Chapter 32
It’s taken Maxine a week, but she’s finally unpacked all of her things. The last box was broken down and thrown away this morning.
“Mr. Yakovlev!” Mrs. Nelson rushes out of the kitchen when she notices me walking toward the stairs.
I’ve been away from Maxine for a full twenty-four hours, and I won’t tolerate another moment.
“What?” I regret my tone as soon as I see her expression fall. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Nelson. What is it?”
“That’s better.” She smiles. “If you’re going up to see Maxine, can you please give her this?” She hands me a folded note.
“What is it?”
“It’s the recipe she asked me for. I was going to leave it in the kitchen, but I know she likes to take pictures of it and store it in her phone. So, there you go.” She pats my hand and disappears back into the kitchen.
As I finish my climb up to meet her, I peek at the recipe. It’s for the borscht we had for dinner two nights ago. I don’t even bother hiding my smile.
She’s still doing more work around the house than she needs to do with all my staff, but her motives have changed. It’s not about making herself useful, it’s about spending time with everyone in my home.
Our home.
She’s taken to them all and considers them as close to her as any family member.
She doesn’t cook with Mrs. Nelson for any reason now other than she enjoys it. And when she’s making this soup for me in a few nights, I’m going to enjoy every second of it.
Especially since I plan to make her do it naked. Every member of my staff will have the night off, and my men will have strict orders to stay the hell out. I don’t want to have to start removing eyes for seeing shit that’s not their business to see.
Fuck, my dick is already reacting, and I haven’t even seen her yet.
When I fling open the door to my room, I’m greeted by Marion. She mewls, then meows, louder and louder until I pick her up.
“You’re mad I was gone, I know. I’m sorry.” I scratch beneath her chin as I carry her through the room. “Where is she?”
The bedroom is empty, as well, but the bathroom door is open and the lights on.
I find her inside, staring at a bottle on the counter and the package of syringes that I kept in the drawer with the medicine.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my deep voice startling her. She jolts from the surprise and turns an accusatory glance at me.
“You’re allergic?” She puts her fists on her hips.
Marion rubs ups against my chin. The damn cat likes how my beard scratches her behind her ears.
“Lots of people have allergies, Max.” Marion wiggles, so I put her down and she runs off.
“Yes, but you’re allergic to cats.” She picks up the bottle. “I asked Nicolette what you take this for, and she said it’s cats. That you’re taking a shot every week because of Marion.”
I take the bottle from her, open the drawer she’d found it in, and drop it back inside. I sweep the syringes inside, as well, then close it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it didn’t matter.”
“How could it not matter?”
“Because if you knew or you didn’t know, it wouldn’t change anything.”
She drops her hands to her sides. “If she makes you sick—”
“Marion’s not going anywhere.” I grab her hips and hoist her onto the counter. She had the good graces to wear a skirt today, which makes what I want much easier to get.
“And you aren’t, either.” I slide my hands up her thighs, bunching the skirt up at her waist.
“What are you doing?” She laughs as I yank her legs apart and step between them.
“Reminding you that you belong here with me.”
“Oh?”
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pull her to the edge of the counter.
“Yes. I’m also reminding you who you belong to.” I take her hand and place it on my belt. “Now get these pants undone and take out my cock. I’m going to fuck you senseless.”
“We were talking about your medical needs,” she says, a coy smile tugging on her lips.
“I’m allergic to cats. I take the shot once a week because it’s easier than taking pills every day, and it keeps me from dying when Marion lays on my pillow. There. We talked. Pants off, Max. Unless you need a lesson in obedience first?”
She pauses, bites her lip. “Does this lesson involve a spanking? Then a fucking?”
I grab her chin, tilting her head back and brushing my mouth across hers.
“If I have to delay getting my cock inside you to punish you, you can forget about having an orgasm.” I drop a kiss on her mouth. “For two days. But you can bet your ass, I’ll have you on the edge of one the whole fucking time.”
When I look down at her, into her warm, loving eyes, I find her pouting. I have to swallow a moan. She’s so hot when she pouts. It only makes me want to fuck her harder.
“You mean it?”
“Don’t I always?”
“It’s not worth the risk,” she decides and goes back to unbuckling my belt.
As soon as my cock is free, I sweep her panties aside and plow into her. Immediate relief washes over me.
“Good choice.” I kiss her neck as she throws her head back, moaning as my cock plunges into her again and again.
“Yes.” She brings her feet up onto the counter, spreading her legs further. Her body tightens around me even more.
I have her screaming my name moments later, and again five minutes later. Only after she’s begged and pleaded, and found her orgasm a third time, do I drive into her with one last thrust and find my own release.
“I love you,” she whispers against my chest as I hold her.
“I love you, too.”
No matter what messed up shit is happening outside this home, we are incorruptible. With Maxine at my side, in my bed, and in my heart, there is nothing that can hurt us now.
“Lev?” Maxine says my name softly, later that night, as we’re tangled up in our bedsheets drifting off into sleep.
“Yeah?” I nudge Marion over, so I can pull Maxine into my arms.
“There was something I wanted to tell you.”
“Okay?”
“Joey called today.”
I tense. If he’s hurt her, I will break his face.
“Yeah?”
“He said he wants to pay you back for the credit card and loan you paid off.” She breathes softly and smiles. “It’s a good sign, right? Him wanting to do that?”
Until he’s proven he can be trusted, I’m not giving him too much credit for anything.
“A small one, yes.”
“I know you hate him—"
“I don’t hate him.” I correct her. “But if he blows this chance he’s getting, I might change my mind.”
She wiggles closer. “He also said he’s leaving in the morning for the east coast. You got him a job at one of your warehouses?”
“One of the ports that receive shipments, yes. I can protect him better this way, and he means a lot to you. But if he hurts you again—”
“He won’t. He’s not like Keith. I think he’s always been sort of under Keith’s thumb, but now he has his own path.”
“Still.”
“I know.” She sighs and rests her head on my chest again. “Thank you, though.”
Quiet falls over us, and I’m about to fall asleep when she speaks again.
“Nicolette is coming home soon for a break.”
“She’s fine with us being together, and it wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t.” I get ahead of her worry.
“Oh, I know that.” She snuggles into me deeper. “I just thought when she comes home, it would be a good time to tell her about the baby.”
“The baby?”
“Yeah. Our baby.”
My heart swells.
I’m the luckiest bastard in the whole fucking world.
“Then I guess we should move up the wedding.” I roll her to her back, sliding my hands between our bodies until I find her wet and waiting for me.
“I was thinking the same thing,” she breathes.
“And we’ll have our family.”
“Ours.” She leans into me.
“Ours.” I kiss her. Then bring her to the edge of the universe, riding the waves alongside her.
Because she’s mine.
All mine.