Chapter 23 #2
And every single bit of the event was a charade, every person in the church seated on a powder keg.
Enzo hadn’t been paying close enough attention, the surprise wedding announcement creating extreme tension between him and my uncle.
Which had all been planned. It was all about whether he would take the bait.
My hands were shaking the entire time, right up until when the ring was slipped onto my finger. I’d challenged myself not to cry.
I failed.
Yet my knight in shining armor, my Russian prince jumped off script, rolling his knuckle through the salty beads. His act of chivalry continued with bringing his finger to his mouth. The entire church was watching as he accepted my tear.
And when the priest said he could kiss his bride, for the first time in my life I felt as if I was floating on air.
As soon as our lips were pulled apart, there was a collective cheer in the church. The music began and we found ourselves walking down the aisle, Kirill’s eyes scanning from side to side.
So far, there’d been no interruption, no concerns whatsoever.
With guards surrounding the limousine that would take us to the hotel where the reception was being held, I was once again reminded just how dangerous the situation was.
Kirill had his hand on my elbow, keeping his body pinned against mine.
“Do you think he’ll try here with so many people around us?” I asked as the limousine door was opened.
“No, but I won’t take any chances. Not with my wife.” As if to offer a photographic opportunity, he cupped my face, capturing my lips immediately. The taste of him was fresh and inviting, a little hint of peppermint thrown in with his testosterone.
Which was going strong. I sensed that by how rock hard he was.
The moment he swept his tongue inside, we were pelted with rose petals, people cheering. While the time stolen was surreal, I had the same sense of being watched that I’d felt a few days earlier.
I grasped the necklace, considering it my lifeline.
Kirill dipped me, my back arched while the kiss continued. When he finally allowed me to stand, his smile was pure evil.
“Come on,” he whispered. “We have a reception to get to.”
Within thirty seconds, the driver pulled away and we were headed to the hotel. Chateau Elegance had been transformed into a fantasyland. Or so I’d been told.
The whirlwind activity had kept me busy while Kirill had worked with Kazimir on ensuring they would have complete control over the wedding.
As I settled in, my heart racing, I fiddled with the necklace again.
“You need to relax,” he said with his quiet, determined voice.
“What if I can’t?”
He took my hand into his. “You’re shaking.”
“I know. I just have a bad feeling we’re missing something.”
“Every person coming into the church was checked.”
“What if he was in the balcony like what happened at the christening?” I tilted my head toward him, searching his eyes.
“Think of it this way. Nothing happened.”
“But it will. I feel it in my bones.”
He brought my hand to his lips, pressing kisses across every knuckle not once but twice. When he continued up my arm, I swatted his chest.
“What are you doing?” I asked while giving him my typical hard look.
“Taking your mind off things.”
“It’s not going to work.”
The man adored a challenge, continuing to drive me crazy and he knew it. “You don’t know me that well,” he growled.
“That’s the beauty of marriage. I’ll learn more about you.”
He turned my face toward him, rubbing his lips across mine. “If you’re a very good girl.”
“I’m never going to be a good girl. That’s something you need to accept.”
His kisses became more fervent while his tongue whispered across my cheek. He knew exactly how to make me wet and hot, pushing me to a delicious point of delirium. “Is that so?”
“Absolutely.” I closed my eyes, incapable of ignoring him. His touch alone could be calming.
Not at this moment.
He was driving me crazy, my pussy throbbing.
With every kiss and the way his hot breath skipped across my skin, I was torn with wanting to jerk off his clothes and keeping my makeup intact.
“Well, I guess I’ll need to do something about it.” He pulled back, dragging his tongue down the side of my neck.
“What do you think you can do?”
“Anything I want.”
“You don’t own me,” I teased.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I wasn’t expecting him to bite my neck and when he did, I violently shuddered from head to toe. Kirill knew exactly how to press all my buttons.
Around him, all inhibitions were tossed out the window. I crawled my fingers along his thigh and just before I reached the thick bulge between his legs, he snapped his hand over mine.
“What are you doing?” I purred, wiggling my arm.
He pulled back, reaching forward and pressing a button. As the privacy screen rose in between us and the driver, I lifted an eyebrow.
“Oh, no, you don’t.”
His grin was wide, his eyes more soulful than I was used to. “You seem to forget who’s in charge within this marriage.”
“Me.”
His laugh was low and throaty and he shocked me completely by yanking me over his lap.
“What? You can’t be serious.”
“Absolutely. Don’t I seem serious?” He wasn’t bothered at all.
By me. By the long dress. By the fact we were in a limo.
Nothing. He easily wrangled my dress up my legs and over my hips, not bothering to mess with my thong.
Why should he? My entire butt was exposed and he was loving having so much control over me.
“You are terrible. You’ll mess up the dress.”
He chuckled and caressed my bottom. “Who cares? I plan on ripping it off you.”
“I need to look beautiful.”
“Baby. You are beautiful. You just need a little relaxation and this will do it.”
“No, it won’t.” But he wasn’t listening to me, bringing his palm down with fervor on my naked backside.
He also had no intention of being gentle, enjoying the moment and the rhythm he developed while whistling some ridiculous tune.
A moan slipped past my lips and I wiggled on his lap, more crazed than before since his cock was throbbing against my stomach. Every time I moved, my pussy ached even more.
He certainly wasn’t using any constraint, spanking me long and hard. Although every few seconds, he dared torment the hell out of me, brushing the tips of his fingers against my pussy lips.
“I’ll get you for this later.” My moans weren’t ones of agony but of pure need.
“We shall see, my wife. Or I’ll tie you to the bed.”
“As if I’d mind.”
He cracked his hand down four blistering times. “That’s right. We’ll try out every position in the paintings. A little pain with pleasure.” The deep baritone of his laugh kept me quivering and finally, I stopped moving altogether, breathless and happier than I’d ever been.
When he finally stopped, easing me onto his lap, his smile slowly faded. “I do love you, Vivian. We’ll get through this.”
“I know we will. Together.”
“Whether you like it or not.”
Even as we both laughed, enjoying the moment spent together and alone, I knew that wouldn’t last.
There was something brewing and it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose.
* * *
I’d been wrong.
The reception had gone off without a hitch, three hours of enjoying drinking and dancing, laughing as if we didn’t have a care in the world.
All while my uncle began to believe he’d been duped. I could see it on his face.
“What now?” I asked as my husband approached. “Several guests are leaving.”
I could tell how disappointed Kirill was, which was crazy but understandable. “The night isn’t over.”
“I admit I’m exhausted. I’m going to go take the dress off. Is that allowed? We are inside your hotel, the most protected location on earth.”
He chuckled and turned to face me. “Why don’t I go along?”
“Oh, no, you don’t. We need to see this through.”
As he took a deep breath, he motioned for several of his men. “They stay with you at all times. Period. Understood?”
I took a step away, saluting him. “Yes, sir. Why don’t you have a bottle of champagne and some strawberries sent up so I won’t pass out from being famished.”
His look was far too adorable. “Maybe. Don’t be long.”
“Don’t worry, my darling husband. I wouldn’t dream of it.” As I laughed, I moved through the crowd, nodding to people I knew. In truth. I was more than eager to get out of my heels. The guards followed me, refusing to let me out of their sight.
The elevator ride seemed to take forever. Exhaustion had settled in coupled with the nerves that had lingered in my stomach all afternoon and evening. When I stepped onto the floor, one of the guards moved in front of me, giving me a sign to wait.
There was no one on the floor.
But as I expected, two of them swept the interior of the suite while one remained outside.
“You’re good, Doctor Aristov.”
Other than the priest saying it, it was the first time I’d heard my married name. With a smile, I walked in. “Don’t worry. I won’t be too long. Oh, my darling Mr. Aristov might have room service sent. You never know.”
One guard nodded, obviously not amused.
That was fine. They had a job to do.
With the door closed and locked, I moved into the bedroom, my reflection on the dresser mirror catching my eye. I looked phenomenal in the dress. Well, maybe. Laughing to myself, I smoothed down the lace, wondering how this day would age in my mind.
As I stared at my finger, I felt a sense of happiness that I’d never thought possible. My life was about to change.
And I was eager to do the same.
I slipped into the sexy little dress I’d purchased, every move still managing to remind me about the earlier spanking. The man was such a beast.
After finding my low heels, I moved into the bathroom to fix my makeup, once again noticing the beautiful necklace. A lifeline.
Sighing, I fingered the jewels before grabbing my makeup bag.
The knock on the door caught me off guard. I didn’t really think my darling husband would send the champagne. He was full of surprises as of late.
I moved to the door, looking through the peephole. Definitely room service. I could see the bottle of champagne.
With tingling sensations all over, I unlocked the door.
Before I had a chance to turn the handle, it was pitched open, a man storming inside.
“Who the fuck are you?” I backed away, studying the man’s face.
His smirk was an answer.
“Get out of here.” I tried to back away but he caught me.
While he was dressed in a waiter’s uniform, I was drawn to his face.
And how much it looked like Kazimir.
His actions were quick, my shock preventing me from reacting quickly enough.
He jerked my back against his chest, his arm firmly placed under my neck.
Without hesitation, he tore off my beautiful necklace, tossing it aside.
My scream was garbled and I tried to fight him as he yanked something from his pocket, placing a cloth over my mouth and nose.
“Some call me the Ghost. Kazimir calls me his brother. You can call me your savior.”
As the light began to fade, the only thought was of Kirill.
The man who’d stolen my heart.