It does feel like home. Not my old, childhood home. But a new one that Callista has created for me. My chest muscles squeeze. She could create this kind of warm, loving home for me and my kids in the future.
“Come on,” she says, tugging me toward the table. “Sit down before it gets cold.”
I obey, watching as she pours wine and hands me a plate.
We eat together, laughing when she drops a bit of sour cream on the tablecloth. I tease her about it, and she retaliates by flicking a crumb at me.
“This is good,” I say, cutting into the roast chicken. “Better than what most restaurants serve.”
“I had help,” she says with mock humility. “You think I know how to cook Russian food without Lena’s guidance?”
I shake my head, smiling. “Still impressive. You made all this happen.”
She blushes, eyes dropping to her plate. “You deserve it.”
After we finish eating, she lights the candles on the cake. “Make a wish,” she says softly.
I look at her across the table, her face bathed in golden light, and I already know my wish.
It’s her. Always her.
When the last candle flickers out, she brings me a forkful of cake. I take it from her hand, then catch her wrist before she can pull away, leaning forward to kiss her.
Her lips taste like chocolate and wine.
“I love you,” I whisper. “So much it feels like my heart might explode.”
She exhales a shaky breath. “I love you, too. You’re the one for me, Dmitry. I can’t imagine loving anyone else.”
I see it then—the flicker of fear in her eyes.
“What is it?” I ask.
She hesitates. “I know we’re from different worlds. I’m just scared about the future. About how we can be together.”
I reach across the table, taking her hand in mine. “You’re the one for me, too, Callista. I don’t care what happens after graduation. I’m not going anywhere. I want you in my life.”
She nods slowly, smiling through the uncertainty.
But as I watch her, I know she doesn’t understand the depth of what I mean.
I don’t just want her beside me after graduation as my girlfriend.
I want her bound to me.
I want her wearing my ring, carrying my name, my child.
I want her forever.
I take her hand, pulling her to her feet. Before she can speak, I capture her mouth in a kiss that's anything but gentle. It's rough, savage, driven by a need I can't contain. My tongue invades her mouth, claiming her, tasting the sweetness of cake and wine mixed with something uniquely her.
She gasps against my lips, her hands gripping my shoulders for balance. I deepen the kiss, my hand sliding down her body until my fingers find the hem of her skirt. I slip beneath it, stroking the soft skin of her inner thigh, moving higher until I reach the damp fabric of her panties.
"You didn't get me a gift," I murmur against her mouth, my voice rough with desire. "So I'm going to devour you instead."
She laughs, breathless and flushed. "That was the gift I planned to give you."
"Good," I growl, spinning her around and pushing her against the wall. The force of it makes her gasp, her palms pressing flat against the cool surface. "Because I'm taking it right now."
