“He’s part of the contingency plan,” I said with a shrug.“He needs to be here.”
Runa began to squirm and grumble. I glanced at the time. Close to her feeding time and afternoon nap. Without it she became volatile—a trait she may have inherited from me, but I was choosing not to examine too closely.
“Women are too complicated,” Ruslan said.“They always want to talk in the end.”
“You’re doing it wrong if they’re still able to talk once you’re finished with them,” Konstantin said, raising Runa in the air and speaking gibberish to her.
“Why don’t you have some boys so we can be rid of the contingency plan?” Ruslan grumbled, glaring at Konstantin.
“I second that, Pakhan,” Valentin added.“How are we supposed to resist killing him?”
“Hey,” Konstantin said, lowering Runa.“I’m right here.”
He was about to kiss her dribbling mouth when she smacked him.
“See,” Ruslan said, snickering behind his hand.“Even the kid knows.”
A faint knock at the door before it opened. I knew it was her before I saw her—she ran Runa’s routine with the precision of a drill sergeant. She wore the cream cable knit dress I had laid out for her that morning. Easy access. She had been remarkably compliant since moving into my room.
As soon as Runa saw her mother she began pushing away from Konstantin, reaching out with a loud squeal. Iskra’s expression shifted—the discomfort of the room dissolving into something else entirely as Runa came into her arms. She settled her on her hip, Runa immediately nuzzling into the curve of her.
I glanced at the others. Their eyes were on Iskra.
I looked past the curtain of golden hair to the marks around her neck and rolled my chair back.
“Come over here,” I murmured, patting my leg.
“Or you could learn to leash one, Valentin,” I said as she sat.“That would solve your problem.”
Runa was already nuzzling toward her mother’s breasts.
“My wayward wife,” I said, sliding my hand up her thigh until it rested beneath the hem of her dress.“Why so tense?”
Someone cleared their throat as my hand inched higher.
Runa began to fuss.
“I’ll be up shortly,” I said, leaning down to kiss Runa’s head.
We both knew how I liked to be greeted in my bedroom.
??????
She knelt at the side of the bed, facing the door. Runa was asleep, the curtains drawn, my men dispersed—even Konstantin had gone.
I closed the door behind me. The soft click seemed to echo in the silence.
I was glad Runa was such a heavy sleeper. I wasn’t ready for her to leave my bedroom yet.
Her head was bowed, hair falling forward to curtain most of her body. Even in the dim light the diamond on her hand caught the light and glinted. I removed my cufflinks and set them on the nightstand, then rolled my shirt sleeves up with the unhurried deliberateness of a man with nowhere else to be.
I positioned my feet on either side of her legs until the black fabric of my trousers brushed her forehead.
She looked up.
I reached down and lowered my zip.
“Take me out and get me hard,” I murmured.
