19. Talia
Chapter 19
Talia
M ax lets me lead him inside and over to the couch, but when I prop his arm up and start to take the splint off, he just cocks an eyebrow at me, giving me an expectant smile.
“You can’t be serious,” I tell him.
“Oh, I’m being very serious,” he says.
I look around at the living room that’s filled with large windows. “What if someone sees, or what if my family forgot something and they come back to get it and I’m sitting here topless?”
He holds up his phone. “Impossible. I get security alerts anytime anything triggers one of the cameras or if someone pulls up to the gate. No one’s sneaking up on us, sweetheart.”
His gorgeous face stays locked on mine, a sexy smirk playing at his lips, and he looks like he’s seconds away from hauling me back to bed so he can have his way with me again. As much as I like that idea, I can’t let him distract me from taking care of his hand, so I let out an exaggerated sigh that has his smile growing as I pull my shirt off and toss it aside. When I leave my bra on, he makes a soft noise of disapproval and runs his finger along the lace that covers my breast. I ignore how good it feels.
“This feels like cheating,” he murmurs.
“Does it?” I start working on his hand splint again, ignoring the stare I know he’s giving me.
Undeterred, he hooks a finger under the strap at my shoulder and starts to slowly tug it down. As it slips lower, he says, “I can feel the pain disappearing already. See what a good nurse you are?”
I try not to smile at his words. Instead, I put all my focus on unwrapping the tape from his fingers, but when he slips a finger into my bra and runs it over my nipple, making it instantly harden, I can’t resist meeting his eyes. The hunger in them has my hands stilling, my job momentarily forgotten.
“You always make everything better,” he murmurs, teasing me with his finger.
“Don’t tease me too much, Max,” I warn him. “I need to be able to concentrate.”
He gives an easy laugh, but I’m being serious. “Laugh it up,” I tell him, “but if you have a crooked finger for the rest of your life because I’m too preoccupied by your nipple tweaking, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I would forgive you,” he tells me, “and every time I saw that crooked finger, I’d remember how I got it and smile.”
“It might affect your ability to play the piano.”
He shrugs. “I’d have to figure out a way to make it work. It’d still be worth it.”
To prove his point, he tugs my bra down so the lace bunches below my breast. With one side fully exposed, he lets out a sigh as I put my focus back on his fingers. He’s quiet while I go through the exercises, one finger at a time, and when I chance a quick look up at him, the intense look he’s giving me has me dropping my eyes back to his hand. If I don’t look away, then I’ll never be able to. Max doesn’t just look at me—he looks into me. It’s the kind of look that’s so easy to get lost in, the kind I never want to turn away from, but his hand has to come first, at least for now.
When I’m all done and the splint is back on his hand, he scoots me into his lap so I’m straddling him. Leaning closer, he wraps his mouth around my exposed breast and gives me a hard suck that has me arching back with a gasp as my fingers thread into his thick hair and I hold him tightly against me. His tongue is relentless, little flicks and swirls that leave me breathless and aching for more.
I’m surprised when he pulls back and rests his forehead against my chest, breathing deeply as he gets himself under control.
“I really want to take you right here on this couch, svetik moy , but I have a surprise for you that can’t wait.”
I look down when he tips his head up to look at me. “You do?” I ask.
He grins up at me. “I do.” Leaning in, he gives my breast a soft kiss. “But we’re continuing this later.”
“We better,” I say, making him laugh.
“All right, baby,” he says, fixing my bra and grabbing my shirt. “You can’t go outside like this. I’ll end up killing the man who’s delivering your present, and that wouldn’t be very nice.”
He doesn’t sound like he’s joking, but I laugh anyway and say, “No, it wouldn’t be.”
After I’m dressed, he takes my hand and leads me back outside just in time to see the gate open and a black SUV drive in. I turn to give Max a curious look, but he just grins and squeezes my hand before lifting it to kiss the back of it.
I can feel the excitement coming off him, and it’s downright infectious. I’m already smiling so big my cheeks hurt when a man gets out and opens the passenger side door. I have no idea what to expect, but when I see Wallace come bounding out, making a line straight for me, I let out a surprised gasp and drop to my knees. He gives an excited whine and jumps into my waiting arms as soon as he’s close enough. I hug his warm body to my chest, crying into his soft fur as he licks my face and whimpers with pure happiness at seeing me.
“I missed you so much,” I whisper, pulling back so I can see his pretty face and different colored eyes. He licks my cheeks while he wags his tail, so excited he can’t sit still.
Max kneels down next to us as the man pulls back out of the driveway after unloading several boxes from the back.
“I thought this might make you happy,” he says, smiling at the two of us.
“How did you do this?” I ask, petting Wallace and scratching behind his ears.
Max shrugs like it’s no big deal, like it’s not the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me, and says, “I talked to your family about bringing him here. It was Bran who really arranged the whole thing, though. A bunch of your dad’s men flew home yesterday, and Bran made sure Wallace was on the return flight here. He arranged it with your cousin and everything. She even packed a bunch of his stuff, and Sasha also brought us some dog stuff, so he should be good to go.”
I can’t stop smiling, and Wallace is still an excited ball of energy. His enthusiasm makes me laugh as I lean down and kiss his cute, furry head before grabbing Max’s hand and holding it out for Wallace to sniff.
“Wallace, this is Max,” I tell him.
Wallace sniffs the hand that’s offered before looking at Max, giving him that direct eye contact and intelligent stare.
“Hey, boy,” Max says, petting his soft fur. “I hope you like it here. I promise you’ll always have tennis balls to chase and as many dog bones as you want. I can’t promise you’ll always get to be on the bed,” he says, giving me a wink, “but when it’s appropriate, it’s all yours.”
I laugh while Wallace studies the new man in my life. After a few seconds, he licks Max’s forearm and then turns his attention back to me.
“Does that mean I passed?” Max asks, giving him another pet.
“Wallace is a very good judge of character,” I tell him. “Of course you passed.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I think if he hated me, you’d throw me to the curb,” he teases.
“I would not,” I say, “but I would have to find a way for you two to get along. I need you both in my life.” I look between my dog and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love them both so much it feels impossible that my body can contain it all, and I know I couldn’t bear to lose either one of them.
Max cups my face and kisses me before standing and offering me his hand to help pull me up. “Come on, baby, let’s get Wallace settled in before I give you the last surprise.”
“Another one?” I ask, already wondering what it could be.
He grins and walks over to grab one of the boxes. He’s careful to only use his left hand, but I still hurry up and grab the others before he can even think about trying to do it. He notices and gives a soft laugh. Sasha must’ve already dropped the other stuff off inside, because when we step into the garage, there’s a pile of dog supplies waiting for us.
“Wow, I think Wallace is going to end up with a dog bed in every room,” I say, eyeing it all.
Wallace runs around, sniffing everything, and when Max picks up a package of tennis balls, the excited whine he gives echoes through the garage. After dropping everything off in the living room, we step outside and throw the ball for Wallace. I throw it a few times, but mainly I let Max do it, because it’s guaranteed to solidify the growing bond between them. Wallace is a sucker for anyone who will play fetch with him.
Sitting in one of the comfortable lounge chairs, I watch Max throw the ball for Wallace. He’s a bundle of energy, even more so than usual after that long flight, and he’s nothing but a flash of black-and-white fur as he races across the backyard, never seeming to tire, no matter how many times he races after that ball.
Max gives me a big grin. “I really love your dog.”
I smile and say, “ Our dog.”
The huge smile he gives me makes my heart feel too big for my chest. God, that man’s smiles are enough to do me in. Knowing exactly what he’s doing to me, he gives me a wink and then throws the ball again for a patiently waiting Wallace.
It takes a while, but eventually Wallace plops down in the grass, rolling onto his back and wiggling around before falling still and taking a short rest. I know it won’t last long. Border collie’s have an insane amount of energy.
Max takes the chair beside me and reaches out to grab my hand. He’s sitting so he’s facing me, and I smile when he brings my hand up to kiss it.
“Do you think he’ll be happy here?” he asks.
I look back over at Wallace and grin. “Yeah, I think he’ll be very happy here.”
He kisses my hand again. “And do you think you’ll be happy here?”
“I know I will be,” I say, not even having to think about it.
My eyes run over his gorgeous face, noticing the way the sun brings out the blue in his eyes and the way it makes the scar on his eyebrow more noticeable. Dark stubble covers his face, but it does nothing to hide that killer jawline of his, and when I can’t tear my eyes away from his full, sexy mouth, the smirk that appears lets me know he’s fully aware of the effect he has on me.
“You don’t need to gloat,” I say, making him laugh.
“I’m not gloating, baby. I love that you’re as hungry for me as I am for you. It makes me feel good, but I would never gloat. I’m too busy being stunned by it.”
I run my eyes over the gorgeous man in front of me. “I’m too busy being stunned by it, too.”
His eyes soften as he kisses my hand again. When he lifts his face to mine again, I swear he looks a little nervous, but before I can wonder about it, he leaves his chair so he can get down on one knee. I straighten up, eyes going wide as I try to come up with a reason for him to be in this position other than the obvious one. Nothing comes to mind, though, and when he pulls a black, velvet box from his pocket, it’s clear that what I’m hoping is about to happen is actually about to happen.
“You’ll have to forgive me, sweetheart, but I couldn’t do what you wanted,” he says, opening the box and revealing the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.
“Max,” I whisper, unable to take my eyes off the ring he’s offering me.
“I would’ve asked you sooner, but I wanted to design your ring myself, and it took a little longer.”
“You designed this?” I ask, so surprised I look up to meet his eyes.
“I did. I wanted something that felt like you, something that was unique to us.” He gives me a small smile. “Apparently there’s a thing called a sunburst cut diamond.” We both look down at the ring in his hand while he says, “And since you said you wanted small diamonds, I had them add in several yellow ones.”
I laugh because the small yellow diamonds aren’t very small at all, and they encircle the huge white diamond in the center. Every time his hand moves, the facets reflect the sun, making it sparkle like it’s lit up from the inside.
“It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” I whisper, still staring at it.
He lifts it out of the box to show me the band. I lean in close, seeing the small musical notes that are etched into the platinum band.
“What is that?” I ask, reaching out to touch it.
“Part of the song I composed for you,” he says, and my eyes start to tear up. He smiles up at me, and the love in his eyes has those tears spilling over to run down my cheeks.
“ Svetik moy ,” he whispers, keeping my hand in his. “You saved me in that basement over and over again. You made me want to keep going. You made me want to live.” He kisses my hand again but keeps his eyes on mine. “I wanted to survive because I wanted more time with you. I wanted days and years and decades—a lifetime of you and me.”
The yes I’m about to say is already on the tip of my tongue, but before I can say it, he says, “I’ve already spoken with your family. I want to marry you, but I refuse to tear you away from those that you love, so we’ve come to an agreement that I hope you’ll like. I can’t leave my family and what I do for them, but for half the year, I’ll also be working for your family.”
“Max,” I start to say, but he shakes his head and squeezes my hand.
“It’s already decided. They can visit here whenever they want, and we can visit them whenever you want, but we’ll be living there for six months of the year. I won’t take you from them, sweetheart. That wouldn’t be fair, and you and I both know your parents would be devastated to only see their grandkids a few times a year.”
He’s right, and the thought of being able to see my family, of our kids growing up around my parents and brothers and running on the beach that I love so much is enough to have me crying even harder.
“Yes,” I whisper, nearly choking on the word.
He laughs, showing me his brilliant smile before he says, “I haven’t asked you yet, baby, but that does take the pressure off.”
I let out a sound that’s half-laugh, half-sob and wait for him to ask me.
“Talia, I love you more than life itself, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and to raise a family together. I want everything with you, baby. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I say again, my hand shaking as he slips the beautiful ring onto my finger. It’s a perfect fit, the diamond sparkling every time I move, and when Max stands up, I throw my arms around him and kiss my fiancé. He cups the back of my head, moaning into my mouth when I slide my tongue in to meet his, deepening the kiss with a groan of my own.
“I need you,” I say in between kisses, already sliding my hands under his hoodie so I can drag my nails along his back. I feel him grin before he breaks our kiss to look at me.
“I’m really glad I didn’t go with the minuscule diamond,” he teases.
“I would’ve still loved it, and I would’ve still said yes,” I tell him, dragging my fingers along his hips to feel that cut of muscle I love so much. “And I’d still be trying to get you naked.”
He laughs and picks me up, being careful to not use his right hand. Before he carries me inside, he looks back at Wallace and proves he’s the most amazing man in the world by saying, “I’ll leave the door open for him so he can come inside if he wants, and I already set out his bed and a bowl of water. There’s also a bone he can chew on. He’ll be okay, right?”
I cup his face and kiss him. “He’ll be okay.”
“Good, because I really need to be inside my fiancée right now.”
While he carries me to our room, I kiss and suck on his neck, wanting to devour every inch of this man. By the time he sets me on the edge of the bed, I can barely think. All I can do is tear at his clothes like a wild woman, barely keeping myself in check long enough to go slowly over his hand before tugging his hoodie off in a frenzied need.
When I unzip his pants and slide my hand in to grip the hard cock that I’ll never get my fill of, he lets out a sexy, deep laugh and says, “I’ll have to buy you jewelry more often. It makes you feral, sweetheart.”
“It’s not the jewelry,” I say, pulling his jeans down his hips and off his muscular ass. “It’s you. It’s knowing I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
His face softens at my words, but when I reach down and take him in my hand again, his eyes turn dark with hunger. He groans and rocks his hips, thrusting into my hand, reminding me of all the times he’s done that while inside me and how goddamn good it feels every time he does. His abs flex with his movements, and I can’t take my eyes off the stunning, erotic picture he paints as he continues to thrust into my hand.
Unable to resist, I lean down, sucking the head of his cock when he rocks his hips again. His deep, masculine groan spurs me on, and I suck harder, taking more of him in as my hand continues to work his thick shaft. The taste of his pre-cum fills my mouth, whetting my appetite and making me hungry for more. Moaning around him, I tongue his slit, running my tongue over him in worshipful licks as he threads his fingers in my hair and groans my name.
“My little fiancée is so fucking hungry for my cock,” he growls.
I give him another suck, not bothering to deny the obvious truth.
“Get naked, sweetheart, and then I want you on your hands and knees.”
Stripping my clothes in record time, I get on the bed, crawling to the edge on my hands and knees. Max watches me as he slowly strokes himself, and when I’m in front of him again, he guides his thick head to my lips.
“Suck, sweetheart,” he commands, and I gladly open my mouth for him. “Fuck, you look amazing on your hands and knees for me.” His voice is thick with barely controlled need, and I love hearing it. I love seeing the effect I have on him, and I love watching him come undone at my touch.
He groans and fists my hair tighter. “I love watching you suck the cum from my cock, sweetheart, but this is all for your pussy tonight.”
Giving one last thrust, he groans in appreciation and then slides out from between my lips. He drags his thumb along my cheek and says, “Stay how you are but turn around for me.”
I hesitate for just a second, knowing how exposed it’s going to make me, but the thrill of it overrides my embarrassment, and I quickly turn a half circle so I’m facing the other way with my ass right in front of him. His fingers lightly drag along my cheek, making goosebumps rise all along my skin.
“So fucking beautiful,” he murmurs, so close I can feel the heat of his breath against my skin. “Chest on the bed, baby. Ass in the air.”
“But,” I start to say, the words cutting off when he gives my cheek a hard enough bite to make me gasp.
“Chest on the bed,” he says again. “Ass in the air.” His lips press against the bite mark, kissing away the sting as he murmurs, “Every inch of you is mine, svetik moy , and there’s not a single inch that I don’t think is perfect and beautiful and fuckable.”
I can feel the heat of my blush creeping up my neck as I lower down and rest the side of my face on the bed. I know Max has seen every part of me, but this is different. This is a my ass is in your face kind of exposure, and there’s no hiding it. I can’t adjust and partially cover anything. I’m just bent over and spread wide.
It’s clearly not enough, though, because he says, “Knees wider, baby.”
“Seriously?” I mutter, but I spread my legs a bit more, no doubt giving him an even better view than he’d just had, which is saying something.
“Jesus,” he groans, “I can already hear the song I’m going to compose about this. My sweet little muse, always giving me such beautiful music.”
I moan at his words and at the way he trails his fingers up my inner thigh.
“So fucking wet,” he murmurs. “My fiancée is such a hungry little thing.”
His voice is a mix of awe and need, and his words threaten to undo me. By the time he drags his finger along my slit, my thighs are shaking and my breathing is erratic. I feel the wet heat of his mouth as he kisses a line along my lower back while he teases me with his finger. He dips in just enough to part my lips without fully dipping inside, and when his mouth trails lower, I’m too far gone to feel embarrassed. The heat of his breath hits my skin, each kiss bringing him closer to a place I never thought his lips would touch.
When my body tenses, he gives me another kiss and drags the wet pad of his finger over my clit, making my body immediately soften at the erotic touch.
“Don’t hide yourself from me,” he whispers against my skin. “Every part of you is mine, svetik moy. ” He gives a soft laugh and adds, “Even the parts you always thought you’d keep hidden. I want all of you, inside and out.”
I let out a soft whimper when he dips his head and runs his tongue up my slit, tasting the arousal that he’s responsible for. My hips rock, causing me to arch and expose myself even more. With his mouth clamped onto me, his deep groan vibrates through my core, and when I let out an embarrassingly loud moan, he laughs and peppers me with kisses, slowly working his way up. I fist the blanket, knowing where he’s headed and unsure of how I feel about it. A part of me is still mortified, but a bigger part of me is horny and curious.
“You’re doing so good,” he murmurs as he kisses me in the space between my pussy and ass, the strip of skin that I had no idea was so sensitive. I whisper his name as he gives me a slow lick, marking and claiming that previously untouched part as his. With a groan, he edges closer to my back hole.
“I’m going to make this part of you mine, sweetheart. I’m going to kiss and lick and suck on this tight hole until you’re no longer embarrassed. I’m going to keep doing it until you crave it.” His tongue slides up a little further. “The next time I want to see this perfect ass, I want you bent over and spread wide, eager for my mouth.”
The heat of his breath hits the one spot I always thought of as forbidden.
“And then one day it’ll be my cock you’ll be begging me for.”
Before I can tense up at the idea of that, he runs his tongue over my asshole, and the foreign sensation has me gasping his name in surprise.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he asks, giving me another slow lick. “Don’t like it?”
His tongue circles the tight ring of muscle, and when I force my embarrassment away, I’m left with nothing but pleasure. I had no idea this part of my body had so many nerve endings, but his determined tongue is lighting every single one of them up, and when I let out a moan, he gives a soft laugh and presses a kiss to where he’d just licked.
“I’m glad you like it, baby,” he whispers, before giving me another lick. “Because I never want to stop eating your ass.”
His words make me blush, but his mouth has me rocking back for more. My fists ache from gripping the blanket, but I’m wound up too tight to release the firm hold I have. A coil of pleasure thrums inside me, and my body feels too small to contain it. He groans when I try to grind against him, licking and sucking while his hand grips my cheek, spreading me even wider.
I barely recognize the sounds he’s pulling from my body. I’m past words, just a writhing, incoherent mess beneath him. My pussy aches, clenching at air, desperate to be filled, and when he gives me a harder suck, I moan his name, hoping he can hear it as the desperate plea it is.
Taking mercy on me, he turns me over and braces his forearm by my head as he slides into me in one hard thrust that has my eyes rolling back in my head.
“Fuck,” he growls, plowing into me with enough force to shake the bed. As brutal as his thrusts are, he cups my face and kisses his way up my neck, whispering how much he loves me. When he slides a finger between my lips and tells me to suck, I do it without hesitation, enjoying the sensation of having him in my mouth and pussy at the same time. I let out a whimper of protest when he slides his finger out and slows his hips down. He fills me to the point of pain, each stroke almost too much for me to handle, and it’s that sensation, that element of slight danger, of my body not being able to take him, that drives me fucking wild.
I’m so caught up in that feeling that I don’t notice he’s moved his hand until he’s slipping it beneath my ass and pressing his wet finger against the hole that he just so thoroughly claimed with his mouth.
“I want you to come like this,” he says, pressing firmly against the tight ring of muscle until he feels it give just enough to slide the tip of his finger in. “Goddamn, baby, I could come so easily just from this, just from feeling your tight little ass open up for me.”
I whimper as he gives me more of his finger, filling me so goddamn full as he rocks his hips so his cock sinks in even deeper.
“So fucking perfect,” he murmurs, kissing his way to my mouth. “Is my girl about to fall apart?”
“Yes,” I moan, already feeling the orgasm building, begging to be let free.
“Good fucking girl,” he groans. “Let me feel that tight pussy and ass clenching around me as you let go.”
With his finger and cock deep inside me, I let go, the orgasm slamming into me in an explosive rush that has me clinging to him for support. He growls my name, driving into me deeper and stealing the breath from my lungs. With my arms and legs wrapped around him, I bury my face in his neck and completely fall apart. Tears spill from my eyes, the ecstasy too much for me to contain. He pulses inside me, spilling his seed with a feral groan before his body falls still, and the only sound is the blood pounding in my ears and our frantic breaths.
“I love you so goddamn much,” he whispers against my skin, trailing a line of kisses along my neck and jaw. “I can’t believe you’re going to be my wife. Want to get married tomorrow and make it official?”
I give a soft, exhausted laugh that turns into a moan when he slides his finger out of my ass and then lifts up onto his forearms so he can see me better. He sees my tears and cleans them with his tongue and lips, wanting every part of me.
“I love you, too,” I tell him, “but I think tomorrow might be a bit rushed. I’d like both our families to be there for it, and Allie will never speak to me again if she’s not my maid of honor. We pinkie promised when we were little.”
“Well, you definitely can’t go back on a pinkie promise,” Max says with a grin. “Who were you dreaming about marrying?”
“No one in particular, and over the years she’s convinced herself it’s never going to happen. It will, though,” I say. “She’s amazing and beautiful, and the guy who catches her attention better be worthy of it, or I’m going to have to kick his ass.”
Max laughs and shakes his head. “Not a chance in hell, baby. I’ll kick his ass for you, but your cute butt won’t be anywhere near the violence. Your days of being in danger are over.” He very slowly slides out of me, and I wince at the sensation even though it also brings me a quick burst of pleasure. “Besides, svetik moy , don’t forget that you might already be carrying our baby.” He smiles even bigger at the thought and leans down to kiss my stomach. “No, I think your little ass will be staying far away from trouble from now on. I can’t bear the thought of you being hurt again.”
I run my fingers through his hair as he kisses a line along my stomach, already imagining what our baby will look like. I’m not sure if I’m pregnant, though. Being in that basement really messed with my period. I didn’t have one the whole time I was there, probably from stress and weight loss, and I’ve yet to get it back. Tony had told me it was normal and to not worry about it, but now I can’t help but wonder if I won’t get it back for another nine months. I have no idea when I’m due to ovulate, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Max has already gotten me pregnant. The man is insatiable, and ever since he got off the powerful painkillers, neither one of us has been holding back.
“I don’t know if I’m pregnant,” I tell him, “but whenever we do have kids, I really hope they’re just like you.”
He gives me a wink and kisses my navel. “And I hope they’re just like you.”
“Maybe a compromise,” I suggest. “A little girl who loves to play the piano.”
I swear his whole face softens at the image I’ve just put in his head. “A dark-eyed little girl who loves to play the piano,” he corrects.
“And a grey-eyed boy who loves dogs and the beach,” I say, already picturing how happy it’ll make Wallace.
Max grins and kisses my stomach again before lifting up. “I’ll do my best, baby. We might need to have more than two, though, to get that exact combination.”
I love the idea of a big family, so I just smile and pull him closer and say, “Sounds good to me.”
We stay in bed until Wallace comes looking for us, and then we order pizza for supper and it’s perfect. We play fetch with the happiest border collie in the world and when he finally curls up in his new bed, Max takes me back to ours and spends the rest of the night worshipping every inch of me until I finally pass out from exhaustion. If this is how the rest of my life is going to be, then I can’t wait to marry him and get started.
The next morning after I finish his finger exercises, we drink coffee and wait for my family. They’re leaving today, and no matter how happy I am with Max, I can’t deny there’s still an ache in my chest at knowing they’re leaving.
“Are you okay?” he asks, reaching over to squeeze my hand.
I smile at him and nod. “I’m fine. I’ll call them all the time and do video calls and text and send photos and all of that. It’ll be okay.”
He watches me like he doesn’t quite believe me. Cupping my face, he gives me a kiss and says, “I will do anything to make you happy, svetik moy .” His eyes look more blue than grey today, and when I turn my head and kiss the palm of his hand, he smiles and strokes my cheek with his thumb. “Will you be happy here with me, or will a part of you always be sad?”
I look up at him, taking in the sight of my beautiful fiancé and tell him the truth. “I will always miss my family. I love them too much not to, but I will never be sad to be with you, Max. I love you, and I can’t wait to marry you.” I smile at the relief I see on his face. “Thank you for agreeing to live in Oregon for half the year, but I hope you know that even without that, I would still marry you, and I would still be the happiest woman on the planet for being able to call you mine.”
He kisses me and whispers that he loves me, and I have just enough time to think that I’ve never been happier before the security alert on his phone goes off, letting us know my family is here.
“All right, baby, you ready for this?”
“I’m ready,” I tell him before he grabs my hand and leads me outside.
I wasn’t lying to Max. I don’t regret choosing him, and I’ll never regret it, but that doesn’t mean my heart doesn’t break a little bit when I see my family getting out of the SUVs. When I meet my dad’s eyes, mine fill with tears. He sees it and quickly walks over, wrapping me up in a hug as he kisses the top of my head.
“This isn’t permanent,” he reminds me. “We get you for half the year and we’ll visit during the other six months. It’s a temporary separation, and I expect phone calls and texts and photos,” he says.
“I will. I promise,” I tell him.
He looks down at me while Max goes to give my mom a hug and tell her goodbye. We’re far enough away to give us a bit of privacy, so I know no one can hear him when he says, “Are you sure about this, honey? I know he protected you, and I’ll always be grateful for that, but I don’t want you marrying him because you feel you owe it to him or out of some misplaced guilt.”
I give a soft laugh and shake my head, loving that he cares enough to ask and make sure, but also knowing it’s a fear he can let go of. “I love him, Dad, and I want to marry him, not because I feel like I have to, but because I want to.”
He nods and gives a small shrug. “I had to ask.”
“I know, and I love you for it,” I say.
He sighs and squeezes my hand, raising a brow at the large diamond I’m wearing. “Well, at least he wasn’t cheap about the ring.”
I laugh and look down at the diamond that still makes me smile every time I look down and see it. “No, he wasn’t,” I agree.
“Does Wallace like him?”
“They’re getting along great,” I say. “Max never gets tired of throwing the ball for him, so Wallace is in heaven.”
“That’s good,” my dad says. He’s quiet for a second before he shakes his head as if he can’t believe this is really happening. “I was so scared while you were gone, terrified I was going to lose you, and now I’m losing you in a different way. The house is going to seem so different without you.”
My big strong tattooed dad looks more emotional than I’ve ever seen him, and it has my own eyes tearing up as I give him a big hug. “You’re not losing me, Dad. You’ll never lose me. We can talk anytime you want, and I’ll visit so much it’ll be like I never left.”
“You better,” he says, squeezing me back. “I love you, honey.”
“I love you, too, Dad.”
Before I can pull away, I feel my mom’s arms wrap around us. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she whispers in a shaky voice, trying to hold back her tears.
“I’m going to miss you, too, Mom,” I tell her, feeling my own tears start to fall. I squeeze my parents and cry like a baby until both my brothers come over to join in. I feel a hand on my back, and I immediately know it’s Bran. He’s trying to feel if I’m still crying since he can’t see my face, and when he feels my body shake, he gently pats my back, trying to comfort me.
When I lift my head to look at him, he signs, Don’t cry. We’ll see each other soon. You’re still going to text me all the time, yeah?
Of course, I sign back. I’m going to miss you so much.
I’m going to miss you, too, he signs, and then gives me a hug.
I’m full-on sobbing by the time Dima wraps his arms around me. “Don’t cry, little sis. I’ll send you pics all the time so you can see how everyone is doing, and I’m sure Allie will be blowing up your phone on a daily basis.”
“Promise me you’ll look after her,” I say, wiping the tears off my cheeks as I stare up at my older brother.
He gives a soft laugh. “I’ll try, but you know how feral the Allie cat can be.”
I smile and pat his arm. “Well, if anyone can tame her, it’s you.”
He snorts out a laugh and then ruffles the hair on my head like I’m five years old again. “I’ll do my best,” he says, and I know he’ll watch over her for me, even if she will hate the overbearing way he’ll probably do it.
“We want hugs, too,” my Uncle Valeri hollers from where the rest of my family is waiting. Max is talking to my cousins, and Wallace is in heaven because my Uncle Volodya is throwing the ball for him.
I smile and walk over, hugging my uncles and cousins until I’m crying again. Misha, Yuri, and Aleks all promise to keep in touch.
When I can’t stop crying, Misha gives me another hug and says, “Don’t worry, Talia. We’ll see you again soon. Yuri and I told Sasha he has to come and visit.”
I wipe my face and let out a laugh while I look up at my cousin. “Of course the psycho in Max’s family is the one you two bonded with.”
Misha just grins, that same devilish smile I’ve seen a million times, and shrugs. “We have a lot in common. Plus, we’ll be family soon.”
“I’m not so sure the world can handle you three together,” I say.
Aleks laughs and nudges me with his elbow. “Four. I like him, too.”
The dimple in my cousin’s cheek makes him look deceivingly sweet, but I’ve always known there was some darkness beneath it. My dad’s always said the same thing about my Uncle Valeri. He has the same dimple, and it’s always made people assume he’s the sweet brother. I think Yulia is the only one who actually looks like what she is. She’s just as kind and sweet as her dimple makes you believe she is.
“Well, I’m glad you’re all getting along,” I tell them, “because our families are going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
“We better,” my Uncle Volodya says, giving me another hug. “We’re going to miss you, kiddo.”
The annoying lump is coming back to my throat so I just nod and hug him tighter. When he lets me go, it’s a familiar pair of strong arms that wrap around me from behind. I know who it is before I’ve even seen the black hand splint he’s wearing. I’d recognize the feel of him anywhere, and when I tip my head up, he smiles and leans down to give me a kiss.
“You okay?” he asks, keeping his voice low so only I can hear.
“I’m okay,” I tell him, knowing it’s true. It hurts to say goodbye to my family, but I know it’s only temporary. “As long as I have you, then I can handle anything.”
“You’ll always have me, svetik moy .” He kisses me again before standing back up to his full height, but he makes sure to keep his arms around me, holding me as we watch my family get ready to go.
After they’ve left, I look at the man I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with. There’s not a shred of doubt inside me about him and our future.
I choose him, and I’ll continue to choose him every day for the rest of my life.