16. Vitya
Chapter 16
Vitya
S vetlana squirms in my lap, her eyes already going a bit heavy-lidded at my words. This woman has teased me every day and every night since I left Dominic’s, and I’m about to get my payback. Yes, she always lets me come, eventually , but she’s refused to let me fuck her. She’s given me blowjobs and handjobs and ridden my face like the wild woman she is, but she’s refused to give me the one thing I’ve been begging for—her tight, wet pussy wrapped around my cock.
Well, tonight I’m getting it.
“Don’t forget that we’re having supper with my family tonight,” she reminds me.
“Yes, and then we’re having dessert here.”
Her eyes light up when she says, “We do have a lot of ice cream that needs tearing into.”
“You still have a few days left on your thirty days,” I remind her, even though she’s not fooling anyone. I caught her sneaky ass the other day with a cupcake.
“It’s unnatural to go so long without sugar, Vitya.” I laugh at the pouty sound of her voice. “And I’ve been eating the healthy food you force on me, too. Everything in balance and all that.”
“Well, we do have a doctor we could ask.” I raise my voice. “Tony, what do you think about processed sugary foods? Healthy? Not healthy?”
“They’re terrible for you,” he quickly says. “Not a shred of nutritional value, empty calories, and they’re just going to give you a sugar crash.”
“Sveta’s addicted to them,” I say, smiling when she whispers “Traitor” at me.
Tony shakes his head and says, “Sugar’s the devil, Sveta. It lures you in with sweet lies and then leaves you with nothing but regret.”
“I feel nothing but deep satisfaction when I finish a cupcake,” Sveta says. “You clearly don’t know what in the hell you’re talking about.”
Tony laughs and gets Samantha settled back into her swing. He gives her another big smile before turning back to us. “Give me a call if you need anything.”
“We will, Tony, thanks,” I tell him. Keeping a tight grip on Sveta, I stand up and take her with me.
“You’re not supposed to pick me up,” she yells.
I keep her in my arms. “Tony said I could.”
“Actually, I said to take it easy and don’t do anything that causes pain,” Tony corrects, already walking his ass to the door to avoid getting put in the middle of this.
“No pain,” I assure them both, but I set Sveta down when she starts to wiggle because I know she’s just going to keep worrying if I don’t. I can’t distract her with my dick while Tony is here, but later she’s not getting away from me so easily.
We walk him to the door and thank him again, and once he’s gone, I cup Sveta’s face and kiss her hard. She opens for me, hungrily returning my kiss as I scoot her back so she’s pinned between me and the wall. She lets out a sexy moan when she feels how hard I am, and I’m seconds away from pulling her jeans down and sliding into her when Samantha gives a yell from the living room .
Sveta runs her tongue over mine, sliding her hands under my shirt so she can scrape her nails along my back in the way she knows I love. I groan and rock against her, desperate to sink into her, but another scream has me pulling back with a pained groan. I rest my forehead on hers and sigh.
“Tonight can’t come fast enough,” I tell her.
“That better be the only thing that comes fast.”
“I see my little bee still has her stinger ready to go.” Cupping her ass, I keep her pressed tightly against me and say, “Have I ever let you down, sweetheart?”
“No, never,” she admits.
“Then don’t start doubting me now.”
She grins. “I just like to keep you on your toes. Plus, a guy as good looking as you needs to be kept humble.”
I laugh and pull her into the living room so we can take care of Samantha. We don’t have much time before we need to leave, but we spend it playing with our daughter. It never ceases to amaze me how fast she’s growing. I watch as she rolls from her back to her tummy, and it may not be the most graceful thing in the world, but it’s cute as hell, especially when she kicks her legs and lifts her head, giving us both a big, gummy smile.
“She’s growing up way too fast,” I tell Sveta. “She’s going to be walking soon, and I’m not ready for that.”
Sveta laughs when Samantha grabs a toy and immediately puts it in her mouth, slobbering all over the thing. “She’s only five months old,” she reminds me.
“She’s still growing too fast.” I reach out and run my hand over her tiny head, brushing back the soft, silky strands of baby hair. “Stop growing, little one,” I tell her, pulling another belly laugh from her small body.
Sveta lays down next to her and kisses one of her chubby hands. “Are you ready to see your Uncle Val and Grandma and Grandpa?”
Samantha smiles and lets out a string of gibberish.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Sveta tells her .
“I’ll start gathering up the supplies,” I say, standing and heading for the kitchen for some bottles of formula. Taking her upstairs doesn’t involve packing a bunch of stuff because Vitaly and Katya insisted on buying just about everything she could possibly need. I’m only bringing the formula just in case, but I’m guessing Katya already has a bunch stocked in their pantry. It’s nice having grandparents right above us. I’d been worried about living so close, but knowing they’re there if we need them has been a huge comfort.
Sveta takes Samantha into her nursery for one last diaper change and then quickly returns with a smiling baby on her hip. I grab her favorite pink blanket and the stuffed unicorn she likes best and then disappear into our room so I can grab my gun. Even though it’s just a short walk down the hall to the elevator, I’m not taking any chances with my family.
When I come back out, Sveta eyes me, knowing exactly what I’ve gone and done, but she doesn’t try to convince me that it’s not necessary. Being kidnapped will do that to a person. She’s always going to be more cautious now, and as much as I hate that she had to go through that, I’m so proud of her for not letting it consume her with fear. She may be more cautious, but the memories don’t control her.
We were damn lucky that Shane’s motive was greed. Things could’ve gone in a very different direction, and it would’ve broken the strong woman I see standing before me. It would’ve killed something inside her, and it would’ve destroyed me to see it happen. I shake my head, ridding my mind of the thought as I thread my fingers through hers and kiss the back of her hand.
“Ready to spend the evening with your crazy family?”
“I think my dad is really starting to warm up to you,” she says, making me laugh.
“Do you know he has me listed as Fucker in his contacts? That’s it, just Fucker.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Sveta says with a laugh.
I lock the door behind us and say, “He showed it to me. He’s even using a photo of a horse’s ass for my profile pic.”
Sveta laughs all the way to the elevator, and then doesn’t stop while we go up one floor. When the doors open and she steps into her family’s apartment, the first thing she does is yell, “Dad, you’ve got to change Vitya’s contact info.”
I hear his laughter coming from the other room right before he and Katya walk over. Sveta’s mom quickly grabs Samantha, covering her in kisses while Vitaly hugs Sveta and says, “Why would I change it? It’s perfect.”
“A horse butt? Seriously?” Sveta asks, but they’re both laughing, and it’s obvious I’m going to be known as Fucker with the photo of a horse’s ass for the foreseeable future.
I raise a brow at the two of them, letting them know I’m not amused when Val comes in and smacks me on the back.
“Hey, Fucker,” he says, making them all bust out laughing again. When he sees the look I give him, he laughs and holds up his hands. “I’m just kidding. When he’s not paying attention, I’ll go in and change it,” he promises.
“Like hell you will,” Vitaly tells him. “You can’t go snooping on my phone. I have nudes of your mom.”
“Dad,” Sveta groans while Val sighs and mutters, “Could’ve gone my whole life without knowing that.”
Vitaly just laughs and gives his wife a wink. Katya shakes her head at him, not looking surprised at all by what he’s just said. Samantha watches everything with wide, curious eyes. I have no idea how much she understands, or if she even understands a word of the Russian that she’s now constantly exposed to, but she smiles and laughs along with everyone else. Vitaly grabs her, lifting her into the air while she squeals in happiness before he brings her back down to kiss the cheeks that are now adorably chubby instead of how sunken they once were.
“How’s my perfect little granddaughter?” He asks her. “Are you giving daddy lots of dirty diapers?” He laughs when she smiles even bigger. “That’s my girl.”
Vitaly and I may have a playful feud going on, but he’s the best grandfather I could’ve ever asked for. That alone makes me love the old bastard, not that I’ll ever tell him that.
“It smells delicious, Katya,” I tell her, leaning down to give Sveta’s mom a hug.
“Thank you. I hope you like it. Seemed like the perfect day to make a roast. Did you hear it might snow later?”
“Really?” Sveta asks, her eyes lighting up at the thought of seeing the snow fall.
“Mom got some hot chocolate and marshmallows,” Val says. He looks at me and explains, “Every time it snowed when we were little, Mom would make us hot chocolate so we could drink it while we looked out the window and watched it come down.”
Katya looks over at Samantha. “I can’t wait to do that with her. And Christmas cookies,” she says, looking just as excited as Sveta does.
Okay, maybe her sweet tooth isn’t just from her dad.
“I’ve got a good recipe for some homemade granola.”
The four Melnikovs look at me like I’ve just sprouted horns.
“Why would we ever do that?” Vitaly asks, looking genuinely confused. He kisses Samantha’s head and whispers loud enough for me to hear. “Your daddy is weird. You need to come to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for all the good snacks.”
I don’t even bother arguing. Samantha doesn’t have a chance in hell. I’m just going to have to make sure she gets enough fruits and vegetables and regular dental check-ups to go along with all the sugar.
Just to be sure, I say, “When you babysit, you can’t just let her mainline pixie sticks.”
Vitaly tries to look offended. “As if I would ever do that.” Looking down at Samantha, he smiles and adds, “I’ll teach you how to tip them back and down them in one go like a lady.”
“There’s gotta be a better way to phrase that, Dad,” Val says with a laugh.
Vitaly just frowns at him and then shakes his head when the rest of us join in. “Get your heads out of the gutter.” When he sees that Katya is laughing just as hard, he raises a brow at her. “Really, ptichka ? ”
“You’re the one who said it,” she tells him, but then she steps closer and kisses him, and he quickly forgets why he was upset in the first place. He’s just as in love with her as I am with his daughter, and so I’m not at all surprised to see him snake his arm around and grab her ass.
Val sighs and looks over at me. “You see what we have to put up with?”
Vitaly breaks the kiss with a laugh and lets go of his wife’s ass so he can point a finger at their son. “You should be thrilled we love each other so much, and one day you’re going to be the one who’s grabbing some woman’s ass in the hallway, except when you do it, I’m not going to cause a fuss like you are. I’ll just smile and give you an I told you so look.”
Val grins. “I’m going to hold you to that one day.” He looks at me and Sveta. “You’re my witnesses.”
“We all heard it,” Sveta agrees, smiling at her brother.
Vitaly looks between his kids. “I never go back on my word. You two know that, so remember it all you want.”
Turning his attention back to Samantha, he baby talks to her as he turns his back on us. “Come on, sweetheart. I want to show you the new toy I bought you today.”
Katya grins and says, “He went baby shopping again today.”
“You two don’t have to keep buying things,” I tell her, but she just waves off my concern.
“Don’t even try and stop us. We’re having way too much fun with this,” she says while leading us into the kitchen.
“This looks amazing, Mom,” Sveta says, joining her at the island while I grab a knife and stand next to her, finishing up the tomatoes Katya had been in the process of cutting. Vitaly and Sveta may be sugar fiends, but I’ve noticed that Katya always makes sure to squeeze in vegetables at every meal.
Katya checks on the roast and says, “Danil and Niki are going to stop by later at some point.”
Sveta grabs a carrot, and when she takes a bite, I give her a wink, letting her know I’m pleased with her food choice. She gives me a playful eye roll and says to her mom, “Anyone else coming over?”
“No, I don’t think so, but you know this family. You never know who’s going to show up.” She pulls the large roast out of the oven and sets it on counter. “That’s why I always make extra.”
We finish getting everything ready, and when it’s done, we transfer it all to the table. Vitaly is already bringing Samantha in to join us. She’s grinning and happily babbling away as she sits in the brand-new toy that her grandpa has gotten for her. It’s one of those saucer seats that Sveta’s been talking about wanting to get. A toy activity tray circles around her so everywhere she looks there’s something to play with. Her cute little legs stick out from the bottom. I notice she’s also wearing unicorn slippers.
When I look up at him, Vitaly just smiles and says, “I didn’t want her feet to get cold.”
“It’s so cute, Dad,” Sveta tells him, kissing his cheek before she comes to sit down next to me. “Remember when you got me reindeer slippers that one year? Man, I loved those things.” She turns to me and says, “The red noses lit up and they played music when you squeezed the ears.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t annoying at all,” Val says. “Not even when she’d push the damn button over and over again.”
Sveta laughs. “You loved it, and you know it.”
“Maybe the first few times, but definitely not by the hundredth,” he says.
They continue sharing memories while we eat, and I can’t help but think about all the times I was left standing on the outside looking in during these moments. Reaching under the table, I squeeze her thigh, needing the reminder that I’ll never be on the outside again. My place is beside her now, and nothing will ever change that. She threads her fingers through mine and laughs at something her mom says. I’m so happy she had a better childhood than I did. My brother and I made the most of things, but we were never surrounded by this kind of love. Maybe Seryozha would still be alive if we had been. As soon as I start thinking it, I know it’s a mistake. I’ve been down this road before, the what if cycle that never does any good and only ends up sending me into a depressed state that I have no desire to ever be in again.
Sensing my mood change, Sveta turns her head and meets my eyes, searching my face and reading me so easily. Leaning in closer so only I can hear, she whispers, “We’re going to make our own memories, Vitya, and we’ll tell Samantha all about the uncle who would’ve adored her.”
“Have I told you yet today how perfect you are?” I whisper back.
“Maybe once or twice.”
“You need to hear it again. You’re perfect, Sveta, and I love you.”
“I love you too.” She kisses my cheek, but before she pulls away, she says, “And you’re perfect too.”
I smile at how sweet she is and pick my fork back up. By the time the meal is over, I’m convinced I can’t eat another bite, but then Katya brings out the homemade apple pie and ice cream.
Vitaly smiles and wraps his arms around her from behind, leaning down so he can kiss her cheek. “You’ve turned into such an American, ptichka— roast and apple pie.”
“I made borsch last week,” she reminds him.
“And it was delicious,” he says with a grin. Grabbing one of the plates, he starts cutting off slices of pie and scooping out ice cream before passing them around the table. When Samantha squeals, he gives her a wink and says, “Just you wait, baby girl, you’re going to love this when you’re older.”
“Way older,” I say, because her little butt is going to be slowly eased onto food when she’s ready for it. I don’t ever want to hear her screaming like she did the first night at the farmhouse. She hasn’t done it since, and I’m willing to do anything to avoid her having that kind of stomach pain again.
“I do know how this parenting thing works, you know,” he tells me while handing me a plate with enough sugar on it to knock an elephant out.
If I’m being honest, it looks really fucking delicious. And those cupcakes that Sveta loves so much that I love to bitch about? Jesus Christ, I could eat the whole damn box myself, but it doesn’t make it right. Good health is a choice, even if it is sometimes completely devoid of fun and flavor. Some battles aren’t worth fighting, though, and as much as I’d love to put my fork aside and climb on up to the moral high ground, I know how hard Katya worked on this meal, and I’m not about to be disrespectful in their home, so I grab my fork and take a big bite. It’s still hot from the oven, and she’s put just the right amount of cinnamon in it. A soft moan escapes before I can stop it, and everyone at the table stops what they’re doing to gape at me. I try like hell to cover it with a cough.
Vitaly points his fork at me. “No one’s buying that pathetic attempt of a cover-up.”
Sveta looks way too proud of herself when she nudges my shoulder, so I give her as innocent of a look as I can muster and say, “I don’t know why you’re gloating.”
“Because you’re enjoying this,” she says, “like really enjoying it. You’re not just taking a few bites to be polite, you moaned around that mouthful of sugar.” She wiggles her brows at me. “Welcome to the dark side.”
“I won’t let you corrupt me,” I tell her.
She just laughs while Val says, “Too late.”
I give up and look across the table at Katya. “This really is delicious, Katya.”
She smiles and tries to make me feel better by saying, “You did eat a big salad with your meal, so it wasn’t all junk.”
“True enough,” I admit, but even though I know nothing could really counteract all this sugar, I still can’t resist eating a bit more. I’m only human, and evidently my sweet pcholka has corrupted me on a deep level.
I finally put my fork down after eating more than half of it when we hear the elevator doors give a soft ding right before Danil calls out a hello.
“Come in and get some food,” Vitaly shouts out to them.
Danil and Niki come walking in, both with a worn, leather messenger bag slung across their chests, and the family resemblance has never been more noticeable.
“Thanks, Aunt Katya,” Niki says, taking the plate of pie and ice cream that she’s already filled for him. He gives Samantha’s head a soft pat as he walks by and takes the seat next to Val.
“This looks amazing,” Danil says, taking the next plate and sitting down in between me and Vitaly. “Damn, that’s good.” He smiles at Katya and loads his fork up again.
“I’ll give you some to take to Simona and Max,” Katya tells him.
“Thanks. They’ll love that.” Danil takes another bite and then grabs his messenger bag. Pulling out a manila folder, he hands it to me and says, “Congratulations.”
I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but Sveta wastes no time in grabbing the folder out of my hand while she asks, “What is this?”
Danil smiles at her. “Open it and find out.” Looking over at Niki, he says, “Your cousin worked his ass off, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Niki tries to hide his smile as Sveta rips open the folder and takes out a stack of papers. “What the hell?” she whispers, tilting the paper in her hand so I can see. It’s a birth certificate for Samantha Kozov with Sveta and I listed as her parents.
“I told them to make her a Melnikov, but they wouldn’t listen to me,” Vitaly says.
I reread the words over and over again. Seeing Svetlana and Samantha Kozov listed as my wife and daughter makes everything real, and instead of hesitation or fear at being thrown into marriage and fatherhood, I feel nothing but relief, because this means they’re mine. This is proof that we’re a family and that we belong together.
“What about her real birth certificate?” I ask. “Is there any way someone could find it and use it against us?”
Danil shakes his head. “Niki changed the original. He even changed her blood type on the hospital records and wiped her prints. There’s still a record of Erin Lyons’ birth, but it’s never going to match up to Samantha Kozov.”
Niki grins and says, “Tony and Dr. Bianchi helped with making Samantha’s immunization chart and all the check-up info. The records are perfect. No one will ever think that Sveta didn’t give birth to her.” He looks over at his cousin. “You opted for a natural, home delivery.”
Sveta laughs. “Yeah, that sounds like me for sure. I am such a trooper.” She looks up at me. “Just for the record, when I do actually give birth, I want drugs. Lots of ‘em.”
I smile and kiss the tip of her nose. “Whatever you want, pcholka .”
She flips through to the next piece of paper and then looks back at her cousin. Before she can ask, he quickly says, “We just thought that maybe you’d want it on paper that you were married before you had her. I can delete it if you want me to.”
Sveta and I stare down at our marriage certificate. I point at the date and say, “I can’t believe I missed our one-year anniversary.”
“That was really crappy of you,” Sveta says, not missing a beat. “I’ll expect you to make that up to me in an extravagant way.”
“You can always have a wedding ceremony,” Katya says, “and just celebrate that as your wedding date instead. This is just something to have as proof.”
Sveta nods but her focus is still on the wedding and birth certificates in her hand. “I can’t believe you did all this. Thanks, Niki and Uncle Danil.”
“Sure thing, kiddo,” Danil says.
Niki smiles at us and says, “No problem. Any excuse to do something illegal and learn a few more skills.”
“Jesus, he reminds me so much of you when you were younger,” Vitaly says, looking over at Danil.
“Yeah, except he’s way smarter,” Danil says with a proud grin.
We sit around talking for a few more minutes while Samantha is passed around the table and then given her bottle. I laugh and smile with the rest of them, but my mind is on the paperwork we’ve just been given. Legally, or not so legally, depending on how you look at it, Sveta and I are married. She’s my wife, and I’m desperate to know how she feels about that .
When Danil and Niki stand to leave, I try not to appear too antsy, although I’m eager to follow them out.
“We should get going,” Danil says. “Thanks for the pie, Katya. I’m going to be very popular when I get home.”
“If Max isn’t there, I’m eating his slice,” Niki says. He squats down to kiss Samantha’s cheek and smiles when she reaches for him. Unable to resist her, he picks her up and gives her another kiss before handing her over to his dad. Danil gets a few belly laughs and then puts her in Vitaly’s arms.
“It’s good having another baby around. I’ve missed this age,” Danil says.
“Yeah, it’s a good one,” Vitaly agrees. “Always happy to see you and they never talk back.”
Sveta walks over and hugs her dad. “I’m always happy to see you, and I never talk back.”
Vitaly laughs. “One out of two isn’t bad.”
Danil laughs and grabs the plate of leftovers, giving us a wave as he and Niki leave, and then Samantha yawns, giving me the perfect excuse to start packing up. Sveta can sense how anxious I am, so she starts saying her goodbyes. Val promises to visit soon and Katya packs up a container of leftovers for us.
We leave with far more than we came with because it turns out Vitaly bought two saucer seats because he knew Sveta wanted one. It never even occurs to me to tell him he doesn’t need to spoil Samantha, because I hope like hell he always does. I want that sweet little girl to have everything she could ever possibly need or want. We’ll all make sure she doesn’t grow up to be a brat about it. I’m convinced she can remain sweet and spoiled.
By the time we’re loaded up in the elevator, Samantha is rubbing at her eyes and more than ready for her crib. Sveta and I are quiet for the short ride down, and when the doors open, I glance down the hall to make sure it’s empty before we make our way to our door. Sveta’s carrying enough to ensure I have a hand free if I need to reach my gun, but everything is quiet as I unlock our door and we step inside .
“Here, I’ll get her ready for bed,” she says, setting the giant saucer activity center down and reaching for our daughter. I watch her walk off, unable to get a read on what she’s thinking. I tolerate it for about ten minutes before I can’t take it anymore and I go in search of her. She’s in the hall bathroom, amusing Samantha with a rubber ducky while she gets her cleaned up.
“You’re killing me,” I finally say, pressing my shoulder against the doorway while I watch them.
She turns her honey-brown eyes up to me. “About?”
When she sees the look on my face, she laughs. “It’s kind of cute when you get all flustered.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Would you please tell me how you’re feeling about all this?”
“About us being married and officially having a daughter, you mean?”
“Yes,” I manage to say in a normal tone instead of the growl I want to give.
She smiles down at Samantha. “I’m relieved. I’ve been worried that somehow the truth of who she is would come back to hurt us in some way, and it scares me to think of someone trying to take her from us.”
“I would never let that happen,” I quickly say.
“I know you wouldn’t, but it’s still scary, and the birth certificate is just a nice assurance that it can’t happen.” She rinses Samantha’s hair and asks, “Do you think it’s wrong to keep it from her?”
I sigh because the same worries have been running through my head. “I really don’t know,” I admit. “Part of me wants to protect her from all that, to shield her from the truth of who her birth parents were and what they’d planned to do to her, but then another part of me feels like it’s wrong, like she has a right to know.”
Squatting down by her side, I smile at Samantha and let her grip my finger when she reaches for it. “How about we agree to wait and decide when she’s older? We raise her as our own, surrounding her with more love than she knows what to do with, and then when she’s older, we can decide what we think is best. ”
“Sounds good,” Sveta agrees. “I think it’ll just confuse her when she’s younger anyway. We’re the only parents she’s going to know or remember. I just want her to feel loved. I don’t want to say anything that’s going to make her feel unwanted or like she doesn’t belong.”
Samantha lets out another squeal and splashes in the water while she uses the rubber ducky as a teether. Her happiness is contagious, and the smile I give her comes easily. Turning my head, I look at Sveta.
“And how do you feel about the other thing?”
The corner of her mouth lifts in a grin. “You mean how do I feel about the fact that we’re married?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I feel kind of shortchanged, to be honest. We’ve been married for over a year, and I spent most of it in an extreme state of sexual frustration.”
“You? I’m surprised I didn’t go crazy from it. I think I was close a few times, especially during the summer when you went swimming and then insisted on walking around in your bikini. I swear you were actively trying to kill me.”
She smiles even bigger. “I was. I was trying to get you to stop being so stubborn and to act on what you were feeling.”
I cup her face and kiss her. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“You better.”
I smile at her tone and ask, “Do you want a wedding?”
She turns back to Samantha and starts to dry her off. “I don’t know. I want to do something, because right now it doesn’t feel real, but an actual wedding ceremony isn’t going to change how I feel about you. I would like to get a dress and celebrate with my family, though. I want photos and the memories of it, but I’m fine without an actual ceremony. Unless you want one. Do you?”
“I’ve always felt married to you,” I admit with a laugh. “Since the night you saved my life, I’ve thought of you as mine. I was faithful to you in every way before we were even a couple, and reciting vows in front of everyone isn’t going to change anything for me. You’ve always been mine, and you’ll always be mine. Nothing can change that. ”
Her eyes soften at my words. “That’s really sweet, Vitya. I do still get a ring, though, right?”
“You’re definitely getting a ring, a big one. I’ve had to stand back and pretend long enough. I’m more than ready to let the world know you’re mine.” I hand Sveta a fresh diaper and Samantha’s pink sleeper and say, “Maybe we should go to your favorite art store.”
She laughs and puts the diaper on a wiggling Samantha. “I can’t believe you’re still hung up on that.”
“I’ve had to put up with him for two years. He still flirts with you every time we go in there, and I hate him.”
“He thinks we’re cousins,” she reminds me.
“Well, whose fault is that?” I smile, refusing to be deterred. “He’ll just think we’re really taboo.”
When Samantha’s all cozy in her pajamas, Sveta hands her to me and says, “We’ll have to bring her with us. That’ll really confuse him.”
“Deal,” I tell her, already looking forward to walking in there with my arm around my wife and our daughter in a stroller. I’ll finally be able to tell that little fucker to keep his eyes off what belongs to me. I smile as I think about it and kiss our daughter’s head. One of my favorite parts of the day is giving Samantha her bedtime bottle while I rock her, so Sveta isn’t at all surprised when I say, “I’ll give her the last bottle tonight.”
She smiles up at me and then leans closer to give our daughter a kiss. “Night, baby girl. I’ll see you when you wake up.”
Samantha smiles and then turns her attention back to me when I start to walk her out of the room while telling her how much we both love her. I’m constantly telling her that, because even though she may not understand the words right now, she understands the meaning behind them. Grabbing her bottle, I sit in the rocker and feed her, murmuring to her the whole time that her mommy and daddy love her and that we’re so happy to have her. She watches me until she’s too sleepy to keep her eyes open, and then she drifts off while I continue to rock and whisper how much we love her.
I’m reluctant to put her in her crib, but I’m also eager to see my wife. A huge grin spreads across my face. Sveta Kozov, my beautiful, vivacious wife, the only woman I’ll ever want and the one who will always keep me on my toes. She’s a handful, but she’s my handful, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Double-checking that Samantha’s safe and secure for the night, I kiss her head, breathing in the soft lavender scent of her shampoo before leaving her to her peaceful sleep.
It’s time for me to go find my wife.