees it, he slowly slides out of me so he can pull me up against him. I curl my body around his, resting my thigh over his strong one and my head on his chest. He runs a hand through my hair while the other one splays across my hip in a possessive grip that he knows I love.
He kisses my forehead and squeezes me tighter against him, caressing the scar on my arm, the one he’ll never forgive himself for, no matter how many times I tell him it wasn’t his fault. I kiss his chest as my body molds to his like I was always meant to be here. I don’t know what our future holds, but with our baby growing inside me, and Luka’s strong arms wrapped around me, I know I can face anything. No matter what happens, as long as I have them, I have everything.
I never thought my life would lead me here, that the vile actions of my father and uncle would end with something so beautiful, and I know I’ll never stop being grateful for how much love is in my life now. It could’ve so easily gone the other way, and knowing that makes me appreciate it all the more. Everyone always says that they can’t imagine their lives without the person they love, but that’s not how I feel. I can imagine my life without Luka, and that’s what makes me cling to him a little bit tighter because I never want to go back to a life that doesn’t have him at the center of it.
Our life together is always going to be filled with danger, but it’s also going to be filled with so much love, and that love is worth everything. I kiss my husband’s chest and snuggle up against him, smiling when he tightens his grip on my thigh and kisses my head, making me feel so completely safe and loved. I’ve found my home with him, I’ve found the man I was always supposed to be with, and I’m never letting him go. With his baby growing inside me and his arms wrapped tightly around me, I close my eyes, knowing there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.