Page 132 of Deadly Knight

“You’d want kids?”

“I want whatever you want,moya dusha. Big or small family, or none at all. We’ll be the family to whoever Vanessa and Zeno eventually have.”

Although I enjoy being around kids for work, I certainly never gave them a thought. Making it day-by-day has been my entire goal. A child being raised by the mess I am? That wouldn’t be smart for either party.

Then again, the idea of a small baby in Dimitri’s muscular arms…well, now that’s an image that’ll stick with me.

“A decision for the future.”

Dimitri links his hands around my hips and drags me over his lap, somehow turning me around with more grace than Ibelieved possible, so I’m facing him. My hands skirt up his sides and link into his shirt’s collar, keeping him close.

“It’s been too long.” He nudges me lower, brushing against my centre. “I’ve missed you. Before getting nabbed, watching you from afar was even more gutting than it’d been for the past decade. At least, during that time, being without you wasn’t anything new. After being inside you again, tasting you…it was cruel to go without. Then, still being away for the past two weeks while healing sucked more.”

Even if he flew right back after leaving with Vanessa, which he wanted to but got caught up in Bratva business, he wouldn’t have been able to do half of what he wanted to, his body too bruised and sore.

But now…

The pilot pops behind his curtain to let us know the plane will takeoff in a few minutes, reminding me of where we are. After he goes, I slide back to my seat.

“They’ll hear us. We shouldn’t.”

“They’re paid to ignore us.”

He hauls me back on top of him, pressing me down, and ignores any of my further hesitation by sliding his hands beneath my top until reaching my bra. Shirt still on, he undoes the back and slides the cups off until covering me with his palms. He leans forward to brush the hair from my neck before placing a kiss along my pulse, down my neck, and along the edge of my top before he lifts the clothing and disappears beneath, rendering every other complaint useless.

It’s a blissful twenty-hour trip home. If the pilot overhears, Dimitri helps me realize I don’t care all that much.

The last timeI was in Russia, it was with disdain, shock, and anger. Every negative emotion circulating the situation with Dimitri’s re-arrival into my life and Ivan’s treachery.

This time, however, I’m home. Standing at the top of the jet’s stairs, gazing out at the familiar land, the sun unhidden by Toronto skyrises, the air much easier on the lungs than Toronto’s smog.

It’s beautiful. It’s wonderful. It’s perfect.

Behind me, Dimitri grasps my hand and nudges me down the stairs and in the direction of the waiting car with Zeno and Vanessa standing beside it. Vanessa embraces me when I approach, and though it throws me off-kilter for a second, I hug her back.

“Glad you’ve come back.”

“Just needed a kick in the ass. Hi again,” I greet Zeno when pulling from her arms.

“Ready to go home?” Dimitri squeezes my hand. “Figured we’d stay at the mansion for the next little while, while our house is getting set up.”

Our housesounds really fucking right.

“What’s wrong with it?” When he took me there a month ago, it looked as my family had left it when moving out. Spotless and clean, empty of course, but that’s fixable in time.

“He’s trying to give you a home, not a house,” Vanessa answers for him, her tone matter-of-fact as though she’s reciting something she’s heard a few times. “Don’t argue about it. You’ll get nowhere.”

We pile into her car, Dimitri and I in the back. He’s humming as he stares out the window, peace etched into his expression.I like this Dimitri. He deserves to be content. No more misery from our breakup and free from his father’s commands.

We reach the mansion and Anastasia and Lev are standing in the front entrance, both greeting us. Lev disappears quickly, which Dimitri tells me is nothing personal.

Once all the greetings are finished, everyone breaks off into different directions. Zeno and Vanessa take off on her bike, and Anastasia leaves shortly after, citing ballet practice. Lev is still absent, so Dimitri tugs me upstairs to his room.

It looks the same as last time, with one small exception.

I’m with him.

Dimitri watches as I stride through the space, dramatically falling back onto the bed, arms and legs spread in an X. “Missed this. Yours is so much more comfortable than mine.”