Page 40 of Lord of Passion

"Touché. Though twenty-five million is a drop in the bucket. You'll be seeing that."

"Money," she scoffs. "My family was not stupidly rich like yours, but we had more than enough. I'm not dependent on you for anything. Aside from keeping these mysterious Bratva families happy for the next… How long are we looking at anyway? Alexsey wouldn't tell me."

I search her face, so close to mine. That low frequency is still vibrating between us, and my cock is getting harder.

"I don't know," I lie. I know perfectly well that I'm never letting her go. Even if the Bratva didn't marry for life, I'd find a way to keep her. If she stays angry enough with me, she might find a way to kill me and put me out of her misery, who knows? But for now, she'll have to get used to it.

"You know," I say, watching her lips as she licks them nervously. "I didn't get my kiss when we said 'I do'."

She doesn't move, close enough now that I can feel her warm breath on my cheek. "That's because the Registrar never told us to," she laughs mockingly. "It was, 'sign here' and 'initial there.' So I don't recall anything requiring a kiss." Her smile is malevolent.

Fuck.I want to back her up against one of these windows, put her face first against it, fuck her from behind and make her watch our reflections and look out over all of Moscow, knowing that there's twenty million people out there, going about their business, not knowing she's getting fucked until she screams.

Instead, I straighten my tie, smiling darkly. "The ceremony doesn't count if there's not a kiss." I wonder if she remembers that moment in the elevator as vividly as I do, what it felt like when she sucked my tongue into her greedy little mouth. She'd bitten my shoulder, it bruised and I'd tap on it, enjoying the corresponding twinge. I'm standing close enough that I can see her pupils, dilated. Her breath coming faster, the rabbity pulse her neck.

Caroline tilts her head, smiling sweetly. "Sure," she says, tapping her cheek. "Have at it,husband."

I put my hand next to her head, bracing it on the window. Her eyes flicker to my arm quickly and back to me, wary. As she should be. I crook my finger under her chin, lifting it slowly, with infinite gentleness. Her mouth parts, just slightly. Lush red lips. Sweet, like the little desserts she'd "donated" last night. I ate them all. Vasilisa was quite bitter that I was unwilling to share, mumbling something about, "The wedding cake incident all over again."

I lean down, slowly, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers. Her eyes close, her lashes a thick fan on her cheekbones. My lips dust over her skin, and I kiss her cheek.

Her eyes fly open.

"Vasilisa will collect you at 8 pm. We have a business dinner."

Her lips snap shut and purse tightly before she steps around me and leaves the tower.

Chapter Eighteen

In which Nikandr and Caroline’s business dinners go from bad to worse.

Nikandr…

Rushing through the hotel - without my security - to stop Caroline from taking a run that night was a level of galactic stupidity on my part. The tracker I'd put on her phone signaled an alarm as she headed for the exit and I was out of the bar in seconds. It could not have been easier for Agapov's men to take us.

While Dmitri hasn't said anything, I know he must be disgusted that I was taken so easily. Fuck,I'mdisgusted

So tonight, we have a car with four bodyguards in front of us, and a chase vehicle with another four men covering us from behind. Caroline came down to the lobby with Vasilisa, on time, looking beautiful in the red dress I'd ordered for her along with her "wedding dress."

"What's the business dinner tonight?" Caroline asks, looking out the window, fussing with her bracelet.

"We're meeting with Pakhan Balabonov and his wife tonight, so that they can 'congratulate us on our happy news'." I say dryly.

"Are they part of the Moscow Six?" she asks.

"Yes. It's better to get the congratulatory phase over with as soon as possible."

"Agreed," she nods firmly.

"Melor Balabonov wants to host us at his mansion," I explain. "It's in the outskirts of the city in the Rublyovka neighborhood." The tall iron gates of his estate open with a groan, and six guards step out to escort us inside.

"Thisis a congratulatory evening?" Caroline murmurs.

Melor Balabanov is one of the fewPakhansof the Moscow Six that I can tolerate. His Bratva is nearly as powerful as ours, and he's confident enough that we don't have to engage in the "Mine is bigger than yours" dance I have to tolerate from some of the others.

"Nikandr Morozov! How good to see you again." He shakes my hand firmly before turning to Caroline. "And this is the very recent Mrs. Morozova?"

"Yes, allow me to introduce my beautiful bride, Caroline Morozova." I slide my arm around her waist, squeezing tight as I feel her tense against me before she remembers we're supposed to be selling this.