11. Nikita #2
I like to check up on him to make sure he’s still holding to our agreement.
I don’t think he’ll come for revenge, even if Sasha did carve his face up pretty good in exchange for not killing him, but it’s my job to be cautious, not to let things slip past while I hope for the best. After an hour of a pretty sound deep dive, I see no evidence to suggest that Mateo is operating in Colombia or anywhere else.
When I’m finished, I’m still too antsy, so I get on my treadmill and stay on it until exhaustion makes my brain shut up.
I know it won’t last long, but I enjoy the reprieve while I have it.
This incredibly long day without Savanna is just further proof that I need her living with me.
Even if I only get to see her in brief moments around her busy schedule, I’ll still get to fall asleep with her every night.
It would make the separation bearable to know I’d get to see her at the end of it.
The rest of the weekend is further proof that her moving in is the right next step for us.
I’ve never been so happy for a Monday morning, and when I pull up in front of her sorority house, she comes rushing out the door like she’s just as starved for me as I am for her.
We’ve been texting, but she ended up needing to spend a lot more time researching than she’d planned.
“I’m sorry,” she says as soon as she slips into the passenger seat and leans in to kiss me.
I want to ask her why she’s apologizing, but I’m too desperate to kiss her.
Her mouth is just as sweet as I remember it, and it’s been two long days since I’ve tasted her.
My body reacts immediately to her touch.
My cock stiffens in my pants as my fingers thread into her thick hair and I lose myself in her for a few precious minutes.
I pull back while I still have enough of my brain working to remember she needs to get to class.
“You give the best good mornings,” she whispers with a sweet smile on her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you this weekend.”
“Don’t apologize, Van. I know how important this is to you. I’m not going anywhere, so stop worrying. I don’t expect you to always be available. I love that you have something you’re so passionate about.”
She leans in and kisses the small hoop in my nose. “I’m pretty passionate about you, too, you know.”
“I’m very glad to hear that.” I hand her the coffee and breakfast burrito I got for her. “You need to eat.” Before I drive away, I give her a wink and say, “I’m pretty passionate about you, too.”
She gives me a very hungry look as her eyes drift down my body, settling on the obvious bulge that’s pressing against my jeans. “I can see that. Maybe I should skip class today. One day won’t hurt, right?”
I grin and pull away from the curb. “You have to go to class. You’ll regret it if you don’t, and I refuse to come between you and your degree. Just a couple more days, and we’ll have the whole weekend together.”
“I can’t wait,” she says before taking a huge bite of her burrito.
I smile to myself while she chews through that thing in record time and then chugs her coffee.
I’m already planning out the meals I’m going to have ready for her when we’re living together.
I add learning how to cook to my list of things I need to do, and by the time I pull in front of her first building, she’s finished and double-checking her bag to make sure she has everything.
The kiss goodbye is longer than is wise, but it’s impossible for me to pull away from her, and by the time she leaves the car, I’m so hard I don’t think I can move, and I’m dreading the long day ahead of me.
By the time Wednesday night comes around, I’ve taken to constantly reminding myself that we only have one more day before she’s coming home with me.
Monday night she was busy with her study group, Tuesday night I ended up having to help my family with surveillance, and now it’s time for me to meet her parents.
I don’t know how the hell I’m going to pull that off when all I can think about is my need to bury myself as deeply inside their daughter as I can.
“Maybe I should’ve worn something nicer.” I look down at my usual hoodie and jeans and wish I’d chosen something different. We’re parked behind her dad’s car, and I’m so nervous I’m fidgeting.
“They’re going to love you,” she reminds me, “and if you’d shown up in a suit, they wouldn’t have known what the hell to do. We don’t dress up for meals. We’re a very laid-back family.”
“What do they know about me?” I ask her, wondering if she’s said anything else that I don’t know about.
“Not a thing. They don’t even know you’re coming tonight,” she says, and then has the nerve to laugh at the horrified look I give her.
“Tell me you’re joking.”
She grins, but not even her cute dimple can calm my fear right now. “Nope. I always told them that one day I’d just show up with the perfect man, my very own Mr. Darcy.” She smiles even bigger. “They’re going to love this.”
“I can’t remember, is there a Bratva member in Pride and Prejudice?”
She laughs. “No, definitely not, but that’s not the point.”
“What is the point?” I ask.
She almost looks embarrassed when she says, “The fireworks are the point, the love between Elizabeth and Darcy, and the attraction that they can’t deny.”
I cup her face and pull her closer. “I want to hear more about this later, Van, but right now I need to meet your parents, and I can’t do it with a hard-on.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “No, we definitely don’t want that. God, that would be so awkward.”
“You have no idea. I think I’d just grab you and walk right back out of the house. I could never face them again, which would make things very difficult for you.”
“Oh yeah?” she teases. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, I’m sure they’d hate to have to watch their daughter’s wedding over Skype.”
When her mouth drops open, I take the opportunity to run my tongue along hers in a quick swipe that makes her suck in a breath. The soft whimper she gives reminds me that we can’t do this right now. If she starts making sexy noises, I’m done for.
“Let’s go, Van. Time to introduce me to my future in-laws.” The smile she tries to hide lights up her whole face, and it’s one I’ll never forget. I get out and open the car door for her. “Come on, beautiful.”
She takes the hand I offer her, grabbing the large bouquet of flowers I picked up for her mom on the way over.
Savanna said daisies were her favorite, so that’s what I went with.
The florist arranged them in a yellow vase, and when Savanna had seen it, she’d clapped her hands and insisted her mom would love it.
I don’t want it to seem like I’m trying to bribe her, but if it earns me brownie points, I’m not going to turn them away.
I think I’m going to need all the help I can get.
“So this is the house you grew up in?” I ask, even though I already know it is.
It’s an excuse to hear her voice, though, and as we walk up the drive to the modest brick house, it’s easy to picture a young Savanna playing in the yard and climbing the large tree in the front.
The neighbors are spaced out enough to give the illusion of privacy, and the house is in a cul-de-sac, so the perfect place to ride a bike.
“Cindy and I used an old tire my dad had and tried to make a swing.” She points at the large tree I’d just imagined her climbing while she laughs at the memory. “We nearly broke our necks. My dad was furious when he found out we’d tried to do it without his help.”
“Was he able to put it up for you?” I ask.
“Yeah, we loved that thing. The limb fell off last year during a storm. I nearly cried when it happened. We’d still swing on it every time we came here for a visit.”
“I’m sorry it broke, but I’m glad you had such a great childhood,” I tell her when we reach the front door.
“I did. I’m very lucky.” She looks over at me and raises her hand to reach for the doorknob with an exaggerated slowness that makes me grin. “You ready?”
“No,” I quickly say, and then tug on the neckline of my hoodie, wishing I’d worn a turtleneck to cover my tattoos. I look down at my inked hands. And gloves.
Her whole face softens when she sees how nervous I am. Her hand stops hovering over the knob and instead cups my face, pulling me closer.
“You look very sexy when you’re nervous,” she murmurs against my lips.
“You always look sexy,” I tell her.
“I’m really glad you think so, but you’ll learn the truth of things this weekend. I look hideous when I first wake up.”
I raise a brow and grin. “Oh yeah? Like scary hideous or just kind of hideous? Should I close my eyes until you’ve left the room so the image doesn’t affect our relationship?”
She tries her best to look serious and nods. “Yes. It’s an erection killer. Just you wait and see.”
I laugh at the ludicrous idea that she could ever make me soft. “I’m looking forward to proving you wrong on that one.”
She looks very amused when she says, “Challenge accepted.”
I kiss her once more for courage, and then watch as she opens the door and steps into her childhood home.
There are some homes that you walk into that immediately feel cozy, not perfect, not filled with the most expensive things, but welcoming and comfortable, and as soon as you step into them, you feel relaxed.
Grace and Phil’s house is like that. My nerves start to dissolve when the delicious scents hit us.
We hear laughter coming from further inside the house, and when I follow Savanna down the hall, I make her stop so I can take a few seconds to watch her slowly age from the very first kindergarten photo to the senior year one at the very end.