Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Lily
I had come out to the inside pool to calm down instead of staying locked up and festering in my beautiful bedroom.
Growing up, I did a lot of swimming. In high school, I was on the swim team, and my parents took me to the beach and the lake regularly.
It was still one of my favorite pastimes, and I went as often as I could so I could escape the city.
I had no chance of escape now, so the pool at Daniil’s house was where I had spent the entire weekend.
There was just something about the water that calmed me down, especially as this one was heated and had the most spectacular views of the snowy grade.
This evening was no exception, right up until I had completed my fifth lap and Anya had called out my name. Then the unease flooded back.
“I’m not Timothy’s mother, Lily, and I am not Daniil’s lover either. I’m the younger sister of Claudia,” Anya said, her smile fading, and a sad look filling her eyes. She didn’t cry, but I could see she was sad.
“Daniil’s late wife.”
My head snapped up so quickly that I almost chinned myself on the side of the pool. My mouth fell open and pool water rushed in so quickly that I choked on it. Spluttering, I tried to make sense of what she had just said.”His late wife?”
Anya continued to stare at me but didn’t offer any help. She just sat demurely with her legs and feet under the patio table as I coughed the water from my lungs.
“Late as in dead?” I whispered.
“Yes.” Anya cocked her head to the side. “Did you seriously think I was his wife?” she giggled, but it was a sarcastic sound. “And that I would just be ok with him bringing his mistress into our home?”
I blushed. That was exactly what I had thought, but I was ashamed to admit it.
Anya’s laughter faltered. “Daniil is not like that,” she said and sounded almost angry at me, like I had offended her. “I mean many men are, especially men in our circle, but he has always been a one-woman kind of man.”
She met my eyes and didn’t look away. I was the one who broke eye contact first. Daniil wasn’t married. He had been married, but his wife had died. That made him a widower, not a cheat.
“Daniil is loyal to a fault, especially to those he loves and cares for. He would be loyal to you if you gave him a chance, just like he was loyal to my sister.”
“Claudia.” I said her name before I could stop myself.
“Yes, Claudia. Would you like me to tell you about her?”
Did I? Without thinking, I nodded my head.
“They were high school sweethearts, but our families had known each other forever.” She rolled her eyes.
“It was always expected that they would get married, but neither one of them minded because they were crazy about each other. Claudia would have liked you.” Anya’s grin grew far away.
She was remembering things about her sister, and they were making her both happy and sad.
I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to interrupt her.
“She always challenged him as well. Just like you do.”
“I don’t even know what to say.” I admitted with a sigh.” When, I mean, how long ago?” I trailed off.
Did she die? Timofey was just a baby, a few months old. Sadness filled her face, and this time, I could see tears flooding her eyes. “It hit everyone hard, but it hit Daniil hardest of all. He poured all of his effort into raising Timothy. I did too. Raising that little boy saved me.”
Chin resting on my crossed arms, I looked from her to the little boy. How old was he? Five? Maybe seven? I made a mental note to ask. Daniil had been on his own for years.
“What happened? Do you mind me asking?”
“Of course, I don’t mind. Daniil should have explained all of this instead of letting you think we were in a relationship. Sometimes that man is just the worst.” She shook her head. “It was a car accident. We were hit by a drunk driver—T-boned at a red light.”
“You were there?” My voice shook.
“Yeah, but on the other side of the car, Claudia and our driver were killed instantly.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t help it. A half sob ripped its way out of my throat. “I am so sorry.”
And I was. Of all the stories I had expected, this was the saddest. I couldn’t imagine Daniil’s grief or Anya’s, and poor Timothy had lost his mother before he had even known her.
“That’s enough, Lily,” Daniil’s voice came from the open door behind us. I hadn’t even realized he was there, and I didn’t have a clue how much he had heard.
Pulling out a chair, he folded his long, toned body into it. “If Lily wants to know about Claudia, she can ask me directly.”
“I am sorry about your wife, Daniil,” I whispered.
Daniil’s eyes clashed with mine. “Thank you.”
He didn’t look away, and neither did I. It wasn’t a clash of wills, more the first real point of understanding we’d had between us. I tore my eyes away, biting my lip. “Why didn’t you tell me your wife was dead, though?” I blurted out. "Why did you make me think Anya was your wife?”
Before he could answer, Anya did. “Because he is a moron, and as for me being his bride. Yuck.” She made a gagging sound. “He’s much too old for me, and I would have been a child bride.”
Ignoring her, Daniil put all of his attention on me.
“I never said she was my wife. If you jumped to that conclusion, that’s your own fault.
You should’ve asked, Lily. And as for the other.
” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Claudia is gone, and I didn’t see the point of bringing up the past with you.
I didn’t lie to you, I just didn’t tell you the whole truth. ”
Which was kind of the same as lying, I thought angrily. Instead of speaking out, he made things worse between us. I bit my lip so hard that it was painful. Crying out, I pushed away from the edge, and my hand shot to my mouth.
My fingers came away with a smear of fresh blood on them.
“Let me see.”
Confused, I lifted my head to find Daniil crouched on the pool edge. His hand reached out for me. I kicked towards him, and he caught my wrist and pulled me closer. “You’re bleeding,” he said in a choked voice.
“It’s nothing, Daniil,” I said quickly. “I just bit my lip, that’s all.”
His eyes glued themselves to my lip, and he half pulled me out of the water.
He lifted me so easily, it was like I weighed nothing at all.
I stood in front of him, dripping water onto the tile and completely oblivious to Anya and Timothy, who were sitting just to the side of us.
The world just seemed to drift away until there was nothing but him and me.
“I don’t like you hurting yourself,” he growled.
The pad of his thumb brushed against the small cut, which had already stopped bleeding, and I trembled.
High above me, Daniil’s eyes narrowed, and his thumb swiped against my mouth again.
Only this time, I parted my lips just enough for the tip of my tongue to taste him. He let out another low growl.
“If anyone should be biting your lips, it should be me,” he said gruffly.
My heart sped up, pounding away so hard and fast that I was sure everyone could hear it. Every time he was close or touched me, my body reacted, which was strange because it had never happened with another man.
But the scariest thing of all? The fact that I was relieved that he was single and that I didn’t have to share him because, so help me god, I was beginning to have feelings for him. It was hard to admit it to myself, but it was true.
There was something about Daniil Popov that sucked me under, and it didn’t matter how much I tried to deny it, I could already feel myself drowning in him. I agreed with him wholeheartedly. “Ok,” I whispered.
“So no more hurting yourself. Is that clear?” He drew me even closer. Wrapping one arm around my waist so I couldn’t escape. Not that I was going to. Now that I knew the truth about his relationship with Anya, I didn’t want to be anywhere but in his arms, which was strange because of Greg.
Fuck, how had I forgotten about my boyfriend? Not that he cared. I hadn’t spoken to him at all since the night I left with Daniil.
“Don’t,” Daniil said angrily, “think about him when you are in my arms.”
“I’m not—” I began to say and stopped. He had said no lying. So I wouldn’t lie. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. If it makes you feel better, they weren’t good thoughts.”
A crooked smile spread across his face. “Yes, that makes me feel better. But only a little bit. He never deserved a woman like you.”
Slowly, I tilted my head to him. “And who does?”
“Me,” he said simply and then shook himself. “I mean— fuck.” His eyes blazed.
“Language, Daniil,” Anya giggled behind us.
The spell broke at the sound of her voice. Daniil jumped away like someone had tasered him. I dropped my arms to my side. I hadn’t even realized I’d wrapped them around his throat.
“So—” he rubbed a hand through his hair and made it stand up on end. “Please be more careful, Miss Ridgeway. I don’t want you to hurt yourself on my property.”
Anya rolled her eyes. “Much too late to try and act all professional now, big brother. Everyone saw.” She winked at me. “And I couldn’t be happier for you. Honestly, just next time, please save the public displays of affection until I can leave. You honestly looked like you were going to fu—”
“Enough,” Danill bellowed and took a threatening step towards her, which just made her laugh even more.
I didn’t know how I missed it the first time. Their whole demeanor around each other was that of siblings or lifelong friends, and not lovers.
“I think it’s time you left,” he said, but there was no anger in his voice. Just teasing.
“Could Timothy sit with you for a few minutes?” Danill asked me.
Shocked, I stared at him. Had he just asked me instead of telling me? This was a whole new side to him, and I kind of liked it. “Sure.” Shaking the water from my skin, I pulled out a chair and sat, and the little boy scuttled from Anya’s lap to mine without a word, bringing his toy cars with him.
“Which one is your favorite?” I asked softly.
“Red, like your hair,” he said and sent one whizzing up my arm.
“I won’t be long.” Daniil’s eyes softened even more as he looked at his son and then pulled out Anya’s chair and wheeled her away.
I stared at them open-mouthed. How had I not noticed?
Anya was in a wheelchair.
The accident that had left Timothy without a mother and Daniil without a wife had left her with the inability to use her legs.