Page 36 of Bratva King

Alexei had hired Natalia to handle the problem herself, and she was happy to do it. Word had also traveled quickly through the underworld. Natalia had taken down Emil, considered the greatest assassin of their time. He also let it be known she was his woman now, and that would fend off assassins for a while.

He wasn't foolish enough to believe it would last forever. There would always be another ambitious rival. That was the nature of their world. For the moment though, there was quiet, and Alexei intended to enjoy every second of it.

He looked down again and smiled. Natalia shifted, and her nose brushed his collarbone.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

Her eyes remained closed. Then her lips curved upward.

“How long have you been watching me sleep?" Natalia asked.

Alexei's eyebrows rose. Her eyes opened slowly. “Perhaps a few minutes.”

"That's creepy."

"I prefer attentive,” he informed her. "I've been admiring what’s mine. That’s all. I have nothing to feel guilty about."

“Arrogant man,” she mumbled.

“Well, I could make it up to you.”

Before she could answer, Alexei kissed her. The teasing disappeared almost immediately. Alexei pulled her closer. The kiss deepened, becoming slower and warmer, carrying all the things neither of them needed to say aloud. Then for a while there was nothing beyond the two of them, enjoying each other.

Later, they lay tangled together beneath the sheets. Natalia rested against him, her cheek on his chest, while Alexei traced lazy patterns along her back. The room had grown brighter. Sunlight slipped through the curtains in thin golden lines, illuminating dust motes drifting lazily through the air.

Natalia sighed. "We should probably get up."

Alexei closed his eyes. “Not yet.”

She laughed softly. "We have to eat."

"We could eat later."

"You have a meeting,” she reminded him.

“I’ll cancel it."

"You can't cancel everything,” Natalia pointed out.

"I am the boss."

"That doesn't make you immune to consequences."

He opened one eye. "I've survived worse."

"That's not an argument."

"It is to me.”

Natalia lifted her head and looked at him. "Alexei."

He pulled her closer. "Five more minutes."

"You said that ten minutes ago."

"Then we're already halfway through."

She stared at him. He kissed her forehead. "Five."