The Score (The Russian Guns Book 3)

by Bethany-Kris

  “Were they always close?”

  “Always, from what I remember. Even when Anton was going through his phases as a teen and scaring the life out of his mother. When he would come home late and find the stairwell locked to get up to his home, Nicoli would leave his own door open. I’d wake up in the early morning to find them in the living room talking quietly like they did. While Anton was trying to fly too high, Nicoli helped to keep him grounded.”

  Feeling as if she’d gotten a small look inside a man she barely knew, Viviana pushed away from the counter to stand up straight. “Thank you, Clarissa.”

  The maid shrugged. “No problem. And Vine …”

  “Yes?”

  “Nicoli’s home only had two bedrooms. One of which was his office, the other was his room.”

  Oh.

  Finally, Viviana had an answer to her question.

  “Did you love him?”

  Clarissa smiled down into her dough, but tears wet her bottom lashes. “Very much. I was able to give him what was left of me, and he gave me the pieces of him he hadn’t left behind with the others. We were older, had lived, and lost. Certainly not the kind of people who were whole in our hearts. For us, it worked.”

  “Others?” Viviana asked, curious.

  “His wife. Your mother.”

  “He didn’t really know my mother, though.”

  Clarissa’s grey eyes held a conviction Viviana couldn’t deny when she said, “That doesn’t mean he didn’t fall in love with her. Now, go get ready for supper. It’ll be done in about an hour.”

  “Where’s Anton?”

  A floury hand waved towards the upstairs. “Napping, I think.”

  Despite Clarissa believing Anton was sleeping, he wasn’t. Viviana entered their master bedroom in just enough time to hear the shower start in the connecting bath. The sound system in the bathroom began as well, a sweet melody echoing out from the space. A song that was nothing like the harsh loudness her husband usually listened to.

  Padding quietly across the room, Viviana leaned in the doorway of the bathroom. Anton, inside the shower under the spray of steaming water with his back turned, didn’t seem to notice his wife watching him.

  Water wet his dark hair, rolling off his shoulders and down the line of his strong back. The black licks of his tattoo seemed to turn even darker under the wetness. The stars on both his shoulders moved with the flow of his body.

  Like this, Viviana loved to watch her husband. Natural, quiet, and free. Every line and curve of his body available for her to see under the glow of the shower spotlights. Anton rolled his neck, placing both hands to the tiled wall and allowed the hot spray to fall on the back of his shoulders.

  Visibly, Viviana could see the stiffness leave his tense muscles. Relaxed, his stance took on a more sensual tone. The sexy confidence he usually sported was back in place. But for a brief moment, she had seen his stress.

  “You could join me instead of only staring at me,” Anton said so low Viviana strained to hear over the gentle music.

  “How long did you know I was standing here?”

  “I heard the bedroom door open,” he answered.

  Viviana licked her lips, taking a step further into the bathroom. “Did you know Nicoli loved my mother?”

  Anton’s shoulders jumped at the question. “I assumed he did, but I never outright asked. It wasn’t my business to, but I knew him. Nicoli didn’t use women. Was he a saint? No, but he was the kind of man who needed a connection with a woman to be with her.”

  “Huh. Why didn’t you think to tell me that before?”

  “Because your mother loved Roman, even in her anger and hurt. The feelings he had weren’t shared and Nicoli was aware of that, probably. You’re still staring, Vine.”

  “I like to stare at you.”

  A simple glance over his shoulder, staring through the spray of water, heated Viviana’s insides up to a fever pitch. The blue of his gaze was burning, knowing. “Missed you today, baby.”

  “Did you?”

  Anton nodded. “I always do, but I’m glad you did something other than clean the house and look at the walls.”

  Viviana flinched, ignoring the sadness rushing her veins. “It’s getting better.”

  “I noticed. I’m relieved.”

  Anton turned around, leaning back into the wall. While the water rushed down in front of him, Viviana’s vision of him wasn’t blurred in the least. The dark trail of hair that led from his navel down to his groin caught her gaze. Between his thighs, his cock hung semi-hard and heavy. Their morning had been interrupted by a phone call and an overzealous Demyan, but she’d had him the night before—twice over, actually. He’d woken her up around three with his teeth scraping along her neck and his fingers working a rough beat between her legs, too.

  Still, Viviana’s heart picked up and her lungs stuttered on the intake. Anton was a man, so words like handsome and distinguished should be the first that came to her mind. Instead, Viviana got stuck on words like beautiful and aching. That’s how he made her feel.

  “Come join me,” Anton repeated.

  “I shouldn’t. Supper is almost ready,” she offered in explanation.

  “Not for a while, though. I know what she’s cooking. I didn’t say we were going to fuck.”

  Viviana laughed at his brazenness, but she couldn’t hide the shiver of want rolling up her spine, either. They would fuck if she got in the shower with him. Of course they would. Already, desire was pooling in her gut, heating her core. The lace panties she wore were likely damp with arousal.

  “We both know it’ll lead to that eventually.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” Anton asked, cocking his eyebrow.

  “No, I didn’t say that.”

  “If I promise to be good, will you come in here and help me wash the sweat I worked up beating the hell out of the punching bag off me, please?”

  Viviana couldn’t deny Anton a thing when he asked so nicely. “Fine.”

  There was no time wasted on getting undressed. Viviana pulled the elastic holding her hair back in a ponytail free, tossing it to the counter before she stepped into the large stand up shower to join her husband. Without warning, Anton’s fingers were tangled in her hair, bunching the strands up to the back of her neck with a tender touch that took Viviana by surprise. Then, she found her back to the cold wall as Anton stepped between her legs.

  “You promised to be good,” Viviana warned breathlessly.

  Kisses from his mouth pressed down to her collarbones, up under her neck, and back to her ear. A burning heat began to spread from Viviana’s middle outwards. Anton’s free hand drove down her side, stopping at her hip to grab tight.

  “Tell me it’s ever not good with us. You get me so fucking hot. It’s ridiculous.”

  “It is always good,” she said in a hum. “But you wanted me to help wash you.”

  “I’m a big boy. I’ve been showering alone for years. It’s not my fault you’re gullible, Vine.”

  “I am not! I told you what would happen if I got in this shower with you.”

  Viviana let her fingers dance down Anton’s chest, feeling his muscles jump under her touch. At his cock, she palmed his length gently, getting him harder, working him up further.

  “I was dying up here this morning.” Anton’s tone turned gruffer, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips. “I think you enjoyed knowing I had to finish myself off, thinking about that sweet mouth of yours. Fucking candy mouth, Vine. Sweet like sugar and it kills you like a poison.”

  Viviana laughed breezily. “I could make it up to you and finish that now, if that’s what you were looking for.”

  “No,” Anton said with a shake of his head. “Not below me. You know I don’t like seeing you like that.”

  Three years of marriage and never once had she sucked his cock on her knees while he stood above her. Anton was a controlling, possessive man, especially in the bedroom. Viviana might not have understood his aversion to seein
g her like that, but she respected him and didn’t push his boundaries on it.

  “What’s got you so stressed out, huh?” Viviana asked, deciding to distract him from his sexual appetite for a moment. All the while, she kept her hand working a soft beat to his cock, tightening her grip every time she reached the tip of his shaft. Anton shuddered under her motions, but he talked.

  “What makes you think I’m stressed out?”

  “I’m your wife, I notice things, Anton. Was it that reporter trying to question you this morning?”

  “Partly,” he admitted quietly. “It’s a lot of other things, too. I let it pile up instead of handling it.”

  “The trial?”

  “Again, kind of.”

  Viviana was terrified of the trial. “You keep telling me everything is going to be okay. Do you actually mean it, or are you saying it to make me compliant?”

  “I say it because I trust the people around me. That’s all,” he replied. “As far as the other things that were bothering me, well, it’s worked out. Demyan will be back in daycare within a couple of weeks. Rory is going to be around more to keep the media away from our home. I’m going to get back to work as soon as I can get the go ahead for Seven Lights. It’s handled. I’m good, now.”

  “Ivan?”

  Anton grinned, rolling his eyes. “He’s a cocky fucker when he wants to be.”

  “I wonder who he picked that up from.”

  “At least he learned something good from me.”

  Viviana sighed, glancing down between their bodies. “Eva told me about Chrissy today.”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “No.”

  Anton frowned. “She’s the only one of the three girls with brown eyes and an English name, Vine. She got them from her mother. Besides that, she doesn’t even look like the other two, and she really doesn’t take much after Ivan, either.”

  “I never thought to question her eye color or features, Anton. And if I had, I certainly wouldn’t have thought Ivan was the one who stepped out on his wife. He adores her.”

  “And she adores him. Eva is a good woman,” Anton stated firmly. “Always was.”

  “Seems complicated.”

  “I imagine it was, but they’ve worked it out privately.”

  “I love you,” Viviana whispered.

  Anton smiled a genuine sight. “I love you, too, baby. Now, one more thing …”

  “One more—oh!”

  Viviana let go of Anton’s cock at the same time her head fell back to the wall. He’d released her hip only long enough to get his hand between her thighs, spreading her sex with two fingers while his thumb pressed to her heated clit. Then, Anton was lowering down to his knees. Viviana blindly hit out at the shower head to move the direction of the spray. Instead of drowning Anton in water, it rolled off his back as he looked up at her with a sexy smirk that had her insides quivering.

  In a swift movement, he was grabbing her ankle in his palm and hooking her leg over his shoulder. Heated kisses landed on the inside of her thigh. Anton’s breath washed along the seam of her exposed sex, close enough to make her ache, as he stared up at her. Already, Viviana could feel her limbs beginning to shake and he hadn’t even started, yet.

  “I said I’d be good,” he muttered darkly. “I didn’t say good at what, Vine.”

  “Jesus—”

  “I’ll accept God or Anton only. Thank you very fucking much.”

  No, her husband would never let her get on her knees for him, but she couldn’t count the amount of times he did it for her. Instead of the dominant, commanding man he could be, demanding from her body, working it to a sweat, to tremble, and to release, like this, he became the submissive one of the two, giving her what she needed and wanted.

  Anton never fucked her with his mouth; he loved her with it. Worshiping every part of her sex slow, soft, and gentle. Tender kisses along her folds, flicks of his tongue that tantalized, and nibbles of his teeth that teased. Taking his time to explore, to make her nerves snap with need, and her mouth beg with want. She became the feast and he was a starved man.

  Viviana loved it.

  Anton kissed Viviana’s waxed sex, keeping his gaze locked on hers. Then, his mouth was encasing her swollen clit, his tongue striking out to sweep through her folds. The deep, dark hum building in the back of his throat confirmed what Viviana already knew—Anton loved the taste of her in his mouth. Suddenly, blinding fast flicks of his tongue licked along her entrance, teasing her further, breaking whatever resolve and sanity she had left.

  “Oh, God,” Viviana breathed.

  Anton released his mouth’s hold on her pussy just long enough to grin his smug smirk up at her. “That’s acceptable. A little louder, though. Let’s see if I can get you screaming it, baby.”

  “Anton—”

  Viviana was going to tell him their house wasn’t fucking soundproofed, but she didn’t have the damned chance. Before she could even think to breathe another word down at him, Anton’s attention was back on her sensitive sex. Every nerve in her body seemed to wake up, jumping alive when his tongue struck her clit with repeated strokes.

  The quiet cries escaping her quickly turned to gasping octave. Over and over, his name fell from her lips. Viviana felt her hips rolling into the rhythm of his tongue without her even realizing it. Anton slid his palm along her raised thigh up under her ass, holding firm to keep her still while his other pressed to her hip, pinning her to the cold wall.

  Viviana felt trapped under his want in the best way.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she chanted, the burning coil in her womb tightening with pleasure.

  God, he did that so damned well.

  Something hot and heady swept through her blood, making her feel dizzy and drunk. Wanting to move or have some control, Viviana reached down and weaved her fingers into the damp strands of Anton’s hair. Chuckles rocked against her sex. The buzzing hum of ecstasy rolled over every inch of her body.

  As close as she was to her orgasm under the speed and skill of his tongue, Anton slowed his tempo down. Like she knew he would, he took his time to explore her pussy, licking along her fleshy folds, kissing her inner thighs, and whispering her name so sweet and loving while he did so.

  Finally … finally … he gave her what she needed.

  The hand holding firm to her backside let go and two of his fingers slipped through her folds, entering her sex with one thrust as his tongue went back to her clit. Scissoring his digits on the withdrawal, Anton stretched her sensitive tissues, making her feel so full all the while, urging the rest of her to orgasm with spearing strikes of his tongue to her quivering nub. Viviana’s fingers tightened in his hair as she came, crying out so loudly the sound of her voice bounced back several times over. Pleasure fell over her in crushing waves.

  While the tremors of the orgasm subsided, Viviana met her husband’s blazing gaze.

  “I have a favor to ask,” Anton murmured before laying a kiss to her mound.

  With an arched brow, Viviana managed to ask, “Hmm?”

  “How do you feel about a dinner, with the Jersey boss?”

  Viviana’s grasp in his hair gripped harder and she might have enjoyed his flinch just a little. “Anton Daniil … I swear to God, if you did this to convince me—”

  “No, I did this because I’ve been thinking of tasting you all fucking day, Vine.”

  She chose not to push him on that end. “We can’t afford for us to be seen mingling with people affiliated with the Bratva right now, Anton. It won’t look good. That’d be all we need is for some goddamn photographer catching us having a sit down.”

  “We’ll be careful. Ivan thinks I should do it.”

  Anton was still on his knees with Viviana’s leg slung over his shoulder. She might have been extremely pissed off at the idea, but she was highly aware of her husband’s weakened position before her, too. Instead of standing up as her equal to discuss it, he was giving her the power to decide while he was on the ground.r />
  Viviana took a breath, willing away some of her frustration. “I’m not playing games at this dinner, Anton.”

  “I’m not asking you to, and I don’t expect you to be anything more than my beautiful, respectful wife,” he assured quietly. “Also, he requested our family, not just you.”

  It took her an entire minute to figure out what Anton meant. “Demyan, too?”

  Oh, no way.

  “I don’t think so,” Viviana stated fiercely. “He’s a baby, Anton. He has no reason—”

  “Adrik will be coming alone. No bulls. No men. Nothing. It will be a dinner, Vine, with our son. I would say that’s a trustworthy show on his part, no?”

  Viviana clenched her teeth and stared at anything but the man below her. “Do you trust him as a boss?”

  “I don’t know him well enough to give you an honest opinion.”

  “Well, that’s a fucking problem, isn’t it?”

  “Viviana,” Anton said, warningly.

  “Is his wife and child coming, too?” she bit out.

  “As far as I know, he’s unmarried. I don’t know about any children, either.”

  Yeah, now Viviana was even less impressed. “Move, Anton.”

  “No, you listen. I know it’s not the best time. I’m not real pleased about including our son in on it. Believe me, I’m not,” he insisted at her snort. “But, I have to think about my business and Bratva, too. Like it or not, you’re my wife and sometimes you have to show face. Adrik may have an offer for me, something I need. I’m going to give him the chance to offer it. I would like if you were there, also.”

  Viviana sighed. “Fine, but can he at least wait until spring to make the trip?”

  “Vine, that’s a month or more away and a lot closer to the trial than I’m comfortable with.”

  “Spring, or no me.”

  This time, it was Anton who sighed. “Fuck it. Spring it is.”

  Chapter Ten