Page 23 of Bribed & Bred By The BRATVA (Bred By The BRATVA #9)
Isabella
The grass is soft beneath the blanket, the sun warm on my shoulders. I stretch back, one hand resting on the swell of my belly, and breathe in the scent of citrus trees drifting on the breeze.
I never thought I’d have this. Not a picnic on estate grounds that belong to us. Not Mateo laughing with his mouth full of bread and cheese, color high in his cheeks, his breath easy and strong. Not a family gathered around me like I was meant to be here all along.
Mikhail sits in the shade; Sarah curled against his side with a tiny bundle cradled in her arms. Their daughter is pink and new, Sarah glowing with exhaustion and fierce pride.
Roman sprawls nearby, pretending not to smile at something Mateo says, though I catch the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Clara is here too, her baby tucked against her chest, the other in a bouncer, Maksim fussing more than he’ll admit.
It should feel overwhelming. Instead, it feels… right. Like the circle closed around me without breaking.
Aleksei hasn’t left my side. His hand rests over mine on my belly, thumb stroking the curve as though he’s reminding himself it’s real. Every time I shift, his gaze follows, hungry and unashamed.
“Eat,” Clara teases him, tossing a piece of bread in his direction. “You’ll starve staring at her like that.”
“I am eating,” he answers flatly, eyes still on me. The heat in his voice makes my cheeks burn.
I laugh softly and shake my head. But his hand tightens, and when I glance at him, I see the truth written clear in his eyes. He’s finished pretending to be polite.
He leans close, his lips brushing my ear. “Come.”
“Aleksei—”
“Now.” His voice is low, threaded with command and want.
Before I can argue, he’s already on his feet, pulling me with him. The blanket rustles. My cheeks flame as Roman chuckles under his breath, but no one stops us. No one would dare.
Aleksei
She protests softly, but her body leans into mine as I lead her through the gardens, out of sight of the others. I can’t wait. I’ve been patient all morning, watching her walk, watching the swell of her stomach strain the thin summer dress. It’s too much.
When we’re finally alone, I pin her gently against the stone wall of the courtyard, my hands splaying over the curve of her belly.
“Look at you,” I growl, kissing the hollow of her throat. “Round. Glowing. Carrying me where the whole world can see.”
Her breath trembles. “Aleksei—”
“I can’t stop wanting you,” I confess, kissing her harder, sliding my palms down to grip her hips. “Every day you change, and every day I fall deeper. You think pregnancy makes you untouchable? It makes you irresistible. You were already my queen. Now you’re my goddess.”
She moans low, her hands fisting in my shirt.
I drop to my knees, kissing across the swell of her belly, worshipping the body that carries my future. My mouth finds the edge of her dress and pushes it higher, baring her thighs. She gasps as I kiss between them, slow and reverent.
“You drive me wild like this,” I murmur against her skin. “Soft. Full. Made for me. I’ll fuck you every day you carry me, and when you give me this child, I’ll put another in you, and another, until your body never forgets what it is to be mine.”
Her head falls back, another moan breaking free.
I lift her easily, pressing her back to the wall, guiding her legs around my waist. She clings, trembling, as I sink into her slowly, filling her deep.
Her body yields instantly, welcoming me, squeezing me tight.
“Perfect,” I groan against her mouth. “Pregnant and still hungry for me. I’ll never let you go. Never let you stop being like this. Forever mine.”
Her voice breaks on a whisper. “Yours.”
I thrust deeper, worshipping every inch, every sound, every tremor of her body. My hands never leave her belly, cradling the proof of us both as I make love to her in the sunlight.
And when she cries my name, shattering around me, I know the truth as sure as blood and bone.
She isn’t going anywhere.
She is mine.
Always.