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
Ava My head is throbbing. I pop an Advil into my mouth and tilt the bottle of water in my hand to my lips, allowing the liquid to push down the pill. I cringe at the surprisingly sweet taste of the pill on my tongue and set the bottle back on the coffee table beside my half-eaten tub of ice cream. There were only a few spoons left. When Nikolai returns seconds later from placing our sushi order, his dark green eyes flicker to my form perched on the other side of the couch. He frowns and I pretend not to notice while he shrugs off his jacket and sets it down on the armrest of the empty chair nearby. My gaze flickers over his broad shoulders, admiring how the fabric of his shirt strains slightly with each movement. I have to stop myself from salivating when I catch a glimpse of his inked skin beneath his shirt. How did he make something as simple as removing a jacket look so attractive? Nikolai's lips curl into a knowing smirk, the kind that makes my cheeks burn and I q
Ava “What's your favourite Colour?” I blurt out. Nikolai raises a brow at me, the corner of his mouth twitches as though he's holding back a grin. We are currently facing each other on the couch and my legs are curled under my butt. Our sushi order is spread out on the coffee table in an uneven arrangement, the boxes of rolls slightly askew, and a pair of chopsticks precariously resting on the edge of the table. The tub of ice cream and the rest of the snacks I’d devoured during my Emilia in America marathon now sat discarded in the trash along with my hopes and dreams of James being revived for a season four. So far, Nikolai and I have both had a turn and while I've been faithful to the rules and answered his question about my favourite colour without a moment of hesitation- it was pink, by the way - his lips had remained shut when I questioned him about his most embarrassing moment. But then again, I suppose a man of his calibre doesn't just hand out such information eas
AvaI blink, groaning softly as I try to adjust my eyes to the sunlight streaming in through the thin curtains of my bedroom window. A delicious aroma drifts through the air, teasing my senses and stirring a faint pang of hunger in my stomach.Blinking again, my gaze bounces off the walls of my bedroom taking in the dark blue curtains and the…Wait a minute, dark blue?The curtains in my bedroom are beige.I shoot out of bed, my hands clamping down on the silk sheets beside me. This isn't my bedroom.Where am I?It takes me a moment but I quickly put together that I'm in Nikolai's bedroom.Why am I in Nikolai's bedroom?I squeeze my eyes shut while simultaneously running my fingers through my loose curls as I try and conjure up what the hell happened last night.After Nikolai skipped my question for the second time, I came up with the rule that whoever skipped a question would have to take a shot of Sake.It seemed like a brilliant idea at the time—probably because I was already feeli
Nikolai“Papa”Kira barrels into my open arms as soon as she sees me standing in the private terminal, her little legs moving so fast that, for a second, I worry she might trip.“Pomedlenneye, moya malen'kaya printsessa. (Slow down, my little princess) I say, picking her up and kissing the crown of her head when she gets to me.She squeals and giggles while trying to free herself from my grip but I don't let her go.I've missed my daughter more than I want to admit. These last couple of days have been the longest she's gone without seeing me, and although we've done a lot of face timing, nothing compares to this moment. Having her in my arms once again.fShe wriggles in my embrace, her little hands pushing playfully against my chest. "Papa, you're squeezing me too tight!" she protests with a pout, though her laughing eyes betray her happiness."I can't help it," I reply, setting her down but keeping her close to me. I crouch down so that I'm eye level with her and also because I want
AvaHe wasn't wearing a condom. I let him inside me without wearing a condom. Panic flares in my chest, and my body goes completely motionless on top of him.Fuck.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.How could I have been so caught up in what we were doing that I didn't even notice until he mentioned it?"Ava" My name on his lips, is firm yet soothing. "You're shaking."Am I?I hadn't noticed."I'm not on birth control. I haven't been on it since I was sixteen."My gaze drops to where we're connected, and a shiver sweeps through me."Shit," He grinds out harshly, flexing his hand around my hips. "Are you okay with this? Do you want me to get a condom?"Did I?My pussy flutters and I let out a small whimper. I'm almost all the way around him. I could move and have him go fetch a condom. But I don't.Because I don't want to.I don't want anything between us.I only want him.I sink further. His hold on my hips tightens and a low hiss drags straight from inside him."Ava baby, I do not think I ca
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.