Chapter 14 - Grace
Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling for a moment. After our little encounter last night, I was tired. I vaguely remember Makari bringing me in and placing me in his bed. He was so gentle with me.
Turning over, I found Makari on his side. His arm rested on the pillow, holding up his head as he stared at me. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said softly. The light shone through the window behind him, framing him like an angel.
Smiling, I softly caressed his cheek as I replied. “Morning.”
He came towards me gradually. As our lips touched, sparks flew. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I pulled him closer. He grabbed my waist, pulling back. We rolled from one side to the other as we kissed.
His lips were so hot and tender. His kisses drove my mind to new levels of desire. Makari kissed my cheek before moving down to my neck. Vibrations shook my core as my body heated up. He left light hickies over my shoulders and collarbone as he moved down between my breasts.
Aching, I moaned as pleasure surged through my being. Makari sat up grinning. “I’m going to take a cold shower,” he breathed out heavily.
Taking a deep breath, I knew it was better to stop now. If we continue this insane lovemaking trend, things could get complicated. He obviously also thought so, or he wouldn’t have stopped.
“No problem,” I replied, watching as he got up and disappeared into the bathroom. This is just a fling! I tried convincing myself. All this will be over once he gets what he needs from me. We’re from opposite worlds. This will never work.
We can’t make it work even if we want to. It was just impossible. He lived a dangerous life. I wanted a normal one. I couldn’t even begin to consider how things would go if we tried. But for now, it was nice. Realizing I had to return to my room before everyone awoke, I quickly got up. Straightening my hair and pulling on my clothes, I headed for the bedroom door.
Placing my head against the door, I listened. All was quiet. Now was the time to move. I had to get out before he came out of the bathroom. Opening the door, I stepped into the hallway, keeping my head down.
I had pulled the door halfway closed when I noticed someone stopping by my side. Carefully, I lifted my gaze. Pavel had appeared out of nowhere.
“Good morning,” Pavel said, grinning. His tone was cheerier than usual, and his grin spoke of knowledge.
Suddenly, there were other noises. “Uhm, urg, ahm,” I heard before someone cleared their throat. Lifting my head more, I saw Vadik, Makari’s eldest brother, behind Pavel. Next to him was Tasha, and just behind them, Nadia.
The corridor shrank as it filled with his family. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling mortified. “I was just, I…, I was just,” I couldn’t even make up an excuse as my mind spiraled. I was stumbling over my words, wishing the earth would eat me, when I felt Makari’s arms wrap around my waist.
“Brother,” Makari spoke over my shoulder. Glancing back, I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. It looked like he was wearing the bed sheets. “So glad to see you, all of you. Hi Tasha, and Nadia, what are all of you doing here?” he questioned.
“It’s family day and dinner. Did you forget?” Pavel added.
“Well, of course. So glad you could all make it,” Makari replied as he dragged me back into the room. He had just staked his claim on me before his entire family. I felt nervous as he pushed the door closed. Turning in his arms, I noticed he was beaming. “So, now you’ve met the entire family,” he whispered.
Placing my hands over my eyes, I shook my head. This was mortifying. Why did he have to do that before his entire family? I wasn’t sure how I was going to face them after meeting them like that.
“Did you enjoy that?” Makari asked as he dropped the sheets and pulled on his pants.
Really?” I shot back, folding my arms across my chest.
He tilted his head to one side as he spoke. “Come on, it’s just my family.” He winked at me, grinning like a naughty child.
“Not the way I wanted to meet them,” I replied, turning to face the door.
Once he was finally fully dressed, Makari placed an arm around my waist as we headed downstairs. We found the rest of his family standing in the kitchen. Pavel was making a fresh pot of coffee.
Tasha smiled at me as she spoke. “The men have business to discuss. How about we hang out in the back? It’s a bit hot to be inside, don’t you agree?”
Glancing at Nadia, I nodded as I replied. “I think that’s a great idea.” It would allow me to get to know them a bit better. “Some juice?” I asked before leaving the kitchen.
“Sure,” Nadia responded. “I’ll grab the glasses.”
I watched as she headed for one of the cupboards. “You know your way around,” I said. Turning to the fridge, I grabbed the bottle of juice.
“I have stayed here before,” she added, walking to the door.
Vadik spoke as we were practically out the door. “We’ll join you a bit later. There isn’t that much to do.”
Tasha smiled at him, nodding as she replied, “Sure thing. Once you are done, do join us.”
Nadia moved past Tasha, standing in the door. I followed her as Vadik came closer. He kissed her forehead before ushering his brothers out of the kitchen. I found their action adorable and hoped to have such a relationship one day.
Nadia placed the glasses on the small round table. The big oak provided ample shade all day long. It was the perfect spot to sit. After filling all three glasses, I sat down between the two women.
“So then,” Tasha remarked. “What do you do?”
“Haven’t Makari or Pavel told you?” I asked, raising my brows.
“No,” Nadia added quickly.
“Oh, okay,” I said. I was a bit fed up with explaining it a hundred times over. “I’m in marketing.”
“Nice,” Tasha replied before I could explain. “I’m a hacker, and Nadia has a variety of skills.”
The two women looked at each other and started laughing. “One day, when we have weeks, I’ll tell you all about it,” Nadia said, smiling at me. “But, for now, how about we play a game?”
“Sure,” I replied, getting up.
“No, no, let me,” Nadia insisted as she rose and headed inside. She returned within seconds with three board games in her hands. “Scrabble, Monopoly, or 7 Wonders?”
“Let’s start with one and see how it goes,” Tasha suggested.
We played some Scrabble first. But it didn’t go as planned. We had fun but ended up making our own words. We put away the other two games as they were much more time-consuming.
For lunch, we made summer cheese boards. The men joined us outside for the meal and went back to the office.
“It should be cool enough now for a swim without burning,” Nadia said as we cleaned up.
“Thanks for the update, Mom,” Tasha replied teasingly. Nadia turned from the kitchen counter as Tasha darted out of the kitchen. Nadia sprinted after her, but Tasha was already up the stairs.
I walked with Nadia up to get changed. Once changed, we headed out to the small pool in the back. Nadia stormed Tasha as she got closer to the pool and the two went flying through the air into the pool.
Placing my towel on one of the chairs, I couldn’t help but laugh at them. This was a mistake on my end. I ended up running for my life, but they caught up, and it was my turn to be thrown into the pool.
As I surfaced, I saw the men standing by the door. They had come to see what we were doing, running around screaming. They turned and went back inside. But they didn’t stay long. Before we knew it, everyone was in the pool.
We splashed around for about an hour. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun. It was nice to be around people who had no prejudice or expectations. We got out and headed back in. After changing into dry clothes, I made some coffee.
Looking out the window, I noticed that the sun had started its descent. “I think it’s time to start supper,” I said, turning to face Tasha and Nadia.
“We’ll assist,” Tasha replied as they joined me.
I opened the deep freezer, trying to decide what would be the quickest to cook. “Any preferences?” I asked, peeking around the door.
“Let’s just make sandwiches,” Tasha replied.
Nodding, I closed the door. Once I had collected cold meat, bread, butter, cheese, and sauces, we could start. As we made sandwiches, Tasha and Nadia told me more about their lives. It was nice getting to know them better.
“So,” Nadia said as we were finishing up the sandwiches. “What’s the story behind the story with you and my cousin?”
“I’m not sure myself anymore,” I replied softly. I could feel my cheeks heating up. “It’s just casual, I think.”
“So, no plans for the future then?” Tasha asked. I noticed she was grinning.
“Not unless you know something I don’t,” I replied.
“Nope, just thinking out loud,” she said, shaking her head.
We plated the bread, and Tasha went to call the men while Nadia and I took them outside. We placed glasses and jugs of fruit juice on the table so everyone could help themselves.
I sat next to Makari, Tasha with Vadik, and Pavel next to Nadia. “May I ask why your husband isn’t joining us?” I asked Nadia.
“He is out of town for a while with work,” she replied. “He went with his eldest brother to Miami.”
“Oh wow,” I breathed out. “That must be nice.”
Nadia laughed softly. “It’s okay, but I prefer the city. Less ocean,” she added.
“You don’t like the ocean, the fresh air, and the cool breeze?” Tasha enquired. I thought she sounded surprised.
“It’s not that, but yeah, maybe I don’t. The stickiness, the smell isn’t always fresh, and the sand! Don’t get me started on the sand.”
Everyone laughed as Nadia pulled her face into a knot and shook her head. It was nice being part of a big family.
After dinner, we moved to the lounge for evening cocktails before everyone parted ways. “Vadik,” I said once we had all settled. “Tasha mentioned earlier something about an alliance between her family and the Chernykhs. But apparently, they don’t want one. Isn’t it a good thing?”
Vadik glanced at Tasha and then cleared his throat before explaining. “In an alliance of this sort, the balance of power is vital. Power is one of the key components in any organization, and its distribution is what grows a business. However, a family’s strengths, weaknesses, and processes also have an impact. These things need to be looked at carefully when allying. Trust, openness, and honesty can make or break a family.”
“Yes, those are the most important factors,” Tasha added. “An alliance is where two or more companies, or families, share a specific goal. They then assist each other to reach it. But my family, the Dubows, have an alliance with the Morozovs. My marriage to Vadik has allied my family with the Vaselievs. Due to our other alliances, this has now placed doubt in the Chernykhs.”
“But how has that changed the work Makari and his brothers do for the Chernykhs. Sorry, I’m not sure why things have changed. Are the Chernykhs just bad people?”
After taking a sip of her drink, Tasha continued. “No, after Vadik and I got married, most of the duties fell to Makari and Pavel, as the Chernykhs don’t trust him as much. That is what is placing them in such precarious positions. Life got a little harder for them.”
“Yes,” Vadik interrupted, looking at his brothers. “It is a situation I had hoped to prevent. But here we are now. The Chernykhs don’t trust the Dubows because of their alliance with the Morozovs. So, at times, things might be tight.”
Nodding, I found I understood the situation better. I also now know the position Makari and Pavel were caught up in.
After a round of exciting cocktails, Vadik and Tasha got up. “Thank you for a lovely day and evening, and an exceptional dinner,” Vadik said.
“Yes, but we have to leave. It’s getting late. I have an early meeting,” Tasha added.
“Yes, me too,” Nadia said as she rose.
We joined them as they walked to the door. Makari, Pavel, and I followed the family. We greeted them at the door and stood watching as they all left.
As we closed the door, Pavel spoke, walking to the staircase. “Well, I’m turning in. I’m beat. See you in the morning. Remember, we need to sit and discuss the party observations.”
“Yes,” Makari replied. “That’s a good idea. We’ll go to the café on the corner. Sleep tight, Pavel.”
We watched as Pavel went upstairs. Makari turned to face me as he spoke. “Well then, do you want another drink, or are we turning in for the night?”
Smiling, I just nodded. “Okay, does that mean we’re heading to bed, or do you want another one?” he questioned insistingly. He still couldn’t read me, which I found a bit funny but comforting.
“I think we could surely use another one, don’t you agree?” I asked as I took Makari’s hand, leading him back to the lounge.
“Sure thing,” he replied eagerly.
I sat down on the double couch, watching Makari pour another cocktail. He came over with our glasses and flopped down next to me.
“Well, what did you think of the family, then?” He asked.
“They were lovely. It was a nice day. Thank you,” I replied.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Makari said, taking our cocktails. I followed him upstairs. Makari turned and handed mine to me as we entered. “So, what’s your family like?” he asked. “Sorry,” he added, smiling. “You’ve never mentioned them. If you would rather not, I will understand.”
Walking to my side of the bed, I sat down, careful not to spill. “No, I don’t mind,” I said. “There’s just not much to tell. Both my parents died. My father died ten years ago, and my mother joined him about three years ago. I have no siblings, and we weren’t close to any other family.”
“I’m so sorry,” Makari responded as he sat down on his side. “It must have been lonely.”
“I grew up mostly alone and with nannies,” I replied, smiling. “My father traveled a lot and was rarely home. My mother was a nurse and worked very long hours. Sometimes I wouldn’t see her for two or three days. I got used to keeping myself company.”
Shifting closer, Makari took my glass and placed it down with his before pulling me into a tight hug. “You will never be alone again,” he whispered. He lay back, pulling me into his arms. He stroked my hair until I fell asleep.