Chapter 30 - Mikhail
The bedroom is quiet, but not the stifling kind.
It’s the type that’s steady and light, carrying the warmth of everything we shared. It’s the calm silence after the rush of heat and energy we just expended, when our noise has died down, yet it still lingers in the distance.
Coming in on the tail-end of our lust, that softness clings to us while we cling to each other, soaking in the afterglow we’ve both become addicted to.
With my arm tucked beneath her neck and her body curled into mine, skin flushed and hair laid out behind her, my opposite hand stays on her waist. Her cheek rests against my chest, looking both tired and satisfied.
The sheets are a mess while they’re half kicked over the foot of the bed, and the soft glow of the bedside lamp pools across us, cutting through the otherwise dark room.
Lily’s lashes lightly brush against my skin while I look down at her, taking in every curve and shape of her body. Then she exhales lightly with a smile.
“You’re staring,” she whispers, voice softer from her sleepy state, sweet and teasing. Subtly, she angles her head to look up at me.
“I have much to look at,” I murmur, brushing strands of her hair back. “And I’ll never get tired of it.”
She hums and closes her eyes while my fingers lightly brush along her soft cheek. “You always say that.”
“And I always mean it. That won’t change.”
Her lips tug even further, and her quiet laugh makes my heart stir in a way only she can cause. “Then I guess I can’t complain.”
That pleasant bubble lingers between us, and in a bid not to disturb it, I don’t move. I don’t rush her.
These moments, the small pockets of time that feel like they’re just for us post-bliss, are ones I’ll never grow tired of. It’s when we’re the most raw and vulnerable, and when I want to handle her with the utmost care I can.
We lay there for a while, tangled up and shifting subtly to stay comfortable with our bodies exchanging enough heat to keep us warm. The safety of this right here isn’t something I want to run from.
I’ve lived a life full of brutal violence, power, and never-ending strategy. But this, here and now, is the peace I’ve worked hard to reach. It’s different from anything I’ve ever felt before, and because of that, I have every intention of safeguarding it.
My thumb lightly brushes over her upper arm. “You feeling okay?”
Lily nods as she shifts upward to settle against my shoulder while she holds my gaze. “I’m more than okay.”
“Good. That’s the only condition I’ll accept,” I return softly, feeling her fingers across my stomach with quiet affection.
She traces lazy shapes against my skin, moving across my abdomen before slowly moving upward, causing the faintest shiver to move through me. The tenderness in her touch makes my throat tighten.
With all of my love for her swelling in my chest at once, I lightly brush my fingers through her hair and against the side of her head before kissing her forehead. My opposite arm comes up to pull her as close as possible.
When her brown eyes meet mine again, she gives me a sleepy but content smile. “You’re always so gentle with me after.”
“Of course I am,” I say with a low hum as I move my hand to cup her cheek. “Since you’re the responsible one, I’ve entrusted you to carry everything I care about—my heart, our baby, and our future. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
A glimmer of amusement lingers in her gaze at the comment, and she rests her hand above my heart. “You said that since the beginning…and I guess I believe you now.”
Chuckling, I lean my head against hers while my fingers idly move through her silky locks. “You better.”
That perfect silence settles over us for another moment, so full of spoken and unspoken care that I don’t want it to ever pass.
Moving a bit, I let my hand drift over the curve of her waist to follow the contour of her slowly growing belly, which I’ve become obsessed with. It may still be subtle, but it’s there.
It’s tangible proof of everything we’ve gone through, and everything we’re building. It’s proof of our connection and those feelings neither of us could ignore.
Tracing along her stomach, my touch is slow and reverent, and I know I’ll never get enough. If I’m already this entranced by the sight, I don’t know how I’ll keep it together when she’s further along.
Lily hums and watches my movements. “They’re going to be spoiled.”
“They don’t stand a chance,” I muse, grinning while running my palm along the delicate swell. “Between you and me, they’ll be spoiled. But with my siblings on top of that? It’ll be sickening.”
She chuckles. “I’ve seen how Elena is as an aunt. She won’t know what to do with herself once this one is born.”
“I’m sure she’ll volunteer herself for plenty of babysitting.”
“It’s better she does it rather than your brothers, right?” She asks with a knowing lilt.
I laugh to myself and let my hand roam along her belly and against her waist, tracing everywhere I can reach. “Absolutely. I know they’d be fine, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be some learned habits after the fact.”
“I’m sure Elena could supervise for the time being.”
“It’s an essential role.”
We both settle in the lighthearted atmosphere between us, and the longer I think about it, the sooner that lump in my throat forms. Resting my hand against her belly again, I press another kiss to her temple and sigh softly.
“I never thought I’d have this,” I admit quietly, feeling like I’m giving out a confession. “Something so honest and pure. My family has built everything on blood and business, but this is different. It’s real, and you’ve given me that.”
“You’ve given me it too,” Lily returns gently, voice tinged with emotion just like mine. “I never allowed myself to look for love before, and I didn’t even know what it looked like. But now I do.”
Closing my eyes, I pull her as close as I can without it being uncomfortable, and I breathe her in completely. From her scent to the feeling of her skin, and the soft rhythm of her every breath. Her heart syncing with mine.
I was never one to be soft or vulnerable before, but if I could, I’d live in this moment forever. At the very least, I wish I could bottle it.
“I never knew how it felt to be accepted so completely despite everything else in my life. Despite who I am in the family business. Nobody else can make me feel this way,” I murmur, not letting even a second with her escape me.
“Not in this life, and not in any other. It will always be you, Lily. You and this baby mean everything to me.”
When she looks up at me again, there’s a trace of emotion in her eyes while she smiles.
Reaching up, she gently cradles my jaw and leans closer, pressing her forehead against mine.
“You and your lifestyle scared the hell out of me before, but now I know there’s more to you than your work.
You aren’t some violence-crazed fiend. You can be intimidating when you need to be…
but you’re caring, and you have a better moral compass than most out there. ”
Her honesty stirs more of that vulnerability in my chest, and I lean into her touch without question. “You’ve strengthened my morality.”
“I’m glad.”
As she stares back at me with nothing short of love and affection in her eyes, a deep, raw emotion moves through me, and it’s almost too much to bear.
Moving closer, I let my lips hover above hers, hearing the subtle catch in her breath.
“You’re everything to me…and I won’t ever let you forget it.”
Her smile pulls into a slightly teasing one. “And if I forget?”
I hum. “Then I’ll remind you over and over again.”
Without warning, I shift around and slip my arms beneath her back and under her legs, scooping her up while I stand.
Lily’s eyes widen slightly in surprise before she laughs at being picked up and carried across the room. “Starting now?”
“Starting now.”
Moving into the bathroom, careful in how I hold her, I head over to the tub and sit on the side. She stays in my lap, bare and as perfect as ever, while I turn the taps on and let the warm water pour out.
I keep my arms wrapped tightly around her to stave off the chill of the bathroom away, pressing as many affections against her face and neck as I can while she tries to hold back her giggles that only make my heart warm more.
“Step one is a bath, hm?”
“Not just a bath,” I murmur, lightly nipping against her jawline while I grin. “One featuring your very thoughtful husband.”
Lily squirms more from my ministrations, laughing to herself while the tub fills up. “Very thoughtful…”
“And that’s another thing I’ll never let you forget.”
Once the tub is full and there’s a healthy dose of bubbles on the surface, I carefully guide her in before settling in behind her and resting my arms around her.
A renewed peace settles over us while Lily leans back against me, soaking in the warmth.
Even if the bath is mostly for her sake, I allow myself to relax alongside her as the water draws out any lingering exhaustion in my limbs.
We move between moments of absentminded conversations to our easy bantering and teasing, but in those periods of quiet, I find my body slipping into a resting state while my mind wanders to the future.
It seems like we’ve already endured so much together, yet I know there’s a lot more ahead of us. Everything from parenting to beyond.
I envision the first steps, the bedtime stories, laughter echoing between the walls, and seeing how the rest of my family melds into the equation. I picture Lily blossoming in her career and finding as much fulfillment as possible.
I think about the safety and security. The love.
I’ve had wealth and power…I’ve known the feeling of strength and everything it can accomplish.
But nothing has compared to this. To the promise of what’s to come.
Letting go of everything else for the time being, I lean in and press soft kisses along Lily’s neck, savoring the softness and the taste I can’t get enough of.
She hums, tilting her head to the side in acceptance while her hand runs along my thigh in the water.
Reaching her pulse point, I let my lips linger there before softly sucking on her skin and letting my hands roam along her body.
Lily’s breath hitches at the gesture, and a softer breath escapes her before she huffs out an amused sound. “You’re still not worn out?”
“With you, I’m never completely sated,” I murmur against her neck, moving my lips higher while I reach up to gently angle her face closer to mine. My words whisper against her mouth. “Not when I love you as much as I do.”
Her eyes soften, becoming half-lidded while a small shiver moves through her body. “I love you too.”
I grin, satisfied by the reaction I pull from her.
And when I can’t hold back, I capture her lips with mine, unhurried yet still as greedy as ever.
By then, I don’t care how late into the night it is. Not while I taste her and savor being so close. Of knowing I have the honor of feeling every inch of her.
With her, every second is worth it.
*****
THE END