Mikhail
The sweet scent of grapes fills the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of the soil as we walk through Sorokin’s vineyard. Lush rows of grapevines stretch out beside the castle, occupying acres of land that sweep into the distance. The deep green leaves rustle from the constant breeze off the Atlantic Ocean, creating a multisensory solitude.
The tour of his art collection ended with an invitation to stay overnight, which I accepted. I savor a rare moment of peace as the setting sun warms my skin and Maria walks beside me.
“That smell.” Maria inhales deeply. “It’s intoxicating.” The sun spins threads of gold in her fiery hair, making her innocent beauty stand out radiantly.
Maria stretches her arms out and raises her face to the sky. “Would you ever move from the city, Mikhail?” she asks. “Live somewhere like this?”
“No,” I reply simply. “Some people flee the city when it becomes challenging, but I would miss it.”
Maria moves closer, and her hand finds mine. “Manhattan is nice.”
I frown, staring at her intently. “Is this what you really want?”
“I don’t know if I want this.” Maria doesn’t look at me, and I hold her hand tighter so she can’t pull away.
“If I were an ordinary man, I wouldn’t have these extraordinary problems,” I whisper. But I can’t give the Bratva up, not even for her. How can I protect my people as an ordinary man? Only a pakhan can defend his people.
Maria squeezes my hand. “There are times I may want you to change your mind, Mikhail. But I don’t want you to change.”
I stop walking and Maria stops beside me. She looks at me, questioning. “Sometimes, I wish I could just leave it all behind,” I confess softly. “For you, for myself, for the life we could have together without all this fighting.”
Her eyes shine with hope, then sadness. “Maybe one day we will.”
My gaze locks onto hers. “Maybe.”
“Mikhail, I understand the risks, and I believe we can pull it off. Together.”
As we stand there, surrounded by lush serenity, I feel a renewed sense of purpose. Hate, revenge, and guilt may wage war inside me, but Maria’s unwavering faith in our plans keeps me from slipping into madness.
I pull her close to me, and her gaze goes to my lips. Leaning in, I take the warmth of hers, forgetting that falling in love was not the plan. Our tender kiss slowly builds in intensity, and our bodies press tightly together.
A surge of emotion moves through me, and I’m reminded of my commitment to protect her. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that her bond to the Lanzzare will always cast a shadow over our relationship.
I pull back. “Your other family, Maria. They’ll be a part of your life, and I’m struggling to accept that.”
Maria’s gaze holds mine, and I see her struggle with what to say. I respect that she doesn’t want to lie, but I’m disappointed that she won’t say what I want to hear.
“Can we pretend a little longer that it’s just the two of us and no one else? That we have no family that hates one another.” Her fingers trace the contours of my face. “I’m yours, and you’re mine, and to hell with the rest of them.”
My voice is raw with emotion as I hold her. “I love you, Maria.”
Her eyes sparkle as she smiles. “I love you, Mikhail.”
Our clothes lie abandoned under the grapevines as we explore each other’s bodies with teasing touches. The way her eyes seem to eat up my body with obvious hunger is intoxicating. Her neck is long and graceful, her waist slender; her soft breasts bounce slightly with each movement, and her delicate fingers caress me. I can hardly contain myself as her hands move over my skin, the pleasure and anticipation building until I can scarcely breathe.
My hands explore her body, and I’m in awe of the smooth softness of her skin. Maria begins to move her hips back and forth against me suggestively. Without stopping our kiss, I roll us over so that she lies under me. Maria opens her legs, inviting me to continue my exploration, and I know exactly what she wants.
“Be patient,” I whisper. “We have time.”
I pull away from her lips and tenderly kiss the delicate line of her jaw toward her ear. Naughty, she keeps moving her hips against mine, but I move mine out of her reach. Her moan fills the air as she aches for me, wanting me to take her.
I raise myself on my hands and knees so that my lips are the only point of connection between us. Gently, I start to kiss and nibble my way down her neck until I reach the hollow at the base of her throat. She’s quiet now, except for the slight intake of breath from the sensation of my lips and tongue on her naked skin, just as I intended.
“It gets better,” I whisper against her wet skin.
My lips brush lightly against her collarbone and then down her side, but not quite touching the area near her breasts. Then I kiss near the delicate skin where her chest and breasts meet. She anticipates that I’ll gradually move inward, so I surprise Maria by suddenly drawing her nipple into my mouth and biting it ever so softly.
Maria gasps and clutches my head to her breast, pressing my face to her body as I eagerly kiss her, devouring as much of her breast as possible. She starts to tremble in my arms, and I realize with delight that she’s having an orgasm just from the sensation of my mouth on her.
I keep going until she catches her breath, and then I repeat the same ritual with her other breast. Maria stays in control, keeping her hands at her sides. She’s eager for me to touch her between her legs. I will eventually-teasing her along the way.
I kiss straight down the middle, across incredibly smooth, soft skin, until my lips touch her trimmed hair. Maria’s hipbone is neither too prominent nor too subtle, and I spend a few moments tickling it with my tongue before continuing down to her thigh.
She moans and squirms in frustration as I ignore her pussy and kiss her knees. I move inside her delicious thighs, smelling her scent and seeing her excitement. I kiss slowly up her inner thigh, and she responds by opening her legs wider as I approach.
Maria’s drenched lips are swollen, and I kiss them as passionately as I kiss her mouth. Her breathing deepens as her anticipation grows; she wiggles her hips, hinting that she’s ready. But after being as deliberate as I’ve been, I’m not going to rush things now. Her hands move from her sides and pull at my hair. She lets go with a gasp when I flick her clit with my tongue.
Slowly, I circle my tongue, tasting her until she’s begging for me. Maria moans with a mix of passion and frustration, threatening to explode if I don’t put it in her right now.
My erection is almost painfully hard. My baser instincts are screaming to yank her legs wide open and push in so deeply that I never want to part, but I know this will be special for both of us. I want to make love to her as if it’s the last time and I am never coming back.
I massage her inner thighs with my hands, gradually moving them closer. Maria gasps, so close, yet not there, desperate for what she urgently wants and needs. But first I hold her lips apart and plunge my tongue as far as I can into her sweet depths. Maria cries out as she comes.
“Oh, Mikhail!” she screams.
I hold her thrashing hips down as I suck hard on her clit, not letting up until she collapses. I’ve never seen a woman make love like Maria, and it’s a glorious feeling knowing that I’ve done this to her, but now I’m going to take her the way I want.
I grip my cock and press against her. Her wetness allows me instantly in, but her hands grip my hips. I’m moving too fast and I need her hotter. We kiss deeply as I grind against her, moving slowly until she relaxes and lets go.
As our lips meet, a fierce determination rises in me-a promise that I will do whatever it takes to protect Maria and our unborn child.
We make love beneath the canopy of leaves and vines, with the sweet scent of grapes and soil all around us. And in the aftermath, we lie entwined in each other’s arms-languid and spent as the sun casts dappled shadows over our bodies.
I pull her closer, feeling the warmth of her body, and press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her fingers trace delicate patterns on my chest, and I can see the weight of our situation reflected in her eyes.
“You understand what will happen next?” I ask gently.
“When I was resting you talked to them about killing him.”
She knows me too well. “I won’t risk you again.”
“I understand.” She sits up and wipes a tear away from her eye.
I reach for her and pull her against me, cradling her against my chest. She has to know she means everything to me. “Maria, make your other family understand that Zakhar is my business.”
“Our business,” she whispers.
“Yes, our business.”
“Make me a promise, Mikhail.”
“Anything, dorogaya.”
“Give me one more chance to convince him to walk away.”
I relax my hold on Maria so I can look her in the eyes. “And if he doesn’t?”
Her gaze is hard, a touch determined. “Then make it quick, so he doesn’t suffer.”
I pull her back into my arms, nodding. “I promise.”