Page 26

Seven Months Later

“It’s your birthday in less than an hour,” Mom said over the phone.

For the first time since Dad died, she sounded happier, as if she’d finally gotten to that final stage of grief.

Acceptance.

The stage where even though the pain was still there, it just became easier to live with.

I believed I’d also gotten to that stage.

There were days when I missed Dad so much and wished he was still here, but those days were fleeting, and I found myself cherishing the memories we had when he was here.

I’d shifted my focus to finding my own path in life and living in the moment. Andrei was the moment; because of him, I could live happily and smile freely again, something I never thought I would experience after Dad died.

I stared blankly at the wall above me and sighed. “Yes, Mom. It’s my twenty-third birthday in an hour, and the only company I have is an empty house.”

It was the first time I’d ever been home alone for a while now. Andrei made it a duty to always come home every evening so we could spend quality time together, and at times when he wasn’t home, I usually had some of the staff with me.

Tonight was different, though; he’d called earlier to let me know he had a business meeting and wouldn’t be able to make it home until tomorrow morning. And surprisingly, the staff had their day off today, and I hadn’t wanted to make them stay just so I didn’t get lonely.

“Where’s Andrei?”

I spun on my side. “Not home. He won’t be home tonight, so it’s just me.”

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry,” she cooed. “It’s your big day tomorrow. Maybe you two can go out on a fancy dinner and then—”

“Mom,” I cut her off before she could finish. “Don’t even start.”

She’d been going on and on about us making a baby so she could come over to see her grandchild.

Andrei and I had talked about having kids someday, but he’d told me he was only ready when I was ready, and I could take my time to explore and see if I had anything I wanted to do first since I was still very young.

“I’m just saying. I miss you so much, baby,” she said, her voice laced with a bit of sadness. “I wish I was there with you.”

“Me, too, Mom. I miss you so much.” It had been a year since the last time I saw her, and I couldn’t wait to eat her breakfast and feel her hugs again.

“I’ve gotta run now, sweetie. Happy birthday,” she said, and she blew me a kiss over the phone.

I giggled. “Thank you, Mom. I love you.”

“Love you, too, baby.” She hung up.

Dropping the phone, I sighed and glanced at the clock. It would be midnight an hour from now, and I’d officially be twenty-three.

It was my first birthday with Andrei, and I’d really thought we would be able to spend every second of it together.

As much as it stung not to have him around, I knew it wasn’t his fault. He always put me first in every decision he made since we met; what would it be if we didn’t spend this birthday together? There were still many more birthdays ahead, and I knew I would have him all to myself on my birthday someday.

Swallowing the disappointment, I decided to get water and, if I could find the right ingredients, bake myself a cake. After that, I was going to tire myself out and sleep throughout the night. With any luck, he would already be here before I woke up.

I dragged myself to my feet and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I opened the cap and downed half the contents of the bottle in one gulp.

Taking what was left of my bottle of water, I walked to the cabinets, opening each of them and checking for the ingredients I needed. Baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract—

A sharp noise in a corner of the house caught my attention. I stopped moving and listened.

It sounded like rustling and footsteps. No one was supposed to be home aside from me.

My scalp prickled, the hairs at the back of my neck rising. The bodyguards usually stayed at their spots outside, and they would never come in here without informing me first.

I ignored the flare of panic in my chest, picked a knife from the set on the kitchen counter, and quietly followed the source of the noise.

It led me to one of the visitor rooms downstairs, and the closer I got, the louder the noise became. I couldn’t tell for sure if it was someone inside or if my mind was playing tricks on me.

I gripped the edge of the knife and followed the noise, pushing the door open cautiously and readying my hands to launch an attack on whoever the intruder was.

But rather than an intruder, I gasped in surprise at the view in front of me. The room was dark except for the warm glow of red, scented candlelight. “Candles?”

My stomach fluttered as I stared at the room at large in awe.

On a small center table in the middle of the room, a cake with flickering pink number twenty-three candles rested on top of it

“Happy birthday, solnishko .”

Andrei’s voice curled around me like velvet, deep and filled with something rich and possessive.

I turned sharply, my pulse racing as Andrei emerged from the shadows.

“You—” I started, but my words faltered when I saw him.

He looked perfect in the dim light, his dirty blond hair slightly tousled and the crisp lines of his shirt undone at the collar. His eyes—those ruthless, beautiful blue eyes—watched me with amusement, hunger, and something softer, deeper.

“I thought you had a meeting,” I whispered.

He neared me and ran a finger down my face, his touch so gentle that I felt all the panic from earlier seep away. “I did, but you’re more important than any meeting, Giselle.”

Happiness bubbled inside me; it was almost overwhelming, and tears of joy welled in my eyes.

I placed my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you, Andrei.”

“I’m your husband, solnishko . It’s my job to make you happy.” He raked his fingers through my hair and gave my scalp a gentle massage for an entire minute while I listened to the beat of his heart.

When I finally pulled away, my grip on the knife loosened, and it dangled freely between my fingers.

Andrei chuckled, plucking it from my grip before placing it on a nearby table. “And what were you going to do with this, wife?”

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It seemed smart at the time, but any man like Andrei could’ve easily overpowered me and grabbed the knife from me. The smartest thing to do would have been to call for help, but I was too scared at the time to be smart.

I pouted as I stared up at my husband. “I thought there was an intruder,” I admitted, feeling a little ridiculous now.

“The house is well guarded. Even a fly can’t get past those men outside. No one would even dare to harm you.” His voice was serious, his gaze darkening. “Not on your birthday. Not ever.”

Emotion clogged my throat as I looked at him. This man, who had a reputation for being dangerous and merciless in the world, was mine. And he would do anything for me.

It felt like, although Dad had died, he made sure to leave a guardian angel for me before he did. It seemed as though he knew he would die, and he knew hiding the shipment would somehow lead me to Andrei.

I was grateful.

Andrei’s face creased with worry. “Are you okay?”

I drifted back to the presence and nodded. “I just thought of Dad. I mean, isn’t it funny how I was able to meet you because of the shipment he hid?”

“Tell me about it. You think Peter had this all mapped out before he died?” Andrei asked with a playful grin. “That he wanted me to meet you?”

I shrugged. “He was a genius. It’s not completely out of the box. He worked with you, so he must’ve known how great of a person you are.”

Andrei chuckled. “Your father watched me murder men in cold blood a few times. There is no way he would have wanted a man like me for his daughter.”

I looked him straight in the eyes and corrected him. “Every father wants a man who would love and protect their daughter. You’re all of those things, and I’m sure he would have approved.”

Even if Mom hadn’t been a fan of it at first, she’d adjusted pretty well.

Andrei took my hands and kissed the back of my palm. “And I promise to always love and protect you, Giselle.”

My heart thrummed, and a wave of happiness spread in my chest like wildfire. “I love you, too, Andrei.”

He pressed another kiss to the back of my hand before craning his neck to glance at the cake. “Time to blow out your candles, wife,” he murmured, his fingers brushing my jaw.

It didn’t matter how much he called me wife; a giddy sensation filled my stomach like butterflies dancing each time I heard him say it like that.

I turned back to the cake, my heart pounding as I made a silent wish. Then, with a deep breath, I blew out the candle.

The room plunged into darkness for a moment before Andrei flipped the switch. Light flooded the space, and I gasped.

The walls were covered in shelves holding blank canvases, paints, and brushes of every kind. A completely blank easel stood in the center. The room smelled like fresh wood and was a dream come true.

“Andrei,” I whispered, my fingers grazing along the brushes lined up on the table. A surge of overwhelming happiness filled me as I inspected everything, taking in the brushes and the canvas. It was…. I hadn’t expected all of this at all. “Are these—"

“They’re all yours,” he said simply. “This studio will be yours from now on. You love to paint, and now you’ll have a place to do it.”

Tears pricked my eyes, my chest rising with emotion. “You did all this for me?”

His lips curled into a smirk. “I’d do anything for you, solnishko .”

I threw my head back, hoping the happy tears blurring my vision didn’t begin to spill. “I never told you I love to paint. How did you know?”

The corners of his lips quirked. “I saw you in my room that night. I saw how intently you’d been looking at that portrait on my wall, and I knew. Only someone with a knack for artwork would take so much time to admire the detailing. I’d also seen some of your paintings as the vacation house.”

My chest ached with love and affection that I couldn’t contain. I turned to him and threw my arms around his neck.

He caught me easily, his strong arms locking around my waist, and he pulled me against him.

“You like it?” he asked, his voice rough.

“Like? I love it, Andrei,” I murmured, my voice heavy with emotion. “I love you.”

“Fuck, solnishko . I love it when you say you love me like that,” he growled in a deep, husky tone.

I smiled. “Then I’ll say it again, Andrei.” I tightened my arms around him. “I love you, husband.”

Something flickered in his gaze, something dark and desperate. Then, his mouth crashed against mine.

The kiss was ravenous and desperate, his hands possessive as they desperately explored every part of my body.

Andrei didn’t just kiss me; he claimed every fiber of me like he owned it—and he did.

My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging as his hands roamed my body and pressed me closer.

He backed me up until I was against the table. His hands slid down to my thighs, and he lifted me effortlessly onto the surface.

“You don’t know what you do to me, solnishko ,” he murmured against my lips, his breath hot and teasing. “You don’t know how insane you drive me.”

“Then show me,” I whispered back. “I want to feel the things I do to you. I want to feel you inside me.

His response was a low growl rumbling from his chest as he tilted my chin up, his lips teasing over my jaw and my neck. His fingers made quick work of the buttons of my blouse, pushing it aside to reveal my bare skin.

I shivered with need as dark desire pooled in my belly. My nipples hardened to the cold air, my core throbbing as I undid the bottom of his shirt and ripped it off to reveal a firm wall of muscles and abs.

I ran my hand over his body, feeling the sturdy muscles there. Fuck.

Andrei trailed kisses down my throat, and his hands slid up my thighs and beneath my skirt.

His hands explored me with a slow, deliberate intensity, as if memorizing every curve and reaction he drew from me.

Each kiss, each touch, sent electrifying waves of heat through my body, setting me on fire with a need that only he could satisfy.

He parted my legs with a nudge of his thigh and positioned himself between my legs, and soon, the tip of his cock was pressed against my entrance.

I wrapped my arm around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck, surrendering as he slammed into me.

He grunted with satisfaction, and I moaned right into his face.

Every thrust of his hips as he made love to me drove me wild. I needed more. I wanted more of the sensual feeling that ran up my core. I needed more of the heat from his body and the sweet words he whispered into my ears.

His touch was heavenly; each fondling of my breasts and tweaking of my nipples in his mouth sent a rush of trepidation through me.

My teeth sank into my bottom lips, my core pulsing with the need for more as he drove in and out of me.

I buckled my hips so he could go deeper, grinding my waist. A wave of sweet sensation swept through me.

He wrapped his hand around my throat gently, kissed my neck, and dipped a finger into my parted lips.

I moaned, taking his finger and sucking it.

He groaned, his veins bulging and his thrust becoming needier. “Touch yourself, solnishko . I want to see you do it.”

I obliged like a good girl, cupping my breasts, twisting my nipples, and relishing in the pleasure that cocooned me.

Andrei watched me with dark, lusty eyes as my hands roamed my body.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he whispered into my ears. His teeth scraped my earlobe, and then he licked it, sending a shiver down my spine. “And you’re going to be the reason I live, solnishko .”

I smiled and leaned in, burying my face in the crook of his neck again. I could feel my orgasm building—the feeling like a volcano about to erupt.

I moaned, moving my hips along to the flow as Andrei took me like both of our lives depended on it.

The squishing sound of my wetness as he rammed in and out of me—the clapping sound of our bodies, our moans, and the smell of sex in the air—was intoxicating. I didn’t want this to end—not now, not ever.

Andrei took my thumb, pressing it against my clitoris and circling it. I whimpered from the pleasure, desperate to find my release with the stimulation.

And then my orgasm slammed through me like an earthquake.

I bit down on Andrei’s neck to keep myself from screaming, every part of my body trembling ferociously.

He chuckled. “Good girl.”

Ramming into me a few more times, he tensed, and I tightened my arms around him as he came with a powerful groan.

We remained in that position for a moment, with Andrei buried inside me and our sweaty bodies pressed against each other. We were both gasping for breath, both stuck recovering from the aftershock of our orgasms.

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Happy birthday, solnishko . I thank God for the day you were born.”

I cupped his hard jaw and smiled, warmth spreading through me. “I thank God for you, muzhenyok.”

His eyes crinkled. “ muzhenyok?”

I chuckled. “Yes.”

I’d been thinking of a sweet nickname for him for a couple of days now, and I came across the word. It was an affectionate way to say husband, and I didn’t think there would be a more perfect word for Andrei.

“ Solnishko,” he whispered in a husky voice. “ Ya tebya lyublyu.”

Solnishko. I love you.

“I love you, too, muzhenyok,” I whispered back.

Our eyes locked, and then he leaned forward, claiming my lips in a searing kiss. I knew right here at this moment that there was no gift in the world that could compare to this.

To him.

To us.

*****

THE END