Chapter Seventeen

Lenya's hands caress my belly, rousing me from my peaceful slumber. As he peppers my neck with tender kisses, I can feel his warm breath caressing my skin, pulling me closer into his embrace. As he softly nibbles on my earlobe, he murmurs in my ear, " Moya prekrasnyy tsvetok (My Beautiful flower)," his words coaxing me to open my eyes. "Your muzh (husband) is starving and he just wants you."

This man. He is insatiable.

He gently guides me to roll over so I can meet his gaze. His eyes gleam with a primal desire. The feel of his devious smirk on his face lingers as my muzh (husband) plants a kiss on my lips and quickly disappears under the covers. With a firm grip on my thigh, he tosses my leg over his shoulder, eliciting a rush of excitement. My thighs quiver as his warm tongue glides sensually from my entrance to my clit.

The firm but languid strokes of his tongue inch me closer to orgasm. "Lenya, don't stop," I pant as my orgasm is nearing its peak. In my desperation to feel him, I strain to reach for his head, but my round belly obstructs my ability to grasp his hair. He slips a finger inside me, stroking the spot that will have me soaking our bed and his face. I am on the precipice of falling apart when a shrill knock on our door startles us.

"Blyat! (Fuck!)" Lenya curses, removing his finger from inside me. I expected him to stop, but his mouth returns to my aching clit, nibbling and sucking. "Come for me, Lina." His words push past the mental barrier that the knock put up. I let out a breathy scream and cascade through my orgasm, riding it out against his tongue. The knocking continues and I feel Lenya groan against my pussy. The vibrations make the area sensitive.

With a sudden motion, he throws the blanket off of us and leaps off the bed; the door swinging open with a loud creak. "Chto (What)?" His voice is sharp, conveying his annoyance. The muffled chatter between Lenya and whomever is at the door furthers his annoyance. He closes the door and returns to the bed. "I'm sorry, but I have to handle a problem at the warehouse instead of fucking you, moy lyubov. Tvoy lev pozzhe naydet tebya i zaberet svoye.(Your lion will find you later and take what's his.)"

He places a gentle kiss on my forehead, then makes his way to the bathroom, making me realize that the bathroom is what I need. This little boy is pressing on my bladder. As I approach the door, I hear the running shower. After using the toilet, I go directly to the closet to dress. Since it's a beautiful day, I chose a wrap dress for at-home.

Lenya enters the closet, wearing only a towel around his waist. His gaze meets mine, and I feel his eyes linger as they explore every inch of me. "Malyshka (Baby)," he groans, making his way over to me. "How am I supposed to work, knowing you are going to be here, in this dress?" As Lenya's hands wrap around my hips, he draws me tightly against his chest, his erection pressing into my lower back.

The thought of him thinking about me while he works makes me smile. "You might have to sneak your way back up here for lunch." My words have the desired effect. He groans into my neck,. He groans into my neck, his lips leaving a trail of promises on my skin. I pull away and finish getting ready. Before leaving the closet, I playfully swat at his backside, giving him a mischievous look.

First, I need to contact Raisa's school and notify them that Ilya will be the one picking her up. Then, I can shift my attention to preparing the nursery. We have extra bedrooms, but she insisted she stay in there with malysh (baby) at first to help. With the phone call easily handled, I proceed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Dmitriy is waiting for me in the kitchen.

"Are you feeling hungry?" I ask after giving him a hug, and a kiss on top of his head. I am easily adapting to my new role as his mother.

"Da (Yes), but I am also here to help you," he replies, his voice filled with genuine want. "Papa said it's my responsibility now. I am here to help you with anything you need whenever he's away," he declares, straightening himself. I nod in response and make my way to the refrigerator. With my ingredients gathered, I start making some blini. As I cook the blini and turn over the bacon, my stomach turns. I've forgotten my medication.

I take a deep breath as I push through, making breakfast. After setting everything on the counter, I rush to the hall bathroom. Dry heaving is the worst, more so when you have a rather large baby bump and cannot kneel in front of a toilet comfortably. I clean myself up and open the door to be met by Dmitriy. "Are you okay? Should I go get Papa?" I see him holding a phone, prepared to make a call.

"Net (No), Dima. I just need my medication. Is it okay for me to call you Dima?" I don't want him to be uncomfortable with me affectionately calling him a nickname. As his eyes brighten with enthusiasm, he nods his head in affirmation. I take my medication and head back into the kitchen, getting ready to bake some bread and start preparing lunch for later. Amid the quiet stillness, the sound of my phone pinging disrupts me, with flour on my hands.

"Dima, can you check this message for me?" I ask. He hops up from his seat to pick my phone up from the counter.

"It's from Raisa. That's your sister, right? She would be my aunt, no?" He says.

"Da (Yes), can you read it to me, please?" I say, as I shape the dough into little buns, lining them up on the baking sheet.

"Uh… this seems more suited for a sister," his face flushes red from embarrassment.

Intrigued, I move to the sink to wash my hands. He hands me the phone and makes his way back to the table to finish eating. I chuckle at the message from Raisa.

Raisa: Are you serious? Lina…HIM!

A few moments later.

Raisa: Isn't he the grumpy one? Why would he be the one you send to come and get me?

Lina: I'm not sure if he is grumpy. I know he is the crazier one. Surprisingly, he volunteered to get you. Is he treating you with respect? If he isn't being the perfect gentleman, you tell him I will kick his ass.

Raisa: You got it! I'll see you in an hour. Lyublyu tebya. (Love you)

With my phone back in my pocket, I continue with the lunch preparation. I check the time and then have Dmitriy follow me into the nursery. "Raisa will stay here. I want fresh sheets on the bed and the bathroom ready for her. Will you grab them from the laundry, please?" I ask. He nods and leaves. Dmitriy and I spend the rest of the morning getting everything ready for Raisa.

The smell of freshly baked bread and soup wafts through the house. My stomach grumbles and malysh (baby) kicks. I wonder if that startled him. In the kitchen, I pull the baking sheets of bread out of the wood stove. Dmitriy is at my side, ready to grab the large pots from inside. "Do you know how to cook, Dima? If not, I can show you." I see it as a perfect way to foster a closer bond between us. I want to make sure he gets something I never got with my mother. His eyes brighten at the offer as he nods.

Nearly an hour later, Lenya enters the kitchen through the back door. I smile and walk over to him. Ready to kiss him, but I pause as I see the speckles of blood on his face. "Moy lev, ty ves' v krovi(My lion, you've got blood all over you.)"

He mutters under his breath," Blyat! (Fuck)" and then walks out of the kitchen. I hear the hall bathroom door close. I am going to guess that whatever this morning's issue was, didn't go well. My phone pings before I can give it any more thought.

Raisa: I'm here!

I make my way to the front door as it opens, leaving behind whatever I was doing. I envelop my little sister in a warm embrace, showering her head with kisses. Ilya stands back, his eyes wide, and a smirk on his face. He enters the house holding her bags. "Where should I put these?" He asks. I point down the hall.

"The first door on the left. She's staying in the nursery at the moment." Ilya walks past us, and I catch Raisa's lingering glare on him. As if he could feel her eyes burning into him, he turned his head just enough to notice her looking at him. He rolls his eyes at her, smirking as he makes his way down the hall to the nursery.

"Come on, lunch is ready." I drag her by the hand towards the kitchen. I pop my head into the nursery and let Ilya know food is waiting. He walks behind us, capturing Raisa"s attention as he trails just a few steps behind her. "Is there something I should know?" I question her, my voice a whisper.

"He's annoying. The whole car ride, he asked me questions about school. He wouldn't even let me turn on the radio." She turns her head and gives him a hard stare. "You hear that? I said you are annoying."

"It takes someone annoying to recognize someone else whose annoying." He sneers as he walks past us into the dining room.

Back in the kitchen, Lenya and Dmitriy were already waiting for us. I point to the soup and baskets of bread, motioning for them to be taken to the table. They move forward, grabbing the food. Lenya walks past me. He kisses my cheek. We move everything to the dining room, as we need more space. As everyone settles into their seats, I start ladling the hot soup into bowls. Once everyone is served, I make my way to my seat. Both Lenya and Dmitriy stand to help me into my seat. Raisa giggles under her breath. Lenya helps me get settled, and we all enjoy the food. Lenya and Ilya discuss warehouse matters, while Raisa talks to Dmitriy about her school.

Here, at this moment, my heart is full of deep love. The family Lenya and I are creating is a beautiful blend of love and cherished relationships. It didn't happen conventionally, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We sit and talk together for at least an hour. Dmitriy clears the table and starts washing the dishes. Ilya excuses himself to use the bathroom, telling Lenya he will meet him down at the warehouse. Raisa kisses me on the cheek and runs off to unpack. I go to help Dmitriy in the kitchen. As I look around the kitchen, I realized Ilya was nowhere to be seen. He never passed through the kitchen on his way out back to the warehouse. I head down the hall to the bathroom to check on him.

I hope the soup didn't make him ill.

The door to the hall bathroom stands wide open, empty. As I head to the nursery, I notice the door is open. Also empty. What the hell. I hear a quiet bickering and one voice that is unmistakably Raisa's, coming from the Library. I tip-toe across down the hall and I peek inside.

"You"re annoying," she pesters him. Raisa is leaning up against one of the bookcases at the far end of the library. Ilya stands in front of her with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"And you are a spoiled brat? You get to attend a fancy school. You have your sister- and brother-in-law who would do anything for you," Ilya says as he takes a step backward. "How awful your life must be, princess. Here I am thinking I was being nice, picking you up for them. I am not a nice person, Raisa. I don't do nice things for people."

"What do you want, Ilya?" Raisa teases.

"To annoy you. I seem to be doing just that" He reaches forward and flicks her on the nose.

I slink back to the kitchen before I can get caught by them. Dmitriy is hand-drying the dishes from lunch. Ilya walks into the kitchen and heads towards the back door. He looks at it for a second as if pondering something, then leaves, closing it behind him. Raisa calls out for me and I shout we are in the kitchen. Her face was a little pink. I raise my eyebrow at her, and her face turns an even deeper red.

"Where did you run off to? All unpacked?" I question.

"That mudak (asshole) cornered me in the library," she says, giving me a sassy look.

Lord have mercy, my baby sister is going to get that man killed. If he is terrorizing her, I will kill him myself. Let alone if Lenya gets involved.

"What did he say to you?" I ask, curiosity clear in my voice. Dmitriy excuses himself to his room, closing the door behind him. As I gaze at her, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of protectiveness and maternal love. Raisa looks at me, a smirk on her face.

"It's nothing I can't handle on my own. I promise," she says, noticing the tension in my voice. "He is just being a pain in the ass," she laughs. "He will just have to get used to seeing me. Although I doubt he will offer to pick me up again."

She kisses my cheek, skips away, and the door opens then clicks shut.

This has been quite a day. I forgot to even mention my birthday tomorrow with everything going on. I know Lenya knows, but we didn't plan anything because of the accident, and now I am regretting it.