Chapter Thirty - IVAN
CHAPTER THIRTY
IVAN
ONE YEAR LATER
Emma never ceases to amaze me. Her determination throughout her recovery, and even afterward, never wavered.
You can’t even see the scar from where the bullet entered her abdomen unless you look closely, and nobody but me gets close enough to look.
Emma asked me to teach her some self-defense moves so she can better protect and defend herself in the future. She’s gotten so good that she can kick Grigory’s ass when they spar together, and she gives me a run for my money.
Lidiya graduated and moved back to Boston for a little while. She lives in the guest house, and Emma trains with her twice a week.
Earlier today, I took Emma to the shooting range, and now I’m standing on the back porch watching her do laps in the pool.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask her as she finishes her last lap.
“Please do,” Emma replies, looking up at me from the side of the pool and wiping the water out of her eyes.
I take my time walking down the pool steps. Emma is wearing the blue bikini I bought her last year before our first vacation together. I wonder if she wore it on purpose, because every time she wears it, I end up taking it off with my teeth.
Emma’s back hits the side of the pool as my body meets hers. I lean down to kiss her as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“You know, everyone is out of the house for the evening,” I whisper into her ear before peppering kisses down her jawline.
“Oh yeah? What ever shall we do?” she responds. Her legs instinctually wrap themselves around my waist and she locks her ankles together. Emma starts grinding against my rapidly hardening cock, and I let out a long groan.
“I have an idea,” I say as my hand pushes her bikini bottom to the side, and I sink two fingers inside her warm pussy. Emma lets out a groan of her own as I slowly pump them inside her.
“And what if I want more than that?” she asks breathily.
“All you have to do is ask. You know I’ll give you anything you want,” I answer her as I smile.
“Please, Ivan,” she begs.
I kiss her deeply while pulling my cock out and pushing inside her. The motion pushes Emma a little higher on the pool wall, while also allowing her to angle her hips to meet my thrusts.
Water slaps between us as we pick up speed, Emma’s moaning mixing with my own. Pretty soon, we’re falling over the edge together, but I’m not done with her just yet.
I pull out of her cunt and lower her legs so she can stand on her own.
We get out of the pool and grab towels to dry off before I take her in my arms to kiss her again.
I cannot get enough of this woman. I bend down so I can pick her up and throw her over my shoulder, and then start running for the house and our bedroom.
I make Emma come undone in my arms three more times before I’m done with her. Right now, she’s laying completely spent in my arms, starting to drift off.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” I ask her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
“I am,” Emma replies. I called in a favor at Cornell that allowed Emma to complete her remaining classes online. She not only passed, but will graduate summa cum laude and on the Dean’s List.
“Good,” I say. “Do you remember the plan?” Under any other circumstances I wouldn’t worry, but Emma sometimes still has memory issues following the concussion she suffered.
“You and I are flying to New York in the morning, graduation in the afternoon, and then back to Boston for graduation dinner with everyone,” she tells me.
“Good,” I tell her. “I’m so proud of you for everything you worked for.”
“Thank you for helping me,” Emma says as she looks up at me. “I thought about transferring to Boston University to finish, but you made it work for me to finish at Cornell.”
“You deserve it,” I tell her.
“How have things been going with the business?” Emma asks. She prefers to call anything related to the bratva as ‘the business.’
“Things have been quiet since we dismantled Callaghan’s organization.
We gave most of his territory and land back to the city and they have plans for it,” I begin to explain.
“Dmitri has done well with all of our security since the ambush and he and Maksim are working on a project for one of our properties in the Seaport District.”
“I’m glad. I also think that Dmitri needs to get a girl. He’s getting grumpier by the day,” Emma says with a chuckle.
I can’t help but laugh. “Like me, my brothers will find themselves a girl when the time is right.”
Emma snuggles into my side and is soon asleep. I’m looking forward to tomorrow for more than just Emma’s graduation.
The next day I find myself pacing the foyer while waiting for Emma to come downstairs. I’m wearing my dark gray three-piece suit with a pink tie. It’s Emma’s favorite of all my suits, and pink is her favorite color. I want today to be perfect for her.
“I’m ready,” she says from the top of the stairs. I turn to look up at her, and I swear my heart stops for a second. Emma could make a paper bag look stunning, and she wears her sundress and sandals like they were made just for her.
I will my cock to stay down as I offer Emma my arm and escort her to the car. The flight to Ithaca is less than two hours, and that’s followed by a short drive to the Cornell campus. Ilya and Igor are with us for personal security.
I’ve got a front-row seat to watch Emma walk across the stage and receive her diploma. Emma has a job waiting for her at Boston University that she’ll start next week. She also has a long-term goal of starting a food research foundation, and I’ll make sure that happens for her.
We get back on the plane, and there are roses and champagne waiting for us.
Emma brought her dinner dress with her so we wouldn’t have to go home to change.
She knows me well, because if we had to go home to change, we wouldn’t make it to dinner and there are people waiting for us at the restaurant.
I pour the champagne after takeoff and hand Emma a glass after she finishes changing. As always, she looks completely stunning in her dress that’s the same color as my pink tie. I have to adjust my hardening cock to keep it from jumping out of my pants.
“To you, Emma,” I say as I raise my glass. “I’m so very proud of you.”
“Thank you, Ivan. Thank you even more for loving me,” she says.
I watch as she raises the champagne flute to her lips, but doesn’t take a drink.
“Is everything okay?” I ask her.
“Maybe. I have something I need to talk to you about,” she says, putting her drink on the table between us.
We sit down, and Emma pulls out a box from the side pocket of her seat. She places the box on the table and slides it in my direction.
“I know we have dinner with family when we get back to Boston, but I wanted this moment to be a private one between us,” Emma explains.
“Uh oh,” I tell her as I start to open the box.
“It’s nothing bad. At least…I hope it’s nothing bad,” she says nervously.
I look at her in confusion as I lift the lid off the box. When I look at the box’s contents, I’m greeted by an ultrasound photo and a positive pregnancy test. I look back at Emma and see tears gathering in her eyes.
“Are you happy? Is this okay?” Emma asks, reaching for my hand as her tears start falling. I immediately stand and pull her into my arms.
“You’re having my child. Our child,” I say to her, taking her face in my hands and kissing her deeply.
“Babies,” she corrects. “I’m having our babies,” she says, holding up two fingers. My eyes go wide with shock.
“Twins?” I ask her while I try to process this information. She nods, and I fall to my knees to kiss her stomach. I notice only now that she’s a little firmer around her abdomen.
“Ivan, I want to keep this between us for now. It’s too early to share the news with everyone else,” she tells me.
“Of course. We can tell people whenever you’re ready,” I say, taking her glass and downing her drink.
I’m wearing what feels like a permanent smile when we walk into the private dining room at the restaurant.
Everyone in our circle is here to help celebrate Emma’s graduation.
Emma sits at the head of the table while I sit to her right.
Normally, it would be the other way around, but Emma deserves it tonight more than any other night.
The chef created a custom menu blending Russian and Irish cuisine. Before we sit down, I pulled the waiter aside and discreetly told him to serve Emma and myself non-alcoholic drinks this evening. If she can’t have alcohol right now, then the least I can do is not drink alcohol with her.
As dinner winds down, I stand up and raise my glass in the air, tapping the side with a fork to get everyone’s attention. When everyone’s eyes are on me, I smile.
“Thank you for coming tonight to celebrate Emma,” I begin. “I won’t take too long because you all know how I feel about my woman.” That gets me a few laughs.
“I really just have one thing to say, and it’s a question for Emma.” I put my glass down and get down on one knee beside Emma’s chair. She turns towards me and I take her hands in mine. “Emma, I know you’re already wearing my ring, but I want to ask again in front of our family. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Ivan. I will marry you,” she answers. The table erupts in cheers and applause.
I stand up and pull Emma out of her chair with me. “Good. That makes this next part easier.”
“What do you mean? What’s happening?” Emma asks.
“We are getting married. Tonight,” I tell her.
Dmitri steps towards us, and guides us towards the center of the room and away from the table. He stands in front of us with a leather folder in his hands. He’s smiling when he’s around Emma now, instead of looking at her with suspicion. They talked a lot when she was recovering at home.
“In addition to being the handsome brother, I’m also an ordained minister,” Dmitri says when Emma looks at him with confusion.