“I’m looking forward to it,” Viktor replied. “Also, I’m pleased you took the initiative to ask me out.”
Ava flushed at those words. “Oh, no. I did. Didn’t I? I just assumed—”
“You assumed correctly.” Viktor raised her hand from the table and gave it a kiss. “Let’s get out of here.”
Viktor called for the check. Once that was taken care of, Viktor rose from his seat. Noticing Ava shivering. Viktor took off his jacket.
“You don’t need to do that,” she said quickly.
“Hush. Here.”
Ava allowed him to put his coat over it. Of course, it was two, perhaps three sizes too big on her, but still, Viktor liked seeing her wearing his clothes. They returned to his car. Viktor sighted two of his men, parked at the opposite street, smoking and talking amongst themselves. They were well-trained. The older of the pair, Jake, immediately spotted him. Viktor gave him a nod, knowing the two would tail him.
Since the Mogileviches’ repeated and laughable attempts to end his life, Viktor had increased his security. Tonight, Viktor had nothing to worry about. Right now, the Mogileviches had other more important concerns. Fernandez’s right-hand man had reached out to him earlier that morning. The cartel had agreed to their terms.
Viktor couldn’t wait to see how the Mogileviches would react. Would they retaliate against Viktor, perhaps even against the cartel? The wise choice would be to find a different supplier, but Viktor doubted they’d take that practical course of action. They were warmongering bastards to the core, but going up against the combined forces of the Kotov Bratva and the cartel might spell their doom. Perfect. Viktor wanted to eradicate every last member of the Mogilevich Bratva.
Ava brushed a hand over his arm. He blinked at her.
“Viktor? Are you all right? Maybe I should drive.”
“We both had several drinks. I’ll have someone else drive.” Viktor gestured to Jake, who quickly came over. He handed the car key to Jake. Ava raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She got inside the car. Viktor soon joined her.
“Do your bodyguards follow you everywhere?” she asked him.
“They aren’t bodyguards. To me, they’re family,” Viktor explained.
“Just like Katya and Pavel?”
Viktor nodded. It wasn’t easy explaining to an outsider how close the ties were between members of the Bratva. Without question, his men would give their lives for Viktor, and he swore he’d do his best to lead them.
“Viktor, do you have enemies? Is that why you’re taking so many precautions?”
“That’s right. If they have the chance, they will take my life without hesitation,” he answered, giving her the brutal truth.
Ava turned pale. “This can’t be normal,” she whispered those words more to herself than to Viktor.
“Ava, maybe it’s time we talked,” he said. They’d had a few drinks, but Viktor had a high tolerance for alcohol. Ava also looked wide awake. Not sleepy or drunk at all.
“I’m not sure I’m ready to know,” she whispered.
Viktor let out a sharp breath. He knew the risks, understood that once Ava knew who he really was, chances were high she’d want nothing to do with him. Viktor could take her captive. Keep her a prisoner in his own home.
He had the means. No one would ever know she went missing. He’d even go to the lengths of silencing those who knew about her existence. Gina. Her mother. Collateral damage so Viktor could keep his prize. Viktor didn’t want to lose her, and yet, he couldn’t stand the thought of Ava turning bitter and resentful toward him.
Viktor thought of his own mother. She died when he’d turned six. Killed by a hitman who’d been after his father’s head. His memories of her had been few. Even at a young age, he knew the relationship between his parents had been strained. There had been no lost love between them. Their marriage had been arranged by their families. At that time, the Kotov Bratva needed allies to fight a territory war they were losing. His mother had been against the arrangement and fought his father until her death.
Viktor didn’t want Ava to end up like his mother. He wanted to offer her a choice.
“I understand,” he finally said, looking out the windows. He was surprised she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Viktor, I don’t have any intention of walking away. That’s not in my nature. Besides, I’m already too invested in this relationship. Right now, I just want to enjoy these wonderful moments with you.”
Her words reassured him. Ava wasn’t giving up. Of course, she wasn’t.
“I see. That works for me,” he told her.
“Someday, I will ask for the truth,” she whispered. “Maybe I know it in my heart, but I don’t want it to be real yet. You understand? I know that makes me sound so weak, but—”
Viktor cut her off by twirling his fingers into her hair. He brought her face close and gave her a sizzling kiss. She tasted of strawberry mousse and wine. “You don’t need to explain any further,” he said, pausing the kiss. Viktor pressed a button that raised the divider between them and Jake.
“Come sit on my lap,” Viktor ordered.
Ava blushed but she didn’t disobey. She gathered the hem of her dress, pulling it up and revealing the tops of her thighs. Viktor’s dick strained against his pants as she slipped onto his lap. Ava gripped his shoulders, her eyes wild, her lips still swollen from their earlier kiss.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she whispered. “In fact, before I met you, I’ve never been this adventurous. Won’t people see us?”
“It’s a heady feeling, isn’t it?” Viktor shook his head and addressed her question. “It’s nighttime and besides, the windows are tinted as well as bulletproof.”
Viktor took no chances when it came to the safety of his men and his own wellbeing.
“Shut up and kiss me already.”
Viktor smirked. Usually, he was the one who called the shots, but he’d allow her to be bossy just this once. He sensed he was beginning to see a side of Ava she herself didn’t even know existed. Viktor took her lips again. This time, he didn’t hold back. He thrust his tongue between her sweet lips. Viktor liked how she sucked down hard on it. He pressed her closer to him, letting her feel his erection.
Ava reached for the button of his pants. She undid it and pulled his dick out. Viktor continued kissing her while she stroked his prick. Viktor groaned as he pulled away. She watched him with bright, excited eyes as she worked him faster. He reached under her dress and slid his fingers past the waistband of her underwear. Hmm, black lace. She must’ve worn it purposely for tonight. Too bad he had every intention of wrecking it.
Viktor tore at the fabric like a savage. It easily gave way under his brutal fingers.
“Hey,” she protested.
“I’ll replace them.” Viktor touched her moist pussy lips, making her close her eyes. He stroked her there, then slipped two of his fingers inside her tight heat. Ava arched her back, moaning softly. Viktor extended his thumb and began rubbing at her clit. She’d been so distracted by his touch, that she paused from giving him a hand-job.
“Don’t stop,” he told her.
Her eyelids fluttered open. Ava moved her hand up and down his prick.
“Put it inside you,” he commanded, pulling his fingers away. They were slick with her need. Viktor licked them dry. She stared at him, then guided his cock inside her hole.
“That’s a good girl,” he said.
Viktor gently pushed her hand away and did the rest of the work. He nudged his prick inside her, slowly and carefully. She groaned, digging her nails into his shoulders. Viktor was finally balls deep inside her. She was so tight. So fucking primed and perfect for him.
“Fuck yourself on me,” he told her.
Ava moved, swayed her hips back and forth, side to side. Viktor settled his hands on her hips and began pumping in and out of her. He groaned when Ava sank her teeth into the side of his neck. The little minx wanted to mark him as hers, t
oo? That excited him. Viktor fucked her faster, harder. She bounced on his lap, taking her fill of him. He took all of Ava as well. Her tangled hair, the look of concentration on her face, the way her entire sweet body tensed up as he repeatedly laid waste to her body.
“I’m so close,” she whispered.
“I want to watch you come undone.” Viktor made sure to hit her clit every time he entered her. His last push had been enough to send her over the edge. A serene expression crossed her face as she came apart. Ava slumped against him, limbless. Viktor pumped in and out of her a few more times before filling her with his seed.
He realized the car had stopped for a while now. They must’ve reached their destination. Ava’s apartment building. Viktor didn’t want to release her back into the world yet. He didn’t think her apartment was safe, especially now that she was with him. He’d have his men move her things to his place sooner or later, but not yet. Right now, they were still feeling each other out. He was getting impatient, but he promised himself he’d do this the right away. Ava believed him to be a good man despite all his flaws. For now, Viktor would allow her that delusion.
Chapter Seventeen
“I can’t believe this gown fits me like a glove, considering we have different body types,” Ava told Katya.
She looked at herself in the full-length mirror. The two of them were in the strip club’s enormous dressing room. Business was closed for the night, and Viktor had given the girls a day off because of the charity event he and Ava would be attending. All the big shots in the city would be attending. Politicians, movie stars, members of prominent families. Ava didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.
Viktor had been seeing her for nearly a month now. At first, she didn’t think a dangerous man like Viktor would be capable of taking a woman out on dates. Hell, Ava wasn’t even sure Viktor had a single romantic bone in his body, but he’d proven her wrong time and time again. When he invited her as his date for tonight’s charity gala, she’d been bewildered. A small-town girl like her who grew up in a trailer, going to a fancy event like this? It didn’t seem real.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Katya asked.
The other woman fussed with her hair a little more. When Katya offered to loan her a dress and to do her hair and makeup, Ava didn’t know what to say. Over the past month, Katya and Ava had grown close. They didn’t keep secrets from each other. She had become Ava’s second best friend, right after Gina. Gina still had her doubts about Viktor, but she did admit she’d never seen Ava this happy.
“What is it?” Ava’s mind returned to the moment in Viktor’s car. He’d been ready to reveal everything. Back then, she wanted to remain in her safe bubble a little longer. Ava had been unprepared, apprehensive, but not anymore. The more time she spent with Viktor, the more she learned there was more depth to him than she initially thought.
“Viktor especially commissioned this dress for you. He wanted me to make you think it was mine, that I was only loaning it to you.”
Katya’s admission didn’t shock her. Viktor made it clear early in their relationship that he didn’t mind spending some money on her. She adamantly refused. Ava didn’t wish him to think she wanted him for his money alone.
“I see,” she answered, staring at the stranger in the mirror. Ava looked like a princess. A queen even, all dressed up like this.
“Don’t be mad at him,” Katya said quickly.
“I’m not,” Ava reassured her friend. She touched the black fabric tentatively. It felt like silk under her fingertips. Soft and pliable. She imagined Viktor ripping it off her slowly, taking his time as he unwrapped her like a present he wanted to enjoy. A shiver of anticipation crept down her spine. Ava wasn’t one for social events. She wanted to get this evening over with and spend some quality alone time with her man.
So far, they’d only had sex at her apartment. Tonight, Ava sensed the tides were about to shift. She’d finally take him up on his offer and get her much needed answers. Ava also planned on asking him if they could go to his place, not hers after this evening. Finally, she’d see with her own eyes where he’d lived. Why he wanted to keep his home a secret from her.
“My brother’s waiting downstairs,” Katya said. “You looked beautiful, Ava.”
“All thanks to you,” she pointed out.
Katya shook her head. To her surprise, Katya gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Knock them dead.”
“Who?” she asked.
“Everyone’s eyes will be on you tonight.”
Ava gulped. Talk about the pressure. “What? Why?”
“Because Viktor’s only brought me to these events. Never another woman. They’ll immediately know you are special to him.” A dark look crossed her face, but only for a fraction of a second. Ava thought she imagined it.
“Katya, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just worried, but he and his men will keep you safe.”
“You’re talking in riddles.” Admittedly, Katya was scaring her a little.
“I’m just being silly. Come on.” They exited the dressing room and the club. Viktor stood outside with his driver. Her man finished his smoke. His eyes lit up when he saw her.
“Dress looks good on you,” he commented.
“I heard you had a hand in it,” she said.
Viktor glanced at Katya then shrugged. “You don’t seem to like surprise gifts.”
“Maybe I changed my mind.” In his own way, Viktor was just trying to show he cared, Ava mused. Viktor’s driver opened the car door and she slid inside. Viktor shared a few words with Katya before joining her in the car.
Ava fidgeted with the hem of her dress throughout the drive.
“Nervous? You don’t have to be,” Viktor said.
“Katya mentioned you’ve never brought a date to this kind of event before.”
“That’s true enough.”
“Why?”
“Because any woman seen with me would be a target for my enemies.” Viktor’s blunt words chilled her to the bone.
He lifted her hand and peeled off the black glove that went all the way to her elbows. After exposing her skin, he kissed her hand. Her skin tingled. Ava shifted on her seat, all too aware of his smoldering gaze. Viktor looked ready to tear at her clothes and devour her right there and then. Resistance wasn’t in her dictionary. Even though they had sex just a few days ago, she badly craved his possessive touches, his cruel kisses.
“But,” Viktor continued, “I don’t intend to hide you away from the rest of the world either. I want to show my woman off. If something does happen, I will protect you with my life.”
“Sounds chivalrous,” she said.
“Most would call me greedy for wanting everything.” Viktor lowered her hand. “As much as I’m tempted to fuck you into the leather seats again, I’ll behave. We’re reaching the museum.”
Right. Ava almost forgot the charity event was being held at the city’s modern art museum. Once again, she’d gotten lost in Viktor, in his words and the heat of the moment that the rest of the world had ceased to matter. That effect he had on her would never go away, she guessed. The driver stopped the car.
Viktor opened the car door and offered her hand. Camera flashes went off like blinding fireworks on the Fourth of July. Relieved for his assistance, she gripped his arm. Ava nearly stumbled on her heels but somehow managed not to fall. Her stomach plummeted as the press continued to take photos of them.
For someone who felt invisible her entire life, being thrust into the spotlight felt daunting. Overwhelmed, she nearly froze, but Viktor slid one arm around her waist. He gathered her close to him. She looked up at him, biting her lower lip while she felt lost, out of place in his world. It couldn’t just be Viktor and her forever existing in their own little happy bubble. Viktor was an important and prominent business owner. If Ava wanted to stay by his side, she needed to adapt. To become a chameleon.
“Relax. Once we get inside, you can forget about these annoying insects,�
�� he whispered in her ear.
His reassuring voice and familiar touch broke Ava from her momentary paralysis.
“Make way,” a familiar annoyed voice said.
Pavel appeared in front of them, dressed in an impeccable suit. During his recovery period, Ava and Viktor had paid him frequent visits to the hospital. Viktor was always on his phone during those times, but Ava thought she and Pavel had started getting along a little better. Pavel gave her a conspiratorial wink. She smiled back at him. Ava didn’t need to look at her date to know Viktor was scowling at her. With Pavel and more of Viktor’s men clearing the path for them, they walked down the red carpet.
Viktor was right. Once inside the museum, she did feel a lot better. It was cool and quiet inside. Ava endured a slew of introductions and a ton of handshaking before Viktor maundered them toward the open bar.
“How often do you have to attend events like these?” she asked him.
Ava sipped her wine, liking the buzz it gave her. She didn’t know how Viktor remembered all the names of the other guests that approached them. Viktor was a popular guy. She lost track of the number of people who wanted to speak to him. Ava did notice Pavel or one of Viktor’s men was always close by.
“Not often, maybe once or at the worst, twice a month,” Viktor admitted.
“That’s a relief. I don’t know how you do it. It’s exhausting.”
“In my line of work, it’s important to keep up appearances,” he said. She noticed he wasn’t drinking tonight and only ordered water. On closer inspection, she noticed he was even tenser than she was. Was something bothering him?
“About that,” she began. Ava looked right into his eyes, eyes that once frightened her, but not anymore. This man might continue to be a puzzle to her, but he was a riddle she wanted to unravel. “Is it too late to take you up on your offer?”
“What offer is that?” Viktor was toying with her and she knew it. Too bad she knew how to play this game a little better now. After all, Viktor was no longer a complete stranger to her. Ava might not know all his secrets, but she was beginning to understand him.
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