10. Savanna #2
Sveta just grins up at her cousin. “I had to have a few stitches.”
This time I’m not so sure the dry heave is pretend. She’s still laughing when he walks off. Her elbow nudges mine and she gives me a wicked grin. “Sometimes it’s just too easy.”
I laugh and nod my head in agreement, and when her daughter runs over, Sveta gives her a big hug. Samantha leans over to kiss the top of her brother’s head, and she’s rewarded with another big, gummy smile.
“Grandma said the food is ready,” Isabella says, and Sveta gives an exaggerated sigh of relief that makes the kids laugh.
“Thank goodness,” Sveta says. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
“None of us doubt that,” Val says. “Dad brought three different cakes for dessert, so that should keep you happy.”
“One of ‘em better be chocolate with sprinkles,” she mutters as she grabs Jake and then reaches out her hand for Sam. “Come on, honey. Let’s go find Grandpa. He’s always got the good stuff.”
While everyone starts to make their way towards the delicious smells that are wafting over to us, Niki takes my hand and pulls me aside.
“You doing okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of people, but they’re all so sweet, and they make it really hard to be nervous, or at least too nervous,” I say. “All the kids help. I love being around them.”
“You’re great with them. You’re going to be the best kindergarten teacher, Van.”
I smile, touched by his words, and when he leans in to kiss me, I quickly meet him halfway and press my lips to his.
It’s far shorter and more chaste than I want it to be, but there’s a promise in the quick brush of his tongue, and I know he’ll be kissing me how I really want as soon as we’re alone again.
He cups my face, and I feel him smile before he pulls back. “Come on, baby. Let’s get some food.”
We find seats at the end, squishing in between Cindy and Sasha and Luka and Lara.
Damien and Evgeny sit across from us, and everyone else is lined up down the length of the enormous table that I’m guessing they had specially made just so they could host family dinners.
There are several high chairs and it’s loud and chaotic and I absolutely love it.
The mix of Russian and English going on around us provides enough cover for Cindy to lean in and ask, “You two look like you’re getting pretty close.”
“Not as close as I’d like to be,” I say, making her laugh. “I’m going to spend this upcoming four-day weekend at his apartment.”
Cindy is one of the sweetest people on the planet, so I’m not at all surprised when her eyes grow a little misty. She tries to blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but I’ve known her my whole life, and I know she’d be just as emotional and happy for me without the tiny baby growing inside her.
“I knew we’d be sisters someday. The universe is obviously righting a horrible wrong. I’ve always known something got messed up and they gave me to the wrong mom.”
She tries to make a joke of it, but I know how much her childhood still hurts her.
Her mom and stepdad had been abusive alcoholics, and she’d spent a large part of her childhood at my house in order to avoid them.
Thankfully, her stepdad split a few months ago, and her mom is very slowly getting her life together.
Cindy’s hopeful that one day they can have a relationship, and I hope for her sake she’s not wrong.
“I don’t want to jinx anything,” I say, “but I can’t think of anything better than joining this family and sharing a last name with you.”
Cindy nods, trying her best to not cry, and I’m not at all surprised when I straighten back up and see Sasha’s large hand rubbing circles along his wife’s back.
He’s as in tune to her as Niki is with me, and I have the insane urge to get up and walk around this table just so I can hug all their parents, because they did a truly amazing job at raising their kids.
When I feel a hand rest on my thigh, I immediately bring mine on top of his, sliding my fingers along his skin and wrapping them around one of his long fingers.
He’s smiling when I look over at him, and I really hope Cindy and I were talking too low for him to hear.
I’m not about to ask, so I just smile back and resist the urge to grip his finger even tighter.
The meal lasts a long time. No one seems in a hurry to leave.
They laugh and joke around and simply enjoy having this time together.
I watch as Isabella climbs into Lev’s lap, happily chatting to her grandpa about something that makes him smile down at her and kiss her head.
All the other grandparents are taking the opportunity to love on their grandkids.
Veya is asleep in Matvey’s arms, Roman is holding Mira while his wife holds Roma, and when Simona reaches over and grabs Jake from Vitaly’s arms, he starts to argue, but she just grins and shakes her head at him.
“You can’t hog the babies, Vitaly. It’s not fair that you have three grandkids here. Ours is on the other side of the country, so you have to share.” She gives Jake a big smile and kisses his chubby cheeks while he gives another one of his happy squeals.
“Fine,” he grumbles, but it’s obvious he’s not mad. “I need to bring out the cake anyway.”
I didn’t think I was capable of eating more, but when a huge slice of cake makes its way down to me, there’s no way I can say no.
It’s chocolate, filled with a gooey caramel center that’s making my mouth water just looking at it, and topped with sprinkles.
It’s diabetes on a plate, and all my pleasure centers light up when I put the huge forkful in my mouth.
I make a soft noise of appreciation right before Niki leans in and whispers, “I’d be jealous if I didn’t already know the noises you make when you’re really happy.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks while I curse myself for taking such a massive bite. My mouth is too stuffed to speak, and I feel like every person in the room knows what he just said to me.
Confirming my fears might be accurate, Vitaly raises his glass and says, “To Niki and Sav.” Then he winks and adds, “It’s about damn time.”
Everyone else at the table grabs their drinks and lifts them in a toast to us. I finally manage to swallow down the cake, but my face is still on fire when I look over at Niki. He gives me a wink and raises his own glass to me.
“To Van,” he says just loud enough for me and me alone. “The woman I’m never letting go of.”
When I give him what has to be a big, sappy grin, Vitaly says even louder, “You see that Simona? Soon enough you’re going to have all kinds of grandbabies at the table, and you won’t need to keep stealing mine.”
“Just ignore my dad,” Val says to me. “That’s what we all do.”
Vitaly laughs. “You all know I’m right. I recognize that look on Niki’s face. I’ve seen just about everyone else here wearing it right before they got married and started making babies.” He grins even bigger and gives a very pointed look to his daughter-in-law. “Or the other way around.”
Yel groans, but she’s smiling when she does it. Val pulls his wife closer and kisses her head.
“We were a special circumstance,” he insists.
“Because you’re cousins?” his dad asks.
Val rolls his eyes and tells me, “Not by blood.”
I laugh and say, “Don’t worry. I already know, and I think it’s really sweet how you two fell in love.”
The smile I see him quickly share with his wife makes it clear that their love story was a done deal from the start. No way in hell those two weren’t going to end up together.
The topic quickly changes to something else, and I finish my cake while Niki keeps his hand on my thigh, occasionally running his thumb along my skin.
It feels like sensory overload. The sweetness of the cake mixed with his caresses is slowly driving me crazy, and when I scoot my empty plate away, he lets his fingers graze a few inches further up my inner thigh.
He gives me a very innocent look when I stare at him. But before I can call him out on it, Cindy leans in and asks, “How’s your early education paper coming along?”
“It’s slowly coming together. I have a meeting with Dr. Ellison on Monday. I need to ask him for clarification on something, and I’m curious what his thoughts are on this early draft. I need to really start thinking about next year, too. It’s going to be brutal.”
“You’ll do great,” she tells me. Her eyes glance to Niki when she asks, “So when’s he meeting your parents?”
Niki answers for me. “This week.”
When I give him a surprised look, he grins. “I’m inviting myself to your family supper.”
“It was supposed to be this Sunday, but I need to push it off to Wednesday so I can work on this paper. I really want to get it done before the four-day weekend,” I say.
The corner of his mouth lifts with his very amused grin. “Big plans for your break?”
“Very big plans,” I say, making him laugh.
“Wednesday it is then. I can’t wait to meet them.” He gives my thigh a squeeze as he looks past me to Cindy. “Anything I need to know about them? Think they’ll like me?”
“They’ll love you,” she says. “Grace and Phil are absolute sweethearts. They’ll welcome you right in as soon as they see how crazy you are about their daughter.”
“You think they’ll be able to tell?” he asks, making my best friend laugh.
“In like two seconds,” she assures him. “And if it makes you feel any better, they didn’t like her high school boyfriends at all.”
They’re still talking around me like I’m not here when Niki asks, “Oh yeah? Why not?”
“Because they were never good enough for Sav and only after one thing,” Cindy says. “We all knew she could do so much better.”
“I’m right here,” I remind them.
Niki grins and tightens his grip on my thigh while Cindy laughs and nudges my arm. “Remember when Brad tried to be all cool and he said he’d score a touchdown for you, but then he immediately got sacked?” Cindy asks.
Sasha perks up for some reason and gives Cindy a look that feels way too heated for the conversation we’re having. He grins at her and asks, “This happened on the football field at your high school?”
Cindy blushes and nods, and I quickly decide whatever is going on between them is none of my business. Turning back to Niki, I watch as he takes a slow drink. His throat bobs as he swallows, and I have the insane urge to lean closer and run my tongue up that tanned, tattooed neck.
“I’m a little jealous,” he admits when he puts his glass down. “You dated the high school quarterback?”
“He was really bad. You heard Cindy, he got sacked. He was always getting sacked. It was kind of sad, actually.”
“That does make me feel a little bit better,” he says, “but I still hate him on principle.”
“We didn’t date long, just a few weeks, and Cindy’s right. My parents hated him.” I lean closer so our shoulders are touching. “They’re going to love you.”
He kisses my forehead and whispers, “I really hope so, Van.”
With his hand still gripping my thigh, we visit with his family until the kids are either asleep in the arms of whoever is holding them or yawning and trying their best to fight it.
When I fight my own yawn, Niki kisses my head and tells the others we need to get going, which starts a chain reaction of everyone standing and stretching and starting on their goodbyes.
It’s not a quick process. There are lots of hugs and promises to call or visit soon, and when Luka says something to Niki in Russian, he nods and answers back in English, “Yeah, I’ll be there. ”
Before I can even ask, Niki tells me, “Just a work thing. Nothing to worry about.”
When we’ve given our last hug and I promise to attend the next family supper in a week, we get into the elevator and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Better than you thought it’d be?” Niki asks.
“Yeah, they’re great. I have to constantly remind myself that you’re all criminals.”
He laughs and tries to look offended. “Criminal is such a strong word.”
“Is it?” I step closer and hook my fingers into the front pockets of his jeans. “What would you prefer to be called?”
“A tenacious self-starter,” he says, making me laugh. “I prefer to do things my own way. My family isn’t so great with rules and restrictions, and I guess that was passed down to me. I never really stood a chance. I’ve been breaking laws since I was little. I’m afraid there’s no stopping it now.”
“Maybe leave that little tidbit out when you’re talking to my parents.”
“Just a boring IT job,” he says. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”
My fingers slip under his hoodie so I can feel the taut lines of his abs. “You know it’s not because I’m ashamed, right? I’d love to tell them everything, but isn’t it safer if they don’t know?”
“It is.” He cups my face and gently pulls me closer. “Thank you for saying that, though.”
“I think you’re brilliant,” I tell him, and the big smile he gives makes it easy to keep going. “And unbelievably sexy and kind.”
“Wow, brilliant, sexy, and kind. That almost makes it sound like I’m good enough for you.”
“You’re way too good for me,” I say, but he’s already shaking his head before I’ve even finished speaking.
“That’s not true, Van. That will never be true.
” The elevator doors start to open, interrupting our moment, but he doesn’t let me go.
Instead, he cups the back of my head and kisses me slowly.
His lips are warm against mine, his tongue commanding as he laps at mine and then swallows the moan I give.
My hands slide higher up his shirt, every part of me wanting more of him, and when I give another needy moan, he breaks the kiss, leaving us both frustrated.
“I should know better than to kiss you in public,” he says. “You’re just impossible to resist, Van.” Both his hands cup my face when he says, “I will never take you for granted. Everything about you is a gift that I’ll never be worthy of.”
“That’s not true,” I try to tell him. “You’re perfect.”
His grey eyes look so sad when he slowly lets me go and says, “I’m nobody.”