32. Gemma
Chapter 32
Gemma
The wheelchair-accessible van we’d rented pulled up to Sasha’s house. In the past week before he was discharged from the hospital, I’d been here a few times, mostly to bring over any necessities from my place and check on the work to make the first floor accessible enough for him to come home.
The ramp from the backseat lowered automatically, and Sasha wheeled himself onto the driveway, heading toward the newly built ramp leading to the front door.
Blue eyes tracked the men stationed around the property, and his brows drew down as he looked to me in question.
I blew out a heavy breath as I stepped past him to open the door. “I’ll tell you inside.”
“Mrs. Gusev,” the nearest man dipped his chin in acknowledgment.
“Everything quiet, Marco?” I turned to survey the perimeter of the front yard.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I only prayed it stayed that way.
Closing out the cold, I trailed Sasha as he rolled into the kitchen.
“Hungry?” I asked, heading for the freshly stocked fridge, courtesy of our friends.
“We can eat after you explain how we came to have guards.” He rested his hands on his lap.
Propping my hip against the kitchen island, I folded both arms over my chest. “When I talked to my brother, he hadn’t seen or heard from my father since your accident.”
One of Sasha’s dark blond eyebrows rose. “You think we’re still in danger?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s not a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Are those Bellini men outside?”
Swallowing, I nodded. I hated asking my brother for help and blurring the lines between my past and present, but it could no longer be avoided. Not when my father was still unaccounted for.
“And you’re okay with that?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, admitting, “Our safety is more important than my pride.”
“Gemma,” my name was said softly as he approached and grasped my hand. “If it’s too much for you, we can hire private security.”
“No.” I shook my head, strengthening my resolve. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t come near you again.”
I cracked my eyes open to find him staring up at me with tenderness in his gaze. “I love you.”
Those words warmed me from the inside out, and I took a cleansing breath, letting his unwavering love calm me.
“I love you too.”
When I bent to kiss him, Sasha snaked a hand out, tangling it in my hair and pulling me onto his lap. Our tongues tangled, and I moaned into his mouth. I felt his erection growing beneath my ass and wiggled against it.
Sasha tore his lips away, burying his face in my neck and groaning.
His words were muffled against my skin. “You know, we still haven’t consummated this marriage yet.”
I sighed. “I wasn’t the one with the brilliant idea to get married while you were still lying in a hospital bed.”
“A bed’s a bed, baby.” He ground my ass onto his dick harder. “If you couldn’t tell, everything’s in working order.
“Lucky you, getting to play the pillow prince until you’re back on your feet,” I teased.
He kissed a path across my collarbone, chuckling darkly. “You won’t be complaining when you’re riding my face three times a day. Gotta keep me fed morning, noon, and night.”
“Is that so?” I breathed, arching into his touch when he tweaked a nipple through the fabric of my shirt.
“Mm-hmm.” He hummed, the shortened strands of his hair tickling my neck as he pulled my neckline lower to dust his lips over the heaving swells.
Sasha nipped my flesh with his teeth, and I yelped, jolting in his arms.
Pressing my palms to his shoulders, I pushed him away, my breath coming in short pants. “We can’t. The home health nurse we hired will be here any minute.”
He groaned. “Is that really necessary?”
“Until you’re walking again, yes. You might’ve lost some weight, but there’s still no way I can help you in and out of that chair. Aaron came highly recommended by the physical therapy staff at the hospital.”
When I eased off his lap, Sasha pinched my ass and I squealed.
He flashed me a cheeky grin when I spun around. “Better make sure Aaron has some quality earplugs so your screaming won’t keep him awake all night long.”
I rolled my eyes, looking skyward. The man had a one-track mind, and his determination knew no bounds. That’s why I wasn’t concerned about his recovery. When Sasha set his mind to something, nothing would stand in his way.
And I would spend the rest of my life thanking my lucky stars that one day he’d decided he wanted me.
Sasha had been so worn out by his physical therapy session that he’d spent most of the afternoon napping in the downstairs bedroom specifically outfitted for him until he was strong enough to make the trek up the stairs to the master suite.
Anytime he was sleeping, my anxiety ratcheted up, and I watched over him, practically holding my breath, praying he would wake up again. It was silly, I knew that, but when the man you loved spent an entire month unconscious, you couldn’t help but have lingering fears associated with that traumatic event.
A soft moan sounded, and Sasha’s head turned to the side before that warm blue gaze settled on my face. Air rushed from my lungs, relief washing over me that he was okay.
He ran a hand up my back, tangling his fingers in my hair. A corner of his lips turned up as I snuggled closer.
Voice rough, he asked, “How long was I out?”
“Couple of hours.”
“You get any sleep?” His hand cupped my cheek, the thumb tracing over the dark circles beneath my eyes.
Burying my face in his chest, I shook my head. “I’ll try again tonight.”
Sasha sighed. This role reversal was difficult for him. He was used to being the caretaker, but right now, I wasn’t sure there was anything that could help me. Hopefully, after enough time had passed and my brain realized he wasn’t just going to slip into another coma one day, I could relax enough to sleep through the night. Until then, I would survive on the bare minimum required to function.
The idea of being awake in the late hours of the night had me remembering something that had slipped through the cracks while Sasha was in the hospital.
“I, uh—” Embarrassment rose to the surface, and my words died off as my cheeks heated.
“What’s wrong?” Sasha’s tone grew worried, his grip around my waist tightening.
“I lost my job,” I admitted.
“Because you took so much time off to be with me?”
“Yeah,” I breathed out. “I couldn’t give them a return date, so I can understand that they needed to let me go.”
“Okay.” He paused. “Do you want to keep working? I mean, if you don’t, I’ve got you covered, babe. Even if I never play again, a ton of guaranteed money was built into my contract. We’ll be just fine.” Chuckling, he clarified, “More than fine.”
Twisting my lips, I explained, “After fighting so hard to gain my independence, it seems almost hypocritical to fall back into a role where I’m solely reliant on a man.”
“You’re my wife, Gemma. My partner, my equal. Whether you decide to return to work or not, I will never view you as indebted to me for supporting you. It’s our money, not mine alone.”
Shifting, I rose onto my elbow to press a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”
“Say it again,” he commanded softly.
My forehead pressed to his. “I love you, Sasha.”
Both of his arms banded around me, crushing me to his chest. “I love you so fucking much, Gemma.”
Our mouths fused, and Sasha teased his tongue past my parted lips. My hips shifted, searching for a closer connection.
He pulled back, and our harsh breathing mixed. “Get on top, baby.”
I forced my eyes open, panting, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Tucking the hair that had fallen over my face behind my ear, he vowed, “You won’t.”
Rising to my knees, I tugged on the hem of my shirt, ripping it over my head and tossing it onto the floor.
“Bra too. I want those tits bouncing in my face when you ride me.”
Reaching behind my back, I flicked the clasp and let my bra slide down my arms.
“Fuck, yes,” Sasha hissed, blue eyes flaring as he watched me undress. His hand dipped beneath the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled out his hard cock before he began to stroke it.
My pussy clenched; the memory of the intense stretch incoming was imprinted on my brain.
Shuffling off the side of the mattress, I stood to remove my leggings and panties, kicking them aside when they reached my ankles.
Sasha squeezed the base of his shaft, keeping it pointed toward the ceiling. “Get on. Right fucking now.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. Climbing back onto the bed, I hitched a thigh over his lap, straddling him.
Fingers brushed through my slit, and I shuddered. “Just checking to make sure you’re ready to take every inch of this cock, baby.”
After circling my clit, he plunged those fingers deep inside me, and I threw my head back on a moan, rocking against his hand.
“That’s my girl. Did you miss this?”
I could only manage a whimper in response as he worked me over, bringing me right to the edge before removing his hand and centering me over his cock.
Sasha gripped my hips hard enough to leave bruises before impaling me on his length to the hilt, causing me to cry out at the sudden feeling of fullness.
“Fuck.” He groaned. “I almost forgot how goddamn amazing it feels to be buried deep inside this tight pussy.”
Lungs burning, I had to remind myself to breathe as he rocked me gently over his lap, rotating my hips to help loosen me up, giving my body a minute to adjust to his size.
My teeth descended into my lower lip when he hit the perfect spot inside me, and my eyes slid closed.
A sharp crack sounded, accompanied by a stinging sensation radiating across my ass.
I gasped, and my eyes flew open in time to catch Sasha rearing back with the opposite hand to place a slap to the other side.
I couldn’t stop the moan that flew past my lips or the jolt of my hips as the shockwaves settled between my thighs, the throbbing there reaching new heights.
Fuck, why did that feel so good?
“Bounce on my cock, baby. Don’t hold back.”
Pressing my hands to his chest, I raised my hips before slamming them back down, delighting in the sound of his deep groan.
“That’s it. Just like that. Ride me hard.”
I swiveled my hips, grinding my clit against the base of his cock before I rose to my knees and began to ride him in earnest.
Sweat misted my skin as I upped my pace, climbing toward the peak of pleasure. When thumbs grazed my nipples, I faltered, my hips bucking erratically the closer I drew to climax.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I chanted, gritting my teeth. “So close.”
“Me too,” Sasha grunted beneath me.
His hands left my breasts, and I whined, missing his touch. But then he anchored one on my hip, the other diving between my spread-open thighs, rubbing tight circles over my clit. That was all I needed to shatter, screaming his name as ecstasy burst through every nerve ending, and I came so hard it felt like my soul left my body.
I kept bucking my hips, trying to prolong the aftershocks of my orgasm, when Sasha let out a roar, his cock swelling inside me seconds before the warmth of his release registered through my lust-drunk brain.
Collapsing atop his chest, the sound of his racing heart beneath my ear was comforting, almost enough to lull me into sleep.
A giant palm lazily dragged up the length of my bare back before tangling in my hair. He loved playing with my hair, and truthfully, I missed running my fingers through his long locks. I took comfort in the knowledge that our time together was only just beginning, and I would be around long enough for his hair to grow back.
Sasha was my husband. It still didn’t feel real.
The man took manifestation to a new level, and I couldn’t even be mad about it. My life was so much better now that he was in it.
Our breathing leveled out, and I broke the connection between our bodies, shifting until I was curled up against his side.
“You want me to ask Larry down at Pipes if he’s got any management positions open?” Sasha’s voice broke through the silence.
I lifted my heavy head, resting my chin on his shoulder. “You would seriously be okay if I kept working in a bar?”
He stared down at me. “I only want you to be happy.”
Sighing, I admitted, “I worked in a bar because I wasn’t qualified to do much else. It’s not like I went to college.”
“Then maybe that’s your next step,” Sasha suggested. “Take a beat, find what interests you, and chase your dreams.”
Excitement coursed through my veins at the idea of having choices. “Really?”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Of course. I can’t wait to watch you spread your wings and fly, baby. I’m just the lucky bastard who gets to stand by your side to cheer you on every step of the way.”
Extending my neck, I pressed my lips to his jaw, whispering, “Thank you for never giving up on me. I know I didn’t make it easy.”
His chest vibrated with his low chuckle. “You can say that again. But nothing worth having is easy. If it were, you’d never learn to appreciate it.” Turning his face, he kissed my temple. “I’d have waited forever for you, you know that, right?”
The crazy thing was that I did. “Yeah.”
“You were the one I was always meant to find. The day I saw you for the first time, it was like the world shifted, and I was living for the first time.”
Shame rushed to the surface, and I averted my gaze. “I was so mean to you.”
Tucking a finger beneath my chin, he forced me to look him in the eye. “Yeah, but I kinda liked it.” He smirked. “You stood up for yourself, not allowing anyone to push you around, and I respected that.”
His blue eyes sparked, shining with how much love he held for me—a love I hadn’t felt I deserved until recently.
“And you know what?”
I arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“It’s a unique, special story, and I’m beyond proud to call it ours.”
I’d never thought I could feel a joy like this, being loved for who I truly was, having a man who not only accepted my flaws but celebrated them. A partner who would champion my life goals, no matter what they happened to be.
Who knew losing my temper over someone cutting the line at the DMV, of all places, would land me the love of my life?