10. Alexei #2
She nods. I close my eyes and rest my forehead against hers. A child. My child. The words don’t seem entirely real.
When I open my eyes again, she’s studying my face with unmistakable apprehension. She’s not afraid for herself. She’s afraid of my reaction.
“When did you find out?”
“Tonight.” Her voice trembles.
“I know what you're thinking.” I brush my thumb beneath her eye. “You think I’m unhappy.”
She stays silent.
“You’re mine. This child is mine. I would burn this entire world to the ground before I let any harm come to either of you.”
Tears spill down her cheeks. She laughs shakily against my chest.
“Well,” she whispers, “that's probably the sweetest threat anybody's ever made me.”
“You should hear the rest of them.” I tip her chin up and kiss her long and thoroughly.
She smiles, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
Maggie remains in my arms for a long time. Neither of us rushes to move. There’s no need. The future changed tonight, and both of us understand it. The room feels different now. The house feels different. Every room beyond these walls suddenly contains memories that haven’t happened yet.
I continue running my hand through her hair while she rests against my chest, her breathing gradually evening out. Eventually, she tips her head back to meet my eyes.
“You’re thinkin’ too hard,” she murmurs.
I exhale slowly. “You know me too well.”
A small smile curves her mouth.
“I was thinking about security.”
She groans softly and lets her forehead fall back against my chest. “Of course you were.”
I tighten my arms around her. “Things will change.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“There will be more guards.”
She pulls back, staring up at me with disbelief on her face. “I knew you were gonna say that.”
“It’s not negotiable.”
“Alexei.” She takes a step back, planting both hands on her hips. “I’m not spendin’ the next nine months surrounded by twenty armed men every time I need toothpaste.”
I consider that.
Her eyes narrow. “You’re actually considerin’ it.”
“I am.”
“Absolutely not.”
Against all reason, I almost laugh. I reach for her and pull her back into my arms. She comes willingly, though the suspicious look never leaves her face.
“We’ll compromise,” I tell her.
She snorts softly. “You have a very suspicious definition of compromise.”
“I disagree.”
“You think compromise means everybody eventually does things your way.”
“They do.”
She laughs.
I brush my thumb across her cheek. The last of her tears are gone now, but uncertainty remains.
“We’ve never talked about marriage. Or livin’ together permanently. Or whether you want more children. Or how many children. Or if we're gonna completely ruin a kid by lettin’ Ivy name it.”
I lean forward, resting my forehead against hers again. “I want more children.”
Maggie stills. “Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
I think of Ivy asleep across the hall and the child growing inside the woman I love. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Enough for the house to feel full.”
Emotion washes across her face so fast that she turns away, blinking rapidly. I catch her hand before she can retreat completely and pull her back to me.
“My mama had me young,” she says while tracing absent circles against my palm. “It was always just the two of us. I loved it, but...” She shrugs. “I always wanted a big family.”
I lift her hand to my mouth and press a kiss against her knuckles. “You have one.”
Fresh tears gather in her eyes. “I really do, don't I?”
“Yes.”
She laughs under her breath and shakes her head. “You're gonna make me cry again.”
I cup her face in both hands. “You’ve done enough crying for one night.”
I lean down and kiss her, taking my time.
“I love you, Maggie.”
Tears fill her eyes again. “I love you too, Alexei.”
She melts against me, her arms circling my neck as she kisses me back. The kiss deepens naturally, carrying all the emotion of the evening with it. Relief. Fear. Hope. Love. The future. Every feeling we’ve been carrying finds its way into that kiss.
When we finally part, neither of us moves very far.
“I should probably shower,” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “It’s been a long day.”
She smiles. “That’s the least romantic thing you've said all night.”
“I’m a practical man.” I keep her hand in mine. “Come with me.”
Color rises in her cheeks as she threads her fingers through mine.
The bathroom is warm by the time the shower is running, steam already rising through the room and fogging the mirrors. For the first time all day, the world outside these walls feels far away.
Maggie sits on the counter while I remove my tie.
She watches me silently, her eyes following every movement as I strip off my shirt and drop it onto the bench beside the door.
I undress slowly, my focus never leaving her.
My trousers and boxers follow, pooling on the floor until I stand bare, the heat of the room flushing my skin.
I step toward her, my cock already thickening, rising in anticipation of what’s to come.
Sliding my hands beneath her thighs, I pull her to the edge of the counter between my knees and lower my mouth to hers. The kiss deepens at once.
Her arms circle my neck, and she melts against me with a soft sigh.
I reach for the hem of her shirt, sliding the material up over her ribs.
She lifts her arms, allowing me to pull it free, leaving her in just a pair of leggings.
I hook my fingers into the waistband and slide both her leggings and panties down her legs before pulling them free.
Her sweet, musky scent cuts through the steam.
She looks up at me through her lashes, biting her lower lip. “You got me all the way in here. Now what?”
A low groan leaves me. I thread my fingers into her hair and tip her head back before claiming her mouth again. I kiss her deeply, taking my time as though I can somehow memorize this moment. She tastes like home, and I realize with startling clarity that she has for a long time.
She kisses me back with equal intensity, her arms tightening around my neck as she presses closer. The response draws another groan from me. Tonight, every touch feels different. More precious. More profound.
I lift her into my arms and carry her into the shower.
Warm water rains down over us as I pull her against me beneath the spray.
There are lingering kisses, quiet laughter, and tender touches while steam curls through the room around us.
For a little while, the rest of the world disappears, leaving only the two of us and the future we have just discovered.
I reach for the bottle of body wash and squeeze some into my hand. The fresh citrus scent mingles with the steam surrounding us as I work the soap into a thick lather. Placing my soapy hands on her shoulders, I let my palms glide down over her collarbone before sliding down to her breasts.
Her skin is smooth beneath my hands as I wash her, my attention fixed entirely on her.
She draws in a sharp breath, and I lift my gaze to her face.
Her cheeks are pink from the heat of the shower, her hair damp and curling around her shoulders.
The sight of her standing here with me, carrying our child, nearly undoes me.
I cup her breasts, massaging them, dragging my thumbs over her pebbled nipples.
She sucks in a breath. I continue rolling the sensitive buds between my thumb and forefinger, memorizing every small sound and movement.
The soap leaves her skin slick beneath my hands, allowing me to tug and pull without dragging.
Her eyes are closed, her lips parted, droplets of water clinging to her lashes.
She arches into my touch, pushing her breasts further into my hands, silently demanding more.
I give it to her, holding her firmly, loving the way she responds to me so completely.
“Alexei,” she breathes out, her voice a whisper over the spray.
Keeping one hand on her breast, I continue teasing the nipple with a relentless circular motion, while I slide the other down her stomach.
The soap creates a slick path over her navel, down her belly until I reach her core.
Her legs part instinctively, giving me access.
I run my finger through her folds before finding her clit.
Pressing the pads of my fingers against it, I rub in slow, deliberate circles.
I tease her, barely touching the sensitive bundle of nerves, just ghosting over it, making her hips jerk forward searching for pressure.
She grinds against my hand, chasing the sensation, her breathing coming in ragged pants.
I pull back long enough to rinse the soap from her skin before dropping to my knees before her.
I press my lips against her stomach, kissing the smooth skin where our child grows.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer.
I dip my tongue inside the shallow dip of her navel, swirling it around, and I feel her abdominal muscles tremble beneath my lips.
She’s looking down at me, lips parted, eyes dark and dilated, begging me without speaking a word.
I slide one hand down her leg, take hold of her calf, and drape it over my shoulder.
Gripping her hips, I dig my fingers into the soft flesh of her waist, holding her steady.
Her clit is swollen, peeking out from under its hood, desperate for attention.
I lean forward, closing the distance, and exhale a long, hot breath directly against her clit.
I pause for just a second, savoring the anticipation, letting her feel the heat of my mouth without touching her yet.
Her whole body jerks, a whimper tearing from her throat.
“Please…Alexei.”