He gives a deep laugh, taking his hand off my stomach so he can cup my face. His eyes soften when he says, “You have all the power, sweetheart. I’m helpless around you. And we’ll never fight,kiska, because I can’t stand the thought of arguing with you. It would break my heart if you were angry at me.”
“You didn’t seem too heartbroken when you kept denying me sex, and I was pretty angry about that.”
He smiles and strokes my cheek. “That’s because I knew you secretly loved it.”
I don’t argue because we both know he’s right. It was like foreplay that lasted for days, and it made that night in the woods all the more special because of it.
“Svetlana has a tattoo on her arm, and I think I caught a glimpse of one on Nina’s when her shirt rode up. What does it mean?”
I’d debated on asking, afraid I might be asking for info that I’m not allowed to have, but my curiosity’s gotten the better of me.
“They’re married to members of the Bratva, so they have to have the tattoo. It’s identical to the one I have on my forearm with Medvedev written in Cyrillic beneath it. Nina has Vasya’s full name since he’s a boss.”
He drags his finger along my left inner forearm. “Soon you’ll have one too, and it’ll be my name inked into your skin,kiska, so everyone will know that you’re mine and under my protection.”
Goosebumps break out on my skin from his touch. I don’t have any tattoos, but I’ve always secretly wanted one. The idea of being marked permanently and claimed by Volodya has an ache starting between my legs, growing in strength with each breath I take. He studies me, gauging my reaction to what he’s said. Seeing how much I like the idea has a devilish grin spreading across his face. He leans closer, but a loud voice stops him before he can bring his lips to mine.
“If I come in to get some of that macaroni salad I saw earlier, am I going to find anyone naked?”
Volodya sighs at the sound of Valeri’s voice, but I can tell he’s fighting a laugh. He kisses me once more before standing back up. “We’re both clothed, smartass,” he calls out to his brother. Lowering his voice, he gives me a heated look and adds, “For now.”
Grabbing my hand, he leads me back out to the others, handing me a plate and making sure I get enough food. We eat outside on the veranda while the dogs sniff around for scraps and Dmitri sits in his dad’s lap while his mom feeds him the meal she brought. He’s the happiest baby I think I’ve ever seen, and it’s obvious he’s surrounded by love. Vasily’s eyes soften every time he looks at his son or wife, and he’s constantly giving her little touches like he can’t keep his hands off her. It reminds me of the way Volodya treats me. The Medvedev brothers may not give their hearts away easily, but when they do, they go all in. I look over at Valeri, wondering if he’ll be the same way.
“So are you seeing anyone?” I ask him, making everyone at the table laugh.
His dimple comes out when he smiles, and I’m guessing he’s already broken several hearts.
“Like anyone in particular?” he asks.
“I think you just answered my question,” I tell him.
He grins and takes another bite. We laugh and talk some more while we force ourselves to eat the pie Svetlana’s mom made because it’s too good not to, even if I am so stuffed I can barely breathe. If I didn’t have such a sexy man sitting right next to me, I’d be unbuttoning my jeans and slumping back in my chair while I rub my belly and give a big sigh. We haven’t reached that stage in our relationship yet, so I just smile and push my plate aside, unable to take another bite.
Volodya grabs my hand, setting it on his thigh, stroking my skin while he tells them about my mom moving into the cabin. They all think it’s a great idea, and Svetlana asks if I mind if she tells her mom about it.
“No, of course not,” I tell her.
“I know she’s going to want to make her some soup. She has an old recipe for homemade chicken soup that she swears will cure anyone of anything. Do you think it would be okay if she brought some over once your mom gets settled?”
“My mom would love that.”
Svetlana smiles, and I can tell she’s already making plans. “She’s been lonely since leaving Russia and hasn’t made any real friends here yet.”
“Your mom will like Katya,” Volodya says. “They can share grandbaby stories.”
“My mom doesn’t have any grandkids,” I say without thinking.
Volodya laughs. “Not yet.”
I blush because I really did just walk right into that one.
“And on that note,” Vasily says with a laugh, “we need to get going. Dmitri’s getting sleepy and needs his bath.”
“Yeah, we should head out too,” Andrei says, looking over at his wife and catching her mid-yawn.
“Oh my god, it’s like hanging out with our grandparents.” Valeri laughs and stands up. “I’m leaving with them, but it’s not so I can go to sleep because it’s almost nine o’clock at night. I’m going to go get drunk and pick up a random piece of ass like a normal person.”
Nina laughs and covers Dmitri’s ears. “Stop teaching him new things.” Giving her son a big smile, she morphs into baby talk and says, “Don’t listen to your loveless Uncle Valeri, sweetie. He just hasn’t met the right woman, and when he does,” she says, tickling his belly, “he’s going to walk around all lovesick like your Uncle Volodya, and then you’ll have lots of little cousins to play with.”
