Page 117 of Sexting the Single Pakhan

“Good!” Alexei beams.

Mom leans close, whispering, “See, the kids are in capable hands.”

I nod. No doubt there.

The maids appear, taking the grocery bags to the kitchen. Mom gestures toward them. “I asked Tasha to pick up everything we need for the boys’ favorites.

Tasha walks over, still holding a giggling Kirill. “Hello Mama, you look gorgeous.” She kisses my cheek, then looks me up and down. “You ready for your trip?”

Mom answers for me, smiling. “She’s worrying about leaving the kids.”

Tasha shakes Kirill gently on her hip, making him squeal. “You don’t need to worry. We’re going to have the best time ever, right, little man?”

Kirill nods vigorously. “Yes!”

I exhale, tension easing just a little. “Okay. I believe you.”

Tasha gives me a gentle nudge with her elbow. “You need this vacation, babe. You really do. Stop worrying, the nanny’s here, your mom’s here, and I’m here. We’ve got this on lock.”

I sigh, long and heavy, rubbing the back of my neck. She’s right. I really do need this vacation.

Ever since Kirill was born, I haven’t left him for more than a few hours at a time. Leonid and I didn’t even get a proper honeymoon after our Valentine’s Day wedding, which happened just three weeks after he proposed. Because my doctor wouldn’t clear me to travel. They were being cautious with my pregnancy.

After Kirill came, we were too busy settling into being a family, too wrapped up in the newness of everything. This is my first real getaway since then, and I’ve been counting down the days… until now.

Now that it’s actually here, the thought of leaving Kirill, my sweet, stubborn, almost-two-year-old baby, and Alexei, my quiet, wide-eyed boy, feels like someone’s squeezing my heart in a fist.

Leonid comes down the stairs then, dressed in black dress pants and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looks unfairly good, like he just stepped out of a magazine, and my stomach does that familiar flip even after all this time.

He stops at the bottom of the stairs, eyes finding mine immediately. “Ready? The jet’s waiting.”

“Yeah.”

He crosses to me in three long strides, hand rising to cup my face. His knuckles brush gently across my cheek, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. “You don’t need to worry,” he says quietly. “The kids will be fine. We’re only gone a few days.”

I glance over his shoulder. Tasha has Kirill on her hip now, bouncing him while he giggles and grabs at her earrings. Mom is right beside them, laughing at something Alexei is saying as they head toward the kitchen.

Leonid follows my gaze. “See? They’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. I’m really looking forward to this trip.”

He smiles, that small one that still makes my knees weak. “Me too. I’ve been looking forward to having you all to myself for days.”

He leans in, nuzzling my neck, lips grazing the sensitive spot just below my ear. Heat flutters low in my belly. “We better get going,” he murmurs. “The pilot’s waiting.”

I turn my face to catch his lips in a quick kiss. “We should say goodbye to the kids first.”

As the jet lifts off, the city shrinking beneath us until it’s just lights and shadows, I turn to Leonid in the plush leather seat beside me.

“Where are we headed?” I ask, already smiling because I know he won’t tell me. I’ve been asking for days.

He leans back, one arm draped along the back of my seat, fingers brushing my shoulder. “You’ll see.”

I roll my eyes. “You know I hate surprises.”

He brings his hand to my face, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. “It’s our second anniversary,” he says softly. “And Valentine’s. I’m taking you somewhere that matters to you.”

My heart skips. “Can you give me a hint?”