Page 23 of The Pakhan’s Heir

“What are you talking about? Of course, it’s necessary. Do you have any idea of what would happen if word got out that this is a sexless marriage?”

She chuckles a little. “How would anyone know? Are there cameras in the walls?”

I sigh. It’s moments like this that I wonder if she really is Bratva-born or not. “You can’t be serious right now. You know how news travels between people in a brotherhood. All it takes is the hint of something amiss between us.”

She purses her lips. “I know that the best way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone about it.”

I cross my arms. “I see. So, you expect me to lie to my father and the rest of the brotherhood, then?”

She blinks at me. “I don’t love you.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

She just stares and suddenly, a cold dread comes over me. “Oh, no,” I say. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”

“No,” she says, her voice going up a pitch. “I am not a virgin. Not that it’s any of your business.”

I could almost laugh. “It actually is my business now.” I pause as she crosses her arms indignantly. “So, you’ve had sex. Good. I’m not going to bother asking about your body count because ultimately, it doesn’t matter. This is a business deal, Nona. A contract. Only instead of signing our names on the dotted line, we have to fuck. It’s no different from shaking on it.”

“Are you comparing this to a handshake?”

“If that’s the analogy you need to get you upstairs, then yes. Come on, Nona. We have to do this.”

She takes a short breath, looking up at me with those eyes as deep and green as pond water. “Fine,” she says. “I guess it’s better if we just… do it and get it over with.”

“That’s the spirit.” I motion toward the stairs behind her, and she starts walking upstairs with me right behind her.

I direct her to my room, which is off the first hallway to the left. As she walks in, I see her eyes go directly to my bed—a California king that I didn’t bother to make up this morning. My room is neat enough. There aren’t any clothes on the floor or anything like that, but it doesn’t look like I made any real effort to impress anyone. She walks around the bed to the heavy curtains that are closed over the large picture window overlooking my back yard, her delicate hands touching the fabric listlessly. She’s noting the furniture, the full-length mirror in the corner, the door to my walk-in closet, my dresser adjacent to my bed, the door to my bathroom…

And her bags in the corner. Thanks, Yeva.

I start unbuttoning my shirt. “Take off the dress.”

She hesitates and suddenly, the short string of my own patience runs out. I stare at her and she says, “I don’t think⁠—”

“I’m not interested in your opinion right now. Take the dress off or I’ll take it off for you.”

Her bottom lip stiffens and she lifts her chin. “It’s free to be kind, you know,” she says. “Maybe if you asked.”

“I am not in the mood for your lip, Nona. Are we doing this or not?”

She stares, and to my surprise, I don’t see any fear in her eyes. In fact… the way her eyebrows are curved, I think she’s waiting for me to call her bluff.

I finish undoing my shirt and toss it, then I close the gap between us, wrapping an arm around her waist as I pull her to the bed. I sit down and bend her over onto my lap, flipping the dress up to her waist.

“What are you doing?” She squirms, and I hold her down with one arm.

“You have really been asking for it tonight,” I growl as I pull down her lacy pink panties. The soft, alabaster skin of her ass cheeks beckons me as I grab one cheek and squeeze it. “Disrespecting me in front of everyone.”

“Alex— Oh!”

I slap her ass. “You do not have permission to call me Alex.” I slap her ass again. Her mouth falls open in a gasp of surprise and pain. “At every turn, you’ve argued. Blocked. Even fucking teased me with your tiny. Little. Dresses!”

With every word, I’m spanking her perfect peach-shaped ass. She’s grabbing the comforter, her cries of pain breathy and desperate.

“Fucking little dick tease,” I growl as I go on spanking her until her cheeks are warm and red under my palms. I stop, realizing that I’m rock fucking hard right now.

I squeeze her sore cheeks and her thighs start to shiver. “You’re going to do what I tell you to do,” I say. I can hear my own passion, turning the tone of my voice into a rumbling growl. “Every time you disrespect me or disobey me, I’m taking it out on your perfect little ass. Do you understand?”