Chapter 16 #2
“You could try daddy. Sir? My lord… hey!” Those little throw pillows on the couch are harder than they look. I palm one and toss it to the side before I reach for her. She almost gets out of my grasp, but I catch her just in time and pin her to the couch. “We don’t hit people. We use gentle hands.”
The way she snorts with laughter is so fucking cute. “We? I think you have a double standard.”
I arrange her over my lap so she’s facing me, her green eyes sparkling like emeralds under the dim cabin light, her legs anchored on either side of me. I stifle a groan. I trace the underside of her jaw. “Behave yourself before I have to put you in the naughty spot.”
“Rodion,” she says, her voice halfway between a warning and a giggle. The sound of it makes my chest tighten in the best way. “A time-out?” she repeats, her voice laced with disbelief.
“Mm-hmm.” I brush my nose against hers, my smirk growing. “We’ll sit down together, and I’ll explain why your behavior wasn’t acceptable. We can talk about your feelings. It’s all about redirection these days, isn’t it?”
She stares at me, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Oh, this is rich. You, the poster child for violence as a first response, lecturing me about gentle parenting.”
“Do you need me to reframe your choices?” I tease, tilting my head. “Offer you some age-appropriate alternatives?”
She arches a brow. “By all means, show me the light. I must’ve been mistaken because, for some reason, I thought consequences you’d mete out would involve ropes, a dark room, and some Russian curse words.”
I tug a lock of her hair.
“You’ve been paying attention. But not swearing. Only praise, little queen. I’m a firm believer in positive reinforcement.”
Her laughter is bright and genuine. “So did you learn your methods from your parents?”
I blow out a half laugh, half groan. “Uh, no. My older brother was my guardian after my parents died, and he’s a loyal, devoted, but old-fashioned dick sometimes. Drill sergeant? Rules with an iron fist. Did I miss any clichés?” I grimace. “His motto was pain builds character.”
A grimace flits across her features. “Your parents died, and your brother became guardian?”
I nod. “Yeah. I was still a kid, so…”
Her eyes on me, she smiles as her hand covers mine. “And even though he was hard on you, you love him?”
Ha. Like it’s past tense.
Hope glints in her eyes as if she still wants to believe that siblings can love each other. That not everyone’s toxic and hurtful. It’ll be a sore point for her. But I’m not gonna lie.
“I love my family to my core. I’d do anything for them,” I tell her, my voice a little hoarse.
I swallow hard, unexpectedly choked up. I miss home.
I miss my sisters. I miss my brothers ribbing me, bossing me around, and telling me stories of their ways.
I miss my grandfather hobbling around on his cane, doling out Russian adages and wisdom. “I’d do anything for them.”
“Anything?” Her brows knit together as if it’s a concept she can’t quite grasp.
“Anything,” I repeat. “Including taking a woman I want to keep locked away from the eyes of everyone into the public eye. Where other men could look at her.”
Not too far away, a wolf howls. I tug her in closer to me. This cabin’s sturdy and secure, but we are in the middle of nowhere.
I wish we could stay here.
“I think I’ve read too many romance novels,” she whispers, her eyes wide as she plants both hands flat on my chest.
“Yeah?”
Nodding, she continues. “For a minute, I thought that wolf might’ve been a rival shifter.”
“A rival what?”
She’s so pretty when she snorts with laughter.
I lace my hand behind the back of her head and tug her to me so I can kiss her.
This time, the kiss is gentle, almost tentative, as I tease her with the brush of my lips to hers.
But when I taste her, I can’t help myself.
Our tongues touch the barest flicker. I bend her head back and touch my tongue to hers again, relishing the sound of her soft moan and the feel of her pliant body in my hands.
We pull away, panting. “Shifter,” she whispers. “A possessive alpha who transforms into a wolf when someone threatens his woman.”
“Ah.” I nod as if I have a fucking clue what she’s talking about. “Wouldn’t anyone transform into a wolf when someone threatens his woman?”
The sadness in her eyes takes me by surprise. “No, Rodion. But I love that you asked that. Love it.”
“You girls read the strangest things.”
With a shrug, she stifles a yawn. I wore her out.
It feels like a badge of honor.
“Let’s get you to bed. In the morning, we’ll go back to your place and pack a bag before we catch our flight.”
It will be a test for both of us. I haven’t told her yet that my whole family has decided to come to New York.
Turns out Polina wants to spend time with her family, and Rafail wants to meet the woman I’m bringing along.
That led to Semyon wanting to scope the Romanov family stomping grounds, followed by Zoya saying she didn’t want to stay home alone, and when Yana found out they were all going to New York, she booked a flight from Cape Town to tag along.
“I want to know more about you though,” she says as she stifles another yawn.
I tilt my head, smirking as I lean in closer. “You’re stalling. Don’t make me sit here and make you go to sleep. I’ve got all night.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would,” I murmur, my voice dropping enough so that she shivers against me. “You want to test me? I’ll even read you a bedtime story. Something uplifting, like Crime and Punishment.”
“Oh god. The absolute worst way to punish a romance girlie. You’re relentless.”
“And you are overdue for some rest.” My tone softens as she struggles to keep her eyelids open. I lift her, cradling her in my arms while I get to my feet and head to the bed. Wordlessly, I tuck her against one shoulder as I pull the blanket down and lay her on the bed.
This, this right here…
Taking care of her when she’s tired, tucking the blanket around her, and watching the way she falls asleep… I didn’t know I needed this.
She’s asking questions. She deserves answers. Answers I’m not sure I know how to give while keeping her safe.
I wish I could wrap her in a bubble where no one could touch her. My gut says she had her innocence stolen once. I’ve watched her moon over her books, and while she might laugh it off as a pastime, I know better.
In her heart, she believes in the power of love. In her heart, she wants to be as loved and cherished as the women in her books.
And goddamn, I want to give it to her. All of it.