by Kay Loren
“Morning sickness,” she replied after flushing the toilet. “I hate it.”
She stood up and walked over to the sink, picking up her toothbrush and putting toothpaste on it. She scrubbed her teeth clean, brushing her tongue until she could no longer taste the bile.
“Anything I can do?” he asked standing behind her.
“Carry the baby for me?” she suggested with a grin after rinsing her mouth clean. “Like a male seahorse.”
Nikolai wrapped his arms around her and rested his hands on her hips and his chin on her shoulder. He looked carefree and boyish with his hair tousled. “I would if I could. Anything to ease your well being.”
Audrina turned in his arms and faced him. “For some odd reason I really believe you would.”
“I would,” he kissed her nose and then her mouth. His hands roamed down to her small belly and he splayed his hands over, covering most of her stomach with his big hands. “And anything for this little one.”
Audrina froze for a moment before she relaxed into his touch. “I think it’s a boy,” she said and then told him about the child from her dream the day before.
Nikolai smiled and then looked at her belly with furrowed brows. He rubbed his hand over her belly again and shook his head. “I think it’s a girl.”
“What makes you say that?” she smiled shyly placing her hand over his.
“I feel it in my heart.”
“Want to bet on it?” she teased, sure she was right.
“Bet what?” he smirked and crossed his arms.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. Usually she bet money or gifts with Nikki but what could she bet the man who had everything at the tip of his fingers. “A massage?”
“I know,” Nikolai smiled with a wicked gleam in his eye. “If it is in fact a boy, I will give you whatever your heart desires. Anything you want. But if I win, I want a dance from you.”
“A dance?” she chuckled.
“The way you danced when I first met you,” he stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. “Just for my eyes only.”
Audrina smiled shyly. “Why?”
“Let’s just say it has been a fantasy of mine ever since I saw you perform that one night.”
“You can see anybody dance like that for you,” she laughed. “I know some great performers who would be happy to do it.”
Nikolai shook his head slowly. “Only you. And what I want to do after is another thing.”
Audrina pressed her thighs close. He was serious.
“Anything I want, I could have?”
“Anything,” he agreed.
“Okay,” she said after a while. “You’re on.”
Nikolai licked his bottom lip. “I hope you have kept your costumes.”
“I have them packed away somewhere,” she blushed.
“I’m going to go downstairs and see what’s what,” Nikolai stated when he heard a guard laugh loudly from down the hall. “Will you be okay?”
“Of course,” she smiled. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He kissed her neck and then her jaw. He hovered by her mouth for a moment before he placed a sweet kiss onto her lips. “I love you.”
She chuckled hearing him say those three words. Could she ever get tired of him saying that to her? She ran her hand over his cheek thinking back to the dream she had. She loved him more than she realized. “I love you so much.”
He smiled shyly before kissing her once more. “I’ll see you in a little while.” he tapped her playfully on the butt and exited the room.
Chapter Thirty
“I see you two had a reunion of sorts,” Nikki smiled gleefully sitting at the end of the bed.
“What makes you say that?” Audrina blushed.
“I came to bring you a change of clothes and I saw Nikolai coming out of your room, shirtless,” she replied with a wink and a grin.
Audrina felt her cheeks and ears burn. “He came in here late last night and we talked and then… you know…”
Nikki giggled. “Yeah I know.”
Audrina slipped into the short, flowy yellow dress Nikki lent her. She pulled the thin straps securely over her shoulders and smoothed the material over her stomach. Nikolai’s favorite color is yellow, she remembered. Perhaps he would like the dress.
For the first time in over a month, she felt just as good on the inside as she looked on the out. She even put on some of Nikki’s makeup. She felt more like her old self again.
“Good morning!” Svetlana greeted cheerfully. She blew air kisses at Nikki and Audrina from her place at the table. “The boys will be joining us for breakfast.”
As if on cue, Nikolai and Sergei walked into the dining room with Alek following closely behind them. Nikolai came up to Audrina who had not sat down yet and kissed her temple.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear and gave her a once over again.
“And you look very handsome,” she replied seeing that he had showered and dressed in a suit. He smelled of the same cologne that drove her wild. He smirked when he saw her eyes closed and her nose lingering close to his body.
Nikolai pulled out a chair for her next to the head of the table where he always sat. She sat and Sergei took the seat next to her with Nikki on his other side. Alek took a seat across the table where Svetlana sat. He glanced at Audrina quickly with a tight smile.
Olga appeared into the dining room with a coffee pot in hand and went straight over to Nikolai to serve him first. Audrina observed everyone at the table closely. Several men came into the dining room and Nikolai welcomed them to sit. He whispered to Audrina that he liked to make sure he dined with some of the men who worked for him each day as a way to keep everyone close.
No one talked of anything ‘business’ wise, much to Audrina’s comfort. Conversation was as normal as can be with Sergei and Svetlana doing most of the talking. Nikolai was quiet for the most part, only interjecting when asked questions or when whispering to Olga when he wanted more coffee or something pertaining to food.
“We should go shopping!” Svetlana blurted out suddenly to Nikki and Audrina.
Nikolai quickly shut the idea down, scolding her in in their native tongue. Svetlana frowned and set her fork down. Audrina was sure Svetlana didn’t know what was going on and why it wasn’t shopping wasn’t the best idea given the situation with Michael.
Audrina glanced over at Nikolai and placed her hand on top of his. She didn’t say anything. She just gave him a tight smile and he sighed, reigning his temper.
“It’s not a good idea,” he said softly to Svetlana.
“I didn’t bring enough clothes,” Nikki whispered lowly to Sergei. “Do you think you can pick some up from my apartment?”
Sergei nodded. “I can go by a little later.”
Nikolai spoke to Sergei directly in their native tongue. Audrina wondered what they spoke of and thanks to Svetlana’s gleeful expression she could guess it pertained to her having her way.
“I don’t care how many guys you send with us as long as I can get out of the house for a while!” Svetlana squealed.
“I’m sure I can spare Sergei for an hour or two,” Nikolai said.
“We’re gonna have so much fun!” Svetlana said to Nikki and Audrina.
“Nikki can go. Audrina has to stay,” Nikolai said. “Nikki can shop for her.”
“Why?” Svetlana whined.
Nikolai sighed but Audrina understood. It was for her own protection. Nikolai gave Svetlana a stern glare which quickly subdued her to silence. When her big, blue eyes met Audrina’s gaze, Audrina gave her a reassuring smile which made her smile too.
Commotion could be heard in the hall that lead to the dining room. It was Olga, the one who was raising her voice, shouting quickly in Russian without missing a beat. Audrina could not believe Olga’s outburst! She sounded angry and not like the cool, calm woman Audrina had met just yesterday.
Sergei quickly got up from the table and went to see what the commotion was.
He walked back into the kitchen quickly after looking like he had seen a ghost. He leaned down to whisper in Nikolai’s ear but quickly stood up straight looking at the door.
The clacking of heels could be heard on the marbled floor approaching the dining room. A tall woman entered, her big brown eyes scanning the room slowly. Audrina’s mouth fell open. The woman was absolutely stunning! She looked as if she stepped off the cover of a high fashion magazine. The woman exuded richness and an alluring beauty that Audrina had never seen before.
A set of pearls hung from her long, thin neck while every finger on her long hand had a beautiful ring adorning it. Her light brown hair had a diamond pin in it to show off her sculpted face and high cheekbones. The woman glanced down at Nikolai with a smile and came up to him. He just watched her with cool eyes.
She kissed his cheek. “Hello husband.”
Husband! Audrina nearly fell out of her chair. This stunning woman is Nikolai’s wife! Nikolai had never mentioned being married. Not even once. Audrina could feel her breath hitched in her throat.
Nikolai muttered something to her which resulted in her laughing and flipping her hair back gracefully. He stood up, embracing her warmly and then placed a kiss to her cheek. Audrina glanced at Sergei who had his arms crossed over his chest and a narrowed look on his face.
“Hello to you all,” the woman purred, waving her perfect manicured fingers at everyone. A few men at the table huffed while just a couple seemed beyond pleased with her arrival. “Who are all these lovely ladies?” she asked.
Nikolai introduced Svetlana first followed by Nikki and then Audrina who sat with a confused expression on her face. Nikolai gave Audrina a reassuring smile but Audrina could only glance back at the woman and all her beauty.
“I am Tatiana,” she stated.
“I did not know you were married brother,” Svetlana said lowly, still looking at Tatiana.
Nikolai was about to speak before Tatiana interjected on his behalf.
“Of course you remember,” Tatiana chuckled. “You were the flower girl! Although you were barely two years of age.”
Audrina did the math in her head. If Svetlana was twenty and she was in the wedding at two years of age then Nikolai had to have been around fifteen when he got married since he was thirty three now.
What the fuck!
Tatiana played with Nikolai’s tie, straightening it out for him. Audrina held herself back from launching a full on attack on the woman. Instead, she reigned her boiling temper as much as she could and pushed her plate away.
“Excuse me,” she said.
Nikolai turned to her just as she was about to stand. “Where are you going?”
She ignored him, hurt and annoyed with the fact that he had never told her about Tatiana. She wondered what else he had been keeping from her.
“Audrina sit,” Nikolai said sternly causing her to look up at him and his widened expression. “Please.”
“Is there any place we can speak privately?” she heard Tatiana whisper closely for Nikolai’s ears only.
Nikolai glanced at Tatiana with a nod. He led her out of the room without another glance at Audrina. She felt hurt but she would not let anyone else see how the unexpected situation affected her. They are just going to talk, she assured herself. She turned back to her breakfast, picking at the cold food.
“Did you know he was married?” Nikki whispered.
“No,” Audrina shook her head and then glanced at Sergei. “Did you know?”
Sergei looked down at his feet for a moment before glancing back up at Audrina. “Of course I knew.”
“And you never told me!” Nikki swatted his arm.
“I don’t go around telling everyone his business!” Sergei defended himself. “Besides, this is like the first time any of us have seen her in years!”
“You could have mentioned something!” Nikki gritted her teeth in outrage. Her eyes blazed at Sergei who just stared down at his boots. “This woman comes just out of the blue!”
“How was I supposed to know she was coming!” he retorted.
Nikki glanced at Audrina for a moment. Her green eyes looked like gems surrounded by molten lava. “I am so fucking angry with you!” she sneered.
Sergei reached out to touch her shoulder but she shrugged him away. Audrina heard him whisper, “Baby, I swear I did not know.”
Nikki said lowly, “We will talk about it later.”
“Does she live here?” Audrina asked out loud.
“God no,” Sergei shook his head and then gazed at Audrina with sincerity. “Just- Audrina… Please give him the chance to explain his marriage to you… It’s not what you think.”
Audrina took his words into consideration. She should give him the benefit of the doubt. He accepted her in her fucked up situation and she knew she should at least her him out, no matter the status of his relationship with Tatiana.
“I think I owe him that,” she nodded.
Sergei seemed pleased with her answer. He smiled and gave Audrina a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. “Thank you.” His eyes then flickered over to an angry Nikki. “We should go…that is if you still want to go.”
He turned to Nikki and Svetlana hoping they would still be excited to go shopping. Nikki did not seem to want to leave.
“I’m not leaving Audrina here while that woman is under the same roof,” Nikki said crossing her arms over her breasts.
Sergei looked defeated when Svetlana agreed.
“You guys go,” Audrina urged them. “I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Nikki whispered.
“Just go. Besides we can’t be swapping clothes forever…. I don’t even have underwear,” Audrina tried to joke.
It must have worked since Nikki giggled. Her eyes glanced at Sergei who watched her with a careful gaze. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes.”
Nikki kissed Audrina on the head before she stood up and went to Sergei’s side. Sergei tried to whisper his apologies but she shook her head, subduing him to silence.
Svetlana came over to Audrina’s side and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. She had no words for Audrina but her smile was enough to make Audrina feel content.
When they were gone, Audrina sat at the table for a while longer, looking towards the door where everyone had taken their leave. She wondered why Nikolai had never told her he was married especially since he had been married for so long. He never wore a wedding band or talked about his wife.
Audrina took in a deep breath recalling Sergei’s advice. Give him the chance to explain. After last night and their confession of love for each other Audrina concluded that she would do just that. It hurt her to find out the way that she did but everything was so fucked up she felt as if she deserved it.
Audrina stood up with a sigh and left the room. She felt suffocated. As she exited the dining room -and the adjoining hallway- she ran into Alek, who had excused himself before the whole Tatiana fiasco.
“Hey,” he greeted her with a smile. “Nikolai sent me to check on you.”
Audrina wrapped her arms around herself. She gave Alek a tight smile and just gazed at him silently. His comment about curiosity killing the cat bugged her slightly.
“Are you hungry?” he asked rubbing his palms together.
Audrina gave him a narrowed look. “I just ate.”
“Aren’t pregnant women hungry all the time?” he asked.
“No,” she felt herself smile at his statement. “Well not me, morning sickness is kicking my ass.”
“Fran, my sons mother, she didn’t go through that,” he stroked his smooth chin. “We didn’t even know she was pregnant till she was about five months.”
“You have a son?” Audrina asked, surprised by his admission.
“Yeah,” Alek smiled and pulled out his phone. “His name is Konstantin.”
Proudly, he showed her a picture of his son in what seemed like his baptism. He was a dark haired boy of may
be two and he looked just as, if not more handsome than Alek.
“He looks like you,” she smiled.
“Everyone tells me that,” he laughed. “But he’s all his mother. He never even knew her but he acts just like her.”
Audrina frowned. “He never knew her?”
Alek placed his phone back in his pocket and pressed his lips together. He walked slowly alongside Audrina. “She died a month after she had him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s been two years,” He sighed. “He doesn’t remember her…”
“You raised him all by yourself?” she asked.
“Pretty much,” he shrugged. “Fran’s mother is a big help. She takes care of him while I’m here working and sometimes Nikolai lets me bring him here to spend a few days.”
“Is Nikolai good with kids?” she asked curiously as they walked slowly side by side. They had no set destination but it seemed they were headed towards the indoor pool area that was towards the back of the house.
“Oh yeah,” Alek nodded. “He’s great with kids. My kid loves him a lot.”
The idea of Nikolai being good with kids made Audrina beam inside. It wasn’t a surprise to her that he was great with kids, but ever since she found out she was pregnant she wondered if he even liked kids.
Audrina looked around the indoor pool area. The pool took up the majority of the room and had two statues on one end of the long pool, that cascaded into a delicate waterfall. The glass all around the enclosed area made the room seem ethereal and reflect a cool color of blue off the white and gold walls. A row of white pool chairs laid on one side of the enormous pool while a small, iron patio set stood directly across where a round hot tub connected into the pool. It was magnificent.
She took a seat on one of the white lounging chairs to rest her feet. Alek shuffled from foot to foot before clearing his throat.
“I have to run a few errands,” he said. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” she nodded. She saw Alek in a different light after learning a little more about him.