Naughty
Maksim guided me back inside the warehouse and down to the dungeon below to show Vladimir his shiny new blonde toy. Vladimir’s fiery blue eyes were wild with fury when he saw Maksim’s hand on the small of my back as he prodded me along to the cell. My husband was lying on the narrow prison cot, cuffed and shackled, and fired off an angry tirade at Maksim.
Dmitri was there too, restrained in the cell and standing just as I had left him. He supported Vladimir’s sentiment and spat on the ground at Maksim’s feet, admonishing him for going back on his word to let me go.
“Carter was free to leave, mates, but she couldn’t tear herself away from me.” Maksim responded with a prideful grin followed by a slobbery smooch on my cheek.
Vladimir cursed in Russian and threatened that if he ever put his lips on me again, he was going to skin him alive with his bare hands. Even though my husband was immobilized and detained inside a prison cell, his testosterone level had tipped into the red zone. I believed he could follow through on his threat fueled by a healthy dose of rage mixed with a jolt of jealous husband adrenaline.
“What the fuck is he talking about, Carter? Why are you still here?”
Oh, shit. Vladimir is going to spontaneously combust when I break the news that I willingly chose to stay with Maksim.
“Your lovely wife was free to leave with Boris, but she chose to stay here with me in London. If you want to know the truth, Vlad, I think your girl has a thing for powerful, abusive men.” Maksim wrapped his arms around my waist, locking me in his embrace, and tossed Vladimir an arrogant wink. “Do you want to tell him the good news or shall I, sweet pea? Your husband is going to be so pleased how quickly you’ve moved on. He’s not even in the ground and you’ve already found a more powerful, better looking replacement.” He lifted my hand and presented the pink diamond solitaire on my ring finger. “We make an adorable couple, don’t you think?”
Vladimir’s vibrant blue eyes clouded over as the realization set in that he had failed to protect me. I wanted to tell him the truth that the reason I stayed was my desperation to save him, but my silence fueled his suspicion that Maksim had coerced me into staying.
“What has he done to you, sweetheart? Did he hurt you? Threaten to make me suffer if you didn’t succumb to him?”
“No, he’s telling the truth. I was free to leave with Boris. It was my choice to stay in London.” I turned to Maksim. “Please let me stay with Vladimir. You promised. I need closure.”
“Of course you will spend one last night with your husband, love. I want our relationship to be built on trust, and I will show you I am a man of my word.” He tightened his grip around my waist and rubbed has filthy hands across my baby bump, drinking in the hatred oozing from my husband’s pores.
I swallowed the acid that had come up my throat. “Thanks, Maks.”
Vladimir’s jaw clenched when I addressed the enemy by his familiar name. It wrecked me to see the sting of betrayal in his eyes, but winning was our collective goal. I had to stack the odds in our favor by playing nice and avoiding a confrontation that could end in disaster. Dmitri had remained quiet, but his sympathetic gaze landed on me, sending the message he believed I had fallen victim to Maksim’s trap. He was probably envisioning the horrors Maksim was going to inflict on me while my family was helpless to stop him.
“Cheers, love. I respect your loyalty to your husband. I just have one last piece of business to take care of before I go.” Maksim approached the cell and clutched the bars, giving Vladimir a perfect view of the skull and crossbones tattoos on his hands and fingers. His ink was artsy with snakes and flowers schmoozing around the bones and appeared to be professionally done. A wicked contrast to the inky blue prison tats my husband paid for in Siberia with violence, bloodshed, and unyielding power. Vladimir had earned every tattoo inked onto his skin by defeating his enemies and disobeying the guards to the point they nearly killed him.
“There’s no need to let this get out of hand in front of your beautiful wife in her delicate condition. Give me the password for the hard drive, and we’ll move on with civility. I’ll take your life quickly and let you die with dignity.”
“Fuck you. Figure out the password on your own.”
“I can and I will, but I’m willing to spare you a gruesome ending if you save me the trouble. Take it or leave it.”
Vladimir scoffed. “Even with the hard drive and the password, you have no idea how to finish the project I started. You had months while I was away to hack into the system, but your inferior brain couldn’t figure it out. I suspect Moscow has run out of patience for your incompetence. Once I’m dead, you won’t have a prayer of finishing the job—or saving your own skin.”
“What are you talking about? What job?” I asked.
“This war between Maksim and me, the manhunt, the bounty on my head has nothing do with power or even control of Ekaterinburg. Maksim’s life is on the line if he doesn’t deliver the project he stole from me when I let down my guard and came to America. Moscow doesn’t accept excuses, and if he fails to deliver, he’s a dead man.”
I knew very little about Vladimir’s work and what was going on in the “cyber” division of their business, but I did know Maksim and Vladimir were both important players for Moscow. If something was going down that could threaten the flow of money or intelligence to the top, both guys would be in serious trouble with the Bratva kingpins.
If the completion of Project K had to do with a hard drive, I’d bet it contained monumentally important data the Bratva was eager to get their hands on. Russian hackers were notorious around the globe for their alleged cybercrimes. The sensitive and classified information they retrieved could be used to blackmail politicians and high-level military officers, gain top-secret foreign government files, or hack into corporations to extract insider information on publicly traded companies. If Vladimir and Maksim were responsible for spying and stealing secrets, Moscow would not tolerate failure.
“Speaking of the dead, I came across a family heirloom and thought you might like to see it again. It belonged to my uncle, Arcady Ovechkin.” Maksim widened his stance and opened his jacket to reveal a knife tucked into a sheath attached to his pants.
Vladimir’s jaw clenched.
“You remember seeing it on the night your family was murdered?” Maksim lifted the knife and held the blade up to the fluorescent light. “When I look deeply, I can see your mum’s bloodstains dripping down the handle.”
Arcady Ovechkin—holy shit. Maksim’s uncle was the man responsible for murdering Vladimir’s parents and older brothers while Vladimir watched. Boris had arrived at the scene and shot Arcady dead to save Vladimir’s life. The knife Maksim had in his possession was the murder weapon his uncle used to slash his mother’s throat.
“I’m asking nicely for you to give me what I want. You know what will happen if you fail to deliver. Your choice, Vlad. I’ll get the information one way or another. Want to play clean or dirty?” He aimed the knife at my stomach, suggesting how dirty he was willing to go.
Vladimir’s gaze drifted to my midsection, and he conceded. Maksim tucked the knife away and took his hands off me. Vladimir responded in Russian, speaking words I didn’t know—and probably wouldn’t have even if he were speaking in English. Maksim took in the information and typed it into his cell when Vladimir revealed what sounded like the password Maksim desperately wanted.
“Brilliant. I’ll check the authenticity of your information then we’ll proceed accordingly.” Maksim slipped his phone into his jacket and turned his attention to me. “I’ll give you three days to grieve your loss, then I expect you to settle into your new life—and your new bed.” Maksim leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my cheek. “Carter.” His tone was authoritative and demanding, but I refused to let him touch me.
“I’m married.”
“By the end of the night, you’ll be a widow. Don’t get too comfortable with your spoiled American attitude. I won’t tolerate it.” Satisfied with the terror on my face, he motioned to the guards to open the cell door. “You belong to me now, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the chase. Stay feisty, Carter. Submissives are a bore.”
One of Maksim’s guards opened the door, pushed me inside the cell, and locked me in with Dmitri and Vladimir. Once the three of us were contained, I was surprised when the crew left with Maksim and gave us privacy. It killed me to see my Russians chained up and restrained like prisoners, but we were together and safe, at least for the moment. I dove on top of Vladimir as he lay cuffed to the bed. I straddled his body, slid my hands underneath his shoulder, and cradled him in my arms.
The pained expression on his face floored me. I smothered him with kisses and assured him he was the only man I would ever love, that I would never lie down with Maksim, and explained the reason I stayed was because of the plan I had made with Boris. “All I have to do is get the two of you free, find a way to get outside the warehouse, and then Boris is going to come back and pick us up.”
“Carter, stop.” The tone of his voice was alarming. “One of the things I love most about you is your endearing spirit, but Maksim isn’t a fool. This idea that you can somehow break us out is impossible. You have no idea the danger you’ve subjected yourself to. I gave my life so you could be free. I’m a dead man, Carter, and what that vile Ovechkin is going to do to you is a hundred times worse than death. I can’t protect you from the grave.”
I gazed into Vladimir’s eyes and placed my hand over his mouth to silence his pessimistic assessment of our fucked-up situation. Everything I’d done since my capture was for our family. He had to understand that. If I had even the slimmest odds of changing the course of Vladimir’s death spiral, I would never walk away and leave him to die. I wasn’t a perfect person. I’d made my dad’s life hell for the last nineteen years. Whenever I had a choice between a sensible solution to a problem or the worst-case scenario, I always found a way to choose the path covered with landmines.
But as lopsided as my track record was, I believed staying in London to save Vladimir would prove to be the best decision of my life. For once, I had done something right. “When you love someone, you fight for them. You don’t slink away like a coward, and you don’t give up when everything you ever dreamed of is within sight.” I held up the pendant embossed with Saint George slaying a dragon. “I believe in miracles. Don’t you dare give up on us.”
I unbuttoned Vladimir’s shirt all the way down to his tailored suit pants and peeled it away from his body to expose the colorful array of prison tats and Bratva symbols inked into his skin. I traced the blue-eyed devil on his chest with my fingernail. “The man who earned this tattoo would never give up on his wife and children.” I scratched my nail lightly down his abs and circled a rebellious Russian saying meant as an insult to authority. “The prison guards in Siberia beat you within an inch of your life for this one.” I tapped my finger on his warm skin. “But you were too strong and refused to die.”
I traced the star tats on his shoulders that announced he was a lifetime member of the Russian Bratva. “No one fucks with the pakhan without being served a death sentence.” I slid up my dress and laid my body on top of him to feel the warmth of his skin. “And no one better underestimate the boss’s ass-kicking wife.” I raised an eyebrow, reminding him I wasn’t a damsel in distress who needed saving. I was a force to be reckoned with, and any cocky dragons who thought I was easy prey better sharpen their claws and watch their scaly backs.
“Remember our family creed—Never fuck with an Ivanov.” I tossed my husband a rebellious grin, removed the pink diamond ring Maksim had slipped on my ring finger, and tossed it on the ground. “You’re the only man for me, babe.”
Vladimir licked his lips. “You’re so damn hot, Carter. The fire in your eyes. The sexual energy emitting from your body is electrifying. I’ll kill for you, fight for you, and do whatever it takes to spend forever with you.”
Turned on by his confidence, I unbuckled Vladimir’s belt, slid off his pants, and rubbed my body against him to encourage his arousal. His penis grew harder and stronger, and when a pleasurable groan escaped his lips, warm ripples of pleasure awakened my sex. I didn’t care that he was cuffed to the bed or that Dmitri was a couple feet away, or that we were sequestered in our prison love nest. Vladimir and I needed each other, and the idea I had complete control over him was more than a little exciting.
“Izvinite. Sorry, Dmitri.”
He glanced over his shoulder to see what I was apologizing for then closed his eyes and sighed when he spotted me stripping the suit from his boss. I pushed Vladimir’s pants down around his ankles, slid my hand inside his underwear, and stroked him. My sexy husband whispered in Russian as I fondled him and tugged on his length. When his penis achieved rock hard status, I took him in my mouth.
Vladimir moaned as I teased his tip with my tongue and grasped him in my hand. I considered bringing him to orgasm orally, but I had a rare opportunity to dominate, and I was going to take full advantage of my position of power. I sat up on my knees and stripped off my dress. Seductively, I slid down the straps of my bra and spoke in Russian, asking him if he would like me to take it off.
“God, Carter. Your accent is so fucking sexy. Da. Show me your beauties.”
I peeked at Dmitri to see if he was watching, but his eyes were still closed.
I unhooked my bra and threw it on the floor next to my rumpled dress. Since Vladimir was restrained, I cupped my breasts and massaged myself to harden my nipples. With my underwear on, I straddled him and rubbed against him as he watched me excite myself. Then I slid my hands down to my underwear and looped my finger around the lacy, elastic band. “Want me to take these off?”
“Pozhaluysta. Please.”
I rolled off him and stood beside the bed. Slowly, I slid down my panties and tossed them next to my bra. Completely naked except for my stilettos, I let my hair down and mussed my fingers through my long locks. I turned around and modeled my bare body. My breasts had become enlarged with pregnancy and my stomach rounded with our growing baby. Carrying Vladimir’s child was the ultimate reward of our love. Our commitment to one another and our undying loyalty created a beautiful, innocent life.
Vladimir’s eyes lit up as he admired my new figure. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Carter. Not just your body, it’s your spirit, your compassion, and your forgiving nature that has captured my soul. I love you more than you’ll ever know.” He licked his lips. “Come to me now, angel. I need to taste your body.”
Starting at the end of the cot, I locked my gaze on him and crawled on my hands and knees, slinking toward him like a wildcat. When I passed over his penis, I positioned him between my breasts and rocked my body to tease him. He shuddered from the excitement and moaned with erotic pleasure as I pressed my breasts around his length and sandwiched him between my beauties.
Then I worked my way up his body, sucked on his neck, and nibbled his ear. I held his forearms and pressed my body on top of him. We kissed with a desperate sense of urgency, evoking a wave of pleasure in anticipation of having my hard, sexy husband inside me.
“I need to taste your beauties.” Vladimir wet his lips, and I crawled up his body and fed him my breasts one by one. He sucked and swirled his tongue across my nipples. The warmth and wetness of his mouth and his erotic moans got me so excited, I couldn’t wait another second to bring him inside me. I held his penis and rubbed it across my slit, spreading my wetness across my sex. I lowered my body and thrust him inside me, gasping as his erection filled me and brought a rush of pleasure to my erogenous zone.
Dmitri sighed in frustration, either at the fact that Vladimir and I were about to make loud and passionate love to each other in our shared space, or because my sexy talk and naughty behavior had aroused him as well. Either way, I tuned him out, along with the embarrassment I felt for our scandalous public display of affection, and succumbed to my carnal passion.
Vladimir had always dominated in the bedroom. From the first time we made love on our honeymoon and throughout our stay in the mountains, he treated me to a variety of positions. Riding me hard and fast when I asked for it, and slowly rocking inside me when we were in the mood for a romantic lovemaking session under the starry sky. Now that I held the reins and was in charge of the tempo and style, I wanted to show him I was as creative and sexually imaginative as he was.
Slowly, I brought him in out and squeezed the muscles of my core to drive him crazy. His body twitched from the sensation of my sex tightening around him while he was deep inside me. I didn’t know how much time Vladimir and I would have together before Maksim or one of his goons came back to get us, but I wanted to be certain we climaxed before we were interrupted. I quickened my pace and rode him faster, bouncing and bringing him in and out of me with a furious pace.
Dmitri sighed again, admonishing our unabashed romp in our shared cell. He was probably choking to death on our sexed-up hormones. The sound of our skin slapping together, and our collective moans and sex sounds as our pleasure intensified had to be awkward for Dmitri, but there was no holding back or stopping my virile Russian lover from bringing me to orgasm.
I glanced at my bodyguard to see if he was watching, and this time he was peeking at me as my breasts bounced while I rode my husband. When I busted him, he didn’t turn away, and I was too engrossed in the moment to chastise him.
“Fuck, Carter, what are you doing to me?” Vladimir asked. “I’m not going to last much longer. Are you ready, angel?”
“Almost.” The bedsprings squeaked and I began to pant as I bounced harder and faster to raise the level of my pleasure so we could come together.
“Your pizda is so warm and wet. Come with me, sweetheart.” Vladimir groaned as he climaxed and released inside me. I kept riding him as his warm semen spread across my core and I let out a throaty growl as I climaxed too.
“Oh, Vladimir.” I praised him in Russian and told him I loved him in between moans as my excitement subsided. I slid my arms underneath his shoulders and hugged him. “I love you.” I kissed his lips and nuzzled his cheeks.
I rested my head on Vladimir’s chest and listened to his racing heartbeat. For the past few months, we had made love under the moonlight of our mountaintop home. I enjoyed the intimacy of coming down from my sexual high and using my husband as my human body pillow. The serenity of living off the land, fresh air, and the blended sounds of nature created a romantic setting for our first home together as husband and wife.
Vladimir usually fell asleep soon after we made love, but I stayed awake and listened to the bullfrogs croaking, the high-pitched cries of bats as they circled above in search of prey, and the calming sound of the treetops swaying in the summer breeze. Our time on the run from Maksim never diminished our love for one another. The dilapidated old house we lived in and the rustic conditions were not ideal, but surviving those tumultuous times strengthened our relationship and solidified our mutual trust.
The bond I shared with Vladimir was unbreakable, and if it was his destiny to die at the hands of his enemy, I would stay by his side until he took his last breath. I didn’t regret my decision to stay with him. Our love would last forever, and if that meant we had a day, an hour, or a moment together, nothing would tear us apart. I kissed the blue devil tattoo on Vladimir’s chest and praised him in Russian for our stellar lovemaking session.
Dmitri shushed me and ordered me to get dressed. A moment later, a heavy door opened at the top of the staircase. Oh, shit. Someone’s coming.