Nikolai I should have known something was wrong the moment we boarded my private jet and I felt Ava stiffen beside me. “What's wrong?” I ask when I hear mumbling something under her breath I can't quite make out. She bites the inside of her cheek, turning to me. “I may have forgotten to mention that I'm kinda, sorta, afraid of flying.” She replies, forcing out a laugh. I stare at her, waiting for her to tell me that she's joking, but her lips remain pressed together as she grips the armrest tightly, holding on to it like it's her lifeline. Of course, she's afraid of flying. Her body trembles and she bites down on her lower lips once we reach the runway. She looks like she's seconds away from throwing up and for the sake of the people responsible for cleaning this jet, I hope she doesn't. “Why didn't you tell me?” I ask and she regards me briefly, her body still trembling. “I wasn't sure how you'd going to react.” She mutters. My stomach twists as the weight of her words
AVA After over ten hours of being trapped in a plane, I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief when the plane finally touches down. The pilot's voice comes through, informing us that we've landed, and the moment the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac, I feel the heavy anxiety that had wrapped my mind during the flight slowly begin to unravel. I’d barely gotten any sleep throughout the flight and since Nikolai was my only source of distraction whenever the plane would stutter or shake, neither had he. “Let’s go” Nikolai whispers gently, taking my hand in his. I nod, following his lead and allow myself to relish the feeling of his callous fingertips against my palm as he leads us out of the plane. The moment my feet touch solid ground again, I'm immediately consumed with a sense of relief and gratitude. I turn to Nikolai, offering him a small smile, which he returns with a gentle squeeze of my hand. Never have I ever been as grateful for the feeling of the earth beneath my fee
Tatiana Nikolai's wife is nothing like I imagined her to be. She’s quiet, but not timid, with an air of hesitance she tries—but fails—to conceal from me. I'm not sure how I feel about her just yet. She seems innocent, almost unsure about a lot of things but I know better than to underestimate her. She throws a look over my shoulder catching my eye as she moves. She looks like she wants to tell me something but she bites down on her bottom lip, stopping the words before they could let out. She's hesitating again. I want to know what's going through her mind. Does she suspect the real reason why Nikolai brought her to Russia? The idea nags at me, but I push it aside. That seems very unlikely. From what Nikolai's told me so far about her, she's determined not to help him with his plot to murder her father. If she had even the faintest inkling of Nikolai’s true intentions, I have a feeling she wouldn’t be here. She turns back around and continues to walk In Front of me shakin
Ava Fuck I hurl my clothes onto the bed, one piece after another, yanking them out from the bag Kat had packed for me. They were dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, and even tank tops, but none of them was what I was searching for. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She didn’t pack me a nightgown. Not even a t-shirt or anything remotely comfortable to sleep in. Of all the things to forget, how in the world could she forget that? Water drips down my body from my still-wet hair, pooling on the hardwood floor at my feet in tiny puddles as frustration burns my chest. I’d made a beeline for the bedroom the moment I stepped into the guest house desperate for a hot shower to wash off the stress of the day. Now here I am, freshly showered with a towel clinging to my damp body as I glare down at the mess of impractical clothing scattered across the bed. I let out a harsh breath and tug at the knot of my towel, its damp edges clinging uncomfortably to my skin. What the hell was I going to do
Nikolai The sudden thud of a body hitting a surface snaps my attention toward the door. Ava stands by the door, rubbing her elbow and wincing. Her brows pinch together in discomfort as she presses her palm against the sore spot, trying to soothe the ache. “Ouch,” she mutters, her voice soft and lips forming a small pout. Fuck. Her hair is damp and sticks to her face in wet clumps, which makes her look like the literal definition of a wet dream and a mermaid rolled into one. Water beads trail down her shoulder and I can't help the way my eyes follow the path, tracing it until the droplet disappears beneath the edge of the towel she holds tightly to her chest Trakhni menya (Fuck me) Somebody down there must really hate me to deliver hell to my doorsteps. Because why else would my wife, the object of all my fantasies and the person who's been on my mind since I stepped out of the shower minutes ago, be standing In front of me? She looks like a deer caught in headlights as she ta
Ava I'm used to the quiet that proceeds in the dark. There's something comforting about hearing the sound of my own heartbeat thumb steadily beneath my chest as I stare up at the ceiling. Okay, so that's a lie, and I'm sleep-deprived. The sheets rustle as I turn in bed accompanied by the soft creek of the bed frame beneath me. Moonlight streams through my partially drawn curtains, casting silvery patterns on the wall and half my bed. The smell of spice and leather invades my lungs, distracting me as it has during the last hour. I push down Nikolai's shirt from where it's ridden up on my thigh and let out a loud huff. I close my eyes, willing the stillness and the scent of my husband to lull me off to sleep. Nothing. I peel my eyes open and toss back on the bed. This isn't working. Swinging my legs off the bed, I get into a sitting position and grab my phone from the nightstand. Pushing the power button, I watch the screen come to life in my hands and nearly bite ba
Ava It's official Tatiana’s sister hates me. How do I know this for sure you might ask? Simple, when I arrived this morning with Tatiana by my side, she made it her first mission to stick me with a look while asking her sister who I was. I thought that at least an introduction would make things better, but boy was I wrong. She immediately picked apart my outfit and insisted I wore makeup even though my face was clearly bare. I can't help it if my skin is naturally rosy. That's what happens when you take good care of it. Faina has made it her entire day's purpose to make sure that everybody knows that she's the one running the show. She's been a bitch to not just me but her sister too. I now fully understand what Tatiana meant yesterday when she explained just how much of a control freak her sister is. To be honest, I think she gave me the watered-down version. Because the real thing is so much worse. There were three bridesmaids in total, but with Faina included,
NikolaiMy heart is pounding as I storm into the guest house, having cancelled my meeting with Dmitri only to find my wife curled up on the couch wearing the black shirt I gave her to sleep in last night, a tub of ice cream in her lap. She looks up at me, the rims of her eyes swollen and puffy as she scoops another spoonful of ice cream from the tub In Front of her into her mouth.I set the bottle of Advil down on the coffee table and crouch down In front of her, cradling her face in my hands.“You're back,” she says, sniffling as She leans towards my touch, her eyes closing briefly at the contact.When I got her text earlier, asking me if I could get her a bottle of Advil from the pharmacy, I expected to find her curled up in bed when I got back and not In front of the television surrounded by snacks and pillows with a red nose and puffy face.“What’s wrong Solnyshko?” I ask softly, my heart clenching. I brush a teardrop from the corner of her eye and tilt her chin so that she's look
NikolaiNo words. Absolutely, none can describe how perfect my wife looks above me.She looks just like a dream. Straight out of wonderland and the sight is one I commit to memory.Brown curls brush against her shoulder, framing a face that can bring any man to his knees. Desire burns brightly in her eyes and I grip her hips tighter because it is all I can do to keep from pushing her into the mattress and fucking her till I am all she can feel for days.The electricity between us is impossible to ignore. I want to feel her, taste her. To hell with the damn documentary. Who needs it when I have my perfect wife sitting in my lap begging to touch me?I sweep my thumb over her plump bottom lip and her tongue peeks out, brushing against the pad. A deep groan leaves me as I push it past her lips and she takes my thumb into her mouth in one simple drag, sucking it, and that's all it takes for my brain to short-circuit.My sanity is hanging by a thread, a thread almost as thin as the thong I
Ava"My exhibition is coming up in a few days" I tell Nikolai a few days later when we're cuddled up under the sheets watching ... well, I'm not exactly sure what we're watching.It was Nikolai's turn to pick a movie for movie night and he'd chosen a documentary about how wolves communicated in the wild. And so far, I wasn't the biggest fan.The narrator's voice reminded me of a bored substitute teacher trying to explain quantum physics to a room full of toddlers. Monotone, dry, and somehow both sleepy and aggressive at the same time.Nikolai, on the other hand, seemed totally and completely invested in every word he had to say, so I was willing to put up with it because, honestly, it was kind of cute seeing him so focused like this. I don't think I've seen him invested in a lot of things.He hums in response, fingers lazily stroking my spine. “Friday, right? The one your school’s hosting?”I nod, "Mhmmm. It's my final semester showcase and it's kind of a big deal. Everyone's going
AvaNikolai looks surprised by my presence when he sees me. I stay by the entrance of the library back room, unmoving, my hands limp at my side while I take in the scene before me.Ivan left me here with a simple tap on my shoulder after telling me not to be too surprised by what I see when I enter the backroom and to be patient with him no matter what he says because he is not going to want to see me."I think I can handle him", I'd said, to which Ivan simply shrugged and walked away.To be honest, I hadn't fully grasped what he meant by any of the things he said, but now, as I stare at the sight before me, I understand completely why he thought a warning was necessary before I stepped in. This place is as big as Nikolai's office, maybe bigger. The entire room is filled with boxes, and from the looks of things, I'd say that this place is some sort of storage unit. The air smells like aged scotch mixed with dust but not to the point that it's suffocating. An empty bottle lies a few f
AvaDuring the next couple of days, Nikolai and I somehow fall into a routine, finding a balance despite everything else.In the mornings, He gets up first while I pretend to be asleep (well, mostly pretend) until he comes out of the bathroom, freshly showered with water dripping from his hair everywhere.He'd get dressed for work while I relished the feeling of the morning sun on my face for only a second before I felt his presence and kiss on my cheek, followed by whispered words in Russian that I do not understand but know they mean well.When he leaves, it's my turn to get ready. I start by getting up from bed and heading over to the bathroom where I shower and brush my teeth, followed by the occasional humming of a tune or two. When I'm finished with my shower I get dressed in either my painting clothes or casual loose attire. My exhibit is coming up soon and I seem to be spending most of my time either in the studio at home or with Professor Bennett at school, setting up for
Hi everyone it has come to my attention that I have never really posted an updating schedule for this book. Now when I first started this book, I used to update everyday. That was because my schedule was more free back then as compared to now. I have a full time job and a part time job in addition to writing and I also attend classes most days during the week. I love writing and because this book has a special place in my heart since it is my first book chapters have been limited to 4 times a week. This will help me give you quality chapters and at the same time keep me from burning out. Of course there will be times where my week will be free and I'll be able to update five or even six times in a week. Thank you for understanding and I'm always available to answer any of your questions ❤️
AvaI don't know what I expect Nikolai's reaction to be after I drop that little piece of information. Anger perhaps. Maybe disappointment. Maybe even both.My hands are still looped around his neck. I'm still touching him, so I guess maybe that's a good sign that he doesn't feel either of the emotions I previously thought he might.Realising I'd spoken too soon, he reaches up and unloops my arms from around his neck, slowly sliding them down until they are by my side and the illusion of touching him is no longer within reach, replaced now by his strong hold around my wrists.“Nikolai…” I start to say. To apologise for not telling him but he stops the words from completely spilling from my lips with a simple squeeze of my wrists.“How long have you known?”It's impossible for me to guess what's going on in his mind at this point. His tone doesn't hold any malice or a trace of anger, just an irrefutable calm laced with a bit of surprise and curiosity.“A while,”He doesn't look convinc
NikolaiMy wife steps out of the shower as soon as I shut the door. She's wet but not in the way I'd like. Not in the way I've thought about for the last nine hours. Tiny droplets glisten her skin, drawing me to the way they fall to the floor despite the towel she currently has wrapped around her body like a fucking armour."Solnyshko..."She gasps before the name is fully out of my lips, spinning around. She sucks in a ragged breath when she sees me. Those big, beautiful brown eyes of hers are wide open, scanning me from head to toe like she can't believe I'm standing in front of her while her fingers clutch tightly to the edge of the plush fabric.“You're back," She breathes, surprised.It's only three o'clock, and considering I stated in my note that I'd be back later in the evening, I can guess why she hadn't expected me to be back so soon.Truth be told, I'm not supposed to be back so early but there's only so long a man can go without seeing his wife, and not want to put a bulle
TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE APPEARS IN THIS CHAPTER. TREAD CAUTIOUSLY OR SKIP THIS CHAPTER ALTOGETHER ❤️ YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
Ava“So let me get this straight,” Kat says for the second time in the last fifteen minutes. We were currently sprawled out on the floor of the new nursery she and Ivan were still in the process of setting up, taking a break before we started arranging the things we got from the store.Two cups of caramel latte res between us, along with one blueberry muffin and a bag of chocolate chip cookies Kat swore she'd been craving since she woke up and would literally die if she didn't have.“You saw your father yesterday, did not tell Nikolai about it even though you knew that going to meet him alone was a stupid idea, but then Nikolai shows up, shoots your father, takes you home, and you both confess your undying love for one another and then you have mind-blowing sex.” Nodding, I take about of my muffin and let out an approving sound at the taste, “That seems about right." I say, "Except for the part where we confessed our undying love for each other.”"You should have. You care about him.