23. Anton

23

ANTON

My romantic evening was nothing short of success. I’ve never seen Nina smile so much, and I want nothing more than to spoil her like that every day for the rest of my life.

But unfortunately for me, her schedule at the IOD has ramped up, and she’s had extra rehearsals the last few days and by the time she staggers through the door, we share nothing more than a quick kiss before she collapses into bed.

So, I’ve been spending the last few evenings having dinner with my mother, which has been nice. She’s been having more good days recently, so we’ve managed to share some good conversations.

But tonight, I want to turn my attention to Nina, so I decide to head over to a bar near the institute to meet her after work for a drink. However, I’m not alone as two of my cousins have decided to join me, so my long-awaited alone time with Nina has turned into a family reunion of sorts.

“I’m surprised you’re both allowed out,” I tease my cousins as a fresh round of drinks arrives at our table.

Mikhail scowls, but Dimitri chuckles.

“Zara practically pushed me out of the door. She wanted to have a bath in peace to catch up on some boring reality show.”

“What about you?”

Mikhail shrugs. “Lucia says I should socialize more.”

I bark a laugh. “I do like your wife. And how’s that little angel of yours? I haven’t seen her in a few weeks.”

Mikhail’s lips twitch as he pulls his phone out and shows me some updated pictures of Vivi, which prompts Dimitri to start showing me videos of Ben and Sasha toddling around.

“I don’t think this is what the girls had in mind when they told us to come out and drink.” Dimitri shuts off his phone. “But I just can’t help myself, they’re stinking cute.”

“They really are.” I smile, though a heavy weight starts to settle in my stomach as I check my watch. “Nina should be here any minute.”

She had a late rehearsal tonight, and it’s almost eight and she’ll likely want something to eat.

I stop a passing waiter and order some small plates for the table as well as some water. Once the waiter leaves, I turn to find both my cousins smirking at me.

“What?”

Dimitri laughs. “You are such a mother hen.”

“Am not.”

“You’re fussing,” Mikhail mutters, sipping his vodka. “It’s cute.”

“I am not cute.” I sit up straighter, rolling up my shirt sleeves, purposefully flexing my tattooed forearms.

“And now you’re posturing,” Mikhail shakes his head. “Like I said, it’s cute.”

“Remind me again why I’m voluntarily spending my evening with you? Oh yeah, because your wives made you come out tonight.”

Mikhail scowls, and I laugh.

“I’m excited to meet this girl.” Dimitri flashes me a knowing smile.

“Be on your best behavior, please,” I warn them both. “Don’t scare her off.”

Dimitri holds his hands up in mock surrender, and Mikhail rolls his eyes.

This could be a disaster.

By the time we finish our second round of drinks, I spot Nina walking through the door with Yakov, and that weight in my stomach disappears.

Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, and her dark hair is a little windswept.

I get to my feet, ignoring the sniggers from Dimitri, and make my way through the packed bar toward her.

I nod at Yakov once, and he takes that as his cue to stand down for a minute.

He steps away into the crowd toward the bar, causing a few heads to turn in the process.

“Sorry I’m late,” Nina says a little breathlessly, flicking her bangs out of her eyes. “Allie insisted on running through the piece one last time for luck, and I didn’t have time to change.”

I glance down at her outfit, but she’s huddled inside a long coat.

“You’re not late, you’re right on time.” I press a kiss to her forehead.

She lets out a contented sigh as her arms wrap around me. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’m always here,” I whisper against her hair. “Now, as much as I would like to take you straight home, I have a couple of people who are desperate to meet you.”

I did forewarn Nina that Mikhail and Dimitri would be joining us in case she wanted to make an excuse and head home with Yakov, but to my surprise, she was more than willing to meet some of my family.

Wrapping an arm around Nina’s waist, I lead her back through the crowd toward our table.

Dimitri’s eyes light up when he spots us, but I shoot him a look that reminds him to be on his best behavior.

“Nina, these are my cousins, Mikhail and Dimitri.”

“It’s lovely to meet you.” She holds out her hand.

Dimitri climbs off the stool and comes around to wrap her in a bone-crushing hug. “Welcome to the family, Nina.”

“ Dimitri ,” I hiss, pulling Nina free.

Her eyes are wide, but her lips pull up into a wide smile as she looks back at me.

“He’s not very well trained,” I mutter under my breath and Dimitri laughs.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nina.” Mikhail leans over to offer his hand.

Nina eyes the tattoos covering his knuckles curiously before shaking his hand.

I help Nina out of her coat and get her settled on the stool between Mikhail and me. Next to Mikhail, she looks so delicate and innocent. She’s still dressed in her pale pink leotard and matching shrug with a pair of black leggings and pink ankle warmers over her sneakers.

“You look beautiful,” I whisper in her ear before taking a seat.

Her cheeks flush pink.

I rest my hand on her thigh, squeezing it once for reassurance.

She shuffles a little closer toward me. “Have you been waiting long?”

“Long enough for these two to get out the pictures of their kids.”

Dimitri’s eyes light up, and he reaches for his phone.

“Dimitri,” I warn, but Nina places a hand over mine.

“I want to see.”

Dimitri smirks at me.

I can’t take my eyes off Nina as she laughs at the videos of the twins walking into various pieces of furniture. Her entire face lights up with happiness, and I picture it then, what it could be like in a few years’ time. Both of us sitting around with my family, sharing videos of our own children.

The scene plays out in my mind so clearly, it could almost be real, and I realize then how much I want it to be.

“How are you enjoying school?” Mikhail asks after the food arrives, and Dimitri has reluctantly put away the videos of the twins.

“I love it. I feel like I’m living a dream.”

Dimitri scoffs. “And then you go back to Anton’s house and realize it’s actually a nightmare.”

Nina laughs.

I scowl. “Watch it.”

“Anton has been wonderful.” She glances at me.

I flash her a wink, and she grins.

“That doesn’t sound like the Anton I know,” Mikhail mutters, his dark eyes lit up with amusement.

“I’m more than happy to share the story of how I picked you up from Coney Island beach if you need reminding of how wonderful I am.”

Mikhail’s eyes go wide.

“What happened at the beach?” Nina pops an olive into her mouth, looking between us.

“Nothing,” Mikhail states, all traces of amusement gone from his face.

“His wife left him naked and stranded, and I was the one who came to his rescue.”

Nina gasps before bursting into laughter.

“I would have paid good money to see that.” Dimitri chuckles. “Lucia has a wicked sense of humor.”

I nod. “That she does.”

“I hate you both.” Mikhail downs the rest of his drink.

“Don’t mind him, he gets grumpy.” Dimitri slaps Mikhail on the shoulder.

Mikhail huffs. “Can we go back to teasing Anton please.”

I shrug. “Or we could just have a civilized conversation like regular adults?”

“I like the teasing Anton idea,” Nina chimes in, and Dimitri throws his head back and roars with laughter.

Mikhail nods. “Has he told you about the time he crashed Alexei’s car and tried to hide the scratch along the side with a huge vinyl sticker of my face?”

I rub my jaw. “Oh shit, I forgot about that. Alexei was so pissed.”

“It was his favorite car.”

Dimitri looks like he’s about to self-combust from how hard he’s laughing, and Nina’s shoulders shake as she tries to stifle her giggles.

I’m more than happy to be the brunt of the jokes if it means I can hear Nina laugh, so my cousins continue to share various stories from our youth that mostly involve me annoying Alexei, but Nina seems to be enjoying herself.

She leans into me. “I just need to use the bathroom.”

I wave at Yakov, who’s still over by the bar nursing a glass of water, and he comes over to escort her.

Nina rolls her eyes but doesn’t object as he leads her through the crowded room toward the toilets.

“So, what do you think?” I ask once Nina is safely out of earshot.

“She seems nice,” Mikhail says.

Dimitri nods. “I like her. She’s not too serious. I think the girls would like her too.”

The thought of Nina meeting Bianca, Zara, and Lucia makes me smile.

Mikhail frowns. “Something about her feels familiar. But I can’t put my finger on it.”

Dimitri chuckles. “Met many Russian ballerinas in your past, brat ?”

“Fuck off.” Mikhail turns in his seat to face me. “Have there been any more threats toward her?”

I shake my head, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as I think of Igor getting his hands on Nina.

“No, but something’s coming. Igor’s not exactly known for giving up, and he’s been a little too quiet for my liking.”

Dimitri takes a sip of his drink. “Maybe the bastard has finally come to his senses. He knows any retaliation is going to result in a war, and he will lose.”

“Perhaps…” I muse. “But I don’t like the idea of him just being out there, biding his time. I hate the feeling of constantly looking over my shoulder.”

Dimitri shrugs. “That just comes with the territory.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when you’ve finally got a girl that…you know.” He smirks, and I roll my eyes at what he’s implying. “You always fear that something or someone is going to come and take her away.”

I scoff. “That’s really reassuring. Thanks, Dimitri.”

“You’re welcome. Now, how about another round?”

Nina patiently sits through another hour of Dimitri’s endless talk and teasing before she stifles a yawn, and I decide it’s time to get her home.

Yakov takes over my empty seat to discuss some business with Mikhail as I escort Nina out of the bar toward my car where I settle her into the passenger seat.

She lightly naps on the drive back to the house, and I keep my fingers interlocked with hers the entire time.

When I eventually put the car in park, I gently untangle my fingers and head around to her side where I lift her into my arms.

She stirs, her eyes fluttering open.

“Don’t wake up,” I whisper as I adjust her in my arms.

“I’m awake.” She snuggles against me. “I’m just comfy.”

I smile down at her peaceful face before carrying her inside the house.

“Do you want to go to bed?”

“I’m hungry,” she mumbles, and my chest vibrates with silent laughter.

“That food was meant for you, but it seems my cousins didn’t get the memo.”

“S’okay. I liked them enough to share my food.”

“That’s a big compliment.”

Nina smiles lazily at me as I carry her into the kitchen where I set her down on the counter and get to work fixing her something to eat. She’s still wrapped in her huge coat, so I crank up the heating and put some water on to boil for some tea.

“Thank you for introducing me to your cousins. I know how close you all are, so it means a lot to me that you wanted me to meet them.”

“You made a very good impression. They liked you a lot, and their approval means a lot to me.”

“I’m glad.” She fidgets with her fingers.

“Do you ever wish you had siblings or cousins? Or do you like peace and quiet?” I hand her a mug of ginger tea.

Nina nibbles on her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the mug of tea in her hands.

“Um, maybe.” She shrugs out of her coat, setting it down beside her.

“Surely, being an only child made you closer to your parents? But I remember you saying you weren’t that close with your father. Were your parents divorced or…”

Nina noticeably cringes at my question, so I let my voice trail off.

“Sorry, I’m prying. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

I silently curse myself for bringing up her family again. I remember from the last time I asked her that she was reluctant to talk, so I know there’s a story there, but pushing her to tell me isn’t the way to get her to talk.

She’ll open up when she’s ready.

“I’d rather focus on your big happy family.” She offers me a small smile. “Having all those cute babies around, I’d just want to spend every second snuggling them.”

“Maybe I could take you round to meet Lucia and Vivi. I think you two would really hit it off.”

“I’d like that.”

Something like sadness flashes in her eyes, and I decide to pivot the subject to something more lighthearted.

“So, how did the rest of your rehearsal go?”

“It went so well.” Nina’s face lights up. “Emma nailed her solo, which was just amazing to watch. She’s been working so hard on it. And Madame Le Croix said that if I keep going the way I’m going, it’s likely that I’ll get the lead in the spring production of Sleeping Beauty.”

“That’s amazing!” I take the tea from her hands, setting it down on the counter so I can pull her into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“It’s not set in stone, but it’s a good incentive to really work hard over the next few months. Getting a solo would be an amazing opportunity, especially because scouts and agents come to these shows.”

“Can you show me what you’ve been working on? I’ve never seen you dance.”

“Well, I haven’t got my pointe shoes on.”

“You can borrow my pair,” I tease.

She playfully slaps my arm. “I can do it barefoot. It might just be a little off because this isn’t the best flooring…”

She slides off the counter and searches for her phone in her coat pocket.

“You’ll be amazing either way.”

She blushes as she kicks off her sneakers and presses play on the music.

I lean back against the counter as Nina begins to dance, her elegant limbs moving to the music. I watch her slowly move into a trance-like state, losing herself to her movements as she leaps and twirls across the floor.

I can’t take my eyes off her, completely mesmerized by the way she moves her body, by how beautiful she looks.

Her eyes flutter closed as she moves to spin on one foot, lifting her other up toward her face. My mind fills with images of the last time I saw her in that position, completely naked and bare for me, and I have to grip the edge of the counter as my cock twitches.

She swiftly moves into an arabesque, a huge smile breaking out across her face as the music reaches its crescendo.

I’m crossing the floor and taking her face in my hands before the music even finishes, too desperate to get my hands on her.

She squeals as I back her against the table and devour her mouth with my own.

“You’re incredible,” I groan as I force my thigh between hers and grind my erection against her.

She moans, arching her neck as my tongue slides against hers.

“You’ve got me all worked up.”

“Mmm…” She grinds against my thigh.

“Does that feel good, lapochka ?”

She whimpers as I press my cock against her harder, letting her know just what she does to me.

“Anton.” She sinks her nails into my shoulders to try and steady herself.

I grind my teeth as my cock throbs in my pants.

I’m desperate to be inside her, but not yet. My own release will have to wait a little longer.

I trail my hands down her neck before cupping her breasts, the hard peaks of her nipples poking through the thin material of her top.

I gently circle them with my thumbs, and Nina moans louder as she rubs her pussy against my thigh.

Leaning forward, I suck on her lower lip as I continue to explore her body.

When I reach her leggings, I dip my fingers into the waistband and start pulling them down over her thighs.

“Anton,” she gasps against my mouth. “Someone could walk in.”

“This is my house,” I growl as I run my finger along the damp seam of her panties. “So, I can pleasure my woman wherever the hell I like.”