Ruthless Mafia King: A Dark Bratva Arranged Marriage Romance

It’s easier to keep track of the days now that Nikolai has been eating with me every night.

I perk up at the rattling sound of an approaching trolley. As a reward for my good behavior, Nikolai left the table in the room. He even brought me a pen and a notebook.

He’s turned gentler.

It’s become harder to deny that I’ve had more enjoyable dinners in this room than in any restaurant over the past year. With each day that passes, he’s begun to make me look forward to his visits.

Now it’s time for my prison guard to fulfill all of my wants and needs. Right on time, the door pushes open to reveal Nikolai with the food trolley. I can already smell an apple pie and the buttery scent of dough.

Nikolai lifts up his hands. “Did you miss me?”

“Like an abscessed tooth,” I quip back.

The laugh lines around his eyes crinkle. I can’t help the slight surge of happiness flowing through me as our eyes meet.

“So not as much as I missed you,” he answers. “And that is not a lie.”

My entire body trembles at the sight of him.

He’s wearing his usual expensive suit that fits him to perfection. There’s always that extra bounce in his step as he walks toward me.

“I brought something to keep you entertained while you wait for the big bad wolf,” he continues as he moves.

“Oh yeah?” I raise my brow, finding myself curious to see what surprise he came up with. “What would that be?”

“You’ll find out once we’re finished eating,” he teases me with a tempting lilt in his voice.

“Come on, big guy,” I prod. “Tell me now.”

He motions for me to sit back down. There’s a subtle raise of his eyebrow, daring me to disobey him. His wish is a request, after all. Now that I’ve finally decided to play nice, it’s important to show him I’m willing.

Besides, I was hoping to take another step toward my freedom tonight.

“Have you been a good girl since our last dinner?” Nikolai inquires. There’s a fire burning behind his gray eyes. I can see it, my heart hammering in my chest.

As much as I try to ignore it, Nikolai looks me over. His lips part as his eyes linger on my breasts hungrily. I’m wearing a sparkly white mini dress he bought for me, showing off my legs. It’s something I’d normally wear to a club with a high heeled sandal. Now my feet are bare. His gaze causes tingles to run through my limbs, pushing cold air from my lungs.

“The best,” I assure him.

He considers my answer as he sets the plates on the table.

“Not the word I would’ve used,” he says, once he’s had a chance to think it over. “Because if that were true, you wouldn’t be this curious to find out what’s in that bag.”

I swallow past the need building in my throat. “You don’t have to be such a tease about it.”

He steps around the table to my side. “You’re growing impatient.”

Nikolai braces his hand on the table, lightly brushing mine. I hold my breath, too nervous to speak. I didn’t expect his touch to burn me like this, his very proximity scorching my skin.

He tilts my chin upward, forcing me to look at him. My stomach swoops and butterflies fly in my belly, heat crawling under my skin. Without making a sound, I let him scrutinize me as long as he wants.

Nikolai brings his face closer to mine, inspecting it as if I’ve grown horns. I shiver, and his jaw clenches. With nothing to stop him, he cups my face, his nose stroking along my own. There’s a fire raging inside of me, liquid pooling between my thighs. He takes another step forward.

“When will you stop torturing us, Katarina?” he asks softly. “All you need to do is ask.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to ask me to kiss you.”

“I’m not doing that,” I refuse, shaking my head.

He’s inches away from me, his gray eyes meeting mine. The corners of his mouth quirk up. “That’s okay,” he assures me. “We have time.”

My eyes don’t leave him as he straightens and goes to the food trolley to grab the bag. He’s smiling when he hands it to me.

“I would’ve brought them to you sooner, but there are just too many,” Nikolai muses as I look in the bag. “Like seriously, who comes up with so many hair and skin products? I hope you find something you like in here.”

I roll my eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with having choices.”

“Shouldn’t you be thanking me?” he murmurs.

I shake my head and chuckle. If I’m to get out of here, I should keep up the pretense. Although, the more time I spend with him, the harder it seems to get.

“Thank you, Nik,” I say, hoping to sound sincere. “I appreciate the products. They’ll be fun to sift through.”

“I got you something else, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I don’t want to spoil you too fast.” He pushes the trolley back into the corner to create more space. Then he sits down in his chair and waves to my dinner plate. “Let’s eat, serdtse.”

After that, we delve into a delicious stew with potatoes and chard. I devour a piece of bread and butter to soak up the thick liquid.

“Solanum has found itself in some trouble,” Nikolai tells me, keeping me up to date while making conversation. “Gargarin’s men have been boasting about selling drugs there. They caught the DEA’s attention, and they sent agents undercover. It was a massive bust. We’re not sure who was caught and who’s only laying low.”

“What does it mean for the business?” I ask. “Are you dealing drugs?”

“Never,” Nikolai replies with a slight shake of his head. “Drugs kill.”

“And guns don’t?” I challenge, remembering that he’s the biggest arms dealer in the area.

“They do, but only if people want them to,” he tells me, his gray eyes serious. “Drugs give you no choice. They wrap their addictive tentacles around your brain and control you until there’s nothing left of you. I despise everything about them.”

“The idea of you fighting for some noble cause is extremely unsettling.”

“Get used to it, serdtse,” he responds. “It’s not very effective to win a woman’s heart by lying to her.”

“I didn’t say I had a change of heart. I just said it is weird.”

He smiles. “More wine?”

“We already finished a bottle,” I comment, noticing a slight slur in my speech.

“It’s a good thing I brought another one.”

“We probably shouldn’t,” I counter. “It will be too much for me.”

“Too much?” he echoes and tilts his head to the side as if thinking about it. “Well, for one, it’s Friday. If there’s a day to have too much, it’s Friday. But if you want another reason, how about I simply tell you the truth?”

I widen my eyes and nod silently.

“I’m enjoying your company, and I don’t want the night to end just yet.”

The effect his words have on me is more potent than the wine we’ve drunk.

My pulse quickens as I realize I’m not the only one. Nikolai might’ve been drinking his wine faster than he usually does, but it still looked to me like he was drowning something. Could it be desire? Is he hard right now?

I nod my head, fearing that my voice will fail me if I agree verbally. Nikolai flashes me another smile. He brings the new bottle over and pours it in our empty glasses.

“To you, moye serdtse,” he says, lifting his glass in a toast. “To a happy life together.”

I suppress the urge to roll my eyes and smile instead. “To us.”

We clink the glasses and drink. I lean over my empty dessert plate, propping my elbow against the table and resting my chin against my palm.

My cheeks are flushed, but it’s not because of the wine. Ever since he made his expectations of me clear, I’ve noticed a dark look in his eyes. He licks his bottom lip every few seconds, a seductive promise in his eyes. Instead of admitting defeat, I take a gulp of wine.

“I like a girl who knows how to drink.” Nikolai chuckles.

But it sounds different from what I’m used to. His laugh is without real amusement, as though he’s trying to put on a show for me. It causes a shiver to run through me.

I blink a few times, trying to get my mind to catch up. Nikolai leans back, studying me. My lips draw into a straight line.

“Why are you staring at me like that, big guy?” I ask him, curious at the attention.

“You’re captivating when you drink,” he answers. “It’s hot.”

“Shut up,” I argue, an unintended giggle falling from my lips. “That’s just embarrassing.”

“It shouldn’t be,” he challenges.

“Just let me deal with my issues by drinking, okay?”

Nikolai leans forward, his intense gray eyes all consuming. “Ask me, serdtse.”

“Ask you what?”

I know what he needs me to do.

But I want him to tell me.

He closes the distance between us until I can smell him. His arousing cologne blends with the fresh scent of his soap, overtaking my senses.

His warm hand cups my chin and forces me to look into his eyes. “Go on, ask me,” he growls, his voice seductively tempting. “You want it just as much as I do.”

I lean closer to him.

What the hell am I doing?

“I do. I want you so bad, Nik. Will you stay with me tonight?” My words are barely audible.

His eyes darken, and the smirk from before is back on his face. Before I can react, he brushes his lips against mine. It’s brief and tender, sending an electric current through me. Heat rushes down my face. He cups the back of my head and kisses me. His tongue swirls against mine, demanding and possessive. The more I give, the more he takes from me. I’m fire, and he’s the oxygen that feeds the flames within me.

I should regret giving in and asking him to stay, but right now, that’s the last thing I feel.

I want him to do everything to me.