The Sokolov Brothers: The Complete Series Read online

  Sokolov, she realized. Sokol meant falcon. His tattoos bonded him to family—the family she was now a part of. Alexandra warmed at the thought.

  He unzipped her dress and pulled it down roughly, then cast the garment aside while she kicked off her heels. His eyes devoured her, lingered over her lace panties, then came to rest on her bra. His brow furrowed as he studied her breasts.

  “I know, they’re small.” The words had slipped from Alexandra’s lips before she had a chance to consider them. It was true—she had spent her entire life wishing her breasts were larger. She had worn pads in her bra for years to try and feel better about them.

  “No,” Viktor said simply. His fingers traced the heavy padding around her breasts and she felt a twinge of shame. “Pads? You don’t need this. Why hide your natural beauty?” He unhooked her bra, and threw it and the padding across the room as though disgusted. His piercing blue eyes swept over her breasts as his large hands cupped them. His thumbs twirled against her small nipples.

  Before she had a chance to respond to what Viktor had said, his mouth had closed around her right nipple. An explosion of dazzling lust caused her body to tremble and her head to lull back. His tongue worked deftly on her right breast, then her left, to leave her panting and rubbing her sex against him in need.

  “Oh God, Viktor…” Alexa moaned in surprise.

  All of this was still somewhat new to her. She had tried to keep herself pure for her wedding night, and everyone thought she was a virgin, but she had slipped up and been with one man before Viktor. But it hadn’t been like this. In comparison to now, that had been nothing.

  It had happened when she was sixteen, when she had fooled around with her father’s driver in a parking lot after a shopping trip. He had been gropey, too quick to please himself, and hadn’t known how to please her.

  Viktor wasn’t fumbling or awkward like him, Alexandra thought. He moved with the grace of a cat, and knew exactly how to caress a woman. When he was done attending to her breasts, he slid his hard, angled body down along hers. His face trailed the delicate skin of her stomach to pepper her with kisses until his mouth found the waistband of her panties.

  He began to tug them down with his teeth, his piercing eyes locked onto Alexandra’s as though daring her to stop him. The panties joined the rest of her clothing on the floor.

  Alexandra had started out as the seductress, but was beginning to feel like she herself was being seduced. She was soaking wet, barely able to catch her breath, and looked down at him with fiery lust.

  Viktor kicked off his shoes, then his socks. His hand lingered on his fly for only a teasing moment before his pants were unzipped and kicked off, as well.

  He was well-endowed. The erection that strained the front of his black boxers made Alexandra’s walls clench in anticipation.

  Viktor tugged down his underwear and tossed it aside, and then he climbed atop her so that she was pinned to the bed, facing up toward him. His heated erection brushed the skin between her thighs.

  Oh yes, Alexandra thought dizzily. Viktor is ten times the lover father’s driver was.

  Viktor guided the head of his cock around her entrance, along her clit, teasing Alexandra until she could barely breathe.

  “I want you… inside me,” Alexandra gasped out. She considered a condom for a moment, but this was their wedding night and she wanted it to be special. Stopping him now might break the moment entirely.

  Viktor continued to taunt her with the promise of penetration, only to slip along her entrance and deny her. She moaned and twisted her hips.

  “Please,” she gasped. Viktor gave a small chuckle, then thrust inward suddenly to indulge her.

  His length felt fantastic. It took a moment for Alexandra’s body to adjust to his girth, but the pressure was intoxicating. Viktor’s cock filled her, making her squirm and pant. In seconds, her hips joined his motions until they were both bucking to the same rhythm. And when Viktor’s length found its mark, Alexandra cried out in surprised pleasure.

  Her arms wrapped around his neck. Her legs wrapped around his waist. She steadied herself and kept up with his thrusts. Each time he slipped deep inside of her, she felt delightful pressure, and each time he pulled back in preparation to thrust again, she wanted to scream with need at the emptiness she felt without him there.

  “You’re so big,” Alexandra panted. “You fill me so well.”

  Viktor responded with a deep, chesty moan. His strong hands held onto her hips, and he began to use fast, hard thrusts.

  The heavy-framed bed swayed. Combined with the euphoria of penetration, Alexandra felt her vision blur and her head swim.

  “I’m gonna come,” Alexandra said. Her head tilted back and she tightened around him, her body tensed in preparation. “Oh, Viktor, you’re gonna make me come.”

  “Good.” Viktor’s deep voice revealed no emotion, and she bucked down hard to impale herself on his length. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes fluttered closed.

  Bearing down on him sent Alexandra over the edge.

  A rippling orgasm washed through her as she spasmed around his length. Viktor thrust rapidly a few more times, seemingly spurred on by her release, and shot into her with a climax of his own.

  Both of them slowed the pace and rode out waves of pleasure. Her arms tightened around his neck, and he leaned down to press them together in an embrace.

  Their closeness, however, was not long-lived. Moments later, Viktor leaned down for a kiss, then carefully pulled out of her. The emptiness he left between her legs was almost maddening.

  “Where are you going?” Alexandra asked, sitting up. Viktor turned his back to her and sat up on the opposite side of the bed. “Back to the meeting room,” he replied simply. Alexandra pouted and moved to lay on one side of him, striking a seductive pose and pouting.

  “Why? The meeting’s over. Don’t you want to be here with me?” She crawled across the bed toward him. They had just had amazing sex—why was he acting like nothing had happened?

  Viktor turned his head to regard her. The glance over his shoulder showed eyes that were once again cold. He didn’t respond to the question at all.

  Alexandra wrapped her arms around him from behind and pulled him back down onto the bed. Viktor had begrudgingly allowed her to move him, but took no action of his own. Alexandra angled her breasts for him and smiled, batting her eyes, trying to win him over.

  “Please don’t go. Stay here with me.”

  Viktor’s hard expression remained unwavering for just a moment, then broke.

  “Alright. But just for tonight,” he said firmly, looking down at her.

  “Don’t worry,” Alexandra said. She leaned in and joined their lips for a passionate kiss. “I’ll keep you busy,” she said, and climbed on top of him.

  5

  Viktor

  Viktor awoke to a narrow strip of sunlight shining through the curtains and across his face. He squinted, and when he moved to sit up he found Alexandra curled up at his side. Memories of the previous night’s lovemaking flooded back.

  Before he had the opportunity to reflect further, Alexandra stirred. His movements seemed to have woken her.

  “Mmm?” Alexandra hummed a questioning note. She sat up and stretched, then seemed to realize Viktor was in the bed next to her. Her hair was mussed, her makeup smudged and faded to allow her natural beauty to shine through.

  She looks better without all that makeup, Viktor thought.

  “Good morning to you, too.” Viktor offered a smile, feeling almost a little sheepish. The vodka had gotten to his head last night, and he’d gone further with her than he had intended. Still, he couldn’t deny he felt better this morning than he had all day yesterday.

  “So. Last night…” Alexandra started. She looked shyly over at him. It seemed that she, too, had remembered. She looked up at him with an innocent expression, as though she was struggling to talk about it.

  “Yes, last night.” Viktor’s smile widened w
hile he spoke. She hid the lower half of her face underneath the top of the blankets and was quiet for a moment.

  “You were amazing,” Alexandra said softly, speaking into the blanket.

  “Thanks. You were, too,” he offered, his voice genuine as he recalled how she’d felt against him, and observed her embarrassment now.

  “No, really. Amazing.” The shyness slowly drained from her voice, and she poked her head out fully from the blanket. “This marriage was definitely consummated.”

  Viktor couldn’t help but chuckle. “Agreed.”

  “So, I have to ask.” Alexandra had a hesitant, good-natured smile. “Do you usually remove your lover’s underwear with your teeth?”

  Viktor chuckled again, and shook his head. “No.” He looked at her. “Sometimes I use my toes.”

  It took a moment for her to respond. Then, Alexandra’s face lit up and she laughed—a beautiful sound.

  “Wait? Is that… you? Joking?” She feigned indignation. “After a whole wedding of silence?”

  “I know. The big scary mob boss has a sense of humor.”

  Viktor sat up, then leaned over her to smooth her blonde hair away from her face. Her hand reached up and met his. Alexandra’s skin was delicate, soft, and Viktor relished how it felt.

  Her fingers interlaced with his, and in that moment, he felt connection. Not lust, like last night, but something deeper and more enduring. Viktor couldn’t remember feeling this way before.

  “How about some breakfast?” Viktor asked after a long pause.

  Alexandra’s stomach growled as though agreeing, and he laughed at the timing.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  * * *

  The dining room seemed large for just the two of them. Viktor usually took breakfast alone, but this morning he joined Alexandra downstairs to continue talking. The dining room seemed large for just the two of them, and he realized he’d rarely appreciated its size; it was Alexandra’s reactions to the space that made him notice it, and he realized she seemed somewhat overwhelmed by it all.

  The long, perfectly-shined antique wooden table held a variety of foods in ornate silver bowls. Viktor sat across from Alexandra on the far end of the table, and a full place setting was laid out for each of them. The curtains had been pulled back from the large picture windows to reveal a sunny, landscaped garden just outside.

  The natural sunlight joined with mood lighting from the chandelier above, and Viktor couldn’t help but appreciate Alexandra’s beauty in the glow of the morning. Her skin was still dewy from showering, and even though she had insisted on putting on makeup just to come downstairs for breakfast, he could see her face much more clearly without the dense foundation and false eyelashes she’d worn for the wedding.

  There was something about her that was both innocent and seductive. And somehow, Viktor sensed that this morning she was much more herself than she had been yesterday during their wedding. He was looking forward to getting to know his new wife, strange as the circumstances of their marriage might have been. Breakfast might just be his chance to see the ‘real’ Alexandra.

  “What is this?” Alexandra poked at a large bowl of grainy, oatmeal-like substance.

  Viktor’s eyebrows lifted and he feigned indignation. “What?” He put his hand to his chest, brow raised. “I thought I married a Russian woman.”

  “Just because I don’t have an accent like you doesn’t mean I’m not Russian. My parents came over here when I was in diapers, but I’m a born Russian!” She shot him a playful smirk.

  “Then how do you not know kasha?” He nodded toward the bowl she had been poking at.

  “Kasha?”

  “It is like…” His mind searched for the right word. “Like a porridge. You’ve really never had it before?” This time, the surprise tinting his voice was genuine.

  Alexandra considered the kasha in front of her. She lifted a spoonful to her mouth and daintily ate a tiny amount after some brief hesitation.

  “It’s… good. A little buttery.” Despite her brave face, Alexandra sounded hesitant. She pointed to a bowl of something that looked like soft white dough. “And what about this?”

  Viktor raised his eyebrows again. She wasn’t joking—Alexandra really didn’t know Russian food. The inconvenience should have irritated him, but instead, Viktor found himself endeared to her innocence. She was clueless, but she was curious, and he found himself longing to foster that curiosity.

  “Tvorog. Like cottage cheese.” Viktor added some to his plate and garnished it with fresh fruit from a bowl set between them. He watched her do the same, and they raised their spoons to their mouths in unison.

  Eating his usual breakfast foods with someone who had never tried them allowed Viktor to appreciate and enjoy the meal in a new way. He tried to see tvorog through her eyes as they both finished their mouthfuls, and felt himself enjoying the opportunity to re-introduce her to their shared culture.

  “It’s exactly like cottage cheese,” Alexandra said. She ate another bite and looked at him, beaming. “I like it. What else is there?”

  “Well,” Viktor started, pointing to a platter that had slices of bread topped with butter and different spreads. Some of them had meat. “These are—”

  “Toast?” Alexandra asked. Viktor couldn’t help but laugh, and she cocked a sideways smile at him. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “Toast is… well.” He grinned at her. “Toasted. These are butterbrots. They’re like sandwiches, but not sandwiches.”

  “Well, that’s nice and confusing. I thought sandwiches had two sides?”

  “Almost like sandwiches. What is the word?” He rubbed the stubble on his chin in thought, and Alexandra leaned in to listen. “Open-faced. Like open-faced sandwiches. Bread and butter with spread or meat. They can be different, too.”

  “And what about that?” She pointed to another bowl. Viktor struggled to maintain his composure.

  “Those are Rice Krispies,” he said, working at his straight face.

  “Oh.” Alexandra’s mouth pursed. For a fleeting moment, Viktor wondered if she was going to sulk in embarrassment, but then she burst out with a high, ringing laugh that caused him to laugh, as well.

  Alexandra took a few more spoonfuls of fresh fruit and tvorog, a marmalade-topped butterbrot, and poured herself a glass of orange juice. Viktor made a mental note of what she preferred and allowed her to take what she wanted before serving himself.

  Yesterday, he had not had much of an appetite, but today he was ravenous. They ate in relative silence, stopping to make occasional small talk.

  Alexandra had grown up in Boston, he learned, not Russia, and she spoke with humor about her time in private school, where she’d met her best friend Elena, and about her brother Andrei who she adored, as well as how she had worked her entire life to make sure she would be perfect for her future husband.

  “I got to attend a university,” she said, pausing for a sip of orange juice. “But I didn’t get to pick my classes. They were selected for me, to make sure I was ‘smart enough for conversation.’”

  Alexandra had spoken so plainly, Viktor studied her to detect what emotion might lie behind her words, but he didn’t detect sadness or regret.

  “I know it might sound… strange, or bad, but this is my dream, you know? To marry someone and be respected. Everyone these days talks about careers, and I’m not saying a career isn’t important, but I’ve just always, always, wanted to be a bride.” She set her glass down and stared at her plate. When she looked up at him, her eyes still shone brightly.

  Viktor was considering her words and preparing to speak when a figure entered the doorway. He looked up to see Roman, his best friend and driver, standing there with an expression which concealed something grim.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Roman said. “But we need to talk.”

  Viktor gestured to the table. “I am in the middle of breakfast with my wife. Can this not wait?”

  Roman looke
d at Alexandra, faint discomfort shining behind his eyes. He shook his head. “No. This needs to be addressed now.” Roman’s voice was like ice creeping into the otherwise sunny and pleasant room, but Viktor knew he wouldn’t be insisting on his immediate attention if it weren’t warranted.

  Viktor wiped his hands on a napkin and rose. “I’m sorry, Alexandra, but this seems urgent.” He let his expression grow distant as he steeled himself for business. Breakfast with his new bride had been a nice reprieve, but his father’s killer was still out there awaiting vengeance.

  Alexandra looked up at him with barely concealed disappointment and nodded. The gesture was almost childish, and he felt his heart sink a bit.

  “I had a good time. It was nice to start getting to know you,” she said with a forced smile.

  “We’ll do this again. Soon.” Viktor turned away from the table then, feeling both exhilarated and uncertain at whatever important news Roman had to share. Without looking back, he followed his trusted friend to the meeting room upstairs.

  6

  Viktor

  As soon as they entered the meeting room, Roman checked to make sure the door was closed and locked behind him. He made his way to the table and poured himself a small amount of vodka from the bottle in the ice bucket which still remained there from the previous evening’s meeting. The ice was regularly refreshed by his house staff, so that they could always retreat to this room for a cold drink, as needed.

  After he tossed back his alcohol, Roman poured himself a second, then poured a drink for Viktor and pushed it into his hand.

  “You’re going to want to sit down for this,” Roman said.

  Viktor looked his friend over with a faint frown. “It’s about my father?”

  They both sat at the table, but Roman seemed unable to remain still. His leg bounced with nervous energy.