Vanya
VANYA
“IT IS WITH a heavy heart zhat I announce zhe death of my father, King Mohamed, my brozer zhe crown prince Ibriham and my nephews Kamran, Babak, and Farhad. Zheir plane crashed vhile heading for vacation to Dubai. Zhe Mahdavi family, zhe entire country of Iran and Persians zhroughout zhe vorld are devastated by zhe loss of our king, our leader and our father. My older brozer Bijan and myself along wiz our sisters ask zhat you pray for our family no matter chat religion you may observe zhat we find understanding during zhis difficult time. Khoda rooh-shan ra ghereen-e rahmat konad : May God bless their souls with mercy. Zhe official forty days of mourning begin today. As per tradition, I will step in as head of my family to ensure zhat zhe legacy of zhe Mahdavi family continues to grow and become a light and symbol of hope, love, acceptance and prosperity to all zhe citizens of zhis glorious land.”
That was the news as we sat up against the soft Cannon blue silk headboard in our bedroom. I knew my husband had his hands all over this, and would probably look at the loss of an aircraft as an acceptable business expenditure. Of course, I’m sure it was overly ensured and he would have another on order within the week. The official statement had been done in Persian, Arabic and English ensuring that the news would reach whomever needed to hear it. I was throughly impressed by the way Afshin already looked every inch the king he now was.
“How are you?” I looked at my love who was sitting with his eyes still glued on the massive TV on the wall. He’d allowed me to make it one of the gold fancy frame televisions so that it would go seamlessly with the decor.
“About his deaz? Fine. I am slightly worried for my uncle, but I’ve made more zhan sure he is surrounded by good people. He’s ensured zhat he is going to have zhe love of the people wiz zhe way he’d shown up for zhem zhroughout zhe years. My aunts would have no choice but to rally around him because two princes of zhe Mahdavi line wouldn’t be able to be overlooked and if zhey attempted to push my fazer back into zhe line of succession, he would only abdicate to Afshin. My grandfazer’s widow holds no power so she is not a factor. So he will be king and we will be taking a trip to Iran for zhe funeral.”
He was speaking so factually, I couldn’t help but be impressed. My husband’s financial success had proven he was a smart businessman, but this required a far more intuitive and complex way of thinking that was far beyond simple business and contracts. Xerxes had wrapped up every loose end and had any potential dissenter backed into a corner so they wouldn’t be able to object.
Xerxes wrapped his hand within mine as though he were trying to see how I would feel about going.
“Of course. I know there are customs I have to observe.” Was I apprehensive? Of course. But also knew that I had nothing to be afraid of because Xerxes wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen.
A grateful kiss was planted on the side of my face. “Only in public and only for now. Afshin is going to make changes and alzough we don’t know how fast zhey will be, he doesn’t want to mandate wiz anyone zheir walk wiz Allah. We will have to be in all black while we are zhere. I’ve already sent your measurements so zhat zhey can get started on what you need to wear for zhe funeral.”
He was always two steps ahead so that I didn’t have to be bothered. His already having my measurements wasn’t a shock to me. I’m sure that he had all of that memorized because that was the type of person he was.
I smiled ruefully before running my fingers through his hair to get the strands off his face. “So I can’t pull a Megan Sussex and bust out the cape dress and the hat?”
He brushed my nose with his affectionately as he smiled. “Only on zhe way home, love.”
“That’s a good compromise.”
“How are you feeling?” He laid his head on my chest and listened to my heartbeat.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“About everyzing. I’m sure you checked on zhose people and you know zheir fate.”
I smiled faintly thinking about how I’d gotten the alert while Xerxes was away that the first of my adoptive family members had died. From then it was interesting to watch how one death so quickly led to the others. It had taken several weeks, each day I’d awoken with a wonder of when they would expire and the morning after it happened, I woke up with an even greater peace than I could’ve ever imagined. I was free from the past that attempted to break me and was now reconnected to the past that had loved me even when I was only a faint memory.
I traced the outline of the colorful words and symbols on his chest. I kissed our last name that he had scrawled over his pecs. “I did. I don’t feel anyway about it. I’m happy that we can have everything behind us while we move into this next chapter of our lives. I hope that everyone around us can find the peace they deserve, despite the business we are all bound by.”
“It will happen. By choice or by force. Peace is always attained zhrough means zhat some don’t want to face. We are men wiz power but we don’t hoard it. We understand zhat we have to be the bad guys in certain people’s minds and zhat’s alright wiz me.” His breathing settled slightly and I wondered if he was going back to sleep.
“As long as the people who love you know you’re the best bad guy there is.” His laughter rumbled softly in his chest and I loved hearing and feeling that sound. I sighed because the morning was thrown off, but I still needed to get something off my chest. “This seems to be the worst day to do this.”
“Do what?” His hand was now lazily making circles up the exposed part of my back. Since we’d gotten married I had kept wearing the silk nightgowns that I’d gotten for our honeymoon. Something about them made me feel beautiful. Sensual. And there was a safety now in feeling sensual that I hadn’t had before.
“Give you a present.”
“What is zhe present, zibā?” I pouted because he stopped rubbing my back but I needed to move so I didn’t fuss. I moved over to the elaborate bombé chests that we used as bedside tables. Pulling out the top drawer, I grabbed the gold package.
By now he was sitting up curiously with his brows furrowed at the item I had in my hand. He looked like the idea of getting a gift was foreign to him and it bothered me that he didn’t look accustomed to getting gifts.
“You have to open it.”
I shoved the package into his hand laughing because he looked so spooked. Xerxes carefully opened up the box that I’d had wrapped up in real gold foil paper. It was as if he could tell by the weight it was real and he didn’t want to mess it up.
“I suddenly have zhis deep sense of promise. Zhat zhis box is fortuitous.” He stopped unwrapping and looked down at the package like he was going to throw it across the room.
“Well, my husband and his mother and father all love to spoil me. And since you all don’t wait to buy things I can’t ever figure out how to get ahead of any of you. But I think I got you beat this time.” I grinned, hoping not to give anything away about what his surprise was.
When he got down to the box and saw Nev’s business name on the top he paused and looked up at me through those mysterious eyes I loved to get lost in. “Zibā, if I open zhis and zhere is a giant diamond Mahdavi chain or somezing like zhat we are going to need to talk.”
I put my hands on my hips, a move that had him smiling at my attitude because this man adored when I acted like a brat. “I don’t know about all that. Because you shouldn’t be mad at me even if it was. Nyima says she loves to wear Priest’s chains around their neck while they—”
He held a hand up as I giggled. Xerxes’ eyes narrowed glancing at my form before biting his lip. He kissed my breast bone before sliding his tongue between them. I immediately stopped giggling and my mind went to him making me cum. “Do not make me buy chains just so zhat I can watch you ride my dick wiz diamonds zhat match your crown dangling between zhese beautiful breasts of yours. Matter fact—” When he reached for his phone I put my hand over it to stop him.
“NO! We’re focused on the box. Open your gift. I promise it’s not a chain!” He almost looked disappointed but sat back in the bed and lifted the lid off of the box. He stared at the contents for only a moment before looking at me confused.
“Zibā, I know my mother has provided us with zhe dishes, but I didn’t zhink she was remiss in sending cutlery.”
“She wasn’t.”
“Zhen why is zhere a spoon in here? Is it a teaspoon?” Xerxes held up the spoon from where it had been nestled in the box. His confusion was apparent until he read the words I had inscribed on the spoon. “ Baby’s first bite . Vanya, what does zhis mean? Baby’s first—” his eyes drifted slowly from the spoon to my mid section before they traveled up to reach my eyes. “Does it mean what I zhink it means?”
“It does.”
He jumped up with the package falling to the ground with the spoon still gripped in his hand. My husband’s hands went gently to my hips pulling me toward him before one massive hand covered my lower belly and pelvis. “But how are you pregnant? You said zhat zhere might be issues. Zhat your body might not conceive. It is why I wasn’t ever careful, zhat and I didn’t zhink of putting something between us. Are you happy? Zhis feels like a miracle.”
I bit my lip and smiled before I said, “ Alhamdulillah .”
His eyes watered, and he smiled before pressing his hand firmly on my womb. “Praise be to God indeed. Well, we will have to find all W names for our kids.”
He was so confident in his declaration I wondered what affinity this man had for the letter W. “W? Why W?”
Xerxes got down on his knees and kissed my belly affectionately multiple times before he spoke up. “Because it is the letter than links V and X together in the alphabet. And children are our permanent tether to one another. A bond and a symbol of love that no one can erase. I was right, this box was very auspicious. A beautiful beginning to the family you and I are creating.”
“We have to make sure everything is okay—”
He looked up from his place of supplication his eyes serious. “We only speak life, Vanya. Life, health, happiness and wealth. You have given me my heart’s every desire. First, it was for you to not hate me. Zhen it was for you to be my wife. For you to love me and now you are making me a fazer.”
“I think I’m the reason you’ve been sick.” I was thinking of how I got the call from the doctor that had done my bloodwork for the DNA test and finished running whatever tests they needed to do for my life insurance. The Consortium needed it on file and of course Xerxes wouldn’t trust anyone outside of the building to do it. Dr. Tavior had been the one to do all the bloodwork and he called me to give me the news. I was pregnant. I apparently had a honeymoon baby because I had already cleared six weeks.
Xerxes chuckled and stood up, giving me a squeeze. “Because I love you so much zhat I have taken on zhe physical symptoms zhe pregnancy gives you now because zhe ones you will face later will be so great. The same zhing happened with baba. I should’ve expected it.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he sat down on the bed, wrapping my legs around him. “W names, I’ll have to get right on that. And figure out which one of these rooms can be turned into a nursery.”
“ Hich zani behtar o kamel-tar az to baraye man vojood nadare .” He spoke with even more emotion than normal so I couldn’t just gloss over his words. Especially not with how watery his eyes looked.
“What did you say? It sounded so serious.”
He peppered kisses along my neck arousing me and almost causing me to lose focus on what I’d asked. “Zhat no woman more perfect zhan you exists for me. You were hand-crafted by God himself for me, as I were for you. Zhere is no longer a zhreat from my father’s family. Zhe cloud zhat hung over me my entire life will never be over this baby’s or any we are blessed with after. I am even happier zhey are gone. I feel as zhough we have already given zhis baby an easier start, which is all any parent could want.”
“I want you inside of me.” Hearing him speak life over our child and claim this battle as won shouldn’t have had me horny, but it did.
“My baby have you like zhis?” He was smirking, hands kneading my hips as he pulled me closer so I could feel how hard his dick was. I’d gotten progressively bolder, trying not to be bashful or embarrassed about asking for what I wanted no matter what it was. This man was so devoted he would probably please me in the middle of Uptown if I asked. But then he would kill anyone who looked so we wouldn’t be doing that.
I shook my head as I ran my hands over his bare chest brushing away his hair that sat on his collarbone. I pressed my lips to my name inked there feeling him shiver at my touch. I smiled as I licked my way down his chest, teasing one of his nipples with my tongue until I felt his dick poke me more urgently. He moved me back slightly his lust filled dark brown eyes gazing back at me. I could never get over the way his lashes were so thick he looked like he had on permanent eyeliner.
“No. It’s you. Only you make me want you. Crave you. The taste of your skin, the feel of you stretching me out so perfectly. There is only you for me and me for you.”
“And already we have performed the near impossible. I am not sure if t’is is appropriate, but knowing you have life in your makes you even more sexy to me.”
“It’s probably some weird male pride about procreation but I don’t care. I just want my husband to fuck me.”
He licked his lips and I felt his dick get harder. “When did you get such a filzy mouth, eshgham ?”
“Since my husband showed me the beauty in being bad and being bold.” I worked my hips over his still covered length and I could feel my walls weeping with each roll of my hips. The friction was a promise of me getting what I needed and taking a nap.
His hands were tugging my hair exposing my neck as he kissed and licked his way from my collarbone to the shell of my ear. “A lucky man he is indeed.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
We made love slowly, with me feeling as though he were going even deeper than before. Our kisses were more sensual, my orgasms more intense and the passion between us even more awe-inspiring as my husband used his rocket to blast me up to the stars. He talked me through every orgasm in every language he knew until he reached his release.
As always, he kept me close, never moving away from me after I innocently questioned whether he would stay with me after we slept together for the first time. Because of the way our comfort level had increased I wasn’t shy about asking him a question I always wanted to know. “Why do you start to speak a different language while we make love?”
“Because I’m not afraid to speak praise of you in any language. I want you to know in every tongue I know how delicious you taste. How good it feels when I stroke you. When I go deep how I can see zhe precipice of heaven because my Utopia is being here with you buried inside of you and making our bodies one. Zhat loving you, spoiling you, connecting wiz you on every level is zhe most kismet, hallowed, blessed experience I’ve ever felt.”
I was crying now because there was no way to keep it in when someone speaks so beautifully to you and about you. “You’re doing it again.”
“I know. Zhe idea of touching your soul wiz my dick makes him want to prove to you yet again how hard he can make you cum.”
I giggled but he started to kiss himself down my body. “Xerxes—”
“Can he show you how much he idolizes you, Vanya?” He kissed my lips and he hadn’t bothered to remove himself from me so I could feel him get harder as he began to work his hips back and forth. “How his only purpose in life is to feel you rain down on him and zhen fill you up as zhank you for allowing us inside.”
“Don’t stop.”
“Never, azizam . I feel you quivering but I don’t feel any rain. My baby got you tappin’ out on me already?”
“No, you feel good as always.” I could barely think with the way he was moving inside of me and getting me ready to come.
“Oh, zhis just regular dick I’m giving you zibā?” He chuckled arrogantly, his dick going deeper as though he had a point to prove.
“No, it’s perfect. One of a kind. The only one I ever wanted.”
“You speak to my heart as the walls of your pussy clench around me so obediently. And you wonder why I want to cover you in jewels, fuck you until consciousness is a forgotten state of being and fill your belly with my babies. But most importantly, I want to love you fully, completely and perfectly until my last breaz and beyond.”
“Baby!” My orgasm ripped through my body and he stroked me through my walls clenching around him and my legs locked up.
“ Che dokhtar khobi (such a good girl).” He muttered darkly as he watched me cum all over him. His strokes sped up, sharper and deeper and his hands went around my neck gently squeezing.
We climaxed together this time, and for a moment I either blacked out or fell asleep.
A gentle nudge on the side of my neck brought me back from whatever state I was in and as I opened my eyes I saw Xerxes’ smiling face but he was now covered back up. “I hate to disturb you, but you know we have to get moving.”
I stretched lazily wondering if I had any time to sleep. I was mentally thinking about where my silk bonnet was so that I didn’t wake up with a case of bed head. “That is today isn’t it?”
“It is. How would you like me to proceed? You said you wanted to come—”
“I do. I’m just a little tired. “
He chuckled and finished tucking me under the covers. “You’ve been tired, baby, but now I understand. You’re going to have to see Dr. McQueen soon.”
“Who is Dr. McQueen?” I was trying to understand how the hell he wanted me to go to the doctor already. But then again they had Dr. Tavior on staff so it wasn’t really too far-fetched.
“She’s Messiah Diallo’s wife, the one zhat works with Adam and Midas. He does zhat tech shit too just on the personal side.”
“And his wife is a doctor?”
“She’s an OBGYN who does her locums only with the Consortium so that she can build an all Black women run clinic in their hometown.”
“Dang, y’all have an on staff OBGYN?”
He nodded proudly and kissed my forehead. “She does a few things for the Davis family as well. But with the rate of new babies we’re going to have, zhere won’t be much time for her to do anyzing else. She was in Scotland with Frankie.”
“That’s right, but she called her something else. And now just in the next year it will be Nyima’s baby, then Bhaltair’s twins and now us.” It felt so incredibly surreal to say something like that. I was going to be someone’s mother.
“Ny and Jerica will cut it close. She’ll deliver Ny and Mir’s little one and then need to jump on a plane to Scotland to deliver zhe twins. We should be…early spring?”
I grinned then felt slightly panicked at the thought. “Yeah…dang that doesn’t seem so far away.”
“Another couple zhat won’t make it to zheir first anniversary without having a newborn. We will have to see who else keeps zhis tradition going. And maybe invest in a nanny service. But enough of zhat. Rest, my love. I almost want to tell you to stay here, but I know I could not in good conscience and expect you to still love me in the morning.” He had a hopeful look on his face like I’d change my mind, but today was too important.
“I would love you, I just might be mad at you and not want to talk to you.”
He picked up my hand kissing the back of it before pressing it to the side of my face. “A state of unrest I will not accept especially wiz you being zhe most precious zhing in the world to me carrying zhe most precious zhing in zhe world to me. To bozorgtarin mo'jeze-ye Khoda baraye mani. ” He peppered my face with kisses as though he were trying not to miss a freckle, causing me to laugh that morphed into a yawn.
“And what does that mean, baby?” I pulled his pillow to me so I could have his scent close by while I slept.
“You are God’s greatest miracle to me.”
My eyes got wet again, and he couldn’t keep doing this to me. “Xerxes,”
He smirked and wiped some of the moisture from my cheek. “I should’ve known wiz zhe tears somezing was up.”
“What is up is me being completely and hopelessly in love with a man that I would kill for. One I can submit to because I know he will protect every part of me: my independence, my health, my heart, and my wealth as fiercely as he would his own.”
His handsome face was a mix of emotions but the two strongest were love and pride. Xerxes leaned forward and placed my bonnet on my head, reminding me of why he was so easy to love.
“Even more fiercely. But rest, mon amor . I need you at your best tonight. I will wake you when it is time.”