Second Best (Volkov Bratva Book 1) Read online

  It had cut me.

  “You can cook?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’ve … I left you food out before. I gave you a note or something.”

  “I never saw it,” Slavik said.

  “What?”

  “I never saw any meal waiting for me. It’s why I started eating out or I made myself a sandwich.”

  “But all the food was dumped into the trash. I’d make myself and Sergei food, and I’d leave your plate in the oven. There was always a note.” I paused and then looked away.

  “Sergei,” Slavik said. “He dumped my food in the trash. I had no idea you’d cooked for me, Aurora. I didn’t even know you could cook.”

  “I can. I mean, I do cook. I don’t know if I’m any good.” I offered him a smile. He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I had no idea Sergei would do that.”

  “Sergei would do anything to win your heart. I can see that.”

  My mind replayed the moment he killed him. It was odd as I’d always felt sad about that moment. Knowing Sergei had done that, I was so annoyed. My marriage had been difficult from the start, and each time I attempted to make it easier, someone else came in and made it even harder.

  Anger filled me as I turned to walk out of the bathroom.

  Slavik grabbed my arm and tugged me close to him. I didn’t have time to question what he was doing as his lips brushed across mine. I knew he was in pain and didn’t touch his side as I kissed him back.

  I liked his lips on mine, slowly growing addicted to his kisses. They always started out slow, tender, only to build to an inferno that consumed me. As he traced his tongue across my lips, everything faded into the background. There was no care in the world other than his lips on mine. I needed him, and I pressed my body against his, trying to get as close to him as possible.

  Fire flooded my body.

  Need pulsed between my thighs.

  Everything was heightened.

  I was hungry for more.

  Desperate.

  Just as suddenly as it all started, he pulled away, leaving me empty.

  It was time to go and make food. Without a word, I left the bathroom, needing the space. I touched my swollen lips as I entered the kitchen.

  It was just a kiss. To me, it felt like so much more, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop thinking about it.

  ****

  Slavik

  I cleaned up without getting the bandage wet.

  Aurora’s stitching had fucking hurt. I’d forgotten how painful it could be, but there was no reason to phone the fucking doctor or go to the hospital. They were a persona and place I tried to avoid. Besides, I had a very high pain threshold. It took a lot to get to me.

  I left the bathroom, drying my body and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. I followed the scents coming from the kitchen, and I didn’t alert Aurora to my presence as she worked. She chopped onions and garlic, putting them in a pan, sprinkling in some herbs and spices as she did.

  Mesmerized by the way she moved in the kitchen, I thought about what she said earlier, about feeding me. When I’d asked Sergei what she had to eat, he told me she cooked for herself, but no one else.

  My anger at the asshole I’d killed was renewed. I wished he was alive so I could have killed him again. Not only that, I’d have made him see who Aurora belonged to. She was mine. No one else’s, and I was frustrated to know he died without me driving that point home.

  I’d never considered myself a possessive person, not when it came to a woman. My turf I defended violently, keeping it belonging to me and in turn, part of Volkov’s terrain. Women came and went. As a young man, I’d fucked my way through so much pussy. None of them had any faces. It had all been about getting myself off, and for them, it was about taking on the Volkov’s meanest fucking brigadier. I was a badge to them, a title.

  When Ivan told me I needed to get married for an alliance, I’d been happy to do it. I’d never intended to be faithful to my wife, or think about her.

  Aurora had come as a huge surprise to me in so many ways. First, my desire for other women had faded. Even while we hadn’t been having sex but had been married, I hadn’t looked at anyone else. I hadn’t cared to. Women had tried to capture my attention, but I’d ignored them. Each time they did, Aurora’s face would flash in my head, and any desire for anyone or anything else faded.

  It meant nothing to me.

  Aurora opened a can of tomatoes, adding them to the pan, stirring, followed by some water from the kettle. She went to the cupboard, and I liked seeing her at home in the kitchen. The way she turned and worked. This was her home.

  She had another pot boiling and I saw the packet of pasta on the counter.

  I entered the room, alerting her to my presence, and she spun around with a smile. “You know I was just thinking, I don’t have a clue what you like or don’t like. I’m assuming you love pasta. I love it.”

  “I like pasta,” I said, taking a seat, being careful not to pull the stitches. Tonight would hurt like a motherfucker, but tomorrow, I’d have no choice but to go back out there.

  Aurora winced as she watched me. “Do you need to talk about it?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, well, Cara called a couple of hours ago,” she said.

  I tensed up. “She did?”

  “Yeah, she wanted to go out to lunch. At first, she said you wouldn’t mind, but then I recalled what you said about me going out or being alone with her again.” Aurora turned toward me. “Lunch would be safe, right?”

  “Why do you want to go to lunch with her?”

  She shrugged but her face went bright red. That was not the sign of a woman who didn’t know why she didn’t want to go.

  “I just, I like her, and I think she’s nice.”

  “Cara’s not nice,” I said. I didn’t want my wife going to lunch with Cara.

  “Oh, fine.”

  “Why didn’t it work out with that other woman?” I clicked my fingers, trying to figure out who she was.

  “Bethany?”

  “That’s her. I can talk to her. Andrei is visiting. I’m sure Bethany would love to have lunch with you.”

  “No thank you.”

  The smile on her lips faded. “Why not? Weren’t you constantly going out with each other? Having dinner dates?”

  “It didn’t work out, and I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll let Cara know I can’t go.”

  I didn’t like how she instantly closed off from me. There was something going on and I wasn’t sure what.

  Glaring at her back, I locked my fingers together and waited.

  She drained the pasta and served me some food before finally showing me attention.

  “Where do you want to eat?” she asked.

  “Dinner table, and you will join me.”

  I got to my feet, spun on my heel, and went to the table, taking my seat at the head.

  Aurora put my food in front of me and I ordered her to sit.

  “Is there anything you want? Wine? Beer? Vodka?”

  She’d never offered me vodka, and it made me smile.

  “Sit.”

  She lowered her ass into the seat and her gaze was averted from mine.

  I picked up my fork, speared a piece of pasta, and put it in my mouth. An explosion of flavor hit my tongue. There was tomato and a hint of spice that made my mouth water for more. I took a couple more mouthfuls. “This is really good.”

  She relaxed a little.

  “What happened between you and Bethany?” I didn’t care. I kept on telling myself I didn’t care about the petty squabbles of women, but something gnawed at me. Something I was clearly missing about what went down, and I didn’t like not knowing.

  “I’m really happy for Bethany and Andrei. I hope they have a happy marriage.”

  “I’m glad, because we have to attend the ceremony in two weeks.”

  “Wait? Two weeks?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did that happen? She told me it was going
to be a December wedding.”

  “I got the call from Andrei. It has been moved up for speed. I don’t question why. So tell me why you’re not interested in being around Bethany.”

  Aurora ran her fingers through her hair as she sat back. “She … and I … she didn’t like me.”

  “What?”

  “It’s what I heard her say. She didn’t like me. I’m not going to force my company on someone who hates me.”

  I frowned. “That’s not what I heard. You cut your lunch date short.”

  “I did after I heard her talking to someone on the phone.” She shrugged. “She hated me and found me boring.” She chuckled. “Whoever she spoke to said you could do so much better than me.”

  “What?”

  Aurora told me in great detail what Bethany said. I knew for a fact she didn’t lie. There was no reason for her to, but hearing her say this shit, I wanted to hurt this Bethany.

  “Look, I’m not after pity or anything. I’m kind of used to it.”

  “Used to what?”

  “People not liking me. I don’t know what it is about me. I guess I come on too strong for a friend. I don’t know. I’m … when someone seems to want to be a friend, I’m happy. I want to be the kind of friend you can rely on. I just, everyone, I’m, I don’t know. I guess I’m a bad friend.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  She chuckled.

  “I think you’d be surprised.”

  She shrugged.

  “How long has this been happening?”

  “All my life. Back at my parents’ place, we weren’t allowed a lot of freedom, but my sister often went out on shopping dates. Trips to the movies. Stuff like that. I was never invited.” She held her hands up in surrender. “After a while, you get used to it.”

  She may have gotten used to being ignored but that didn’t make the pain go away.

  Aurora laughed. “I was only ever good enough when Isabella was ill or they needed someone to make up the numbers. Bethany was never on time. She always had a reason to be elsewhere and after hearing what she said about me, I didn’t want to sit through the remainder of lunch with a person who can’t stand me.”

  “I’ll talk to Andrei.”

  “No, please don’t.”

  “He needs to know the kind of woman he’s aligning himself with.”

  She groaned. “It doesn’t matter. Honestly.”

  “Bethany is lying to him.”

  “Of course she is. Why would she tell him the truth that she can’t stand to be around Slavik’s wife because she finds her boring?”

  “As his wife, she should be telling him the truth. No questions asked.”

  Aurora groaned. “Now that you put it like that, it makes so much sense. You’re going to cause trouble. I don’t want trouble.”

  I got up from the table, cupped her face, and tilted her head back to look at me. “Aurora, you’re my wife. I will not stand by while someone makes your life miserable. You’re worth causing trouble over.”

  “No, I’m not. You’re going to make waves, and you can’t even stand to be around me.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her.

  “Slavik, please.”

  “Tell me.”

  I didn’t have the first clue what was going on in this woman’s head. She was all over the place.

  “We have sex and you haven’t been around for a couple of days. I don’t know what that means, but to me, I guess I was awful.” She winced and visibly recoiled.

  I took a seat.

  I’d already finished my food, and I pushed my plate to the side. “Come here,” I said.

  This time, she frowned. “Why?”

  “I won’t repeat myself.”

  She rolled her eyes but got to her feet and stepped in front of me. I lifted her up on the table. At the same time, I grabbed the waistband of her sweatpants and pulled them down her thighs, throwing them to the floor.

  I didn’t have my blade on me, so I tugged at the flimsy material of her panties and they tore easily. With her naked, I spread her legs wide open.

  “You think you were a bad fuck?”

  “Slavik?”

  “Yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  I cupped her pussy and she gasped.

  She was already slightly wet.

  I slid a finger between her slit, stroking over her nub. As I stared at Aurora, she closed her eyes. Her legs quivered from my touch, but I slowed my movements, taking my time, making her feel every caress as I played with her.

  “I’ve had a busy couple of days. As you saw from the way I came in, we’ve been attacked in a couple of our nightclubs. It started at one place and has extended to five nightclubs all across the city. Three of them were owned by me. Tonight, I shut down a place, but my men were present to make it look like it was still open. The attack happened and I was able to capture one of the men, however, before I could question him, he impaled himself on a piece of metal, killing himself instantly.”

  I’d never seen a man so frightened, and I’d seen a lot of men who were on the verge of facing death. I’d been the one to take them to their maker. “All the while, I’ve been frustrated because I didn’t want to be in a nightclub or talking to the police, handling business. No, for the first time in my life, I wanted to come home to explore the woman in my bed. At the time, her pussy was just a memory, and I craved it. No woman has ever made me lose focus like this. What are you doing to me, Aurora?”

  “Don’t tease me. It’s not fair.”

  “I have no intention of teasing you, baby.”

  “Please don’t lie to me.”

  “You think I’m lying to you about what I wanted tonight? How I’ve been trying to get home to you?”

  I slid two fingers inside her slick heat, watching her come apart, and it was so beautiful. I couldn’t look away and the truth was I didn’t want to. She was a fucking dream.

  There was nothing false about her reaction. How slick her cunt was, that was real. No lube to keep her wet. I slid my fingers across her pussy, driving her arousal even higher. She moaned my name, and touching her wasn’t enough.

  Replacing my fingers with my mouth, I licked across her slit, circling her nub. She tasted just as good as I remembered, if not even better. I sucked her clit into my mouth, hearing her pleasured cries fill the air as I teased her. So incredibly tasty.

  Gliding down to her entrance, I fucked her as if it was my cock, hearing her gasps and moans, begging for more and telling me to not stop. I loved to hear those words.

  She thrust up against me, riding my face, trying to take her pleasure with each thrust and moan.

  So beautiful.

  Fucking stunning.

  I craved more.

  Aurora made me ache, and I wasn’t used to this feeling. Not only did she make me ache, but I needed her. This wasn’t an easy emotion for me to accept. For months, I’d tried to ignore her. Seeing Sergei kiss her then Cara play with her, I’d been pushed to my limit.

  The only person I wanted for her was myself.

  “Please,” she said.

  “Come for me.”

  She cried out, her orgasm instant as I stroked over her clit. I pushed two fingers inside her, driving in and out of her cunt. Then I turned my fingers to stroke over her G-spot, and she rewarded me. Her release flooded my fingers, soaking them.

  I watched her, unable to look away. Her entire body shook with the force of her release. Such a heady sight. One I knew I wasn’t going to want to stop.

  I withdrew my fingers as the last aftershocks of her release ebbed away. Sitting back, I stared at her as I licked my fingers one by one, sucking them into my mouth. She tasted so fucking good.

  I loosened the cord of my pants and eased out my cock for her to see. “Do you think this is lying to you?”

  She licked her lips. “What do you want me to do?”

  “To put your pretty pussy right over it.”
>
  “You’re hurt.”

  “The only pain I feel is in my balls. I need them empty, and I want my cum inside of you.”

  Her cheeks were a beautiful pink.

  She slid off the table and I sat back. The chair didn’t have any sides, so as she stood with her legs spread, there was nothing to stop her. She placed her hands on my shoulders. I held my cock, and she lowered down. I gripped her ass with my free hand, guiding her to my dick.

  Aurora sank down, gasping as I filled her. She was so wet, but I was big. I held on to her hips when she’d taken enough of me inside her so I wouldn’t escape. I pulled her right down onto my dick, keeping her in place, not letting her move an inch.

  “This is what I’ve been wanting,” I said. “This is what I need.”

  I lifted her up and pulled her back down. Together, we fucked, and she took my cock so perfectly. We fit. There was no other word for it. The rest of the world could overlook this woman, but what Aurora didn’t seem to get was that I saw her. I noticed her, and I liked what I saw.

  Over and over, she rocked on my length, and I relished her tight cunt taking me in deep. I wasn’t going to last.

  The months without being inside her had caught up with me, and with a final tug, I slammed her down on my length. My cum flooded her pussy, making her mine once again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Aurora

  “Do you enjoy going to those events?” I asked.

  The dress Slavik picked out was a little tight. My breasts were thrust up, almost as an offering, and the slit at the side was a little too indecent.

  I wasn’t used to dressing like this, and for a banquet, it seemed out of place.

  Slavik looked up from his cell phone. He’d offered to take me shopping. I’d sent back the clothes I purchased on my last and only rebellion. In the cold light of day, I didn’t like a single item I picked, which sucked.

  He looked at me, and I held my hands out and gave a turn.

  I hated shopping for clothes. It was pointless. Having a body on the frumpy side compared to the slender women that surrounded me, I always felt like I didn’t belong. My mom and my sister would always tell me my flaws. My chest was too big or too small. My fat arms were on display. They were an ordeal.

  Slavik didn’t look at me like I didn’t measure up. There was a hunger in his gaze. One I wasn’t used to experiencing.