Chapter 33
33
Anya
A month can fly by when you’re out of a psychopath’s crosshairs.
With more of my lost memories gradually returning, I sincerely cannot recall a time when I have felt as free and as hopeful as I feel now. I am focused on thriving.
“One hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows coming right up,” Sheriff Mills announces as he comes into the bullpen.
“Oh, wow. I was joking when you asked if I wanted a hot drink. I thought you’d come back with tea or something.” I laugh lightly.
Comfortably seated in one of the guest chairs, I’ve got a nice view of Seeley Lake through the large windows as the morning light floods the entire police station. Outside, I hear the trills and buzzing of a busy bullpen, but in here, it’s nice and quiet.
Chance and Booker share the two-seater to my right; Nico has the chair next to mine, his hand covering mine on the armrest.
“For all her faults, Breonna did get me hooked on this stuff. I even got the order link from her before we sent her to court,” Mills replies and sets the mug on the edge of his desk within my reach.
“Thank you,” I reply.
Mills gets comfortable behind his desk, giving each of us a smile.
“How is Breonna these days?” I ask.
“She’s looking at some jail time for conspiracy to kidnap,” he says. “But she has a good lawyer, so she’ll take a plea and get time served. I did, however, recommend she sell her cabin and never return to Seeley Lake.”
“You recommended?” Nico chuckles.
“Sternly recommended,” Mills corrects himself. “How are you all holding up?”
Chance shrugs and smiles broadly. “Better than ever, truth be told. We’re going to testify in about a month or so. The Feds have secured our protective detail, but all the guys who helped us out in New York will be there, just in case.”
“Plus, my family’s security forces,” I add.
“I take it Zoya Asimova is back at the helm?” Mills replies.
“For now. She’s grooming a cousin on my father’s side, Evgeni. He flew in from Odessa to take over.”
“Well, what matters is that you’re all safe and together now,” Mills concludes. “How are you feeling these days, Anya?”
I give him a warm smile. “Much better, thank you. Obviously showing,” I point at my baby bump, now visible through a green knit dress. “We’re in good health. The doc says my stress levels are down, compared to what they were a month ago, and it shows in my bloodwork.”
“I’m glad to hear that. And you’re staying here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Will we be seeing any more of the Asimovs in Seeley Lake then?”
“I assure you, if anybody comes to visit, it’ll be purely to see my baby and me,” I reply with a soft smile. “Zoya made it clear to the entire organization that I am off-limits. And after what happened in New York, they were all in agreement that I best be left alone. In fact, I look forward to carving out my own space within this wonderful community, Sheriff.”
“How so?”
Nico gives me a broad grin, his green eyes beaming with pride. “She wants to put together a kids art class at the community center. Once the baby is born, we’ll have a better idea of what we’ll do with our time as a family. My brothers and I will continue to run our businesses mostly from the lodge, of course. We want to spend every waking minute building our family.”
Mills laughs, throwing his head back. “Never imagined I’d see the three of you so whipped. But I love it. You deserve it.”
* * *
The days are getting longer, and winter is beginning to thaw, slowly making room for a gentle spring. The sun shines generously throughout the day, and it’s been a while since the night temperatures plummeted noticeably below the freezing point. Slowly but surely, the mountain is coming back to life.
Sitting on the back porch of the lodge, wrapped in a thick blanket, I watch a deer shyly approach our fence. I keep quiet, fearful I might scare her away. Our eyes meet for a moment.
“Hi, beautiful,” I whisper and smile.
Hers are big, round, and brown. Mine sparkle with excitement as I hold my breath. Her nostrils flare, then she lowers her head and makes her way back into the woods, stopping here and there to nibble.
“You’ll be seeing more of them come spring,” Nico says in a low voice as he joins me on the porch. “Down in the valley, a whole herd gathers in summer. They’re a pleasure to watch.”
“She seemed people-friendly, too,” I reply.
“Only from afar. They won’t let you get too close.”
“I can relate to that.” I chuckle softly.
Nico sits next to me on the rattan bench, putting an arm around my shoulders. Moments later, Chance and Booker come out, both of them still panting as they take off their leather work gloves.
“The wood’s taken care of,” Booker says. “We’ve got enough logs for the fireplace, and the rest of the shed is stacked and dry.”
“Look at my men, working hard to keep us comfy,” I giggle, melting against Nico’s frame.
“Which brings us to the next order of business,” Chance quips as he takes off his gloves and starts searching through his coat pocket.
Nico gives him a confused look. “What, now?”
“What better time?”
“For what?” I ask.
“Didn’t we agree to the whole dinner thing?” Nico insists.
“What are you guys talking about?” I ask, almost laughing.
Booker chuckles softly as he looks at Nico. “With everything that happened, I think it’s safe to say we need to make every second count.”
My heart starts racing as Chance gives me a playful wink and pulls out a small velvet box.
“Well, crap. Okay,” Nico blurts out and gets up.
My breath quickens as the Hayes brothers face me, standing tall and proud against a snowy backdrop and a sea of ancestral pines that stretch down this magnificent mountain. The sun cuts across their faces, casting golden flecks in their eyes and silver specks in their rich hair as the three of them drop to one knee.
“I’ll give Booker credit. He’s right. There’s no perfect moment. There’s no telling what tomorrow will bring,” Nico says, his voice trembling slightly. “But the truth is, Anya, you were always the one. Long before we became aware of you as a woman, you already had your place in our hearts.
“And when you crash-landed back in our lives, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I thought fate was playing a nasty trick on us. Taking you away and then dangling you in front of us, like the sweetest torment,” he adds. “It was our sign to do something. To do what we didn’t or couldn’t do before.”
“And that is to make an honest woman out of you,” Chance says as he opens the box, revealing a gorgeous delicate platinum ring with a tear-shaped diamond, crowned by a dozen smaller ones. “Anya Asimova, will you make us the happiest bastards on this earth and be our wife?”
“It would be the greatest joy and honor for us to spend the rest of our days with you,” Booker adds, his gaze soft and filled with light. “We love you. Fiercely. You and the little one growing in your womb. And you deserve everything that is good and kind in this world. Let us be a part of your life, Anya, and you will never be without.”
“I did not have a marriage proposal on my bingo card for this random Wednesday morning,” I say, staring at the ring. “But I love you more than words can say. I love each of you with every fiber of my being. And I have always felt safe with you.”
“So is that a yes?” Nico raises a curious eyebrow.
“It’s a hell, yes,” I laugh.
The moment Chance slips the ring on my finger, it’s as if everything changes. And, while change can be scary, it’s also exhilarating. My heart is beating fast and strong, my soul is flooded with the purest kind of light as I get up and let my men hold me, kiss me, promise me they will do everything to make me happy.
And I believe them.
* * *
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
I stand before them, wrapped in a pale pink lace nightie with pearls embroidered across my breasts. Satin laces keep my panties from falling off.
“Guys?” I ask again.
“I’m sorry, you’re just…” Nico manages, his gaze darkening as it wanders downward.
“I’m just what?”
“Fucking gorgeous, is what you are,” he says with a trembling voice. “I had an inkling of what this might look like when we ordered it, but—”
“The real deal is something else,” Chance takes over and steps forward.
My blonde hair falls over one shoulder, and I take a deep breath as they come closer. My initial anxiety melts into blood-boiling desire as my men shed their clothes with every step they take. I playfully glide back toward our bed.
The room is shrouded in sweet darkness, with the exception of a multitude of scented candles burning on the side table by the window. Outside, it’s snowing. The last of it for the season, most likely.
“You’re perfect in every sense of the word, baby,” Booker says.
He’s the first to reach me, towering as he lowers his head and pulls me into a hungry kiss. I welcome the taste of him, the glee of his tongue as it plays with mine. But the game turns into a ravenous conquest quickly.
“My turn,” Nico growls as he wraps his arms around my waist. His lips crush mine, and I moan against him as liquid heat pools between my legs, drenching my lace panties. “You smell like a dream.”
“You picked out the right fragrance, too,” I whisper.
Lilac and jasmine. Heaven in a bottle. Yet another engagement gift. I love the way it smells on me, and I love it even more because I know he bought it for me. Everything these men do is for me. There’s no greater aphrodisiac.
When Chance takes over, I become drunk on his arousal, welcoming the feel of his hands as he explores every inch of my body. His fingertips scan the lace and the naked skin, pressing in all the right places until I’m so hot, so desperate for release I can barely stand.
“Lie down, my love,” he beckons me, and I gladly do as I’m told.
A moment later, he tugs at the satin laces, making my panties disappear. Smiling like the devil himself, he dives between my legs and brings me closer to heaven, while Nico and Booker stroke themselves and watch delightedly.
“I want to touch you,” I moan as Chance’s lips close around my swollen clit.
“Not yet, baby,” Nico says.
To my surprise, they take turns going down on me, reveling in the taste and the simmering wetness of my core. Their tongues slide between my slick folds, and when it’s Booker’s turn, he throws me into the blinding bliss of a shattering orgasm as he suckles my clit, harder and harder.
I writhe in sweet agony, touching my breasts through the lace fabric and missing them terribly while being irrevocably connected to them.
“I need you… so much…”
“Now comes the reward,” Nico says and joins me on the bed.
He rolls me over, and I end up on top of him as Chance climbs above and Booker settles behind me. With swift moves, Booker removes my bra and releases my tender breasts as I let Nico fill me to the brim with his magnificent cock. I marvel at the tight muscles wrapping across their massive torsos as Chance lets me taste him.
“You are perfection,” he whispers as I take him in my mouth.
At the same time, Booker joins Nico inside me. I am stretched and claimed. Body and soul. My cries of ecstasy are muffled as Chance slides down my throat, and I ride Nico a Booker plows into me from behind.
“Come for me,” Nico grunts as his fingers dig into my hips.
Tears of joy trickle down my cheeks as I clench myself tightly around him and his brother. Booker builds up a rhythm. Faster, harder, and deeper. He pounds into me, hands firmly locked on my bouncing breasts as he pushes me over the edge.
I look up and lose myself in Chance’s eyes as he caresses my face, then takes a hold of my head and deep throats me until I feel him stiffen.
I hear his growl of pleasure as he comes, and his hot seed spurts down my throat, and I swallow every delicious drop.
“Fuck, I can feel you coming,” Booker manages and brings a hand down, well aware that a well-timed slap on the ass will make me explode.
And I do, gushing like a fountain as both he and Nico give me everything they’ve got, their gargantuan cocks drilling me until they, too, find their much-needed release. I’m filled and overflowing with a kind of timeless love.