When I reached the house, I pulled through the gate at the back of my property and into the space next to Sergei's SUV. With my purse in one hand, I bumped my car door closed and waited for the lights to blink and the horn to blip before I headed up the sidewalk to the back entrance through the screened porch and sunroom. The door leading into the house opened with a squeak, and Sergei appeared, his huge frame silhouetted by the light from the mudroom.
"Hey." I smiled at him as I drew near and let my needy gaze roam his bare chest and the khaki cargo shorts that sat dangerously low on his hips.
Sergei swooped down and kissed me when I was close enough. Just as I had expected, his lips traveled down my neck to the swell of cleavage displayed by the neckline of my dress. He nuzzled my breasts and placed noisy kisses on my throbbing flesh. "I missed you."
"You missed me or the girls?" I playfully asked.
"Both," he murmured before pressing his lips to my cheek. "I grabbed Chinese for dinner. I hope that's okay."
"It was my turn to cook," I reminded him as I pushed by him and into the house.
"Was it?"
I knew he hadn't forgotten. No doubt he had convinced himself I would be too tired to make us dinner. He seemed to think that being pregnant meant I should be sitting with my feet up as many hours in the day as possible.
"How is Vivi?" I hesitated answering him a moment too long. "Bianca? What's wrong with Vivian?"
I dropped my purse on the table and stepped out of my heels. "I think Vivian and Nikolai are having problems."
"Problems?"
"Marital problems," I clarified. "They argued while I was there."
"Lots of couples argue."
"True, but she said that she feels like they're drifting apart. I could tell she wanted to talk, but she didn't want to share too much with me because of…well…you know."
"Yes," he said sadly.
"And now she's got this freaking terrifying bodyguard named Ten," I continued. "He's not like you. He was really rude to her, and then he walked me out to my car—"
"Wait." Sergei held up one of his massive hands. "You were alone with Ten?"
"Yes."
Sergei's jaw clenched. He closed the distance between us and started to look me over as if he expected to find bruises on my body. "Did he hurt you?"
"Hurt me?" I reared back with surprise. "He was a jerk, but he wasn't mean. He treated me with respect." I decided to leave out the part about Ten ogling me. With a nervous gulp, I added, "He gave me some advice on dealing with your mother."
"He what?" Sergei's nostrils flared. He cursed in Russian and shook his head. "Whatever he told you? Forget it. That man knows nothing about my family or us. He's not the sort of man you should be spending time with alone."
"Why?" I couldn't wrap my head around Sergei's reaction to Ten. "Nikolai trusts him to guard Vivian."
"Because the boss knows Ten is an animal who will kill without a moment's hesitation," Sergei snapped. Blowing out a noisy breath, he placed his hands on my shoulders and slid them toward my neck. Cupping my face, he held my gaze and entreated me to listen carefully. "You know what I am, Bianca. You know what I've done for the family, but I never, never, took pleasure in it."
"I know that," I whispered. "I know you're not like that."
His thumbs glided along my cheeks. "Ten is a loyal man. He has honor, but he also has a taste for blood. He did things…" Sergei couldn't even bring himself to talk about them. "I don't want you spending time alone with him."
"All right." I bit my lower lip. "But when I'm with Vivi?"
"When you're with her, it's fine. He'll keep the two of you out of trouble, but I don't want you walking around alone with him. Six years is a long fucking time for a man to go without his favorite thing." Sergei looked me up and down. "And you are precisely what he likes."
My eyes widened at that. "What? Big girls? Black girls?"
"Both," he said. "You are exactly the kind of girl he used to chase."
"Oh." Suddenly the way Ten had held my hand and traced his thumb over my skin felt less than innocent. Perhaps he had been motivated to warn me about the possibility of Sergei's mother disliking me for other reasons. Was he interested in me? That was all I needed! An ex-con with the hots for me!
Glancing up at Sergei, I spotted the briefest glimmer of vulnerability on his face. "Are you seriously worried that I would choose someone like that over you?"
"No."
"But?"
"But he's got a reputation for taking things that don't belong to him."
Huffing, I thumped his chest. "I'm not a possession."
"You're mine," he reminded me in that alpha way he somehow made so endearing. "You belong to me just as I belong to you."
Ten's warning about Sergei's mother echoed in my head. "And what if other people think we shouldn't belong to each other?"
"Fuck those other people," he stated passionately. "No one is going to keep me from you."
"Not even your mother?" I asked in a small voice.
His eyes narrowed. "Is that what Ten told you? That my mother doesn't want us together?"
"He told me that she might not like me."
Sergei's cheek twitched and his lips settled into a grim line. "Even if that were true, I wouldn't stop loving you. I wouldn't walk away from you or the baby. I'm a grown man, and I've chosen you. I would like to have my family's support, but I don't need it." One of his hands cupped the back of my neck while the other settled on my belly. "I have everything I need right here."
His reassurances settled my nerves. Whatever happened in London, we wouldn't let it break us apart. We had made it through so much in such a short span of time. We could make it through his mother's disapproval if it came to that.
Smiling down at me, he asked, "How did your lesson go?"
I pouted. "I'm terrible, Sergei. You would think after all those years of French and Spanish, I would be able to pick up a new language easily, but it's not happening."
"It's a different type of language. You could probably learn Portuguese or Italian without too much trouble, but Russian? It's more complicated."
"It's the sounds. My tongue refuses to do the right thing."
"Does it?" His sexy mouth curved in playful way. "I happen to know some very good tongue exercises you could try."
Now I was the one grinning. "Oh, really?"
"Mmmhmm," he rumbled and ran his finger along the top of my breast. "In fact, I could show you right now."
"Or," I let my hands fall to the waistband of his cargo shorts, "I could show you."
"Bianca," he breathed my name as I lowered myself to the floor. Kneeling at his feet, I made quick work of unbuttoning and unzipping his cargo shorts. I tugged down his boxers and freed his cock. Half hard and already more impressive than most men, his shaft enthralled me. I licked my lips and fondled him gently. My fingertips stroked the length of him, my touch light but firm.
When I flicked my tongue against the underside of the blunt tip, he reached back to grip the counter. Smirking at the way I could so easily overwhelm this powerful giant, I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock and then slowly sucked him between my lips. He was so thick that he stretched my mouth wide, and I loved it. He was too long for me to take all of him. Maybe someday I would work up to that, but I didn't have the skills yet.
Not that he minded at all. Sergei held perfectly still as I bobbed on his shaft, taking him deeper and twirling my tongue around the crown of him. The groans that erupted from his chest made my clit pulse. I sucked him harder and faster, giving him exactly what he needed. I could taste the slight sweetness of his pre-cum spilling onto my tongue now. He was getting close.
"Bianca." He growled like a bear.
I put my hands on his thighs and felt his muscles tensing under my palms. I leaned forward and relaxed my jaw, taking as much of his rock-hard length as I could. He gripped my hair in his hands, settling them on either side of my face, and gently thrust against my t
ongue. "Look at me," he urged, his voice husky. "Look at me while you suck my cock."
Our gazes clashed. He panted now, his chest heaving and his stomach caving in with each breath. I moaned around the cock gliding in and out of my mouth, and he came with a roar. Frozen like a statue, he let me take over again, let me bob and flick and swallow burst after burst of his cum until he finally collapsed back against the counter on shaking legs.
Like a lion pouncing on prey, he stunned me with a flash of movement. Before I knew what was happening, he had me flat on my back on the floor. Not caring about the shorts hanging low on his thighs, he shoved my legs apart, jerked my skirt up around my hips and yanked on my panties. The fabric ripped as he tore them down my legs and tossed them over his shoulders.
Showing how gentle he could be even when frantic for me, Sergei caressed my face and whispered sweetly to me in Russian. He claimed my mouth in a possessive, passionate kiss. His tongue stabbed against mine, swiping my teeth and the roof of my mouth. Sergei's rough, hot hand rode the curve of my waist to glide down my leg and cup my bottom. He squeezed my aching flesh and nipped at my throat before palming my throbbing pussy in his big hand.
"Sergei…"
Chuckling against my skin, he whispered, "I want to hear you sing."
A quiver of anticipation rocked my belly at the teasing words he used to describe the way I cried out when I approached an orgasm. His thick, skilled fingers parted the most delicate part of me and slid in the slickness there. He groaned when he learned how wet I was for him. His thumb circled my clit a few times, and I gasped at the sharp sensation.
Easing off, he plunged two fingers into my slit, working them up into me and curving them at just the right angle. He pumped into me, touching that spot inside my pussy that made my entire body seize with pleasure. His thumb returned to my clit. He strummed that little pearl until I was clawing at his shoulders and begging him for release. "Please. Please."
"Come on," he urged gruffly. "Come, Bianca. Come."
The vibrations of his wickedly deep voice set me off like a bottle rocket on the Fourth of July. Clutching his arm, I lifted my hips, pressing my pussy to that sinful hand of his, and let loose a wild cry of pleasure. Higher and higher in octave, my voice echoed off the ceiling.
"Da," he said with a smile in his voice. "More. Sing, Bianca."
His hand moved faster now, his fingers slamming into my wet sheath with such speed that there was no holding back. I surrendered to the incredible sensations he evoked. When he went into alpha lover mode like this, there was nothing to do but submit and trust. I closed my eyes and welcomed wave after rapturous wave.
"I need you," he growled and shoved between my thighs. He was hard again. I didn't know how that was possible, but somehow, some way, he always was. For me. He grasped the base of his wide shaft and dragged the ruddy head through my lower lips, gathering my wetness on his skin before lining up and thrusting into me. "Yes."
Using his brute strength, he clasped my waist and canted my hips to a higher angle. He took me with long, hard thrusts that left me babbling like a fool. Panting, shuddering and slapping at the tile floor, I writhed under his huge body. I peered up at Sergei—my Sergei—and grinned. There was no other man in the world who could make fucking on the kitchen floor seem so special.
Because he's with me.
And that was the truth of it. When we were together, everything was special. Everything was perfect. As dinner cooled on the counter and the sounds of our lovemaking filled the house, I couldn't imagine a better way to end our day.
Chapter Four
"Did you pack your entire closet?" Sergei teased Bianca as he hefted one of her suitcases out of the back of his SUV. He wasn't entirely joking though. The thing probably weighed sixty or seventy pounds.
"I didn't hear you complaining when you were hauling Mama's shopping bags around," she replied while pushing her sunglasses into place. "You better not let Ivan hear you whining. He'll probably have you doing push-ups all the way across the Atlantic."
Laughing, Sergei grabbed her smaller suitcase and set it between the two larger ones. He extended the handle and let her take it with some reluctance. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was overreacting when it came to Bianca carrying things or pulling her smaller, much lighter rolling suitcase, but he couldn't help himself. That positive pregnancy test had ignited every protective male instinct within him.
Scanning the parking lot, he discovered a familiar vehicle parked close to the terminal. It was one of the SUVs from Nikolai's fleet. There was one man sitting in the driver's seat. Boychenko, he realized, when the younger man waved once. Lifting his hand, Sergei suspected the other guard—Ten—sat inside the building with Vivian.
"This will be fun." She smiled excitedly as they crossed the parking lot to the terminal of the executive airport. "We get to see how the one-percent live."
He chuckled at her enthusiasm. With any other woman, he might secretly fear that she would impressed by the luxury a man like Yuri Novakovsky could provide and want more of that, but he knew enough about Bianca's spending habits and life outlook to be sure that wasn't the case. From what he had witnessed between Yuri and his girlfriend, Lena didn't much care about the money either. It was probably the reason Yuri loved her so much. She never asked for or expected anything but his love and emotional support.
A sky cap met them on the sidewalk and took their bags. Bianca checked her purse for the hundredth time to be sure their passports were in there before she let the man head off with their luggage. When they stepped inside the bright, airy terminal, Sergei tugged off his aviator sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket. His gaze immediately landed on Ten who stood just inside the entrance.
Arms crossed, he wore a blazer that covered the prison and gang ink Sergei knew colored his skin. No doubt that had been at Vivian's insistence. He and Ten shared a long look, one that was wary but respectful. When Ten's interested gaze fell on Bianca, he swallowed the growl that threatened to erupt from his throat and the alpha need to show possessiveness toward her. She wouldn't like it, and he was determined not to upset her this early in their vacation.
Ignoring Ten, he eased Bianca farther into the terminal. He spotted Vivian, Erin and Lena sitting in leather chairs off to the left. Two of them were chatting and laughing, but Vivian checked her watch and stared at the entrance. When she noticed him looking at her, she smiled thinly.
"I'll be with the girls." Bianca gave his arm a squeeze and started to move away, but he caught her hand and dragged her back for a quick kiss. He liked the way she blushed and enjoyed the view of her curvy hips swinging as she joined her friends. He didn’t think a pair of white capris had ever looked that fucking good on any woman.
But she's not any woman. She's my woman. The thought filled him with heat. Soon, he would make sure that she really was his. She would share his name and wear his wedding band and everyone would know that he was the luckiest fucking man in the world.
A quick glance around the terminal, and he found Ivan and Yuri talking nearby. As he drew near, he noticed both men looked worried. He didn't know Yuri that well but the billionaire businessman had always treated him like a friend. Even so, he made sure to approach slowly, just in case the pair needed to wrap up their discussion without him overhearing any of it.
Yuri was the first to welcome him with a handshake and a warm smile. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you."
Considering the oligarch had last seen him after two nights of fighting in a cage, Sergei believed it. "It's good to see you again."
Ivan clapped him on the back. "Are you excited to see your family?"
He couldn't stop the grin that pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Yes."
"How long has it been?" Yuri asked.
"Five and a half years," Sergei said. Actually, he could tell Yuri down the very minute he had stepped onto that plane in the middle of cold Moscow night, but he didn't. "It feels longer."
&nbs
p; Ivan squeezed his shoulder and exchanged a glance with Yuri. Stepping closer and lowering his voice, he said, "Listen, there's a problem."
Ears perked, Sergei frowned. "With?"
"Vivian."
He fought the urge to look back at her. "What sort of problem?"
"Nikolai called me a few minutes ago," Yuri explained. "He can't get out of the…meeting….he's in so he's going to miss our flight. I offered to hold the jet but he told us to go."
Sergei's chest tightened. If the boss was missing something this huge, it had to be serious. Being out of the loop suddenly didn't feel so freeing. Not knowing what was happening on the shadowy streets of Houston's underworld made him nervous. "Have you told her yet?"
"We were about to tell her. He didn't want Ten to be the one to do it." Yuri frowned at the ex-con guarding Vivian. "I can see why."
"I'll go," Ivan offered.
Sergei shook his head. "I'll tell her. She's used to hearing this sort of news from me."
He didn't miss the sad looks the two friends exchanged as he left them. In the months he had spent constantly at her side as her bodyguard, they had established a relationship that resembled that of siblings. He had learned how to let her down easily. Don't make her cry. He repeated the words to himself as he sat down next to her.
Vivian's bright blue eyes fixed on his. Long seconds stretched between them as they stared at one another. Finally, in softly spoken Russian, she whispered, "He's not coming."
Sergei's heart fucking shattered in his chest. A memory came to him of the morning Vivian had woken to an empty house after spending her wedding night alone. Instead of the beautiful, romantic breakfast she had envisioned, there had been only her bodyguard waiting for her. She had cried that morning, and he had been so angry with the boss for putting the family before her. It was an irrational thing to feel. Nikolai hadn't put her second because he didn't love her. He had put her needs behind those of the family because he did love her and he had been trying to keep her safe.