Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Leah
Something warm and soft trailed across my jaw and down my throat, and I moaned. My arms reached up to wrap around Viktor’s throat as he kissed his way down my neck.
“Mmm. Good morning.” Peering through my lashes at him, I smiled.
In the week since I had come out of the hospital, clutching our scan photo in my hands, he had been really attentive. But this was the first time that he had done more than press chaste kisses to my lips and my body.
I’d missed his kisses and his hands on my body.
“Good morning.” Beaming down at me, he untangled himself from my arms and fell back onto the mattress. “And Merry Christmas.”
Sitting upright, I leaned over him, trapping him against the pillows like he often trapped me. I pressed my lips to his, sliding my tongue against the seam of his lips until he opened them for me.
The moment he did, I pressed my body against him, moaning softly into his mouth when he deepened the kiss even more. God, it felt good to be held and kissed like this by him.
I melted into him, my hands hungrily roving down his chest. My fingers tangled in the hair that peppered his chest. Moaning, I rolled on top of him. I settled with my knees on either side of his hips. I bent over him with my hands still on his chest.
He moaned when I sucked his tongue into my mouth. Under me, his cock bounced, pushing through the material that separated us.
Why was there so much material between our bodies?
Tearing my mouth away, I sat upright and reached for the buttons of my pajama top.
Viktor’s eyes followed my movement, growing darker and darker.
“Stop.” Reaching out, he took my hands and pulled them away. “That’s not happening right now.” Gently, he kissed my knuckles. “We need to get up. There are presents downstairs for you.”
Rolling me back onto my back, he stood up. The blue PJ bottoms were perilously low on his hips.
I took him in. He had wide, powerful shoulders and arms, a body that looked like it was carved by an artist, and a narrow waist. The cock that tented up the front of his pants was mouthwateringly close.
It was close enough to wrap my fingers around if I just reached out.
Catching my look, he shook his head. “No, Printsessa. Now isn’t the time.”
Defeated, I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. Now was never the time. Viktor hadn’t touched me since we had gotten home, and I didn’t know if it was because of the baby or that he just didn’t find me attractive with my cuts and bruises healing.
I’d seen my reflection, and I knew I looked battered.
“I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”
I watched as he padded his way toward the door.
“Sure. But I might need more than a few minutes to shower and dress, Viktor.”
Pausing in the doorway, he turned. “No need to get dressed today, Leah. I thought we could have a more informal, relaxed day. Good food and just—”
“You’re talking about having a PJ day?”
Throwing back his head, he chuckled. “Sure, if that’s what you want to call it, Printsessa. Now wash up and come downstairs. I know for certain Santa has been for you.”
I didn’t move straight away. I just lay there and thought of Viktor’s words back in the hospital.
He had said things were going to change, and he had been right.
I just didn’t expect them to change like this.
Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting on the edge of the sofa, nibbling on the end of a croissant and eyeing the presents under the huge tree that hadn’t been there last night.
In fact, the entire house was decorated now, which meant the staff had been up all night doing it. The tree itself was huge, well over fifteen feet, and strung with hundreds of lights and shining, expensive red and gold baubles.
Beautiful. Everything was beautiful, including the nearly wrapped presents under the tree.
There were so many of them.
Taking another bite, I lifted my eyes to Viktor, only to find him staring at me.
“Are we expecting anyone else?” I asked quietly. “Should I get dressed?”
I knew how he felt about me being presentable.
For five whole seconds, he looked at me like I was an alien. “Why would we be expecting anyone else? It’s Christmas Day. Apart from a few of my men, the staff have the day off.” He shook his head. “It’s a day for family, Leah. And there’s no one else I would want to spend this day with.”
My eyebrows shot up. Before I could stop, my eyes darted to the presents. “Then who—”
Reaching down, he plucked the gold-wrapped present nearest him and dropped it into my lap with a smile. “They are all for you, Leah.”
“All of them?” My mouth fell open. “Are for me?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “Of course, all of them are for you. I thought it was time I spoiled you. I mean next year, Christmas will be different, won’t it?”
Did he mean because our arrangement would be over? Some of my happiness dulled. Why did he have to remind me of that today, of all days?
“I mean,” he continued, and he didn’t seem to sense my sudden change of mood. “We will have a little one to spoil.”
My eyes darted up to his face. “Oh.” Smiling a little nervously because I couldn’t say what I had been thinking without changing the mood completely, I carefully unwrapped the present. I smoothed out the paper neatly on my lap until I could see the box inside.
“What is—” Opening it, I turned to Viktor, confused. The box was empty apart from a small white card. I turned that over.
Everything.
That’s all it said in neat curving writing. Just that one word.
“Viktor?”
“All the other things are bits I picked up before I got to know the real you. Expensive, fashionable things, you probably won’t like. This,” he leant forward but didn’t touch me. “This is what is important, Leah. This is my promise to you. If you let me, then I am going to give you everything.”
He sounded so sincere, and my stomach flipped with nerves I couldn’t explain, even to myself.
Was he saying he cared for me?
“You’re the mother of my child. A beautiful woman who is carrying my heir.
I am going to give you everything you want or need.
Nothing is too big. The contract is—well, that doesn’t matter anymore, does it?
I’ll make sure you are looked after for the rest of your life because you have given me the best gift a man could ask for. ”
The contract.
“I’ve actually got you a present as well,” I mumbled. “It’s nothing like this. Just something silly, but—” standing, I grinned down at him.
“You didn’t need to get me anything, Leah. Like I said, you have given me the best gift already. ”
“It’s just something silly, wait right here.” Not looking back, I rushed towards the kitchen.
It was weird to find it empty, but then he said the staff had the day off. It made me wonder what we were going to eat, but one look in the industrial-sized fridge and that question was answered.
It was full to bursting with salads, potatoes, and cold cuts. The cupboards were the same. It looked like they had stocked us up with every Christmas delicacy from around the world, and right in the corner, in a small Christmas-themed tin complete with a bow, was what I was looking for.
Snatching it up, I headed back to the main living room to find Viktor lying back with his ankles crossed on the arm of the chair.
His eyes darkened as he watched me come towards him. “Have I told you how beautiful you look right now?”
Blushing, I shoved the tin into his hands
“I’m sorry it’s not more. And you don’t have to eat them—”
“You made me cookies?” His eyes widened as he picked one up.
“You don’t need to eat them.”
Too late. He took a huge bite, and his eyes widened even further.
I held my breath.
“You made me my mom’s Christmas cookies?” He said when he had swallowed.
“I mean, they probably aren’t that good,” I shrugged. “I tried. That’s why I was in the kitchen all the time. I was practicing. Cathy said the cinnamon ones were your favorite and—”
He cut me off. “Why would you do this?”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know,” I said in a rush. “I just wanted to give you something. I know they are probably rubbish, but you have given me so much, and don’t eat them. I’ll throw them in the trash.”
I made a move to grab the garishly iced cookies, and he snatched them back with a growl. “Don’t you even think about it,” he warned, and a smile spread across his face. “I mean, I might share some with you, but these are delicious, Leah, so I might not. I can’t believe you did this.”
“You really like them? ”
His eyes flashed. “Like them? No, Printsessa. I love them. Now come here.”
Dropping the half-eaten cookie into the box, he caught my wrist and pulled me down onto his lap.
“Thank you. This is the best present I have ever had,” he mumbled against my jawline.
“You’re welcome, Viktor.” Wrapping my arms around his throat, I found his lips and kissed him.
We melted together, hot breath and tongues mingling as he pulled me down on top of him.
“I’ve never had anyone give me something so thoughtful, Leah. I mean it. This is the best present I have ever had, and I will never forget it.”
The rest of the day was like that. Perfect. We lay on the sofa like a couple of teenagers chilling out. It reminded me of old times, like we were just a normal couple.
And he kissed me like his life depended on it. But any time I tried to take things further, he always had an excuse to leave the room for a few minutes, and it was driving me insane.
Why wouldn’t he touch me? He kissed me like he wanted me, and when I caught him looking at me, I could see the heat in his eyes, but it was like he couldn’t stand to do anything about it.
“Do you want to watch another movie?” His voice cut through my thoughts. “Or are you tired?”
Twisting in his arms, I turned into him. Tilting my face up to stare into his handsome, relaxed face. We had been like this, lying on the sofa, tangled in each other’s arms, most of the day. Our half-empty plates were on the table along with an empty bottle of non alcoholic champagne.
It had been the most perfect day, and I didn’t want it to end. I wanted the rest of our lives to be this relaxed and happy.
Which was just a stupid thing to want, really, because more than anything, I was a realist. Even if we were a real couple, no one’s life was this perfect all the time .
I knew that better than most.
“I’m not tired.”
“Good.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “What is your next favorite movie?”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. That’s what we had been doing all day. Watching all my favorite holiday movies.
“How about we watch your favorite?” I said softly.
“I don’t have one,” Viktor said quickly.
He said it too quickly, and my eyebrows shot up. He was lying, but why was he lying about a Christmas film? It seemed a weird thing to lie about.
“Ok.”
“I mean,” his shoulders hunched. “I remember watching one with my mom before she left. I think it was called Santa Claus the—”
His phone started to vibrate across the table, and he picked it up without finishing his sentence.
Speaking in Russian made it impossible for me to follow along, but I could tell by the way the happiness on his face turned to anger that it wasn’t good.
Finally, he dropped the phone to his side and sighed.
“Is everything ok?” I didn’t want to pry, but at the same time I wanted to make sure everything was ok.
Because two minutes ago, he had looked happy, and now he looked like he wanted to murder someone.
It always amazed me how quickly he could change.
“Yeah.” Bending down, he found my lips with his. “Put the film on and relax. There’s something I need to sort out that can’t wait.” Another kiss.
“No one else can?”
A line appeared between his eyebrows, and then he straightened.
“No, I need to do this myself. Eat some food and relax, Printsessa. I won’t be long.
” He strode away, and even though he was still just in his blue PJ bottoms, he walked with so much authority that it was easy to imagine him in a designer suit .
I watched the perfect mounds of his ass move until he disappeared out of sight, and then I heard his footsteps up the stairs.
Obviously, he was going up there to get dressed. You couldn’t be a feared crime boss and sort out business in your nightclothes.
I did what he told me, putting on the movie and fixing myself a fresh plate so I could settle back and wait for him. Only he didn’t come back. Ten minutes, and then thirty went by, and he still didn’t come back.
The film finished, and there was no sign of him. I stared at the dark, blank screen on the TV for several minutes without really seeing it.
Where was he?
He had said a few minutes, and it had been well over an hour. Probably closer to two.
Unease prickled over my skin. Had something happened?
I hadn’t heard any shouting or, heaven forbid, gunshots. In fact, the house seemed wrapped in silence. All that did was make me even more nervous.
Standing up, I did the only thing I could think of. I went looking for him. I checked the kitchen and his office, but nothing.
There was no one.
Where was he?
Halfway up the stairs, I heard the first sound, and it sounded like a door closing softly. Letting out a sigh of relief, I followed the sound. He was upstairs, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.
Nothing—
I swung open his bedroom door and froze.
Manda, her beautiful slim unblemished body stretched out on Viktor’s bed. Perfect breasts, flat stomach, and her hair was tousled. The sheets under her glowing body were messed up.
Manda was in his bed and almost naked. She stared at me, and I stared at her. Then she smiled, and my happiness imploded.
Smirking at me, she reached up and fixed her bra strap. Settling it back onto her shoulder like I had walked in on her getting dressed.
Fuck .
“Leah?” Viktor’s voice shook. “Printsessa, this isn’t—”
I glanced at him. There was a towel around his waist. His hair was wet from the shower. Vomit rushed up in my throat.
I clamped a hand over my mouth. He had left me to come up here to her. That’s why he hadn’t touched me recently. He didn’t need to. He had her.
Over and over again, I looked between them. I’d been so stupid. So naive.
But the truth of our relationship was staring me straight in the face.
Viktor would never care about me. I was his wife, the future mother of his child, and he had decided to spend part of his Christmas Day with an old girlfriend.
I had been so stupid to think it would ever be any other way. Stumbling backwards, I ran. Taking the stairs two at a time, I almost fell at the bottom and at the last minute caught myself.
“Printsessa,” I heard Viktor shout after me. “Leah, wait.”
He ordered, but I didn’t even slow down.
Throwing open the front door, I sprinted into the darkness on my bare feet and let the night swallow me.
“Printsessa.”