10. Svetlana
Chapter 10
Svetlana
I let out a yelp when Vitya picks me up and carries me out of the shower, grabbing a towel on his way out.
“I was just kidding,” I tell him with a laugh, but he’s having none of it. He spreads the towel out on the bed and then gently lays me down on it so his body is hovering over mine. The truth is he’s worn me out, not that I’ll ever admit that to him, and I could easily fall asleep, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to let that happen. I’ve waited too long for this, and I don’t want to miss a second of it.
His blue eyes stare into mine as he slowly slides back into me. I wince. I can’t help it, the man is fucking huge, but the pain isn’t as strong as it was, and my body is getting used to him. I think it’s slowly learning that the pleasure will always outweigh the pain.
Vitya is a strong man, and I know he’s holding back. He’s choosing to be gentle when I know he could be so much rougher, and as much as I love him for that, I also don’t want him to have to do it. Plus, I’m curious about what an untamed Vitya would be like. I don’t ever want him to hold a part of himself back. I want it all.
I cup his face and pull him closer. “Stop holding back.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. ”
“We’re way past that,” I remind him. “It hurt the second you slid into me.”
He smiles and nips at my lip. “I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have to,” he clarifies.
“I want to know what you like. I don’t want you keeping a part of yourself from me.”
His knuckles graze my cheek. “I love everything we’re doing, Sveta, and I’m not keeping anything from you.” He rocks his hips, sliding into me as deeply as he can while giving a sexy, masculine groan. “You have no idea how amazing this feels, pcholka , like pure fucking heaven.”
I wrap my legs around his waist and lightly drag my nails up his spine, loving the dark look he gives me. I know he’s telling the truth, but I also know he wouldn’t be fucking me this gently if it weren’t my first time. Fisting his hair, I pull him closer and suck his bottom lip into my mouth, giving it a soft bite. He groans and pulls back so he can look at me.
“Stop holding back,” I tell him again. When he still hesitates, I add, “Please,” because he knows I only add that when I’m really serious.
He grabs the back of my thigh and hikes it up so he can slide in even deeper. My eyes widen at the new sensation.
“You sure about this, pcholka ?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Promise me you’ll tell me to stop if it’s too much.”
“I promise,” I tell him, hoping I can handle whatever he’s about to do. It’ll be a massive hit to my pride if I have to tap out.
He knows how stubborn I am, so he adds, “I’m serious, Sveta. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Trust me, you’ll know if I can’t handle it.”
That seems to appease him, because as much as I don’t want to back down, there’s no way I’ll be able to hide it. I’ll be too busy squirming and yelling at him to slow the fuck down. I may be stubborn, but I’m not a masochist.
Vitya gives me a grin that promises all sorts of deliciously wicked things and brings his mouth to mine. “Better hold on, sweetheart. ”
I have just enough time to wrap my arms around his neck before he picks up the pace.
Jesus Christ.
I knew he was holding back, but I hadn’t realized how much. My breasts bounce with each hard thrust, and when he cups one of them in his large hand and pinches my nipple while keeping up the same brutal pace, I nearly scream his name before I remember to clamp my mouth shut at the last second.
“No screaming, sweetheart,” he reminds me with a soft laugh. “Wouldn’t want to wake everyone up.”
His lips graze mine before he takes them in a hungry kiss, and as soon as I run my tongue over his, it’s like the dam breaks. He gives a deep, masculine groan and cups the back of my head, keeping me as close to him as he can manage. The kiss is fierce and hungry, and the way he’s invading all my senses is overpowering in the best possible way. All I can feel is him—his hands fisting my hair and roaming over my body, his mouth on mine, stealing my breath in a kiss that I never want to end, and the thick cock that’s spreading me wide in a relentless rhythm that has me clutching him even tighter as a spark ignites deep within my core. He makes my body come alive in ways I hadn’t thought possible.
“Vitya,” I gasp, feeling the orgasm start to take hold.
“That’s my good girl,” he growls against my lips. “Come around my cock, sweetheart.”
When he feels me start to come, he groans and cups my face, resting his forehead on mine.
“So goddamn tight.” His voice is strained and I know he’s barely hanging on.
“Come with me,” I beg. “Please, Vitya.”
“Fuck,” he growls, thrusting into me even harder. His movements border on violent, but he cups my face so goddamn gently and whispers that he loves me right before he lets go. I feel him pulse inside me as I cling to him, still riding the high from my own orgasm. Everything else disappears until all that’s left is the two of us. I’ve never felt so connected to anyone, so completely loved and at peace.
Running my hand through his hair, I kiss him and tighten my legs around his waist, never wanting him to leave the warmth of my body. The slight weight of his necklace rests on my chest, and I feel the rapid beat of his heart against my breast.
When he pulls back, there’s a smile on his face and so much love in his blue eyes. I run my fingers over his stubbled cheeks, memorizing every second of this moment.
“Don’t leave,” I tell him.
He raises a brow at me, so I add, “I want to stay like this. Is that okay?”
Resting his forearms on either side of my head, he looks down at me and kisses the tip of my nose. “I never want to leave your body, Sveta. I’d stay like this forever if I could.” His eyes search mine when he asks, “Was I too rough?”
I smile up at him. “No. I think I’m going to be really sore tomorrow, but, god, was it worth it.”
He gives a soft laugh and kisses me gently. “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint.”
“You definitely didn’t disappoint.” I can’t help but ask, “Did I?”
“Disappoint?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, suddenly feeling insecure and unsure of myself. I mean, I’ve never done this. I could’ve been downright awful without knowing it. Embarrassment heats my cheeks while he stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. I look to the side, unable to meet his gaze.
“ Pcholka , look at me.”
He waits until I’m meeting his eyes again.
“What we just shared was fucking amazing, sweetheart. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” He gives a soft laugh, looking so unbelievably and effortlessly sexy. “I had no idea anything could feel that good. It was perfect, and you are perfect, Sveta.” Still cupping my face, he kisses me gently. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I’m obsessed with every goddamn inch of you. It took everything I had and then some to not come too soon,” he admits with another laugh.
He’s still not fully soft inside me, and every slight movement reminds me of how sore I’m going to be. Noticing the wince I try to hide, his brows furrow with worry.
“I was too rough.”
“I wanted you to be,” I remind him.
“Yeah, but it’s my responsibility to look after you, and that sometimes involves me having to tell your stubborn ass no.”
“This isn’t about you being my bodyguard, Vitya.”
“I never said anything about that, pcholka . I’m talking about my responsibility as the man who’s in love with you, to keep you safe and protected and loved and cared for.”
“And now you’ve gone and broken my pussy.” I reach up and give him a sarcastic pat on the shoulder. “Good one.”
He groans at my attempt at humor while I laugh and try to reassure him that I’m okay.
“I’m going to run a bath for you. A soak might help.”
I’m about to argue and say I don’t need it, but then he slides out of me and I hiss out a breath, quickly deciding that I do indeed need a nice soak in a hot bath. Before he gets up, he grabs my thighs and gently parts my legs, spreading me wide so he has a full, unobstructed view.
“Lay it on me. How bad is it?”
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “It’s fucking mouthwatering is what it is, and all I can think about right now is how badly I want to be inside you again.” He very gently spreads me open with his fingers and groans at the sight. “You’re dripping my cum, sweetheart. God, you’re perfect.” His hungry gaze devours me until he finally sighs and says, “You’re swollen and look a bit raw, but I think a soak and some aspirin will take care of that.”
Before I can even think about walking to the bathroom, he’s scooping me into his arms and carrying me to the large clawfoot tub. I trace the dragon tattoo on his neck while he starts the water and pours in some vanilla scented bubble bath .
“I’m going to need you to hold still later so I can draw this. I can never seem to get it just right.”
He grins and turns his head so he can kiss my inner wrist. “And you need to show me the nudes you drew of me.”
“Maybe,” I tell him as he steps into the tub and lowers us both down. He smiles when I let out a relieved sigh as the warm water hits my sore body.
“Better?” he asks, adjusting me in his lap so my back is leaning against his chest.
“Much.” I rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my head. “Want to tell me your story now?”
“Not really, but I’m never going to want to talk about it, so I might as well get it over with.”
I turn my head so I can see him. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“You want to know about me, and I’m not going to keep this from you. It’s a big part of who I am, and you deserve to know about it.”
He kisses my forehead and leans back with a sigh. “The necklace was my brother’s. Seryozha was four years younger than me. He was fifteen when he died.”
I turn so I’m sitting sideways on his lap and wrap my arms around him in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Vitya. You don’t have to talk about it.”
His hand runs along my back as he kisses my neck. “I want to tell you about him.”
Lifting up, I rest my hand on his chest, feeling the scars beneath it from the night he’d been stabbed. My thumb grazes the rough skin as he starts to talk.
“Seryozha was the light to my dark. I was the one who was always getting into trouble, but he wasn’t like that. He believed that the world was mostly good, that more people were kind than not, and I always disagreed with him.”
He shakes his head at the memory and scrubs a hand over his face. When he speaks again, his voice is thick, and the emotion in it breaks my heart.
“I started working for the local Bratva, nothing major, just small jobs here and there, and Seryozha tried like hell to talk sense into me. I didn’t listen to him. We needed money, and this was the quickest way to get it. Even though I wasn’t an official member, I still managed to make some enemies, and one day they decided they wanted revenge for someone I’d killed.”
When his eyes meet mine, they’re glassy with unshed tears. “The bullets were meant for me, but Seryozha stepped in front of me at the last second.”
I don’t wait for him to tell me more. I just hug him. I wrap myself around him, trying to comfort him the only way I can think to. I kiss his neck, whispering how sorry I am against his skin and squeeze him tighter. He returns the hug, burying his face in my neck and kissing me back.
“It wasn’t your fault. I know you’re not going to believe me, but it wasn’t, and from what you just told me about your brother, he would hate for you to carry around this guilt. He’d want you to let it go and be happy.”
He’s quiet, but I feel the soft nod he gives.
“Thank you for telling me about him.”
“He would’ve liked you. I wish you could’ve met him.”
“Me too. Is the photo by your bed of you and Seryozha?”
I feel a huff of air against my neck before he says, “Do a little bit of snooping while I was taking a nap, pcholka ?”
“I just had a quick look around.”
“It’s the last photo that was taken of us together. Did you look in my nightstand?”
“No. That felt too invasive. I just walked around. I wanted to see your bedroom.” I smile and add, “I did sniff your pillow and peek into your bathroom.”
He gives a small laugh and kisses my neck again. “If you had looked in the drawer, you would’ve found your old sketchpad, the one you threw away about a year and a half ago.”
I pull back in surprise. “What? How’d you get that?”
“I saved it from the garbage can you’d thrown it in.” He reaches up and drags his finger along my jaw. “You’re so talented, Sveta. I couldn’t stand the thought of your work being in the trash.”
“Vitya.” I whisper his name, stunned by his confession. This whole time he’s been keeping how he feels a secret from me, and even though it was killing him, he still came to watch over me every day, putting up with my shit and all the grief I gave him. I’m not much of a crier, but I feel my eyes start to burn, and that annoying constricting feeling in my throat is making it hard to swallow.
He cups my face and pulls me closer. “I’ll be damned,” he whispers, pulling a small laugh from me, even though I’m having to bite back the tears that are threatening to fall. “If I had known my cock would tame you, sweetheart, I would’ve given it to you a long time ago.”
I laugh and smack his chest while he smiles and pulls me closer. “You know I’m going to win every argument now, right?”
“As if,” I tell him, but he just laughs and kisses me.
“I am. All I have to do is give you my dick and make you come. You turn into a giant sweetheart after sex.”
“I’ll still win arguments,” I tell him. “All I have to do is get naked and bend over. That seemed to stop you in your tracks earlier.”
“Jesus,” he sighs. “You’re right.” He runs his hands over my breasts, letting my nipples drag along his palms. “You will always hold all the power, Sveta.” Giving one of my nipples a pinch, he grins and adds, “Most of the time.”
He keeps holding me, running his hands over my body as we talk until the water grows too cold and he carries me to bed again. I’m not at all surprised at how easily we’ve morphed from the relationship we had to this more intimate one. We’ve been working towards this since day one, and the transition is as natural as breathing. We were always supposed to end up right here together. Neither one of us realized there’d be a baby involved, but I wouldn’t change anything. She’s captured my heart just like Vitya did, and I can’t imagine not having her with us.
“I wonder how Samantha is doing,” he asks while I curl up against him on the large bed .
“I’m sure she’s doing great. I haven’t heard her crying, and Yelena is very good with babies.”
“Do you want kids?”
I lift my head at his question and smile. “Little late to ask me that, isn’t it?”
He grins and gently tugs on a strand of my hair. “Answer it anyway.”
“Yes, I want kids.” I smile and ask, “Do you?”
He lets out a soft laugh. “Not until I met you, but I didn’t think it would ever happen. I used to watch you holding Isabella and Roma, and it was impossible to not imagine you holding our baby.” His fingers run through my hair as he says, “Sometimes it was so damn painful to be around you.”
I kiss his chest and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“Will you design a tattoo for me?”
Surprised, I lift my head to see him better. “What?”
One of his hands is resting behind his head and the other is still running through my hair when he shrugs and gives me a sweet smile. “I’ve always wanted to ask you. That’s why I saved a few spots.”
I’d noticed that he had a few blank patches of skin on his arms and chest, but I’d just assumed he didn’t want anything there.
I smile down at him. “I’d love to.”
He smiles back and then taps my cheek. “Let me see those nudes.”
I groan and get my sketchbook. When I’ve grabbed it from my bag, I hand it over and say, “Don’t laugh too hard.”
He gives me a wink. “No promises.”
Leaning back against the headboard, he motions for me to join him and then wraps his arm around me before he opens the book. He looks through every page, admiring the drawings of Val and the many sketches of Isabella and Roma before getting to the gnomes I’ve recently become obsessed with. Their funny faces fill several pages, and he smiles as he looks through them.
“You really are incredible,” he tells me, and I can’t help but light up a bit at his praise .
When he turns the page and gets to the porny section of my sketchpad, I groan and feel my cheeks heat up. He laughs, just like I knew he would. The first couple of pages aren’t all that bad. They’re mainly sketches of his face, several of him without a shirt, and looking at them now, I can see I wasn’t nearly as generous with the muscles, and I hadn’t gotten any of the tattoos right because I’d never seen him without a shirt on. I’d gotten glimpses of him the night he was stabbed because Pyotr had ripped his shirt off to work on him, but he’d been covered in blood, and I’d been scared to death and blinded by fear. When I’d visited him in the hospital, he’d been covered in bandages.
“Wow,” he whispers and laughs again when he turns the page and sees the fully naked drawings I’d done of him. “You shortchanged me, sweetheart, and that hurts.”
“I thought I was being really generous,” I tell him.
“You were, but not generous enough. This will never do, pcholka . You’re going to have to draw me again, this time adding some girth and a couple of inches, and I want you to add yourself in there as well.”
“Doing?”
“So many things,” he says with a grin. “I want a picture of you riding me, giving me a blowjob,” he raises a brow at me and adds, “bending over. When you’re done, I’m going to frame them and hang them all over our bedroom.”
“That’s never going to happen. When my dad decides that he no longer wants to kill you, he’s going to want to visit, and I will die if he ever sees drawings like that of us.”
“Fair enough,” Vitya agrees, “but I still want them. I’ll keep them safely tucked away, just for us to look at when we want.”
“Can I fix all my imperfections and make my breasts bigger?”
“What imperfections? And fuck no you can’t.” He sets the sketchpad aside so he can cup my breast in his hand. “You are perfect just as you are, and you’re not to change a single goddamn detail.”
When he lowers his head to my chest, I lean back and thread my fingers in his hair. He worships my body, reminding me with every soft kiss and every teasing suck that he loves me, and when he slides back into me, I’m more than ready for him.
True to his word, Vitya keeps me up all night, and by the time we fall asleep tangled in each other’s arms, I’m sore and completely and utterly spent. When we wake, it’s nearly one in the afternoon, and Vitya’s arm is wrapped snugly around my body, keeping me pressed firmly against him. His face is buried in my neck, and when I start to wiggle away, he grunts and tightens his grip on me.
“Vitya, I have to pee,” I tell him, wiggling harder to try and unlock his embrace.
“Mm-mm,” he groans, and when I feel the hard length of him digging into the crack of my ass, I kiss his arm and say, “I love you, but no way in hell is that happening right now. My bladder is about to explode.”
He gives a soft laugh and lets me go.
“It’s one o’clock, by the way,” I tell him as I race to the bathroom.
“What the fuck?”
I shut the door on his adorably confused face and take care of business. By the time I get out, he’s shoving on a pair of jeans and grabbing a dark grey henley. While I get dressed, he uses the bathroom, and when he comes back out, the first thing he does is pull me in for a hug before his lips find mine and he gives me the scorching hot good-morning kiss I’ve always dreamed of. When he pulls back, I’m a bit dazed and it takes me a second to get my bearings. He cups my face and smiles down at me.
“I can’t believe I get to do that anytime I want now.”
I rest my hands on his and smile back at him. “I know. I feel the same way. We’re not going back to how things were, Vitya. My dad is just going to have to accept us. I can’t go back to having distance between us.”
“Never, pcholka . I won’t fucking allow it.”
He kisses me again, but we both know we can’t stay in here all day, so he eventually pulls back with a pained groan.
“We should go check on Samantha. ”
His thumb grazes my cheek. “Is it weird that I miss her already?”
I smile and kiss the palm of his hand. “No, it’s sweet as hell, and I miss her too.”
He pulls me in for another tight hug, and I bury my face in his chest, breathing in the scent I’ll never be able to get enough of.
“I really like this side of you. I had no idea you were such a cuddler, Vitya.”
He laughs and kisses my head. “You and me both, sweetheart.”
Holding my hand, we leave the room together and go in search of my brother and Yelena. We find them in the room we’d turned into a mini movie theater. My cousins and I have spent so many nights in here over the years. There’s a very colorful show playing on the large screen, the kind that’s so over-the-top cheerful that it ends up having the opposite effect if you’re over the age of five. When I meet my brother’s eyes and see the relief in them when he sees that we’re awake, I almost laugh. He’s clearly been watching this show for way too long, and he looks like he’s fighting a headache and the urge to shatter the screen and shoot out the speakers. His face immediately softens when Yelena looks at him, turning into a genuine smile, but she just laughs, knowing how miserable he is.
“I won’t make you watch any more,” she tells him. Looking back at us, she says, “I thought she might like the bright colors.”
Samantha is in her bouncy seat, staring at the screen with wide eyes, and as soon as she sees us, she squeals and starts kicking her legs, unable to contain her excitement. My heart melts at the sight of her, and I quickly walk over to pick her up while Vitya thanks them again for watching her.
“She was perfect,” Yelena assures him. “She woke up for a couple of bottles, and then went right back to sleep.”
I cover Samantha’s cheeks in kisses and then hand her over as soon as Vitya reaches for her, knowing he needs to feel her in his arms just as badly as I did. She rests her head on his shoulder and smiles as he kisses her cheek and whispers to her in Russian that he missed her and that he’s so proud of her for being so good last night .
It’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen, and when I look over at Yelena, she’s looking at me like she’s about to start crying. I walk over and give her a hug.
“Thanks so much for watching her last night.”
She hugs me back and whispers, “God, he loves you so much, Sveta. I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m happy for you too, Yelena. There’s no one else I’d rather have for a sister-in-law.”
I hear her sniffle and know it’s time to rein it in because my brother will worry if he sees her crying. I give her one last squeeze before letting her go and turning to Val, whose focus is fully on Yelena. As soon as he sees her face, he steps closer and wraps an arm around her, whispering something into her ear that’s only for her.
Wanting to give them privacy, I walk back over to Vitya. He’s been watching me, and when he looks me over and realizes I’m okay, his shoulders visibly relax and he goes back to making funny faces at Samantha. When he tickles her tummy, she squirms and lets out the cutest laugh I’ve ever heard. His hand freezes as he looks over at me with wide, excited eyes.
“Did you hear that?”
“She just laughed!” I smile at Samantha and clap my hands, so proud of her for hitting this milestone and so happy that we were both here to witness it. I look over at Yelena and Val, and they’re both smiling at us while Yelena snaps a few quick photos. “Try to do it again,” she tells us. “I’ll take a video.”
Vitya tickles Samantha again, and she squeals and gives another boisterous laugh that’s just as adorable the second time around. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. Less than a week ago, she was starving and completely alone, and now she’s happy and safe and loved, just like she should be.
Yelena captures her laughter and smiles and the look of pure joy on Samantha’s face at this newfound ability, and when she’s done, she says, “I’ll send it to you, Sveta.”
We thank her and then take a giggling Samantha into the kitchen for her bottle. As much as I missed feeding her, I can’t bring myself to ask Vitya to give me the bottle. She’s already sprawled out in his arms, watching him as he gets it ready, and I’m not about to break up that cute bonding moment.
He raises a brow in surprise when I start getting out all the sandwich supplies from the fridge.
“What? I do know how to make a sandwich, Vitya.”
Giving a soft laugh, he says, “I’ve just never seen you do it.”
“First time for everything,” Val says, coming up beside me and grabbing the cutting board. “You’re turning my sister into a housewife, Vitya.”
I laugh at the two of them. “That’ll be the day. Just because I’m slapping a piece of ham between two slices of bread doesn’t mean I’m going to start cleaning the house and ironing clothes.”
“I think we both know I’ll be the one cleaning the house,” Vitya says, and I give him a wink that he quickly returns.
I look at my brother. “See? He knows his place.”
Vitya laughs and smacks my ass when he walks by. “Careful, pcholka, or I’m going to start hiding all your boxed desserts.”
“You wouldn’t.”
He grins and kisses my cheek. “Try me, sweetheart. I’ll make sure the only snacks you can find are organic and vegan.”
“Don’t even joke like that,” I tell him. “And that reminds me, you still owe me a cupcake. You said you’d eat one with me yesterday.”
Vitya groans while Yelena tells him, “You will never break her sugar habit. She’s been addicted since we were little.” She looks at me and laughs. “Remember when you ate that entire bag of cotton candy and then puked all over the floor?”
Val laughs while Vitya gives me a horrified look. “An entire bag?”
“Don’t forget she also ate the last half of my bag,” Val says, and then laughs at the look I give him.
I shrug and keep my head held high. “It was delicious, and I stand by that decision.”
When they keep laughing at me, I get a loaf of bread and four plates and start preparing lunch. I’ve never had a problem with being the butt of a friendly joke, so I laugh right along with them as my brother and Yelena spill some of my stories. I love that Vitya is enjoying it and that he wants to know all these details of my life.
We eat our lunch while Samantha swings next to us, and once everyone is done, my brother checks his phone and says, “We need to get going. I told Mom and Dad that you were fine and everything was okay, so it’ll be fun when that comes back to bite me in the ass.”
“I’ll text them and let them know we’ll be back after the weekend, and don’t worry. They’re going to be way too busy with me to even remember that you covered for me.”
Val raises a brow at me. “Yeah, that sounds like Dad. He’ll definitely forget that I kept all this from him.”
“He’s always saying that family comes first and that you should always do anything for them. I mean, you’re my twin. It’s not like you can turn against me. We shared a very small home for nine months. That creates one hell of a bond.”
He smiles at me. “It does. You were probably a real pain in the ass in there too. I can easily imagine you elbowing me out of the way and scarfing down all the good nutrients.”
I point my finger at him. “Some babies will eat their twin in the womb, you know?”
Val laughs. “Knowing you, you probably tried.”
I laugh with him, because he knows I’d walk through fire for him, and I know he’d do the same for me. When he walks over to say goodbye, I pull him in for a big hug.
“I love you, Val. Thanks for covering my ass yet again.”
He hugs me back and gives an exaggerated sigh. “It’s a full-time job, and I love you too.”
I’m smiling when I pull back and reach for Yelena. “Thank you again for last night.” Whispering, I add, “I’m sore as hell, but it was totally worth it.”
She laughs and hugs me tighter. “I’m so happy for you.”
When I pull back, my brother is watching us, but he’s smart enough to not ask for details. He just kisses the top of Samantha’s head as he tells her bye and then smacks Vitya’s back on his way to grab the bag they’d brought with them while Yelena puts her jacket on.
“I’ll let you know what Niki finds,” he promises us on his way out.
We tell them bye and watch as my brother puts his arm around Yelena and leads her out to his car. I wave to them from the window, watching until my brother’s car disappears around the bend in the road. Vitya comes up and wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my head.
“You okay?”
I reach up and grab onto the forearm that’s resting on my upper chest. “I’m fine.” I tilt my head up. “We can’t ever live far away from my family, though. I have to be close to them.”
He kisses my forehead. “I know, baby. Don’t worry. We can live wherever you want.”
“How about your place?”
He gives a soft laugh. “When you said close, you weren’t kidding. Sure, I’d love to live right below your father.”
I ignore the sarcasm and smile. “Perfect, thanks.”
Knowing we only have a few more days of peaceful alone time, I intend to enjoy every second of it, so instead of worrying about what’s to come, I turn around and lace my fingers behind Vitya’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss that he returns with a groan.
Over the next couple of days, we fall into an easy routine that feels completely natural and like it was always meant to be. Samantha seems to be growing constantly, and she’s so quick to smile and laugh. She’s even sleeping better and only waking up twice a night for bottles. Since Vitya and I take turns, that means we’re only having to wake up for one feeding a piece, which is a good thing, because by the time I close my eyes at night, he’s thoroughly exhausted me.
My mom and dad have relaxed since Val told them I’m doing fine, and Niki is fully on the job, working his ass off trying to dig up any information he can find on Samantha. It’s been a nice few days, the best of my life, and I’m not ready for it to end.