Page 12 of The Bratva's Plus-Size Bride

But I can’t say all of that because really, there’s nothing strange about going to dinner with your boss, and if I want to keep up this strictly professional act, I have to take stuff like this in stride. So I just nod and follow him into one of the hotel’s restaurants. Dimly lit with low music and a gorgeous view of thewater, it’d be the perfect spot for a date. The waiter leads us to a table that is clearly the prime spot in the whole place, right beside the windows, a little apart from the rest of the tables.

Our legs brush beneath the table, and I take a deep breath, trying to stop the flood of memories from the last time our legs were intertwined. I then carefully adjust myself to ensure there’s no chance of it happening again. It’s difficult, given the close proximity.

Worst of all, whenever I look up, I see his eyes on me. He’s completely shameless about it, and I’m the one turning red.

“Relax,” he says after the drinks arrive. I went for something fruity and colorful while he got his usual brown liquor. “We made a great start today.”

I take a sip, waiting for the alcohol to do its job and relax me because I’m wound so tightly I’m about to jump out of my skin “I should still be working right now. There’s so much left to do.”

He eyes me over the rim of his glass. “You don’t get to take a lot of breaks, do you? That’s going to change with me.”

“I enjoy working,” I protest, and it’s true. Work keeps my mind off of everything else in my life because let’s be honest, it’s not that great.

Mr. Milov settles back in his chair and looks past me, out to sea. It’s my chance to soak in the sight of him, and my body thrums to life with the sight. The way his fingers wrap around his glass has me wishing they were wrapped around my wrists instead.

“Well, I enjoy your company.” He turns back to me and catches me looking. A satisfied smile lifts one corner of his lips. “And as your boss, what I say goes.”

“In some scenarios,” I argue, because that’s a dangerous line of thinking. One that got us into this one-bed situation.

“I can think of multiple. There’s work, obviously, which extends to business trips and dinners like these.” His legs find mine again beneath the table and this time I can’t force myself to pull away. “And then there’s the bedroom, where you seemed… ecstatic to do as I said.”

I glance around the room, but it doesn’t seem like anyone’s overheard him. “Mr. Milov. That was out of character for me.”

He leans forward, elbows on the table. We both have forgotten about the half-eaten food on our plates. “I don’t know if I believe that, Ella. It might not be a habit of yours, and I like the idea of that, but I think there’s a part of you that it feels very much in character for. A part of you that loved it. A part that wants more.”

His voice drops lower with each word until the last is barely above a whisper. The worst part is that he’s right, and I can never admit it. I also can’t sit here across from him because every inch of my body is screaming for his touch, and there’s only so much self-control a woman has. So I get up. I don’t care if it looks like I’m fleeing; I am.

“I’m going up to bed,” I say, hating how breathless I sound.

He raises his glass toward me. “I’ll be up soon.”

I rush through my bedtime skincare routine and climb into bed, wearing my most full-coverage pajamas, just as Mr. Milov enters. He pads into the bathroom, and I hear the water running before he returns a few minutes later, smelling of toothpaste and face wash. He’s only wearing his briefs.

“Don’t you have pajamas?” I groan. I mean, the bed is big, but it’s not so big that I can pretend I’m not sharing it with a mostly naked, completely gorgeous man.

He looks down at himself, which makes the too-many-to-count muscles in his stomach ripple. “These are my pajamas. Normally, I’d sleep nude.”

Don’t think about that, I repeat to myself as he climbs into bed. I flip over so my back is facing him and wait for him to settle. Part of me wants him to make a move. Just to touch me and unleash the dam of desire I’ve been holding back behind this wall. The other part of me, the sensible part, is grateful that he’s a gentleman. I know he means what he said earlier—he’s not going to try anything until I ask him to. And I’ll never do that.

Chapter 7 - Anton

It’s a good thing I’m used to getting by on very little sleep because I think I only had a grand total of two hours last night. Yet, despite the sleep deprivation, I’m feeling pretty good right now because I have Ella tangled around me. She’s wearing little shorts, her bare leg thrown over mine, her arm draped across my chest, and her head resting on my shoulder. From her breathing, she’s still deeply asleep. Good. I’m glad she’s able to rest. My girl will keep going until she collapses if I let her; I noticed that yesterday.

Asleep, her face is borderline angelic. Her plush lips are begging for a kiss, and when she sighs softly and wiggles against me, I feel blood rush to my dick. It’s caught beneath her pillowy thigh, and even that amount of friction is enough to get it rock hard. I’m so far gone, it’s frightening. How could she have burrowed so deeply into my heart so quickly?I’m fucked.

I drag my finger lightly up the back of her arm, then force my hands to still. All I want is to wake her up properly—with an orgasm, but I promised her I wouldn’t touch her like that unless she begged for it, and I meant what I said. She’s worth the wait, and I’m happy to take my time especially if that time looks like this.

This is the one and only time in my life I’ve gone to bed with a woman and not fucked her. Ella is different from all the rest. Resisting her is like resisting a buffet after a month of fasting, but her trust is worth more than a moment’s pleasure. If I play my cards right, we’ll have a lifetime of pleasure. I just need to convince her to open up to me.

She stirs, and her eyes flutter open. Chocolate-truffle brown and framed by thick, black lashes, I could spend the restof my life looking into them, especially as they flare in surprise when she finds herself wrapped around me. But she doesn’t pull away. I can tell she’s still half-asleep, still realizing what position she is in, and I don’t do anything to risk speeding that realization along. I’ll savor these moments of her against me. My stubborn girl might not give me another for a while.

Her hair is a wild tangle around her face. She’s not a restful sleeper, but her tossing and turning are only part of what kept me awake last night. Sometimes, her brow would furrow, and she’d mumble something in her sleep. It has to be the stress of her life seeping into the night. Even when she closes her eyes, she can’t escape. It only makes me more determined to lift her out of that life and into the one she deserves.

There’s just the small matter of her not knowing we’re deeply involved in the Bratva world. She’s so innocent that I can’t imagine how she’ll react to that knowledge. Luka wants me to keep it from her, saying there’s no reason for her to get involved in that side of things, but it’s a part of me, and there’s no way I can hide it from her forever. At some point, I’m going to have to tell her.

She moves against me again, and this time, she’s awake. I know she can feel the hard press of my cock against her leg. It’s unavoidable. I’m expecting her to pull back, preparing myself to feel the loss of her heat, but she doesn’t. She moves again, rubbing her thigh against my dick in a way that is definitely intentional. Fuck. If she keeps that up, I’m going to lose hold of the self-control I’ve managed to scrape together.

I don’t stop her though, fuck that. She shifts, and I can feel the warmth between her thighs pressed against my hip, and now she’s grinding that against me with every one of her teasing wiggles. My dick is at full attention now and begging for more.

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