Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

A lmost three months later

Chantel

"You are incorrigible," I moaned, trying to keep my voice down. Nikolay had insisted I head into the bedroom to talk about ‘Christmas,' which was a lie. It was our code word for when he needed me.

"Yes, I am." He pushed my thong aside, thrusting the entire length of his cock deep into my tight pussy.

"Oh, God. Oh." I clawed his back and swung one leg around his hip, gasping for air. This was similar to how we'd begun. Up close and personal with a wall.

As he pumped hard and fast, I instantly became lightheaded. It was insane how insatiable he was, but God love him. Our days were filled with hard work, yet our nights were embroiled in passion.

"Such a beautiful little brat," he whispered, his husky voice about to drive me crazy.

"I have a party dress on." At his insistence. Tonight we were finishing decorating the tree and the special surprise. "We can't wait."

Plus, Damien wasn't going to allow us to wait for long. There were only so many promises you could make to an eager four-year-old.

"We have a few minutes." The powerful man refused to stop, driving into me like this would be our last time.

I was breathless, stars floating in front of my eyes. This moment was delicious, but I was eager like a kid myself.

Still, I surrendered to the passion, meeting every hard thrust with one of my own. Within seconds, I was brought close to an orgasm. He pulled back just enough to make me pummel my fists against his back. "Don't do that, mean boy."

He laughed and thrust into me harder. We were rocking the wall and I was certain pictures were going to fall.

My heart raced, my pulse sky high and there was no way I could hold back any longer. As the orgasm rose from my toes, his body tensed. I smiled and squeezed my muscles.

When he crushed his mouth over mine, it was to keep either one of us from making too much noise. The kiss was amazing as usual but by the time our bodies stopped convulsing, I was ready to laugh.

The sharp knock was a clear indication time had run out.

"Can we finish decorating the tree? Pwease?"

Damien's little voice almost caused me to shift into a fit of giggles. We quickly arranged ourselves, clothes back in place and I pointed my index finger at Nikolay with a silent warning to be good.

Right.

I flung open the door and clapped, grabbing the little boy into my arms. "Yes, we can. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready!"

All I had to do was look at Nikolay again. He knew to bring the special surprise when he came.

I headed down the stairs with Damien in my arms, singing a little Christmas song until he started giggling himself.

The house was new, at least to us. Neither one of us could bear to go back to the beach house but we loved the style of living. He'd found the perfect home in an equally gorgeous location, although it had needed serious renovations. He'd hired the best contractors, dozens of them, and somehow the house had been turned into exactly what we wanted in a little over two months.

Just in time for our first Christmas as a family.

And it was just about ready to get a little larger.

When we reached the living room, the sparkling lights that I'd insisted be placed everywhere took my breath away. Nikolay, a man I'd never thought capable of being romantic hadn't just purchased a Christmas tree, but had found the perfect one. It was close to eighteen feet to accommodate the high ceilings, a masterpiece of greenery and colored lights. We'd decorated the top using tall ladders, lots of booze and laughter after Damien had gone to sleep.

Honestly, it had been one of the best nights of our lives. Sure, someone might confuse us with a Hallmark movie with the roaring fire and dazzling holiday music, but so the fuck what?

After everything we'd been through, including the death and funeral of my father, we deserved a little cheer.

Was I sad my father had been killed? I honestly wasn't entirely certain. We'd confirmed a contract had been signed for me to marry the other Pakhan's son. Once the black and white piece had been in my hand, my mother finally seeing it, everything had settled in and I'd had a small nervous breakdown.

I'd been shocked at Nikolay's level of patience and his determination to help me through the crisis. When we'd chosen a house, I'd slowly regrouped, finally starting to feel like myself again.

Sketching and Damien had helped tremendously as well.

"What ornament do you want to put on the tree?" I asked after placing him on the floor. The one thing about the little man was how thoughtful he was with everything he did. He didn't just grab something and run. He didn't randomly ask for toys just to destroy them. I'd never seen a more mature kid in my life.

When he selected a new, fragile ornament, a special hand-blown black Labrador retriever, I crouched down. "This one is ver-ry special. You have to kiss the pup's nose and make a wish for Christmas as you're placing it on the tree. Can you do that?"

He propped his one hand on his hip like he did when he thought adults were stupid. "Duh, Chantie. I can do anything. Remember?"

I had to chuckle. "Yes, you can. Go ahead. Pick the perfect spot but go as high as your little arms can take you. It'll be safer there."

It took him almost two minutes to select a perfect location on the tree. Meanwhile, Nikolay was standing outside the living room, glaring at me with all the impatience in the world. I gave him a harsh look, chastising him with my eyes. The man could drive me nuts. Granted, the present wasn't going to be held that much longer.

I had to admit he looked adorable in his Santa costume. I couldn't wait to hear his ‘ho, ho, ho.' Maybe Santa liked to be a little bit naughty. Oh, I was such a bad girl.

"I love you, puppy. Happy Christmas. I wish you would come alive. My daddy is magic. Maybe he can make that happen." As he placed it on the tree, I held back tears.

The beautiful little boy with the heart of gold had no idea how much he was loved.

When he came barreling back to me, throwing his arms around me, I could swear I was going to sit and sob.

"Ho. Ho. Ho."

The voice was even deeper but there was no disguising the sexy, powerful man. Not in the least. As Nikolay sauntered into the room carrying the box, all the little gasps Damien was doing just made my heart sing.

"Santa?"

"Yes, it's Santa," I told him, trying to keep from crying and laughing.

St. Nik placed the box on the floor and remained crouched down. "Is there a little boy named Damien in this room?"

"Dat's me!" Damien pointed to his chest.

"Have you been a very good boy this year?" Nik glanced at me quickly, his eyes sparkling so much I truly believed he was full of magic.

"Chantie? Have I?"

When his little face twisted up toward mine, boy-oh-boy, I almost lost it. "You have been a very good boy."

"Yep. Good boy." Damien was adamant.

"Then come here. All good little boys receive one special gift." Nik was damn good at being Santa. Plus, the costume, oh, holy God. He looked so alluring I wanted to attack his body right there. Whew.

Damien walked over tentatively, staring down at the box. "What is it?"

"You'll need to open it," Santa told him.

Or it was going to open itself. The lid was already being pushed off.

Damien was still tentative, so curious his little body was rigid. I moved so I could see his expression, grabbing my cell phone from the hearth where I'd placed it to capture some adorable photos.

When the lid popped off before Damien had a chance to pull it off, the little boy gasped and giggled.

And the puppy appeared as if by magic, the most handsome black lab in the world. At least in my opinion. The furry creature was a picture-perfect embodiment of the ones he'd started to draw, the four stuffed ones on his bed.

"A puppy!" Damien squealed with glee, jumping up and down as Nikolay helped the pup from the box. Not that the already twenty-five-pound big boy needed any help. Nope. He was rough and tumble and we'd been told he'd likely top one hundred pounds, which was huge for a lab. He'd be a perfect companion for a little boy.

I snapped photograph after photograph, unable to stop the tears. This was the best Christmas I'd ever have and one I'd remember forever.

"A puppy. A puppy!" The squeals continued and Nikolay finally walked toward me as they romped around.

When the puppy bounded toward the tree, both Nikolay and I had to stop him.

"Oh, boy," he said under his breath.

"This room is off limits," I said. At least until the puppy was trained.

"I think we made him happy?"

I tipped my head and smiled. "Yes, you did, Daddy St. Nik."

"Ha. We did." He couldn't seem to help pulling me into his arms, kissing me on the lips.

Suddenly, about thirty seconds later, there was silence.

We looked down to see both the puppy and Damien staring at us.

"Santa needs sugar too," Nikolay said.

I'll be damned if Damien didn't roll his eyes. "Daddy. Mommy. I'm gonna be five soon. I know who my daddy is. You're not Santa."

And just like that, he resumed frolicking with the puppy.

It didn't dawn on me for almost ten seconds that he'd called me Mommy. I couldn't contain my tears. I was overwhelmed with emotion. "He called me Mommy."

"I know," Nikolay said as he yanked off his beard and hat, pulling me into his arms once again. "You are his mother now. If, I mean, you want the job."

"It's no job, Nikolay. Being here with you. With him. It's a sheer pleasure. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love you."

He shook his head, exhaling as he pulled me even closer. "I never thought I could love anyone, but I was so wrong. So very wrong."

As he kissed me again, the moment full of passion, suddenly a noise sounded just outside the sets of French doors and I froze.

"Nikolay. There's someone out there. Get your gun."

He chuckled and pushed me away gently. "Relax, my darling brat. I have a little surprise for you."

"I don't like surprises."

"So cynical. It's time to enjoy life."

Enjoy. My mind was still processing the events of the last few months, even though I tried hard not to allow the horrible memories to interfere. My mother had called several times and I wasn't entirely certain I was ready to see her other than at the funeral. Maybe the holiday spirit would kick in. Maybe.

He was whistling as he walked toward one set of doors. I folded my arms. What had he done?

When he opened the door, Vadim and Caroline as well as Aleksander and Raphaella bolted in carrying dozens of colorfully wrapped presents.

"What is this?"

"Surprise," Vadim answered, a huge grin on his face. Seeing the Santa hat on his head made me laugh. "Took you long enough, brother. Jesus. It's freezing out there."

"Hey, we were a little busy," Nikolay countered.

The puppy was romping, barking up a storm and the two women, whom I'd grown to adore, were fawning all over him.

Maybe we could be just a normal family for a little while. Maybe love would always be enough, and we certainly felt the warmth of such a powerful emotion inside this house.

And maybe, just maybe, the child I was carrying would adore her big brother.

My little secret. A Christmas surprise of my own.

Nikolay

Life was precious.

I'd learned that in spades, although it had been a rough ride.

I stood back while the men I considered my brothers walked in, already laughing and celebrating as they placed presents under the tree. Almost immediately, Damien moved to the crowd, showing off his new puppy.

To say I was happy was an understatement, although there would always be questions and concerns in the back of my mind. I'd killed my brother, something that would continue haunting me. There'd been no other choice but that didn't mean the heartache wasn't there, cutting through me like a knife. I'd loved him.

I'd looked up to him.

To think he'd sold out his daughter based on greed was still something I couldn't believe, even if the contract stated otherwise.

The Armenians were humbled, an attempt made on the leader still haunting the group. He'd survived, but the ripple effect of the power my brother and the Kaskov Bratva had lost rocked the city and every remaining small syndicate. Kaskov's days were numbered. I felt it in my bones, but we'd allowed him to live.

Maybe we were fools but at this point, he would never come after us.

I tried my best to shake off the ugliness, but it was time for a drink. I headed to the bar, quickly realizing Vadim and Aleksander were following me. I poured three scotches, the best liquor money could buy.

As I handed both men a drink, Vadim shook his head. "The house is incredible. The tree is beautiful."

"I agree. It's perfect."

"The pup ain't bad either," Aleksander said.

A quiet reverence had fallen over all of us after the event. We'd lost the diamond shipment in its entirety, the boat sinking in deep water. Millions down the drain. But… we had the items that my brother and Kaskov had stolen to the tune of nearly a billion. It was ironic. We'd returned the merchandise stolen from Bernardi, of which only added to the strength of our alliance.

The rest?

The items were sitting on ice so to speak. We didn't need the money. We'd actually donated to additional charities, taking hard looks at our businesses. Maybe some changes were in order. Maybe we were evolving all over again. Maybe we were finally ready to enjoy life, not just money and power.

How ironic.

"I think we should have a toast," Vadim said after glancing at his beautiful wife.

"Agreed," Aleksander said. Both men were reflective tonight. I couldn't blame them. It was two days before a grand holiday.

And I planned on feasting, feeding, and enjoying for days.

The thought made me laugh.

"And I must say, you look damn good as Santa," Vadim teased.

"Very funny. You stick on the suit." I gave him a harsh look that was fake.

We all laughed. How things changed.

"The toast?" Aleksander said. "We have partying to do, boys."

Vadim was obviously thinking about what he wanted to say. "We've grown as men and as a company, gentlemen. We have influence, power, and all the expensive toys we could ever want. But we've been luckier than most. We found the true meaning of life. Love. We found women we adore and a fresh look at what enjoyment should be. In my book, that means we are three of the luckiest men in the world."

We clinked glasses and I knew in my heart he was right.

We were the luckiest men in the world.

Three dangerous, ruthless, and unrelenting dudes who'd parlayed ideas into fortunes. But our greatest gifts had been finding love.

It was really true that great men were powered by women.

My heart was full.

"Merry Christmas."

The End