32. Mikhail

I'm kissing Viviana before I'm even conscious. The soft skin of her shoulder. The slope of her neck.

It might have something to do with the fact that I fell asleep kissing her. Since the second my brothers cleared out of here with Dante, every second spent not touching her feels like a waste of time.

She sighs and stretches against me. The only thought in my head as I grip her hip is, She's mine.

"We have to leave today," she rasps.

I finally open my eyes and her lower lip is pouted out. I can't resist pinching it between my teeth. "Hush. We're not talking about that yet."

"About what?"

I press my lips to the hollow of her throat. "About anything outside of this room. Anything that doesn't involve the many different ways I could have you screaming my name."

She laughs, her long lashes fluttering against pink cheeks. "There's a lot to pack up. We never put the candles away after the ceremony yesterday. I think the cheesecake is still on the counter, so it's probably rotten. There's a lot to do and?—"

"And we can worry about that later." I cup her breast, enjoying the weight of her in my hand. "After I make you come."

I slide my hand down her stomach and she stiffens. She snaps her legs together and grabs my arm.

I frown. "What is it?"

Her cheeks darken, turning red. "I'm just—dirty."

"Fuck yes, you are."

"No," she laughs. "Not like that. Like, I am sweaty and the inside of my thighs are a sticky mess. I need a shower."

"I don't give a shit about any of that. For better or worse, remember?"

I swat her hand away, but she coils into a ball like a naked armadillo. "For better or worse is for when we're old and gray and have fallen and can't get up. It can't start on the morning after our wedding!"

I grimace. "Fine. Suit yourself."

She eases back down slightly, peeking at me over the blanket. "Really?"

"Really."

She blows out a breath. "Okay. Good. Let me shower and then?—"

I throw back the blanket and scoop her up. She yelps, but it's already too late. I'm up and heading down the hall.

"What are you doing?" she shrieks, covering herself like I haven't seen and tasted every inch of her.

I walk into the bathroom and turn the shower on. She lunges for the door, but I slam it shut, backing her against the wood until she has to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.

"I'm giving you exactly what you want, Viviana." She swallows and I tip my head towards the steaming shower. "Now, get in the shower before I change my mind."

Her chest is rising and falling fast. I can tell she's debating staying put and taking whatever punishment I decide to dish out. I can guarantee she'll enjoy it. But after a second, she marches past me and steps into the shower.

I make it as far as squirting body wash into the palm of my hand when Viviana presses her palms against the tile and wiggles her ass in my direction.

"There's no sense cleaning up if we're just going to make another mess," she suggests, her green eyes wide and innocent.

Dirty, indeed.

I fuck her into the shower wall.

I drive into her hard and fast—the exact opposite of last night. When she screams my name, I grab her hair and arch her back, letting her wail it to the sky.

When her legs are too shaky to stand, I pick her up, wrap her around my waist, and press into her quivering body slowly. I draw out every last second of being in this cabin with her until I can't hold back.

I spill into her, giving her everything I have.

Then I grab the body wash from the shower floor and clean her up like I promised.

The moment I park the car in front of the mansion, I see Raoul.

Actually, I see a lot of my men.

There are new guards posted at the gates and men milling around the driveway. The cameras posted along the fence are as big as ravens. If anyone comes through the gates who isn't supposed to, it won't be because they didn't know they were on camera.

"Different vibe here," Viviana remarks softly from the passenger seat. She's sunk down in the seat, looking as reluctant as I feel to climb out and face reality.

"It's safer."

She reaches over the console and squeezes my wrist. "I know. And thank you. Knowing Dante is safe here is the only reason I could enjoy last night."

I arch both brows. "I don't think that was the only reason you enjoyed last night."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course not. Your excellent lovemaking was the number one reason, Mikhail. All hail your glorious penis, amen."

I grip her chin and bring her lips to mine. "I'll be busier the next few days, so repeat that to yourself every so often. I'd hate for you to forget."

"If I forget, will you remind me?" she asks, voice all innocence. But I see the mischief burning in her eyes.

"On second thought, go ahead and forget. Often and repeatedly."

She kisses me. "You got it, boss."

The newlywed haze follows me out of the car and halfway to the front door. Then Raoul steps off the porch, his mouth set in a firm line, and it dissipates.

"I need to talk to you."

I hand my luggage to the new driver Anatoly hired while I was away. The kid trips over his own feet reaching for my bag and then trips himself with the wheels twice on his way inside.

"Is it about that?" I mutter, tipping my head at the poor kid.

Raoul shakes his head. "A clumsy new hire is the least of our problems."

Viviana brushes her hand along my back. "I'm going to go see Dante. Are you coming?"

I want to.

Fuck, I want to.

But reality has finally come knocking and I have no choice but to answer the door.

"I need to talk to Raoul. We'll be in my office."

She kisses my cheek and smiles at Raoul before she leaves. As soon as she's through the door, I sigh. "Let's talk business."

The long and short of it is that the world did not stop turning while I was away. "The Greeks and Italians won't stop until they win this war," Raoul explains. His hand is tight around the drink I poured, but he hasn't taken a sip. "They've been poking holes along the edges of our territory for days."

"No one told me."

"You were busy," he says. "You needed the break."

"It wasn't a fucking ‘break,'" I snap. "Agostino Giordano broke into my house. He was in my bedroom while Viviana was home alone."

He dips his head, eyes on the floor. "Security is my job. That never should have happened."

I know Raoul feels guilty. He told me over and over again before we left for the cabin. I tip back my drink and place the empty glass on my desk. "You were putting out another fire. We all were. I get it."

"But if anything had happened to her?—"

"It didn't," I interrupt him. "Now, our security gaps are covered and she and Dante are safe here. So let's stop talking about the past and figure out what the future looks like, yeah?"

He reluctantly nods.

"If Christos and Agostino are working together, we can't afford to sit back and wait for them to find another way through our defenses."

"Especially if they're going to keep burning down our businesses," he mutters. "What do you have in mind?"

I snatch Raoul's untouched drink out of his hand and toss it back. "If they want to go after our biggest assets, I think it's only fair that we go after theirs."