Forced to Marry the Russian (Nikolai Bratva Brides #2)

Chapter 13 - Zia

Zia felt Lev’s warmth behind her before her eyes cracked open, and she turned around, bringing their faces dangerously close.

It was early in the morning, and the sun hadn’t come up yet. Lev was sound asleep. He’d been more relaxed around her these days than he was when they first got married.

Two days had passed since her ex-boyfriend attacked her. Lev held her to sleep and never left before she woke up, even when he was mostly always the first to wake up.

She traced the sharp features of his face with her eyes. He was incredibly handsome. Lev was a decade older, but he looked at least five years younger than thirty-three. She’d never seen or been around a man as beautiful as he was, and she still didn’t believe he was her husband.

All hers.

This man, who people feared, cared for her to some degree. He’d promised to make the man who’d hurt her pay, and he’d promised to protect her as well.

It was funny how you couldn’t predict anyone. The man she’d loved and trusted for three years. The man she’d thought would only love and protect her had tried to rape her.

Yet it was the man who she thought was a monster that had comforted her. He’d been so kind and gentle to her that night that her heart had fluttered for him. It was an emotion she hadn’t possessed for anyone other than her ex.

Lev stirred in his sleep. His lashes fluttered, and his eyes moved. She quickly closed hers, pretending to be asleep.

A moment passed. Her heart throbbed, her blood whooshing in her ears. Was he awake? She couldn’t tell, but she planned to stay still until he moved or at least said something.

“I know you’ve been looking at me for at least ten minutes,” Lev suddenly said. His voice was deep and throaty from just waking up.

Her cheeks flushed. She bit down on her lower lips, embarrassed. How long had he been awake? Long enough, if he knew she’d been looking at him. Maybe longer than she had.

Her eyes cracked open, and she pursed her lips. “Were you pretending to be asleep?”

“I am a member of the Bratva, Malyshka. I don’t sleep that deeply. The slightest sound or movement, and I’m awake.” He reached out and cupped her face. His warm hand burned into her skin like a volcano. She almost moaned at the feeling of it, but she held herself back. “Glad to see you’re back to your usual sharp-tongued self.”

She sighed. He was right, she’d not been her usual self since two days ago. She’d needed time to process what had happened, and Lev was surprisingly very understanding about it. He’d let her be and instructed one of the maids to take food to her every two hours.

“Are you? I almost thought you hated my voice,” she said. It was her way of not allowing herself to relish in the thought that Lev liked her a little more than she expected him to.

“There is no one else I would rather listen to, Malyshka. I don’t find your voice annoying or disturbing.”

Her mind fogged. Questions she doubted she would ever get answers to filled her head. How could he say that so casually, as if it was normal for him to tell her something so romantic?

“What are you doing today?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

She thought for a moment. “Nothing. You won’t allow me to work, and I think I’m going to lose my mind if I have to stay indoors for the rest of my life.”

“Do you have anything you love to do for fun?”

“No. My entire life has been a struggle. I didn’t have time for hobbies. I don’t even have friends.” She had just one friend, Amy. She hadn’t seen or heard from her since the night the bar was attacked. She’d lost her phone and hadn’t even thought to contact the agency so she could get in touch with Amy.

She slammed a hand on her forehead and groaned. She was such a bad friend.

“What is wrong?” Lev asked, watching her intently. He looked like he would walk straight into a fire if it meant keeping her safe.

But she knew deep down that he wasn’t acting that way because he liked or, worse, loved her. They were married now, and she was his property; he was only protecting what belonged to him, as he’d said countless times.

“My friend, Amy. We worked with the same agency and I haven’t heard from her since that attack in the club.” Her heart sank to her stomach. “Were there any casualties—”

“There were no casualties,” Lev assured her. “A few men were hurt, and that was it. No woman was harmed; I looked into it.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “Why would you… look into it?”

“It’s my club. It’s on me if anyone gets hurt. It’s my job to protect people when they’re in my territory.”

“Oh.” She wanted to ask if he simply always took it as his responsibility to protect other people, but she held back. “Can you help me find her?”

“A rival of the Bratva bought the agency. That was how the attack happened to begin with. I’ll try to find her, though; just give me a picture and a full name.”

“Thank you,” Zia muttered, a smile stretching on her lips. It was such a relief to know Amy was okay wherever she was. She grabbed her phone and sent Amy’s pictures to Lev.

Her eyes took in the bedroom when she moved to put the phone back. She hadn’t settled down to notice before, but the room was all back, certainly not her vibe. “I was thinking we should redecorate the room.”

His brows knitted. “Why? I think it is perfect the way it is.”

“Of course you would.” She rolled her eyes. For someone who had a closet full of black suits and shoes, it made sense that he wouldn’t see anything wrong with having an all-black bedroom. But not her. She wanted more colors in the bedroom and more décor. “I’ll go shopping today and get some things so I can make little changes.”

Lev sighed. She expected him to turn her down, but he nodded instead. “You have the card with you, do whatever you want with it.”

“The black amex…” Damn, she’d forgotten she still had it. Just how rich was he that he didn’t bother asking her to return it? Speaking of the Amex, she’d almost forgotten she got him something.

Sliding out of bed, she walked to a stack of shopping bags she hadn’t had the time to put away since shopping. She felt Lev’s gaze burn the back of her head as she picked up the bag from the jewelry store, returned to the bed, and held it out to him. “I got this for you.”

His gaze bounced between her and the bag she was holding out for several seconds before he took it from her. “What is inside?”

“A new gun.” She tried not to laugh. “A toy gun, actually, thought you’d like it.”

Lev shot her a curious look, his brows quirking. “A toy gun?”

She bobbed her head. “Open it.”

His eyes narrowed, but he did as she said, rummaging inside the bag with his hand. He took out the box inside. “This doesn’t look like a toy gun, Malyshka.”

She couldn’t hold her laugh back anymore. For someone with an intimidating and cruel reputation like his, Lev was quite easy to fool.

He opened the box, and his eyes widened as he gazed at the watch inside. “You got this for me?”

There was a hint of emotion in his voice, but it wasn’t clear whether it was rage or if he was just touched.

Lev had the most expensive things in the world, there was no way he would get positively emotional over a cheap watch, at least that was what Zia believed.

She cleared her throat, struggling to read the emotion on his face. “I know it’s not the type of watch you use. It’s cheap, but I liked it.” Her cheeks heated with embarrassment because she’d bought the watch just to spite him, but now she wished she’d gotten him a nicer, more expensive one.

It didn’t help her conscience that she’d bought it with his money. Yes, she didn’t have much, but she could spend what little she had getting him something he would love better.

“It’s nice,” he said softly, brushing a thumb over the diamond crusts on the watch. “I like it.”

“I know, it’s cheap and not your…” She paused. Did he just say he liked the watch? She wasn’t sure if she’d heard him right. “You like it?”

He smiled, his dark eyes lighting up as he strapped the watch around his wrist. “It’s the first time a woman who wasn’t my mother got me something. I don’t care that it is cheap, I like it. Thank you.”

Zia’s mouth fell open. She searched for the right words to express her surprise, but none was forthcoming. She was too stunned that he would love the watch that much.

What stunned her more was the fact that he mentioned his mother. He’d never mentioned her since they got married, and doing so piqued Zia’s curiosity. She wanted to know about his mother and what type of woman she was but held back. She didn’t know how he would react, and the last thing she wanted was to upset him when their morning was going so smoothly.

Perhaps she would ask another time. If she had to remain married to him, then she needed to know him beyond just the surface.

Her eyes darted to his wrist. The watch looked like it was made just for him. “They look good on you.”

“Because you got it for me.” The watch case fell off the edge of the bed where he’d kept it. Zia moved instinctively to pick it up, and so did Lev. Their hands collided, and they were dangerously close to each other.

A wave of need seared through Zia. It’d been weeks since they’d been married. They slept on the same bed every night since then, but he hadn’t tried to touch her. She was fine with it until two nights ago, and she’d started to crave his comfort in an unusual way.

She’d wanted to do more than just lie beside him. Memories from their first night together made her stomach clench. An ache blossomed to life between her eyes, her heart beating so fast that she was certain he could hear it.

Lev picked up the box and placed it on the bed.

Zia remained in the same position, with her hands reaching for the box that was no longer there. To her surprise, Lev angled over. He took her hand and rubbed it gently.

His caress was soft despite his rough hands. Soft enough to send a wave of electricity to her spine. Every cell in her body awakened, and the hair at the back of her neck stood in anticipation of what he would do next.

Was he going to kiss her? God, she’d missed his kisses. She’d missed the way he touched and fucked her the night they first met. It was so intense that just thinking of it sent a rush of heat between her legs.

“Thank you, Malyshka,” he whispered, bringing his hand up to her face this time and cupping her cheek. “I don’t care if you think it is cheap or ugly; you got it for me, and I will wear it whenever I choose.”

Her pulse rate tripped, and her breath hitched. She wondered if Lev really meant what he’d said, if he would really cherish a gift she gave him just because she was the one who gave it to him. “I bought the gift with your money,” she croaked, terrified of letting herself believe that the man who was sitting so close to her saw her as anything more than a burden.

“I know.” One of his hands slid between her legs, reaching for that insatiable ache she could no longer control. “My money is yours too, Malyshka. I don’t care how you spend it.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the words got cut off when he shifted her panties to the side and glided a finger over her folds.

A small gasp escaped Zia’s throat at the sensation. She buckled her hips, needing more of his touch.

Her hands found their way to Lev, grabbing his dick. Her nipples hardened, and her clitoris throbbed as she felt his erection. He was hard and big. She wondered what would happen if she stripped him and sucked him like a blow pop.

“Fuck,” Lev groaned as he slid a finger inside her, curling it all the way to her G-spot. “You’re fucking wet, Malyshka. So fucking ready to have my cock in you.”

She moaned as he twisted his finger inside her. With a controlled pace, he started to drive it in and out of her.

Zia’s body electrified. Every inch of her was on fire, giving way to nothing more than the immense pleasure rippling through her. A sensual moan escaped her throat with each movement Lev’s finger made inside her.

All it took was a few more thrusting of his middle finger, and she could already feel her orgasm build. Her breath grew rapid, her stomach clenching as her orgasm erupted through her like a volcano.