Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
I have to take care of his injuries.
He only has a handful of cuts, though, so it’s quick work.
I dab antiseptic on a cotton round and make quick work of cleaning him up. “This will sting,” I warn, when I get to a particularly angry looking scratch on his left shoulder. He doesn’t respond.
I note a few tats I’m not familiar with and suspect they have something to do with him being Bratva — stars on each shoulder, barbed wire on his neck, a spiderweb on his elbow. I note the crosses on his fingers as well and wonder what that’s all about. He’s not what I’d call a particularly religious or spiritual sort.
When his back and arms are cleaned up, I stand in front of him, and do what I’ve longed to do — reach my fingers to his chin and tip his head to the side.
He’d almost seem vulnerable sitting here in front of me like this, if not for his sheer unbridled strength. His presence alone fills the entire room, even when he’s silent. When I stand directly in front of him, I’m completely dwarfed by his shadow.
“Mm. Little bruise on your cheek but no cuts. I’d bet the other guy looks much worse.”
It’s a stupid attempt at a joke, but he doesn’t smile. My heart sinks. I’m trying to make the most of this situation but he —
His hands span my waist, effectively anchoring me in place as his eyes bore into mine.
“They were fools for coming after you. If any of Volkov’s men step foot near you again, I’ll beat them with my bare hands until they beg for mercy. Then I’ll bind them and make them spend their last minutes on earth watching me fuck you. Then kill them so no man has a memory of you but me.”
A shiver makes its way from the base of my neck down the length of my spine. “I’ll make an example of any of his men who even thinks of breathing the same air you do.”
“I know,” I say honestly, because I do know.
Siberian tiger indeed.
The largest cats in the world, the adult male can weigh up to six hundred pounds. Powerful predators, they’re nimble and quiet with an exceptional sense of sight and hearing.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have a photogenic memory of everything I’ve ever read. I swallow and nod, trying to pretend I’m not freaking the fuck out.
I married a fucking tiger.
Still staring into my eyes, his voice lowers. “I want you naked, Aria.”
By now, I know the low tone of his voice doesn’t mitigate the command for immediate obedience.
The mention of his duty and mine ring in my ears as I step toward him. I feel an immediate rise of my ire when he tells me what to do, but I know I have no choice.
He’s going to strip me.
With deft movements, he holds me with one hand and pops the pearly buttons off the back of the dress.
“This was a nice dress!”
“There are nicer ones. I unwrap my presents the way I like. Are you criticizing me? Go ahead, Aria. Give me a reason to put you over my knee. I’ve barely stopped thinking about it since you left my office.”
My pulse thunders in my ears and my belly swoops. A wedding night spanking may not be the best way to make memories.
I stand still as he continues to undress me.
He mutters under his breath, shaking his head when he sees something he likes.
“What?” I say in a small voice. If he doesn’t like me — if I’ve made it this far and have to stay wedded not only to this brutal monster of a man, but have to stay with him knowing he finds me homely or something —
“I won’t allow you to wear things like this often, but they suit you.” He runs an appreciative hand across my silk-clad ass. I squeeze my legs together at a sudden rush of arousal, just feeling him palm my ass.
I won’t…allow you to wear things like this…
“Do you have something against ivory or silk undergarments?”
“I have something against anything that prevents me from seeing my beautiful wife.”
The dress pools around my feet. The warmth of it straddles my ankles as he reaches for the dainty panties and rips them.
My beautiful wife.
“I liked that, too,” I say with a little pout.
That earns me a growl.
I want a little push and pull. I’m not someone who’s ever rolled over and obeyed anyone, much less a man. And I reason now that we’re married, he won’t exactly — hurt me — will he?
I want to see what happens when I push a little. I want to know why my heart beats so fast when he threatens me. It isn’t just fear…is it? What is a spanking really like? I mean, I don’t spend all my time on computers and in classrooms. I know there’s a whole world out there that’s unexplored. Hell, there are romance books about these things.