“What’s the move?” Bogdan asks.
I sigh, shaking my head. “The truth. Before someone else tells her.”
He nods once. “About time.”
Maybe it is. But I can already feel it.
The moment I tell her will be the moment everything burns.
CHAPTER 35
GABBY
The maternity boutique smells like lavender, and soft covers of pop songs drift out of the speakers.
I’m in the biggest, most spacious dressing room, staring at myself in a floor-to-ceiling mirror that leaves nothing to the imagination. And I look good, really good. I’m not normally one to flatter myself, but the dress I’m wearing—a deep sapphire wrap—clings where it should and flows where it needs to. And my boobs…wow. The V-neck dips lower than I’m used to, framing my cleavage in a way that’s a little more eye-catching than is typical for me. Right there under the empire seam is the undeniable swell of pregnancy. I’m close to the end of the first trimester of my pregnancy, and only recently has the actual physical evidence started to appear.
A soft knock sounds at the door as I stand there in mild disbelief.
“You alright in there?” It’s Sasha, his almost inhumanly low voice practically shaking the walls with bass.
“Better than alright, I think.”
“Hm. That’s two very different answers.”
I twist sideways. My hips are already flaring wider than they did pre-pregnancy. My inner foster kid speaks up, telling me ‘too much, take up less space’. I push her down. Today’s not the day for her.
Sasha insisted on taking me out for new maternity clothes. Part of me thought it was a bad idea, dangerous. But I realized what it was—a chance for him to show me he’s not going to keep me cooped up and locked away, that he wants me in clothes that let me show myself off and feel comfortable and confident.
I was happy to take him up on it. A small army of men guard us, but they’re good at staying hidden—well enough that I can pretend it’s just the two of us.
“If you don’t say anything,” Sasha says, “I’ll be forced to barge in.”
I laugh, stepping over and pushing the door open a bit. “No need to bust any doors open. Come in.”
He enters, his massive frame making the dressing room seem smaller. He shuts the door behind him, placing his hand on his chin and really looking at me, appraising me. Moments tick by.
When the heat of his gaze on me becomes too much, I clear my throat. “Say something,” I tell him. “What’s your vibe on the whole…thing?” I sweep my hands over the dress, my body.
He steps closer, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me against him. “The vibe is that if we were at home right now instead of in public, you wouldn’t be wearing that dress for very long.”
Oh boy. My thighs press together instinctively, my pussy clenching. To make matters worse, he leans in and plants a single, slow kiss on my neck. I break out in goosebumps instantly.
“You want to know what I think of you in this dress? Let me tell you.”
He wraps his arm around my waist, leading me to the small sitting area in the dressing room. He sits, pulling me down onto his lap, and I let out a squeal of surprise at the swiftness of it. I love the way he handles me so easily. He places one hand on my thigh, the other on my chin, tilting me down to look at that impossibly handsome face of his.
“This dress makes me stare at your body. And when I do, I see the strength in you that’s survived every goddamn storm that’s been thrown at you. Not just now, but throughout your whole life.” He squeezes my thigh. “I love the way this dress clings to your thighs. God, I love these thighs, how deliciously thick they are, how they feel wrapped around me when I’m on top of you.”
My heart’s pounding. “Mr. Orlov…”
“I’m not done,” he says quickly. He sure as hell isn’t. His hands move down, cupping my ass. I gasp, my nipples going hard. “And this ass. It’s gorgeous, its power, I can’t stop staring at it or stop thinking about it. And if you did something foolish, like trying to make it smaller… I don’t know if I could forgive you.”
I chew on my lower lip, my head spinning.
“But I’d be doing you a disservice if I discussed your body as if it existed only for my pleasure. It’s so much more than that. It’s where your brilliant mind resides, and it’s where you’re growing our family.” He moves his right hand up, coming to a rest on my belly. Normally, I’m tense and protective of this area. But with Sasha, it’s so, so different.
“That’s you.”
