Chapter 16
Volodya
My fingers run over her soft, wet skin while she falls asleep against my chest with her face buried close to my neck.
I know she’s sore, and I want her to soak in the warm water for as long as possible.
Images of what we just did float through my mind, just like I know they will for the rest of my life.
No matter what I’m doing or what I’m thinking about, some part of my brain will always be reliving the moment when Maddie let me into her virgin ass. God, she’s fucking amazing.
I kiss her head and stand up with her when the water starts to grow cold, grabbing a couple of towels on my way out.
I dry her off as best I can and then tuck her into bed, crawling in beside her because no way in fuck am I leaving her side.
She lets out a soft moan and cuddles into me, her body fitting to mine like it was always meant to be there.
Her hand rests on my chest, giving me a perfect view of the diamond on her finger.
I’d told my brothers and her mom that I was proposing today, and they’d all been thrilled at the news.
As soon as Valeri’s well enough to leave the hospital, I’m marrying Maddie, because I can’t wait any longer than that.
The next few weeks pass by faster than I thought possible. Every morning I wake up surrounded by the woman I love, and every night I fall asleep with her sated body against mine. If anyone had told me that life could feel this damn good, I would’ve told them they were full of shit.
We’ve been rushing our wedding plans since neither one of us wants to wait, and in less than an hour, I’m going to stand up in front of my family and Bratva and join my life to Maddie’s.
Standing on the balcony outside our bedroom, I look down at the last-minute preparations.
The caterers are flitting around as Sibyl puts the finishing touches on the flower arrangements that cover every available surface.
She’d been thrilled when we’d come into her shop to ask if she’d like to do our wedding, and she was more than happy to help Kristy and Maddie with some questions they had about the flower gardens they’ve been working on.
The property looks even more beautiful with all the wildflowers and hanging baskets they’ve put up.
Maddie spent the night at her mom’s cabin last night, and I’ve been missing her nonstop.
The experimental drug has been working beautifully for Kristy, and we’re all hopeful that it’s going to continue to kick her tumor’s ass.
Boris has been visiting her often, even going so far as to drive her to appointments every once in a while, and every time Maddie sees him walking down the gravel road toward the cabin after his shift at the gate ends, she gets this big, goofy grin on her face. It’s fucking adorable.
“You ready for this, little brother?”
Vasily walks up beside me, resting his hands on the railing and laughing at the way the dogs are sniffing everything, tails wagging a mile a minute.
“I’m ready,” I tell him. “Is Maddie here?”
He laughs at the hopeful tone of my voice. “She’ll be here soon. Nina’s heading over there now to get them.”
“Seriously? You’re going to have a brother moment without me?”
I smile and turn at the sound of Valeri’s voice. He’s still healing from the gunshot wound, but he’s getting stronger every day and I have no doubt he’ll be back to getting his ass in trouble in no time.
“You always were dramatic,” I tell him, pulling him in for a hug.
He smacks my back and then gives a low whistle. “Nice tux.”
I run my hands down the dark jacket, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “Do I look okay?”
Vasily laughs and shares a look with Valeri.
“Stop fucking laughing at me. I’m nervous. This is the one and only time I’m doing this, and I want it to be perfect for her.” I point my finger at Valeri. “You especially can’t laugh. We all know you’re fucking next.”
He just laughs, giving me a carefree smile with his dimple on full display while he lifts up the bottle of vodka he brought and takes the shot glasses from his pocket.
I’ve seen that look a million times, ever since he was little and chasing after Vasily and me, begging to hang out with us.
My little brother has always been easy to smile, quick to get in a fight, and irresistible to women.
It’s a hell of a mix, and one day some woman is going to send him to his knees, and I can’t wait to see it.
I’m going to laugh my ass off when it happens.
Vasily and I each take a glass, letting Valeri fill them to the brim before he holds his up and says, “May your sex life be exciting and naughty enough to always make Maddie blush.”
I laugh and down the shot with them. He’s all set to pour another when Ilya yells in Russian from the veranda, “She’s coming, Volodya!”
Vasily gives me a big smile and hugs me. “Congrats, brother. I’m happy for you.”
“All right, let’s get his ass downstairs before we all start crying like a bunch of middle-aged women,” Valeri says with a laugh, leading the way down the stairs and taking another shot or two on the way.
I walk past the guests, giving nods and smiles to everyone but not seeing any of it.
All I can think about is the woman I’m about to marry.
Standing up front with my brothers beside me, and Nina on the other side as the matron of honor, I turn and face the back, knowing that’s where she’ll first appear.
When I catch sight of a white dress, my breath catches in my throat as everything else fades away except the sight of my bride-to-be coming into view.
My throat feels tight when she meets my eyes and gives me a big smile.
She’s been very careful to keep her dress a secret, and I’m so glad she did, because seeing it on her now is one of the best surprises she’s ever given me.
The white, satin dress is strapless, leaving so much of her beautiful skin bare, and fits her waist perfectly and then flares out, leaving me the faintest glimpse of her high-heeled feet.
She looks like a goddamn queen, and I’m very close to embarrassing myself by crying like a damn baby in front of all my men.
She’s wearing the diamond necklace and earrings I gave her last night, but her beauty trumps everything else.
Her mom threads her arm through hers and slowly leads her down the aisle to me as everyone stands and the music starts.
When they’re in front of me, Kristy’s already crying and Maddie looks like she’s about two seconds away from it.
Kristy gives me a big hug and kisses my cheek before putting her daughter’s hand in mine and sitting in the front row next to Katya, who’s holding Dmitri.
I squeeze Maddie’s hand, unable to look away from her. “You’re so beautiful, kiska,” I whisper.
She smiles and blinks back the tears. We say our vows before our family and friends, and when I slide the wedding band on her finger, a sense of peace washes over me.
This is exactly where I was meant to be, and she’s the woman who was always meant to be mine.
I know it with absolute certainty, and when he says I can kiss my bride, I cup her face and bring my lips to hers, kissing my wife.
Her tears hit my fingers as she lets out a soft moan and opens her mouth to me.
Our family and friends cheer, and when I finally pull away, her eyes are filled with lust, and she’s so damn beautiful it freezes me in place and all I can do is stare.
“I can’t believe you’re really mine,” I tell her, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “I love you so much, baby.”
She smiles and grabs my hand, kissing my palm. “I love you too, and I can’t believe you’re really mine.”
I pick her up and hold her tighter, turning to all our guests that are dying to congratulate us.
She wraps her arms around my neck, laughing when I refuse to put her down.
We spend the next several minutes talking to everyone, laughing and hugging one another, and for someone who rarely smiles, I can’t fucking seem to stop.
Once I put her down, she gives Nina a big hug and then grabs a smiling Dmitri, lifting him up in his little tux.
He’s already smitten with her, and his big blue eyes light up when she makes him laugh.
God, she’s going to be such a good mom. We’re both fully aware that her period is late, but we didn’t want to take the test before the wedding.
We wanted this moment to be just ours and didn’t want to chance it being associated with a negative pregnancy test.
I laugh when Valeri pulls Maddie into a big hug, spinning her around, even though she yells at him that he’s going to strain himself too much.
He just laughs and kisses her cheek before handing her off to Vasily.
I know they’re all thrilled to have her in the family.
I’d sent pictures to our mom, and although she’s happy for us and wishes us the best, she didn’t feel up to a trip to the States.
I promised I’d send her photos and a video of the wedding.
We all hope that one day she’ll want to be a part of our lives again and that she’ll take comfort in the family she still has instead of focusing on the husband she lost.
Pushing the thoughts aside, I grab Maddie’s hand and pull her back to me. “You sure you want to do this now?” I ask her. “You don’t have to. You can wait and do it later.”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting for this ever since you first told me about it, and I made sure to get a dress that left my arms free.”
I smile and kiss her before leading her over to Nikolai. He’s already setting up his equipment at a table on the veranda. His jacket is tossed over the back of a chair, and he’s rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He gives her a big smile. “You ready to make this official, Mrs. Medvedev?”
She claps her hands and sits down with a big grin, laying her left arm out for him. “Hell yes, let’s do this.”