ALEKSANDRER'S POV A sadistic delight came over me while punishing Rhea. I can't deny that. It's a sick need to hurt her in an erotic way, but it's an instinct she reciprocates. She wouldn't have tied me down and masturbated in front of me if she wasn't fully aware of the repercussions she'd face.My darling wife knew me, and she knew herself. This was the game we played. Rhea was aware of the limits and frequently crossed them. As innocent as she appeared on the inside, she relished the pleasure of my punishments-she craved them.Some days Rhea would purposefully roll her eyes and in the night, I'd make her orgasm until she cried. Twisting her climaxes into something a powerful and mind melting experience. Exhausting her with euphoria to the point of madness.However, it took excruciating patience on my part. Waiting on the sidelines as Rhea met out her punishment was agonizing. Taking the time to dismantle her grip on reality as she slipped into a submissive haze tested my willpower

RHEA'S POV Near blinding white lights shone down from the tall ceiling of the dance studio. The brilliance of it made me miss the blue skies and natural sunshine of the Italian coast. It seemed like only yesterday I had my toes buried in the sand, with Aleksander lounging beside me. Now I faced the mirror-wall of the studio above the theater with my leg perched on the balance beam."So, tell me again why you came back early," Ricky whispered beside me. His eyes darted around the other ballerinas, stretching silently in the studio for our daily cool down. His eyes on mine in the mirror this time."Aleksander had a work emergency." Even a week later, the disappointment stung.Ricky rolled his eyes. "What could be so important at work that a man would risk his new wife's wrath? Women are scary."An unladylike snort escaped me. A few eyes turned in our direction. Ricky and I locked eyes, and he failed to muffle his chuckles. The new dance instructor merely shook her head at us. Thankfull

Nikolai spent years pulling himself away from the Russian mafia. While those connections still existed, they didn't rule his life, nor mine. However, I couldn't forget the life I came from or the home I'd been born in.If they were still alive, my parents were certainly living under the control of the Bratva back in Russia. For that reason, I owed Nikolai and Annika my life. They took me away and gave me a life worth living.And I massively fucked up by killing Dax.Knowing that my actions saved Rhea, and to a lesser extent the other dancers, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Rhea was mine and no one else would ever own any part of her. Not Dax, Luca, or anyone under the Genovese umbrella.Nevertheless, this world Jameson tried his best to keep me away from was one of merciless revenge. I'd taken mine by killing Dax and now his family wanted theirs. Because of my actions, I'd become a target. As my wife, Rhea was too.In the days since returning home, I'd worked relentlessly on

Time moved in an odd blur. One minute I'm in the bathroom with Aleksander helping me put clothes on and the next I'm standing by the front door as he tugged one of his old college hoodies over my head. His lingering scent filled my nose and despite the situation, I enjoyed his tenderness. It kept me grounded."I called a driver to take us to the hospital. Are you okay to walk to the street and get the car?" Aleksander paused with one hand on the doorknob. My lips parted as my brain worked on remembering how to speak.Thinking better of it, Aleksander shook his head and jerked the door open. "I'll just carry you." His powerful arms swept my feet off the floor in the next instant. Cool night air blew over my face as he carried me into the night.An unmarked black sedan waited for us on the curb. With the heavy tinting on the windows, I couldn't make out the driver. At this hour, it wouldn't be Antonio. I would have preferred his smiling face right now.Effortlessly, Aleksander cradled m

It ripped a chasm open in my chest to think of this massive news driving us apart. I held onto my crumbling nerves until they slipped from my grasp."Have I done something wrong?" I blurted.Startled, Rhea froze. A long exhale deflated her body, and her shoulders fell. Her head angled enough to watch me from the corner of her eyes, still rimmed red."What?" she exclaimed. Her brows lifted higher with each second that I didn't answer. She dropped her arms from her shoulders to curl them protectively over her abdomen. "No. I'm just sorry that this happened. It's my fault. I got so swept up in the wedding planning I forgot to take my pills.""Rhea," I gaped at her.She turned, fully facing me. Tears spilled over her eyes, flowing down her cheeks as she rushed to speak again. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen.""You have nothing to apologize for, baby."She spoke too quickly to hear me. Instead of stopping, she barreled over my words. "I really am sorry, Aleks