19. Lucia

19

LUCIA

Mikhail Koslov is turning out to be a very good roommate.

Last night was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time. Sleeping next to him is like having my very own hot water bottle, and I could have easily spent the entire day in bed with him.

But Mikhail is a busy man, and I feel bad for keeping him in bed for so long, so I reluctantly untangle myself from his arms to let him go and take a shower. Though when I spy his very prominent erection straining against his boxers as he gets out of bed, I almost jump him right there and then.

If I had known how ready he was, I wouldn't have wasted time telling him about my plans for the day. Or rather, those plans would have turned much dirtier…

Once Mikhail leaves, I head into the walk-in closet that I seem to have taken over with all of my clothes.

Poor Mikhail has had to make do with a couple of drawers and a small portion of the hanging rail, but he's yet to complain, so I don't feel too bad .

Even with all the guards surrounding the grounds, I have no issue with lying on a sun lounger in a scrap of material that barely covers my ass. I'm not shy about my body in the slightest because I'm well aware of the fact that my breasts won't look this good forever, so I want to make the most of them.

I don't share what's mine.

Mikhail's words from this morning send a shiver down my spine and a rush of warmth builds between my thighs.

He's never referred to me as his before, and I can't deny the fact that the thought thrills me.

I've never had a man be so possessive over me in that way before, and to say it turns me on is an understatement.

I like the idea of Mikhail being the only one who gets to admire my body in all its glory, so I toss the bikini aside, saving it for a time when it's just me and Mikhail. Though knowing him, I doubt I'll end up wearing it for long.

After flicking through some warmer weather options, I decide on a tennis skirt and a tank top rather than another tiny bikini for my day by the pool before heading downstairs to grab some breakfast to take outside.

I set myself up on my sun lounger with a book and some music alongside a plate of fruit and an iced coffee, eager to rest up as much as possible before Mikhail gets home as I have many, many plans for tonight.

After a few hours, I'm just finishing up a chapter when the sound of footsteps heading my way catches my attention.

I glance to my left to find Bianca walking toward me with the stroller, and I'm suddenly glad that I decided not to wear my bikini.

In a few days, I will officially be a Koslov, which will make them my family, and I don't want to give them the wrong impression.

Though, after last night in the pool, I might have ruined all chances of that.

I reach for my phone. "Sorry, I'll turn the music off?—"

"Don't be silly." Bianca waves a hand. "This is your home, and I want you to feel comfortable."

I relax a little but after spying a sleeping Leo in the stroller, I hurry to switch it off despite Bianca's insistence that it's fine.

Bianca comes to take a seat beside me, keeping one hand still on the stroller to gently rock Leo as he sleeps. Even without makeup, she's stunning, with her long, dark hair loose around her shoulders and her bright blue eyes. She looks so effortless, wearing a loose off the shoulder sweater and leggings.

"I don't know how you manage all of this." I glance at Leo. "I will say I don't have much experience with babies, but they seem…"

"Exhausting?" Bianca finishes, and I grimace, feeling as if I've stuck my foot in it, but Bianca only laughs. "Trust me, it is exhausting. Now that Leo is walking, I don't get a minute to myself. Alexei offered to hire full time help, but I refused."

"How come?"

Bianca shrugs.

"I don't want other people raising my child. I want to soak up as much time with him as possible because I know it won't be long before he's off living his own life, and he won't want anything to do with his mom. Maybe it's because I lost my own mom so young that I almost feel like I'm making up for the time she never got to spend with me as a child."

"I get that, I lost my mom too. "

"Oh, I'm so sorry,." Bianca reaches out and takes one of my hands.

I blink at the kind gesture.

She squeezes my hand. "How old were you?"

"I was five. She was sick for a while, and after she passed, my father couldn't bear to be around anything that reminded him of her, so we left our family home in Italy and came to New York."

"That must have been so hard."

"It was a long time ago…"

"My mother died giving birth to me, so I have no memory of her. I don't know if that makes it easier or not." Bianca shrugs.

"Losing a parent is hard. The hole they leave behind never heals over. I guess you just learn to live with it."

"It's something that Alexei and I bonded over when I first came here. It was a common ground between us. I'm sure you have that with Mikhail."

"Honestly, he never talks about his parents." I look at my feet.

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. Mikhail isn't much of a talker." Bianca smiles. "How is everything going with him?"

My cheeks heat as I stare out at the pool.

"It's going…well."

"You seem surprised." Bianca's lips twitch.

"He's not easy to get to know."

"It takes a while for him to warm up to people," Bianca says. "For so long, I was convinced that Mikhail hated me despite Alexei's assurance that he was just quiet and reserved."

"I get that." I laugh. "But in all honesty, being here has helped show me what a genuinely good guy he is. Despite the fact that we couldn't be more different, I can't help but think that there's something real developing between us."

"So, you're looking forward to the wedding, then?" Bianca smirks.

"I'd hardly call it a wedding," I grumble. "I tried to get my father to at least throw a small party, but he only cares about the legal stuff. He says all the rest is a waste of time."

"He sounds like my father." Bianca scoffs. "Well, I disagree. Even if the marriage is arranged, you still deserve to have a perfect wedding."

"I'm getting married in four days. It's too late to do anything about it now."

"You greatly underestimate the power I have over the bridal boutiques of New York." Bianca chuckles. "I put together the most insane wedding for Zara and Dimitri in less than two weeks, so trust me, a little party at the house is nothing."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Of course! I can tell you really want a proper wedding."

"I do… I wish I was one of those girls who didn't care, but I'm not. I love the idea of choosing the perfect dress and the flowers and the cake."

"It's your princess moment," Bianca says with a knowing smile.

"Exactly."

"Then, it's settled. I'll give my friend Clara a call. She owns a bridal shop in the city. She's the one who organized Zara's wedding dress, and she's just the best. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to bring some dresses over to the house for you to try on. Then I can call the florist and caterers and have them bring some samples over too."

My throat feels thick with emotion as Bianca rattles on about plans for the wedding. She barely knows me and yet, she's willing to go to so much effort to make sure I have the most perfect day. Whereas my actual friends don't even know I'm engaged.

I never bothered to tell them because I knew deep down they'd only be interested in the party and what rich bachelors would be invited.

"Do you have a maid of honor picked?"

"I haven't really thought about it… But I guess I'd choose my cousin Elle."

"Great! You should invite her over to the house tomorrow to help. It'll be like a mini bachelorette party!" Bianca says. "If it's okay with you, I can invite Zara as well. I'm sure she'd love to have some time away from the twins, and it would be good for you to get to know her. You're going to be part of the family soon, which means the three of us will be like sisters."

My eyes start to well with tears, and I have to look away so Bianca doesn't think I'm a complete blubbering mess.

If the idea of marrying Mikhail didn't make my heart swell, the mention of sisters is threatening to make it explode.

Is it possible that I could be so lucky?

Bianca pulls out her phone and gets to work making a list of everything that needs to be done in the next four days. She is nothing but confident that she'll be able to pull this off, and my stomach starts to flutter with excitement at the prospect of actually having a proper wedding after all.

I pull out my own phone and go through Pinterest to show Bianca some color scheme ideas for the flowers as well as some styles of wedding dresses for her to forward to her friend.

The conversation flows easily between us, and we go back and forth between discussing wedding plans and sharing stories of our overprotective fathers.

I find myself smiling and laughing with Bianca in a way that I never have with Kara or Macy.

I think a big part of it is because Bianca has been in my very shoes. She was forced to marry a man she didn't know and now she's here pushing their baby around the gardens of their beautiful home, and I don't think I've ever seen someone look so happy.

It makes me actually start to believe that perhaps everything happens for a reason…

After an hour or so, Leo starts to stir in his stroller, and Bianca winces.

"He's starting to fight his naps, which means I have to spend hours walking around the garden trying to get him to sleep. Thank goodness for podcasts, otherwise I might actually die of boredom."

"I'd be happy to keep you company."

Bianca offers me a sweet smile.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang out with me and the baby."

"Actually, I'd appreciate the company." I shrug.

Until now, I've felt awkward being around Bianca but after chatting with her today, it turns out we have a lot in common.

I know I can come across as loud and extraverted, but that's usually under the influence of a lot of alcohol. Trying to bond with girls when I'm sober is not something I'm very good at.

Perhaps, it has something to do with growing up without a mother, with only an older brother and an emotionally absent father guiding me in the relationships department. It would explain why I tend to get along with men so much better, but that usually means I clash with other girls as a result.

It's a lose-lose situation.

Men want to fuck me, and girls want to rip my hair out, which has resulted in me only having one real friend, and that's Elle.

But I'm starting to think that perhaps Bianca could become one.