Owned by the Boss

by Brook Wilder

  “It is part of my job,” I argue.

  “No, your job is to protect this family.”

  “And I’ll do it no matter what the cost!” I yell back as I storm across the tile floor to reach her. “If that means I have to murder ten men, twenty, or more, I’ll fucking do it. I know what’s needed of me and I accept it. It’s time you did too.”

  “I don’t want you to be a killer,” she pleads. “I don’t want this life for us.”

  “We don’t have a choice. You know this, and I’m finished discussing it tonight.”

  I ignore the fury warring with the pain in her eyes and head to the shower. I expect her to storm out of the bathroom, but she remains standing there looking lost. I grit my teeth, strip out of my soiled clothes, and step under the hot spray. I shower as quickly as I can, then shut the water off and wrap a towel around my waist. Water slides down my chest and shoulders as I move past Stella toward the bedroom. She catches my arm as I pass.

  “What?” I snap.

  “What if you turn into your father?” she whispers so quietly I almost can’t hear her. “Or you become as heartless as your brothers? Do you want me married to a monster?”

  “You have such little faith in me.”

  “No, it’s just … Danya, I …” She licks her lips then lets my arm go. I wait for her to say anything else, but when she doesn’t, I walk away.

  The fact that she would compare to me Mikhail is like a slap to the face. The idea that I would ever turn into the twins cuts me straight to the bone. I’m inside the closet searching for a clean pair of briefs and jeans so I can head downstairs to the study when I hear her say two words that make my chest tight.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  I back out of the closet to see her standing by the bathroom, holding her hands to her stomach. “What did you say?”

  She swallows hard and lifts her head. When her green eyes find mine, they’re shimmering with tears and regret. That’s not what my wife should be doing when she learns she’s pregnant with our child. “I’m pregnant. I found out a week or so ago and I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”

  “Why the hell not?” I mutter, confused why she’d keep this from me. “This is good news.”

  “Is it?” she shouts. “The nightmare I keep having is only getting worse, and then I found out I was pregnant and all I keep imagining is our baby being used as a pawn in this sick, twisted game. He’ll be in danger all the time because he’s an heir to this fucking empire.” She sucks in a harsh breath and staggers back a step. “And what if it’s a girl? Her life will be miserable and then it won’t matter anyway because our place in the family will still be in doubt. We won’t be safe. We’ll never be safe and our baby … I can’t have a baby come into this world, Danya. I almost didn’t tell you and I … I just … for the first few days, I didn’t want it. I thought it’d be better if … if we never had it.”

  Anger boils up within me, and I’m ready to yell at her for even considering aborting our child, but then she’s on the floor in a heap, crying. One hand is wrapped around her middle and the other covers her face as she sobs, saying she’s sorry repeatedly.

  “I can’t do this,” she gasps in between sobs. “I can’t, not if you turn into them. I won’t have our baby be used. I won’t.”

  I rush to her and try to lift her off the floor, but she’s too distraught. I sit down and hug her close as I kiss the top of her head and run my fingers through her hair. “Our baby will be safe,” I swear to her. “I won’t let it be used against us.”

  “They won’t let you keep that promise.”

  My arms tighten their hold around her as I realize this whole time she wasn’t just coming to terms with the reality of our world, but the notion of bringing a baby into it. An innocent life that might not stay that way. Stella’s life has been far from easy, and neither has mine. Will our baby’s be any different?

  I lift her chin and kiss her softly. “I swear to you I will keep our baby safe. And you. No one is going to take either of you from me. And if you think for one second I’m turning into my father or the twins, you tell me. You call me out on it. I might get angry, I might fight you on it, but you’re strong, Stella. Stronger than me most days. You keep being strong for us both and for our baby.” I rest my hand on her stomach, my anger vanishing to be replaced by an overwhelming surge of love and pride for this woman in my arms.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers again, trying to turn away from me. “I’m not as strong as you think.”

  “Yes, you are. Look at me, Stella.” It takes a few seconds, but she does. I wipe away the tears with my thumbs then kiss her forehead, her cheeks, and finally her mouth. “You are my heart. No matter how hard our lives might be, no matter how angry we get with each other, that will never change. Understand me?”

  She nods and leans into my chest. “I want you to keep telling me things.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. The stress can’t be good for you both.” She takes my hand and parts her robe, revealing all she’s wearing beneath is a pair of red panties. She presses my palm to her stomach and holds it there. I know it’s too soon to feel anything, but I swear I sense a life growing inside her. A life we created.

  “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together, the three of us. Just promise me one thing, Danya. If there’s ever a chance for us to leave this life, we take it. No questions asked.”

  The longer I stare into those green depths, the more I start to believe Stella might have been doing more than just getting intel on what my brothers are up to. The promise I made so many years ago rears its head again and I find myself nodding.

  “Promise, no questions asked.” I say it, but I have more than a few questions. Leaving the families won’t be easy, no matter what crazy plan she’s working on. This contact of hers probably doesn’t understand the false hope he or she gave Stella in believing there’s a way out where we might be safe forever. Where the families won’t come after us because of how much we know.

  If I say no, though, it will start another argument, and right now, what I want is to enjoy this moment with my wife. Here I let myself hope that I’d convinced her we could handle a child. Looks like the rest of the world was in agreement with me. I brush Stella’s messy hair from her face then kiss her sweetly, leaving my hand against her stomach for a moment longer. I caress my way up her chest and around her ribs as her robe parts more for me. I lift her onto my lap and kiss her again until her lips part.

  My tongue dances alongside hers in a languid kiss that leaves me starving for every inch of this woman. Knowing she carries our child sparks a sudden possessiveness in me to claim her as mine, to have her fully.

  She is mine.

  The robe falls to the floor behind her and I run my hands up her back then bury one in her hair. I wrap it around my hand then tug her head back, giving me access to her neck as the storm of passion that usually surrounds us grows in intensity and want. I nuzzle and nip my way to her collarbone, every little sound she makes making my desire grow hard between her legs. The towel and a thin layer of lace are all that separates us, but I want this moment to last.

  As her head falls so her hair brushes against my arm and her back arches against it, my lips leave a trail to those soft mounds. Her nipples are hard without me even touching them yet. Gently, I tease them, tugging and turning them until a quiet gasp falls from her parted lips. Every inch of me screams to take this woman carrying my seed. The primal instinct is too strong to ignore for long as the burning storm of pure desire and love rages on. I swirl my tongue around the tender flesh of those pink nipples then suck a point into my mouth. She gasps louder, and her hips buck, rubbing her sex against me through the towel.

  I’ll never have enough of this woman. Her scent surrounds me, and as I lay her back on the floor, using her robe as a cushion, I slide my way down her stomach. I tease and massage her breasts, holding them warmly in my hands as I cover her with my body. I plunge my tongue int
o her mouth until she sucks on it hard. My grip tightens on her hips as my cock swells even more and begs for me to take her hard and fast. My arms shake as I fight to control myself, tempering the reckless need inside me, the same need I feel radiating off Stella in waves.

  I work my way down her body, letting my lips linger along her ribs over each ticklish spot, each place that drives her mad. Eventually, I move lower, my whole body feeling on fire. When I reach her panties, I give them a tug and softly bite her hip. A moan slips from her lips and she squirms as I nibble my way from one hip to the other, then plant a kiss right on her belly where our baby’s growing. A strange calmness comes over me, and the air in the room feels lighter. Stella props herself on her elbows and her eyes meet mine.

  We stare at each other over the nakedness of her body. The simplicity of the woman I love carrying our unborn child strikes me right to the heart, a heart that stutters as it realizes what we’ve made together. Stella’s face softens as she smiles. This time when tears shimmer in her eyes, they’re of happiness over what our futures can be. That’s how I hoped she would look earlier when she first told me.

  I want that feeling to stay with her. I want to chase away any fears or doubts lingering over whether or not I love her or if I’m strong enough to keep them both safe. I kiss her stomach again, then cover her body with mine.

  “Feel that?” I ask her as I take her hand and press it to my chest. “It’s not going to stop beating for you. Not ever.”

  She pulls her hand away, then takes mine and places it against her chest so I can feel the beating of her heart, too. “Neither will mine.” She entwines her fingers with mine and kisses the back of my hand then presses it to her cheek. “I’m just so scared. I don’t want to be.”

  I rest my forehead against hers and she closes her eyes, breathing deeply in time with me. There’s nothing else I can promise or say. All I can do is will her to understand what’s inside my very soul, burning for her. I will kill any man that tries to come between us. When I open my eyes, her green ones stare deep into my soul. The fear that had started to creep back moments ago is gone, replaced by the glint of mischief I’ve missed seeing. Her lips curl in a grin, then she takes my hand and sucks a finger into her mouth.

  “I want tonight to be about us,” she whispers, then sucks on my finger harder as I grunt. “I want you. All of you, forever.” She kisses my knuckles then sucks on my thumb until that churning storm comes back with a vengeance.

  I hold her head up and devour her mouth, swallowing down her moans as her nails dig into my back and shoulders. Every touch sets me on fire more until I’m sliding down her body, kissing and teasing as I go.

  When I return to her hips, I relieve her of the tiny bit of clothing she has left. My eyes rake over her naked body as I kneel at her bent legs. She’s beyond gorgeous lying there, nibbling her bottom lip. I rest my hands on her knees and slowly part her legs. The breath of anticipation that catches in her chest makes me swallow hard. I run my hands down her inner thighs and her legs stretch open wider for me. I growl with the burning hunger she creates in me every time we find our way to each other’s arms. Keeping my gaze locked on hers the whole time, I run my fingertips along the insides of her thighs, inching closer and closer to her sweet sheath. My possessiveness turns into a swell of pure heat as I spread her soaking lips wide and blow lightly against them. She flinches then tries to scoot closer as she whispers my name.

  I do it again, not looking away from those green eyes filled to the brim with wanton desire. It’s like the heat kicked on in the house. Every inch of me burns to hear Stella cry out with pleasure. Grinning wickedly, I tease her sheath, barely penetrating her soft folds, then trail my fingers away. I do it again, this time rubbing along the length of her cleft then back to her thigh.

  “Teasing is not fair,” she murmurs after I pull my fingers away for a third time and return to massaging her thighs.

  “Oh no?” I do it again then lift her hips off the floor, giving me better access to her sweetness. I lick from cleft to clit and she shudders, her eyes finally breaking our intense stare. Her fingers dig into the thick folds of the carpet as I do it again. When her breathing grows ragged, I spread those luscious lips even more, plunge my tongue inside her hard and fast for a few seconds, then stop.

  She grunts, annoyed, and just as she’s lifting her head to probably scold me again, I spank her sex. She squirms and gasps as I do it again then immediately fill her with my tongue. Her taste drives me crazy and I ravish her until she’s panting in my arms and riding my mouth hard. When I sense her close to the edge, I spread her wetness and fill her sex and her ass with my fingers. Her sharp cry turns to a loud moan as I fuck her soundly with my hand. Heat builds within my chest as pleasure explodes through her body, leaving her quivering in my palm. Her back arches and then she’s shaking from the exertion of falling over that edge and right into the heart of the storm I created within her.

  I remove my fingers and kiss along her thighs again as she catches her breath. When she sits up, she’s grinning, and her eyes shine with intense love I never thought I’d have in my life. How could she ever think I would put it at risk?

  I find my way to her mouth, never wanting this moment to end. Here, right now, in this room, we’re happy. Our love surrounds us and pushes back against our enemies. I rest my hand on her belly again and sigh. If only I knew for certain how the next few months would play out, I could take away all her fears for good.

  I make it to my knees and take her hand, meaning to help her up. I’m on my feet, but she stays on her knees and looks up at me, biting her bottom lip. My erection throbs with the need for release and pushes against the fabric of the towel.

  “Stella?” I ask when she stays right where she is.

  Then she licks her lips as she gives the towel a hard tug. It falls away, and before I can ask her what she’s doing, she has hold of me in her warm hand. I grunt as she glides both palms along my length. Then, as she stares up at me, she sucks on the tip of my cock. I run my hand through her hair, desperately trying to stay in control as that ravaging storm grows impossibly more. When her tongue swirls around the soft skin and she pumps her hands to the base and back again, I nearly forget where I am. My cock disappears between her lips bit by bit until she almost has all of me in her burning hot mouth. My head falls back as she sucks me hard each time her mouth moves along my length.

  I shudder at the pleasure mounting and as I glance down my body to see those eyes watching me intently, see my cock slip into her mouth as she sucks and licks it, I nearly lose it right then and there. Her hands fall away to grip my ass and then she takes all of me in, nice and slow. The room blurs and I mutter her name with a grunt, struggling not to spill my seed down her throat.

  She pulls back and as I pop free of those sultry lips, I reach for her and pull her into my arms. I kiss her hotly, devouring her as I back us toward the bed then follow her down to the sheets. I fit easily in the cradle of her hips, and as I press my tip against her slick folds, she digs her nails into my arms, urging me on. I thrust forward slowly, drawing out the sensation of filling her as long as I can until my arms shake. She moans, and then I’m thrusting again, harder and faster, relishing in the notion that she carries our child. My child. I fill her to the brim each time until our panting breaths fill the room and I feel like we should be on fire.

  She spreads her legs even wider, then wraps them around me. Gently, I roll us over, and then she’s riding me as her breasts bounce against my palms. Her head falls back and her inner muscles clench me tightly as she cries out. My growl of release joins her a second later as I hold her hips steady and plunge within her depths one final time, sating the primitive side of me, desperate to get out. She falls atop my chest with a smile spreading across her face. I kiss her soundly as I slip free of her, then hold her in my arms.

  My hand finds its way to her belly again and she covers it with her own.

  “I love you,” I whisper against her l
ips, then kiss her forehead, too. “Remember that, and we can face anything together.”

  “I love you, too, Danya,” she replies and snuggles even closer.

  She falls asleep like that, curled against my side, our hands creating a protective barrier for our unborn child. A child that I will protect with everything I have. Stella will have no reason to doubt herself or me again. No reason to think our baby would be better off not being born.

  I’ll make damn sure of it even if that means going against the final wishes of Mikhail. This family is mine to rule over and mine to protect. Andrei and Aleksandr are nearing their end. One way or another, I’ll get them expelled from our family and the city before they raise a hand against Stella or me.

  Or our baby.

  Chapter 14

  Danya

  I don’t want to leave the bed in the morning. Stella’s naked body is warm as she lies atop me, sound asleep. Her hair catches the morning sunlight seeping in through the curtains. I lift several strands and content myself with watching them fall through my fingers. She wakes briefly with a smile on her face. I kiss her, then find her straddling me and my morning erection. As her tongue explores my mouth, I buck my hips and her laughter brightens the room even more.