Epilogue
Isabella
The reflection of the Swiss Alps glittering in the afternoon sunlight, with peaks dusted with snow despite the summer warmth, made being on the pool deck my favorite place in the whole world.
I hadn’t expected to fall in love with Switzerland when Ivan first brought me here, but now, our sprawling mountainside estate felt more like home than anywhere I’d ever lived.
My fingers flew across the keyboard as I worked through the last section of the report of my latest security audit for the Paraskia.
A lot had happened in the last year.
Little Chiara—a daughter of Vince’s puppy Piper and my constant companion—snuffled and readjusted in my lap, her tiny paws twitching in puppy dreams. I scratched behind her ear, careful not to disturb her too much.
“Just a few more paragraphs, sweetie,” I murmured. “Then we’ll take a break.”
A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined this life. When Director Kozlova had offered Ivan a mansion back in Moscow, including their re-establishment within the Russian Bratva, I’d held my breath.
But he’d refused without hesitation, choosing instead this new path we’d carved together. We still maintained tight connections—I consulted for all the families and the Paraskia—but on our terms.
I glanced at my phone, checking the time.
Ivan would be home tomorrow after three long weeks away, and my body hummed with anticipation.
Video calls just weren’t enough even though the image of Vince jerking off while watching me do the same had its own kind of appeal.
But nothing beat his hands on me, his warmth, his scent surrounding me.
Plus, he was bringing Mira with him. I’d missed my twin fiercely though our weekly video calls helped ease the distance. As did the three months we spent in NYC each year.
The sun warmed my bare legs as I shifted in the lounge chair, enjoying the private view from our secluded patio.
The infinity pool stretched before me, its azure waters a perfect mirror of the panorama of mountains and sky.
Our property was perched halfway up the mountain, isolated enough for privacy but close enough to civilization for convenience.
The perfect compromise between Ivan’s paranoid security requirements and my need for freedom.
I saved my work, closed the lid, took my phone, and smiled at a message from Jemma. She and Vince were considering visiting next month, which would be nice. Though I loved our sanctuary here, I also cherished every chance to reconnect with family and friends. The best of both worlds.
A shadow fell across my laptop, and I looked up to find Anton approaching with a tray. The scent of fresh coffee and pastry hit me a moment later, making my mouth water instantly.
“You’re a lifesaver,” I told him as he set down a perfect cappuccino and a decadent-looking pastry beside my laptop.
Anton had stayed behind as head of my personal security detail while Ivan was away—a precaution that used to annoy me but that I’d come to appreciate. Not just for the protection, but for the company. The Zotov siblings had become family in ways I’d never anticipated.
I eyed the pastry with suspicion despite my watering mouth. “Be honest. Ivan told you to fatten me up so I will never leave him.”
Anton chuckled, his usually serious face relaxing. “Nope, he just told me to make sure you’re happy every day. And this is how I do it.”
I smiled. “Well, you’ve passed the test,” I said, picking up the pastry and taking a decadent bite. “I think you’re ready to go out and find your own woman to treat like a queen.”
Anton’s retort died on his lips as his posture suddenly stiffened, his hand moving subtly toward his concealed weapon. I froze, instantly alert, but then saw the subtle shift in his expression from alert to recognition.
“I would be grateful if you stopped flirting with my woman and found your own,” a familiar voice growled from behind me.
My heart leapt into my throat. I whirled around so fast that Chiara tumbled from my lap with an indignant yip.
Ivan stood at the patio entrance, travel-worn but breathtaking. His normally immaculate suit was slightly rumpled, dark stubble shadowed his jaw, and his eyes burned with an intensity that sent heat flooding through me instantly.
“You’re early,” I managed to say, already rising from my chair.
His lips curved into that rare, genuine smile reserved only for me. “Couldn’t stay away another day.”
I launched myself at him without another thought.
He caught me easily, lifted me with his strong arms as I wrapped my legs around his waist.
He claimed me immediately, his lips catching mine with a hunger that matched my own. Three weeks of separation were far too long.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my hands cradling his face. “I missed you,” I whispered against his lips.
“Not enough to stop flirting with my brother,” he murmured while he glared over my shoulder at Anton, but I could hear the teasing beneath his possessive tone.
Anton cleared his throat behind us. “I’ll leave you two to your reunion.”
Ivan focused back on me, his eyes moving from mine, down to my lips, and back to my face. “Good idea.”
“I’ll cut the camera feed out here,” Anton added, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.
I turned around and watched him head toward the house. He winked at me once before he disappeared inside.
Once we were alone, Ivan carried me to the lounge chair and sat down with me still wrapped around him. My body molded to his perfectly, finding its natural place. He reached for the cappuccino and pastry, settling me more comfortably in his lap.
“Share with me?” he asked, bringing the cup to my lips first.
I took a sip, then watched as he drank from the same spot my lips had touched. Such a simple intimacy, yet it sent shivers down my spine.
“Where’s Mira?” I asked, breaking off a piece of pastry and feeding it to him.
“I sent Roman and Mila to get her.” His thumb traced circles on my ass as he spoke. “Needed at least a few hours with you alone.”
The heat in his gaze made my breath catch. “That was very strategic of you.”
“I’m a man with priorities.” He took another sip of coffee. “Gabe mentioned you’re designing a new security system for the Falcones.”
This was our rhythm now—passion interwoven with work, danger with domesticity.
I filled him in on my latest projects while he updated me on his meeting with the Paraskia Council.
His hands never stopped moving over me, relearning my body while we talked as if he couldn’t bear even this much separation.
“How’s Gabe and Sophie, and did you see Cara and Cristo?”
“No.” He pressed his finger to my lips. “We’re not talking about anything else but you and me today.”
I nodded, accepting his request graciously.
His hands slid up my sides, beneath my thin sundress. “As you wish,” I murmured, a deliberate reference to our favorite movie that made him smile.
“Don’t quote The Princess Bride when I’m trying to seduce you.”
I laughed, but my body was already responding to his touch.
“Seems to be working.” His fingers found the edge of my panties, tracing the lace with maddening restraint. “Three weeks is too long, Shorty.”
The familiar nickname sent warmth spreading through me. I shifted in his lap, feeling his hardness beneath me. “Far too long,” I agreed, rolling my hips deliberately against him.
His eyes darkened. “The bedroom’s too far.”
I glanced at the sparkling infinity pool, then back at him with raised eyebrows. “Feeling nostalgic?”
Sex in the pool had become something of a tradition for us, ever since that night on the island when he’d caught me swimming naked. Only now, we had privacy, luxury, and no reason to hide our desire.
In answer, Ivan stood with me still wrapped around him and carried me to the pool’s edge. He set me down gently on my feet, then reached for the buttons of his shirt.
I watched him undress with hungry eyes, admiring the play of muscles beneath scarred skin, each mark a story I now knew by heart. When he stood naked before me, I reached for my panties and slipped them down, then for the hem of my sundress, and I slowly pulled it over my head.
His breath caught as he took in the sight of me, butt naked, my body bathed in sunlight. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said, the words simple but filled with such reverence that my heart squeezed in my chest.
I backed slowly toward the pool steps, crooking my finger at him. “Come get me, Zotov.”
His predatory smile sent delicious shivers down my spine as he stalked toward me. I slipped into the cool water and gasped slightly at the contrast with the warm air.
Ivan followed, his powerful body cutting through the water until he reached me.
His hands found my waist, and he pulled me against him and walked toward the shallow end. Water lapped around our bodies as his mouth descended on mine, hot and demanding. My arms wound around his neck, my fingers threading through his damp hair as I opened to him.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips, the words still new enough to feel miraculous each time.
His answer was a growl as he backed me against the pool wall, pushed the button there, then lifted me onto the shallowest part and positioned me directly onto one of the massage jets that had come to life.
I shot up as the stream of air hit my pussy. “Holy shit.”
His grin was nothing short of diabolical. He placed his hand on my chest and forced me to lean back but made sure the jet hit me right at the apex between my thighs.
“You like that, don’t you?” he whispered, leaned over me, pulled my ass cheeks apart, and repositioned me until the jet hit me right there.
I wasn’t a stranger to anal sex…not anymore, but this sensation was out of this world.
He pulled me up until my pussy was barely above the surface, licked my slit once before he fucked me with his tongue.
I groaned. Then he shifted upward to my clit and moved my ass back onto the jet.
Fucking amazing.