
He wasnât supposed to want her. But he did.
In the heart of Moscowâs frozen skyline, behind the marble walls of the Bratva estate, Viktor Barinov ruled with brutal precision. The name aloneâBarinovâmade men flinch and politicians sweat. He dealt in weapons, information, and loyalty paid in blood. His empire was absolute. His word, law.
But tonight, none of that mattered.
Because Anya Morozova sat in his private studyâcross-legged, composed, and completely unaware of the storm she stirred in him.
She was beautiful, yesâbut it was more than that. She was bold. Sharp. Dangerous in her own right.
A freelance investigative journalist with a reputation for digging too deep, sheâd crossed his radar two weeks ago with a damning exposĂ© on one of his lesser-known fronts. She wasnât supposed to know what she knew. And yet, here she wasâeyebrows arched, lips pursed, eyes sparking like lit matches.
âIs this where you kill me?â she asked, voice silk over steel.
Viktor leaned forward in his leather chair, unbuttoning his jacket. The soft creak of expensive fabric and leather punctuated the silence.
âIf I wanted you dead, Anya,â he said in that low, accented voice that made even his enemies shiver, âyou wouldnât have made it past the gate.â
âComforting.â
She was calm. Too calm.
That both irritated and aroused him.
âYouâre smart,â he continued. âBut reckless. This article youâre writingâdo you think youâll come out of it clean?â
âIâm not afraid of you.â
âI know. Thatâs your most dangerous flaw.â
He stood and walked slowly toward her. She didnât move, but he saw the subtle shift of her breathing. She wasnât immune. Just very, very good at pretending.
âYou broke into my world, Anya,â he said, standing inches away. âI donât let people walk out of it.â
She raised her chin. âSo what now? Am I your prisoner?â
He reached down and traced his knuckle along her jaw. âNo,â he murmured. âYouâre my guest. For now.â
Strike one. She should have slapped him. Instead, she felt a ripple of heat through her belly.
Two Weeks Earlier
Anya had never intended to fall into this story. Her original target was a human trafficking ring in Odessa. But one name kept showing up again and againâBarinov. At first, she thought it coincidence. Then she dug deeper.
Too deep.
Anya knew men like Viktor didnât get exposedâthey got worshipped, or disappeared. And yet, some part of her wanted to provoke him. She wanted to meet the devil in a suit. See if the man behind the myth could be brought to his knees.
But she hadnât expected this.
She hadnât expected the intense, controlled charisma. The way he spoke her name like a secret. Or the way his eyes burned into her skin without ever touching her.
Back to the Present
Viktor poured two glasses of vodka. He handed one to her, and she took it wordlessly. He watched her lips wrap around the rim of the glass and felt his body tighten.
âYou investigate dangerous men,â he said. âWhy?â
âI could ask you the same.â
âI donât investigate. I eliminate.â
Anya looked at him over the rim. âMaybe I do too.â
The tension thickened between themâintellectual, emotional, undeniably sexual.
âI should be punishing you,â he said, stepping closer.
âThen do it,â she whispered, and immediately regretted the way her voice cracked.
His hand brushed her hip. âYou think I wonât?â
Her breath hitched. She didnât step back.
âYou call yourself fearless,â he murmured, âbut you tremble under my hand.â
âMaybe I like the danger.â
He leaned in, his lips just beside her ear. âYou have no idea how dangerous I am.â
Her voice faltered. âThen show me.â
Strike two.
He kissed her.
Hard. Possessive. A kiss that claimed, not asked.
Anya gasped, and Viktor took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His mouth devoured hersâhot, commanding, electric. Her hands rose to his chest, not to push him away but to pull him closer. He responded by grabbing her waist and lifting her effortlessly onto the desk behind her.
âTell me to stop,â he growled.
She should have. She didnât.
Instead, she whispered, âDonât you dare.â
The Surrender
Clothes disappeared between stolen breaths and frantic hands. He stripped her blouse and skirt with surgical precision. She reached for his shirt, but he stopped her.
âNo,â he said. âI undress for no one.â
She challenged him with her eyes. âThen let me earn it.â
He smirked. âBe careful what you offer, Anya.â
Viktor pushed her thighs apart and dropped to his knees, dragging her panties down slowlyâdeliberatelyâwatching her the entire time.
âYouâre wet,â he said, voice roughened. âAlready.â
âMaybe I like Russian men in power.â
He chuckled, dark and low. âAnd maybe I like women who donât know when to shut up.â
His tongue met her heat, and Anya arched with a cry. He licked her slowly at first, teasing her clit with agonizing gentleness, then added pressure, rhythm, and intent. Her fingers twisted in his hair as she bit her lip, unwilling to cry out too loudly.
âYou taste like sin,â he murmured against her.
She moaned. âThen be my priest.â
He looked up at her, eyes blazing. âYou donât want confession, Anya. You want corruption.â
He gave it to her. Fully.
He stood, wiped his mouth, and unbuckled his belt.
âI want to fuck you against this desk,â he said.
âThen do it.â
He flipped her over, hands tight on her hips, and slid into her in one deep, satisfying thrust.
She cried out, back arching, and he groaned as her body clenched around him.
âYou fit me,â he growled.
âGod, yesâŠâ
He thrust again, harder. Faster.
The room filled with the sounds of skin against skin, breathless gasps, the scratch of her nails across the desk. He pulled her hair, made her look at him in the mirror above the bar.
âLook at what I do to you.â
She saw it. Saw herselfâflushed, desperate, hungryâand him behind her like a beast in a suit.
She came hard, trembling, breathless.
He wasnât far behind.
He didnât pull outâhe wanted her to feel all of him. When he came, he bit her shoulder, claiming her with every inch.
Aftermath
They collapsed together on the leather couch, her body on top of his, sweat cooling in the icy air of his study.
âI should hate you,â she murmured.
âYou will,â he said. âBut not tonight.â
She looked up. âIs this a game to you?â
âI donât play games.â
âYou just fuck journalists who threaten your empire?â
He smiled lazily. âOnly the reckless ones.â
She shook her head, but the smile touched her lips.
âYou going to kill me after this?â
âNo,â he said, brushing her hair from her face. âBut I will protect myself. If that means making you mine… I will.â
âI donât belong to anyone.â
âYou will.â
One Week Later
Anya never submitted the article. She still had the files. Still had the evidence.
But she didnât publish.
Not yet.
She visited Viktor again. And again. Once in St. Petersburg. Once in a safehouse outside Sochi. She knew it was dangerous. She knew the line was thin between desire and destruction.
But every time he touched her, kissed her, claimed herâshe surrendered.
He opened a side of her no man ever had.
She found herself confessing secrets. And in return, he told her things no one else knewâabout a brother he lost, about why he built his empire not for power, but for survival.
He wasnât a monster.
He was a man shaped by monsters.
And now, he was hers.
Final Scene
Anya stood on the balcony of his Moscow penthouse. Snow fell lightly on her coat. Viktor stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
âYou still thinking of running?â he asked softly.
âEvery day.â
âBut you havenât.â
âI donât know what Iâm doing.â
âYouâre surviving,â he said. âLike me.â
She turned to face him. âAnd what happens when one of us stops surviving?â
He kissed her forehead.
âThen we burn. But at least we burn together.â
The End