Chapter Nineteen

Her nails bit into his thigh a little rougher. “Don’t, Anton, I swear to God.”

“That feels quite good, so if you’re worried it’s hurting me … it’s not. You know how much I love getting your marks all up and down my back. Left a bite on my shoulder that stayed for days, girl.”

She whimpered a lovely sound as his palm came to lie above the line of her panties, rubbing under the fabric with a slow speed that was sure to make her nervous. Anton laughed lowly when she hid her face from his view.

“You want me to, don’t you?”

“No …”

“Viviana.”

When she refused to respond again, Anton dragged her panties down low enough until they rested on the backs of her thighs. Viviana shifted and tried to pull away again, but the attempt was a half-hearted effort. If she really wanted him to let her go, she’d say so, and he would have instantly. It was just another one of those moments where she was embarrassed by her enjoyment, and he refused to let her shy away.

An opened palm snapped down and cracked her olive-toned flesh just above where he’d bunched the fabric up. Viviana gasped. Her muscles tightened and back straightened, her fingernails cutting into his thigh as the locks of her hair tumbled down to hide her tilting face from his view. His hand slapped down with another marginally harder tap above where he’d previously hit, and her back just barely curved off his legs.

With his fingers traveling down between her thighs and slipping in between her folds, Anton found her wetter than ever. Another one of his quiet hums released as he leaned forward and let her go just long enough to crawl up behind her. Pressing his lips down to the base of her spine, Viviana wasn’t making a move to get away.

“You’re so fucking wet, baby. Ask me to do it again.” The faintest shake of her head was all that answered him back. “That’s how you want to play this? You don’t even want to get away now.”

“You’re such an asshole. A bossy one.”

“Deny it turns you on. Beg for it.”

“Fuck you,” Viviana uttered, turning her face just enough for him to get the sight of her smirk. “Make me, Boss.”

Jesus, he all but growled as his teeth bit into the blade of her shoulder. Instead of jerking away like he thought she would, her body pressed back into his mouth. Blood rushed to the spots where his hands had previously spanked, turning her skin a pretty pale red. He rolled his thumbs over the handprints. She all but vibrated under his motions, backing into his palm every time it swept over the rounded cheeks of her ass.

“I’m warning you, Viviana. You keep that up and watch what will happen.”

“You don’t have the ba—”

Anton didn’t even let her finish that statement before a fistful of her hair was entangled in his hand, pulling her up with his frame so her back was flush to his chest. Reaching around, he let his fingers dance along the curve of her throat before they gripped tightly there as well. When her air caught, he sighed and kissed the spot behind her ear.

“You want to finish that sentence, katyonak?”

Without a doubt, Viviana didn’t like to be called kitten, no matter what language it was in. Claws came out every time he let that pet name cross his lips. Sure enough, her fingers dug into his side with damning force.

“Why, is the boss gonna come out to play with me?”

Anton wasn’t going to give her that one, because that was exactly what she wanted.

“You know what I want to see?” he asked darkly.

“What’s that?”

Anton swallowed the thickness that had suddenly built up in his throat, letting his teeth graze against her. “You bent over, fingers fucking that pretty pussy of yours while I spank you. I think you’d come so hard like that, Vine.”

“My fingers?”

“Mmhmm,” he purred. “Don’t even try to say you’ve never touched yourself. After that show with the plug, we both know better. I’ve been dying to see you get off on your own.”

Viviana shuddered with another roll that seemed to start from her delicate shoulders and go all the way down to that ass fitted so nicely against his groin.

“That’s not fair, Anton.”

“Bad men don’t play fair games. You picked me and I always win, but I bet it’ll feel so fucking nice for you, too.” With another nip on her neck, Anton released his grip on her throat and hair before she caught herself with her palms opened up to the bed as she dropped back down to her hands and knees. The lightest snap of his hand cracked across the back of her thigh with a force he knew would only hum with a sting. “Now, beg me.”

Anton leaned back against the headboard, cocking a brow and waiting for her to make a move. He crossed his arms behind his head. Again, he was graced with the best sight of her ass lifting a little higher, showcasing her sex off in the sweetest way as her thighs widened and her knees pressed into the sheets.

“You lie,” she whispered, looking back over her shoulder. He didn’t miss her hand coming down to rest between her legs, either. Two fingers spread the lips of her pussy while a third swiped across the slit, gathering wetness to take up to the sensitive bud as the middle digit rolled with quick circles. “You’ve seen me.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Liar, liar.”

A flutter of confusion and aggravation bit at his heels. “Again, no I haven’t. Stop pushing me, baby. It isn’t going to work.”

“Oh wait …” Viviana said in a murmur, head dropping back down out of sight. When two fingers slipped into the entrance of her pussy without hesitating, her hips dropped into her own hand at the action. His dick was throbbing as she started a teasing rhythm with her own fingers. “No, that was me.”

Anton’s mind turned into a chaotic mess as he tried to figure out exactly what she meant. “Excuse me?”

A sigh, all wanton and thick slipped from her lips. Her fingers withdrew from her sex, wetness glistening, digits spreading to stretch her hole. Damn, his mouth turned dry as her legs shook when she didn’t answer right away, instead bringing another finger out to roll over her clit.

“Did you watch me jerk off, Viviana?”

When her shoulders dropped down into the bed, her other hand joined the first. Anton couldn’t even speak as Viviana took her time spreading fluids, fucking her body with two fingers on one hand while the other circled quick beats to her clit.

“Answer me,” he managed to hiss out.

Anton didn’t realize his teeth had clenched that hard behind his jaw.

A soft, muffled moan fell into the bed. Her shoulders tensed as her fingers fucked a little harder. Anton didn’t even know how close she was, but he hadn’t wanted it to quite go like that; after all, he did intend for his hand to be lying flat out to her ass … repeatedly.

She was winning. He was fucking letting her.

“Viviana!”

“Yeah, Boss?”

“Oh, you little …”

Clenching his fists at his sides, he tried so fucking hard to ignore the way his cock was aching to either be in his own palm, or shoved so fucking deep in her that he couldn’t breathe. A harsh Russian curse fell from his lips before he was slipping a hand under his boxer-briefs to relieve some of the tension filling him up. Slow, measured strokes down his length matched the thrusts of Viviana’s two fingers inside her sex. Sparks lit up behind his eyelids as they clenched shut then flew back open again.

After all, he so badly wanted to watch her, too.

“Like this, then?”

The question came out huskier than he intended because of his own hand on his cock. Pre-cum swept across his thumb as the digit rolled over the circumcised head, pleasure biting through his groin with a delirious tightening sensation.

When had she spied on him?

“You watched me play like this?”

Just as quick, one hand was gone from her sex. Viviana propped up on her elbow, just enough to turn back and stare at him with dark, hooded eyes. “No. Not quite like that.”

“Tell me.”

“Why?”

Anton forced himself to breathe, hand tightening around his shaft.

“Because …” Something caught in his throat. He wanted to be buried inside of her before he came, but just the sound of her voice alone was doing him in. “Because I want to know.”

“I’m so fucking wet,” she murmured, withdrawing soaked fingers that spread her wider and tapped at her clit all at the same time. “Burning right up here, Anton. Singing from head to toe. So damned hot. Bet you could get me raging right through it, huh? Oh, this feels so good. You don’t even know.”

Fuck, she was avoiding his question like nothing else. He all but ached to know, now.

“Please …”

The word hadn’t even fully formed out of his mouth before he realized his mistake, but her satisfied laughter filled the room anyway.

“Check mate, Boss.”

“Goddamn it, Viviana.”

When her fingers started to leave the only place he wanted to see them, Anton was quick to move. Crossing the small space between their bodies, he had his arm around her waist to hold her back in place while he leaned over her back. His hand laid flat to her ass instantly, the sound of the slap echoing into quiet room.

Viviana hissed at the hit. It had been much harder than the previous ones he landed.

“You’re going to tell me,” he said, the words coming out sinister and desire-fueled at the same time. “And I’m going to get you back for that trick, baby.”

“Come on, then,” she breathed. “Do it.”

That pretty little ass of hers backed into his hand. Anton rubbed circles a little lower on her stinging flesh. His cock pressed against the small of her back, giving him just enough pressure to relieve that tension filling him back up again.

“Get that fucking hand back down there, Viviana. I want to hear those fingers sinking in and out of that pussy while I spank you again.”

Finally—finally—the word he wanted to hear forced its way out of her mouth.

“Oh, God … please.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

Anton’s hand slipped down between her thighs, meeting her own hand that was suddenly working a fast beat to her clit.

Wetness soaked his fingers more. Letting go of his hold on the bed, he leaned back enough to get her ass opened back up for his taps again.

“Are you?” he asked once more.

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“I-in … in the shower,” she whimpered.

Anton cocked his head to the side, brow furrowing. “You watched me in the shower.” It wasn’t even a question, just a crazy, hot realization that flooded both his mind and cock with the same lustful ravaging wave of need. A tiny nod answered him back. Jesus, why did that turn him on so fucking much? “Why?”

“Because—” Without warning, he released her ass before landing another solid smack to the back of her left thigh. Her fingers stuttered along his, stopping the rhythm to her clit instantly. “Fuck, please …”

“Don’t stop. Get that pussy of yours good and wet for me. Now, answer.”

“I ha-had to grab … the hair … hairbrush,” she managed to get out. “You didn’t even know. Just cau-caught it out of the corner of … my … my eye. I’m—”

“Next time join me.”

Her thighs trembled as heat saturated his palm when it laid down flat to sooth away some of the sting he’d created on her flesh.

“Come on, come for me. I want to really get started. This was nothing.”

And she did … broke so beautifully, high cries muffling into the sheets. She might have won, but he was still right. It felt awfully fucking good for him, too.

• • •

A week later, Viviana was on edge. She hadn’t been expecting to be.

“Are you going to make that tasting with me today?”

Damn, she tried so hard to keep the tension out of her voice. It didn’t work.

Anton walked past the bedroom for the second time without saying a word. He’d been attached to his cell phone all morning and it was starting to irk the fuck out of her. When he passed again, still not giving any indication that she’d even spoke, she threw a pillow out into the hallway. Finally, his steps faltered as his eyes glanced over his shoulder with a flashing warning.

“The tasting?”

Anton pointed at his phone and mouthed, “In a minute.”

Viviana sighed, frustrated. Nothing bothered her more than when he ignored her.

They had a tasting scheduled for not only the wedding dinner, but the engagement party someone decided they just had to have, as well. She could have done without that, since they had enough to worry about, but Anton agreed without even asking her. Not only that, but the invitations were ready to be picked up and sent out, too. Then there was the party planner … designer—whatever the hell she called herself—who needed confirmation on the choices for linen, flowers … and so much more. That was another thing Viviana didn’t know if he was handling, or her.

Considering he was still on his fucking phone.

Viviana didn’t really know what was going on, but it had to be something serious because from five o’clock in the morning on, Anton wasn’t at her side like he usually was before he left to go to the club. When she asked, he wouldn’t say.

Irritated was an understatement.

“Anton, hey, are you going to make that tasting or not?”

Nothing.

“No, that’s good. I don’t like that that’s where he wants to go, but I can’t say anything about it. He wants to be comfortable, right?” Anton paused in his spiel, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. “I don’t know, Ivan. I was lucky they stayed here as long as they did, honestly.”

Viviana looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand as she put the clean sheets on their bed. Their time was running short and she still didn’t know anything about the day’s plans. Both of them needed to be out of the house within a few minutes or she wouldn’t make her doctor’s appointment. She had just managed to get that appointment an hour ago, too.

Damn it, her heart was stuttering just thinking about it.

In the midst of everything going on, Viviana had forgotten about something she shouldn’t have. She felt so incredibly stupid. They drank, and smoked …

What if?

Her thoughts were all but screaming.

Finally, the conversation out in the hallway ended.

“What, Viviana?” Her words seemed to catch in her throat at his exasperated voice. “Yes, I’ll make the tasting. We can pick up the invitations together after. You’ll have to go to the designer’s alone because Daniil got confirmation for his release from the hospital and he convinced Sasha to go back to their home. I promised to be there to get him settled. What else is there?”

She blinked back at him, her hands splaying out to the comforter. Tears threatened to make an appearance, but she forced them back as a deep breath shuddered into her aching lungs. More than anything, she just wanted to blurt it out and see what would happen, but her nerves weren’t quite strong enough then.

“Okay, thank you. That’s all I wanted to know. I’m going to the clinic first, so I might be a little late for the appointment with the designer. Can you call her and let her know; she likes you better and probably won’t bite your head off.”

Anton didn’t move for a minute. “Why?”

“I just said—”

“No, why are you going to the clinic today? You should have told me you weren’t feeling well, Vine.”

Something painful rolled through her stomach. One thing they had made clear between them was no more lying. Ever. If he couldn’t tell her something, he just wasn’t to say anything at all and she would get the point. This wasn’t even close to being the same thing and Viviana knew it.

“I forgot to take my birth control shot.”

The words were breathed below a whisper but they seemed to reach his spot, given the phone slipped out of his grasp with a clatter to the hardwood floor. Frozen like a statue, Anton didn’t even blink. In fact, Viviana was sure she didn’t see him breathe for a whole thirty seconds.

“Say something, please.”

A noise … that was all she got. A single noise.

Viviana felt the need to explain. “I used to get appointment notifications from my doctor’s office in Toronto on my old phone, but Boris destroyed it. I’m so, so—”

Another noise interrupted her, his heated gaze blazing into hers with a burn that had her aching.

“Don’t apologize,” he said quietly.

Relief washed over her. “I know I was supposed to get something set up here, but it just slipped my mind. I thought I’d have time.”

“Stop.”

“What?”

Anton exhaled through his nose. “Just … stop. When did you figure it out?”

“This morning. I was trying to work out the dates for the rehearsal and all that … then it clicked. I should have started my cycle two days ago. I’m pretty damned regular. Most girls don’t even get their period on the shot.”

“We fucked last night. We’ve fucked every night for the last week.” A nod answered him back. That was about all she could give. Viviana didn’t need a verbal reminder of just how often they had sex; she was more than aware. “So, even if nothing shows up, it might still …”

“Yeah.”

The silence that answered back was almost painful. Anton’s gaze had turned to the wall behind her. Viviana finished making their bed and tossing the pillows back up in place before she grabbed her purse from the couch. She didn’t have time for him to let it sink in. The appointment was in thirty minutes and she would just make it in time.

She bit her lip and shrugged. “It’s more than likely that nothing is going to come up. Chances are pretty slim. The shot is weird like that.” Even she didn’t believe what she was saying. “Anyway, we can talk about it tonight. I have to go, Anton.”

With a nod, he stepped to the side and let her leave the bedroom. Viviana had just made it to the stairwell when she heard him clear his throat.

“Wait …”

Viviana turned to find him staring down at the floor where the phone had dropped. “Yeah?”

“Do you not want to be?”

“At all, or at this moment?” she asked back. “We talked about my feelings when it came to kids.”

“No, I know. I just meant—”

“Yes, eventually that’d be awesome. And even right now, if you were okay with it. There’s also the issue of smoking up and drinking. That kind of stuff isn’t okay when you’re …” Oh God, she couldn’t even force the word out. “It’s just not okay, Anton.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She understood the confusion he must have felt, because turmoil had wrapped her heart all morning.

“It’s a bad time,” Viviana said, waving like that was the best explanation she could give. “It’s great Daniil and Sasha want to go home and that you’re allowing it. I’ve asked you repeatedly to make accommodations for us to leave here and move into the Oceana house, but you refused. That tells me you don’t think it’s safe at all.”

Anton swallowed, his fists dropping into his pockets as he looked up to the ceiling. “It isn’t. I haven’t been talking about it, but there’s a good chance Sonny dropped off the radar because something’s about to go down and he doesn’t want to be found after it happens.”

“I don’t care.”

Exasperation wrote lines over his face as he stared back. “This would be even more of a reason to stay here where security is in place.”

Viviana pointed at a door three feet away that had been locked the entire duration of their stay. “What’s behind there?”

“Nothing.” Anton cringed, eyeing the door before he corrected himself, “Nothing that’s for you to bother with.”

“Don’t lie to me. There are two other rooms in this house that I can’t enter, too. Do not shovel bullshit at me. Sure, when we leave this place it will go to the Bratva and it’ll be out of our hands, but right now, it’s not. I want to go home. If you want to get serious about this …” she muttered, waving at her midsection because the word just didn’t feel okay to say, “then talk to me about going home.”

Scooping up the phone off the floor, he dropped it into his pocket, and made his way down the hall. It didn’t matter now that she was likely going to be late for the appointment, not with the soft smile that played on his face filling her sight. Coming to stop beside her, a single finger found its way under her chin. His lips pressed softly to her cheek.

“Okay, we’ll talk about going home.”

“Just talk?”

Grazing his thumb along her bottom lip, Anton said, “No, we’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t get the shot today … in case, you know. We’ll have to wait a little while.”

“I’ll pick condoms up.” Turning her face, she met his tender kiss. “I’m sorry I was being difficult this morning. Daniil is … stubborn. Mom just wants him to be happy and comfortable.”

“And so do you,” she pointed out gently.

“Yes, but I want them safe and close, too. That’s why they had a private suite upstairs, despite the awkwardness at first. I had them close so I could keep my eye out in case someone got crazy ideas. Just like I keep you close.” Anton sighed before he added, “Please don’t do anything rash. Give me time and I’ll do whatever the hell you want. Shocked the fuck out of me for a minute … I wasn’t expecting to hear that for at least another couple of years, baby.”

“I might not—”

“But you might be,” he interrupted, his hand touched comfortingly on her back. “You’re trying to soften it like we’re teenagers here. I’m twenty-seven, not nineteen. This is okay.”

“Just okay?”

The feel of his mouth curving against her cheek told her more than he would say. Anton was ecstatic, he just wouldn’t admit it outright.

“Great, Vine. Go to your appointment and call me the moment you find out anything. I promised Sasha and Daniil, plus I have to pick up something from one of my guys. Otherwise, I’d drop everything and go with you. I’m sorry. I’ll let the designer know you’re going to be late.”

“I feel stupid,” she whispered. “I should have been keeping better track.”

Again, Anton shrugged dismissively. “You were, but I came in and upset your life and the schedules you were keeping. It just happened. We’ll figure it all out. I’m not going to complain.”

Thank God for that.

Viviana was shrugging on her coat and opening the front door to the safe house when she heard Anton calling behind her.

“Hey, you know how this goes. Rory needs to escort you and don’t forget Rocco.”

“Anton, I don’t want him going in,” she said, eyes narrowing as he came around the corner of the hallway with their pup on his heels. “That’s private business. Rocco, on the other hand, can wait outside with him.”

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Anton’s challenging stare meet her defiant gaze. “Rory can stay in the waiting room. Everything remains private. Rocco will wait outside with the other two.”

Viviana stared at him in total disbelief. “Come on, please?”

“No. No one is going to know a thing, but you have to have at least one of them close by.”

“No one is going to shoot me in broad daylight, Anton!” Just the look of pain that crossed his features had her backtracking. “I’m sorry, I just … fine. I’ll take Rory inside but I swear to God if he makes a move to go in the room with me I will cut off his balls.”

A faint smile curved his lips before it disappeared. “You know why I’m doing this.”

“I know.” Turning to grab Rocco’s collar off the designated hook, the pup was already bounding over and letting it slip over his thick neck. He took off out into the wide driveway when Viviana allowed him to, hearing the whistle of a bull outside. “I won’t be difficult if you promise to make good on your promise about going home.”

“I’m a man of my word.”

“Come on, princess … we haven’t got all day out here,” Rory said.

Viviana frowned over her shoulder.

“I’ll be happy when I can go somewhere without babysitters.”

“Probably never going to happen; you just won’t know.”

“Yeah, but I could handle that.”

“Go,” Anton said, leaning down to kiss her mouth soundly. “You’re going to be late.”

Outside, Rory waved at the SUV parked across the quiet street. Far too excited for her liking, he began to make grabbing motions at Viviana’s car keys. Rocco sniffed between her car and Anton’s with a vengeance. Sharp huffs of breath panted from the dog like he was catching something, drawing her attention in.

“Let me drive, please,” Rory pleaded.

“No way.”

“You haven’t opened up that pretty thing in days. Let me be the one to do it properly.”

That was sadly true. Despite how much she loved her Bentley, Viviana didn’t get to drive it as much as she wanted.

“No.”

Viviana unlocked the car just as Rocco came to sniff her leg. A sharp bark fell from his curled back muzzle, stopping her action up short.

Rory opened the door on his side, not even thinking about the warning the pup had just given off. Anton was out the front door shouting her name fearfully. Rocco bit down onto her wrist with damning force. Then, she heard the slight hiss before a tick … tick … tick echoed.

Viviana hit the ground, all breath gone at impact.

It was heat …

Screams …

Pain …

And then nothing.