Page 10

10

ANTON

I think I could easily get addicted to waking up with Nina’s naked body wrapped in my arms. One of her thighs is draped over my legs, and her head rests on my chest, her dark hair fanned out around her.

She looks so beautiful, and for a moment, I let myself imagine it—waking up every morning with her, enjoying coffee in bed as she tells me all about her plans for the day. Watching her blue eyes light up as she talks about ballet…

It’s ridiculous that I’m even having such thoughts. I barely know the woman, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for my heart from the way it’s pounding in my chest as I watch her sleep.

I’m almost grateful for the attempted attack on my property last night as it led me to spending the night with Nina.

I loved every second of her exploring my cock with her mouth and from how wet she was, I know she enjoyed it just as much as I did.

I couldn’t wait to taste how turned on she was, and it barely took a few licks of her pussy before she was crying out with her release.

She fell asleep in my arms almost instantly, and I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well, all things considered.

The fact that the gunshots stopped so abruptly concerns me.

Whoever it was clearly wanted to make themselves known but then, why didn’t the attempted attack escalate further? Did they not expect me to have so many guards, or was it simply a warning?

The moment the shots had stopped, I should have gone straight into my office to analyze the security footage, but I couldn’t leave Nina alone when she was clearly terrified. I should have gotten her settled in my bed and then spent the rest of the night combing through the cameras, but it seemed Nina had other plans, and there was no way in hell I was going to walk away from the chance of having her on her knees for me.

A few of my guards did search the grounds the moment we heard the gunfire, but they came up short.

Whoever it was must have had some knowledge about my property to be able to escape so quickly which is alarming to say the least.

I tighten my arms around Nina, feeling uneasy. I promised her she would be safe here but after last night, I’m not so sure.

I’m eager to bring up my concerns with my cousins as soon as possible. I can’t help but question whether Igor was the one behind the attack. It’s unlike him not to shed blood in order to send a message...

But if Igor wasn’t the one behind the attack, who was?

It seems my to-do list for the day is going to be a long one.

Nina stirs in my arms, her breath tickling my skin as she exhales. She stretches out her legs, sighing softly, and the feeling of her warm thighs rubbing up against mine has my cock thickening.

I’m desperate to flip her onto her back and wake her up with another toe-curling orgasm but I know if I do, there’s no way we’re going to be getting out of this bed for hours, and I really can’t ignore my responsibilities for much longer.

“Morning,” she mumbles, snuggling against my chest.

“Morning.” I stroke her back. “How did you sleep?”

“So good.” She sighs, adjusting herself so that she’s propped up on my chest.

My cock throbs at the feeling of her breasts pressed up against me, but I fight the urge to reach down and fist my length.

“How long have you been watching me sleep?” Her eyes are still glazed from sleep.

“Hours,” I tease, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

A soft pink stains her cheeks as she watches me.

“You’re very distracting.”

“Do you have somewhere better to be?” Her eyes twinkle.

I grab her by the waist and pull her on top of me, smirking as she lets out a whimper as my cock brushes against her lower belly. “Absolutely not.”

I claim her mouth.

She instantly parts her lips, and I slowly slide my tongue against hers.

My hands roam lower until I’m cupping her ass, and I gently move my hips so I can rub my slick tip against her warm skin.

“Anton,” she moans against my mouth.

She wriggles against me, and I groan at the feeling of her hard nipples rubbing against my chest.

“What do you want, Nina?”

“You.”

I grin, sinking my fingers into her hips, about to lift her off and sink her back down onto my cock.

“Nikolai?”

I freeze at the sound of my mother’s voice filtering in through the gap beneath the door.

“Nikolai!”

“Shit,” I slide Nina off me.

“Anton?” Nina frowns. “What is it?”

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” I quickly get out of bed and throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “Don’t go anywhere.”

I rush down the stairs to find my mother pacing around the foyer in her nightgown, looking confused.

“ Mamulichka ?” I hover on the bottom step.

She ignores me, walking over to the front door and peering out of one of the windows.

“Nikolai is late.” She shakes her head. “Why is he always late?”

She walks straight past me into the living room as if I don’t exist.

I run my fingers through my hair as I stare after her, noticing how slumped her shoulders are.

Despite having access to the main house from her private wing, she very rarely ventures out of her rooms. Her nurses say it’s because they’ve become familiar and safe to her, so I always make a point of going and visiting her in her rooms rather than bringing her into the main house.

Except, I didn’t visit her last night after the gunshots.

I curse under my breath as I realize my mistake. I should have gone and checked on her and Annie, but I was too busy worrying about the woman who is currently warming my bed.

Last night should be a wakeup call. Not only did I fail to prioritize looking into whoever it was who attacked my home, the very home that my sick mother resides in, but I also failed to check in on her and her nurse after the attack.

This is exactly why I can’t get involved with Nina. I can’t afford to let my responsibilities slide.

Trying to ignore the growing pit of guilt in my stomach, I head into the lounge.

I find my mother looking at all of the photos, and I know she won’t recognize a single face.

In the beginning, I used to keep most of them in her rooms to help jog her memory but after a while, it only made her more frustrated. So now, she has a singular photo of her and my father on their wedding day beside her bed as he is the only person she can’t seem to forget.

It’s a testament to their love.

“Did you sleep okay?” I come to stand beside her.

My mother wrinkles her nose as she places the picture back on the shelf.

“Annie fusses.”

“You like Annie.”

“Not when she fusses.”

I try not to smile, but it’s a good sign that she even remembers Annie’s name. Most of the time, she has no clue who her nurses are despite seeing the same ones day in and day out.

“What do you want to do today? I could set your paints out for you?—”

She waves a hand. “I’m waiting for Nikolai. Have you seen him?”

“No, I haven’t.” I try to keep my tone light.

“He was supposed to be home hours ago. We were going to have lunch at the Deli on East 47th.”

I know exactly which place she’s talking about. I used to take her for lunch there every Sunday, but the place closed a few years back, and I can’t bear to tell her. Not when I already have at least a dozen times.

My heart feels like it’s being cracked open as she stares at all of the photos with nothing but confusion in her eyes.

“You know what he’s like, always running late.”

She frowns. “Something’s happened to him.”

“Nothing has happened. Nikolai is safe. He called me earlier and said he’s running late.” The lie burns as it falls easily off my tongue, but it does the trick in softening my mother’s expression.

“Okay. That’s…that’s very good.”

“Why don’t we have a cup of tea while we wait for him?”

She nods, and I guide her back through to her rooms where I get her settled in the armchair beside the fireplace and get to work making her a cup of tea.

Just as I’m about to carry the cups through, Jen, her day nurse, appears, looking flustered.

“I just went to go and change the sheets in her room and couldn’t find her. I looked in your office and the main kitchen?—”

“It’s all right, Jen. She was looking at some of the photographs in the lounge.”

Jen’s expression brightens for a moment, but I shake my head.

“She didn’t recognize anyone.”

She offers me a sympathetic smile. “It’s still good for her to see them. Now, do you need me to make you something to eat?”

“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to have a quick cup of tea with her and then head to work. She seems to be quite distressed this morning, but I’ll stop by at lunch.”

“You’re doing an amazing job, you know?” Jen pats my arm.

She’s nearly the same age as my mom, and she always fusses over me when I come to visit, always offering me food even if I keep declining.

“I appreciate that.”

Jen offers me another smile before disappearing into the bedroom, and I get to work making some tea.

Once again, my mother and I sit in silence, and I eventually excuse myself, promising her that I’ll be by for lunch.

As I close the door to her wing of the house and head back out into the foyer, I’m hit with a wave of grief that almost knocks the wind from my lungs. I sink onto the stairs and brace my hands on my knees as I stare through the windows at the front lawn, wishing that I could turn back the clock.

She’s getting worse, and my brother doesn’t even have the decency to pick up the phone and check in, let alone visit in person. The last time we spoke, and I dared to bring up the subject of our mother, he said there was no point in visiting as she didn’t know who we were anyway.

That was almost eighteen months ago.

I sink my nails into my palms and try to take a few calming breaths.

Sometimes, I think of my cousins and the close relationship they have with one another and wish that Nikolai and I could be like that.

Well, we were… But then our father died, and it was like Nikolai couldn’t bear to be around anyone that reminded him of the fact that he was gone, particularly our mother. When she started losing her memory and began asking for him all the time, it was too much for him to handle.

But despite the pain and grief of it all, I could never abandon my mother like that, no matter how many times she forgets who I am.