by Alexa Riley
“You are jealous.” I steer the car away from the curb as he looks away from me and out the window.
“You will end up a miserable old man, and I will not be a part of it.” He curses as he rolls down the window and the cold air blows in.
I wait silently for him to get all of his anger out and I see his hands clench in his lap.
“Did we not swear to never marry?”
“We were children,” I remind him, but he shakes his head.
“I can’t give you my blessing.”
“You can, and you will.”
“I won’t.” He looks over at me then as I come to a stoplight.
“You can.” I pause as we exchange a look that doesn’t need words. “And you will.”
He rolls his eyes at me and looks away, but I know I’ve won. Frost and I are of one mind, and he knows that this decision was not made lightly.
“There’s no pussy that is worth the risk,” he mumbles, and I laugh.
“You’re wrong.” I smile to myself as a memory of Pumpkin spread wide before me flashes in my mind. Then I remember the little moans she makes when my cock sinks deep, and I’m hard. “Her pussy is worth everything.” I shrug as I adjust myself, and he makes an irritated sound. “Her heart is worth much more than that.”
“You sound like a lovestruck boy.”
“I am.” I smile brightly at him and can see that he’s trying to hide his laughter at my idiocy.
“Next time warn me when you have a sleepover. I will close my windows.”
“Then you should invest in bars. She’s moving in.” When he looks at me with wide eyes, I shrug again. “As soon as I tell her.”
“I don’t need the details.”
“Oh, and you’re coming to Thanksgiving tomorrow with her family.”
“I didn’t agree to this.” He scowls at me, and I smile wider.
“You have no choice.”
He doesn’t answer because we both know he will come with me. We don’t like to be apart for very long, and spending a holiday apart would be sad for both of us.
“Why don’t we focus on getting this meeting over with?” He takes out his phone and sends a few quick texts. “She said to meet us downtown.”
I sigh because this is just like our mother to change locations at the last second. No doubt she’s angry we aren’t going to be present during their Thanksgiving celebration, so she’s using this as a power move.
“What do you think she wants to speak to us about?” I ask, and Frost shrugs.
“I try not to think about either of them if possible.”
He puts in the address on the GPS, and I make the turn. We ride in silence for a while until I see the address is a restaurant. At least having it in a public place will make things easier. She’s less likely to cry and become overly emotional.
I park the car at the curb and send a quick text to Pumpkin telling her I miss her. She sends one back right away, and it makes my heart warm. I need that right now because it feels like I’m going into battle with my family.
When we walk into the restaurant, I see our parents at the bar. It’s noon, but they’re both holding cocktails like this is normal behavior. I bite my tongue as she smiles to us and we approach them.
None of us move to embrace as Frost and I remain still with our hands in our pockets.
“Boys,” our mother says as she holds up her glass in a cheers motion before she takes a sip. “Do you want a drink before we go to our table?”
Frost shakes his head, and I decline as well. Our father doesn’t speak as he follows behind his wife to the dining area.
I can feel the tension rolling over Frost from behind me, and I slow down to leave room between us and them. I turn around and lean close as I whisper, “I believe my Pumpkin may be pregnant after last night. What if it’s twins?”
For a brief moment he smiles at me like all of his worries are forgotten. It’s exactly what I wanted to do, give him just a glimmer of hope and something to focus on instead of how awful being with them makes us feel.
“Da?” he asks, and I nod. He presses his lips together and nods to go forward, but I know even that small thought is enough to lift his spirits.
We take our seats, and immediately the waiter comes over with menus and takes our drinks. Our parents order another round, and for the first time our father looks us over.
“You look well.” There is only a hint of a slur to his words, so they must have just started.
Pumpkin messages me again asking if I’m coming for Thanksgiving and I respond right away. Then she asks me if we’re exclusive, and I want to ask her if the imprint of my dick in her pussy wasn’t hard enough, but I settle for telling her I’ll slaughter any man that breathes the same air as she does.
The waiter comes back with my water and I take a sip to distract myself from thoughts of proving how exclusive we are.
We order, and I pick the special without even asking what it is because there’s no way I can eat. I make small talk about their upcoming Thanksgiving party, but neither Frost nor I confirm if we will be there. Our father stays silent as our mother prattles on and on about her friends in society with money and connections. They have managed to stay in these small circles by hiding their dirty secrets. It’s one of the many reasons we can’t be a part of their lives, because we are pulled into their toxic relationships.
“Why did you need this meeting?” I ask our mother once the pleasantries are out of the way.
“You’re in such a hurry to leave?” she huffs, pretending to be annoyed. “I said you needed to be on your best behavior.”
“And you said we owed you,” Frost cuts in.
She looks down at her hands, and her cheeks flush as her lips tremble. She has this act down perfectly. “I just thought that we could be a family.”
I don’t need to look at Frost to know what he’s feeling. We’re both annoyed and yet there is a hint of guilt. We left her with this man and were all too eager to get away from the both of them. He’s toxic, but she’s just as bad and then blames us for not staying.
“And how would you like to accomplish that?” I ask, trying to be diplomatic.
“She has someone for you,” my father offers, and Frost and I look at him, surprised.
“What the fuck?” Frost says in Russian.
Our mother takes a big gulp of her cocktail and then waves her hand like it’s no big deal. “I know you two share everything, so I found a woman that is willing to marry you both.”
Before I can open my mouth, Frost is pushing away from the table. “We are finished here.” He tosses his napkin onto the table and walks away.
I look at my father and then to my mother and shake my head. “He’s right. We have nothing left to discuss.”
I stand up, and my mother slams her hand on the table, making the dishes rattle. “You have no respect.”
What I’d like to do is lean over the table and tell her exactly what I think she deserves, but then I think of Pumpkin and what she would do. She would show compassion and patience, and that’s something I’ve never done.
“Your blood no longer binds you to us.” I take out my wallet and pull out a stack of bills. I place them carefully between us on the table as she looks up with watery eyes. “This is something that we’ve needed to end for a very long time.”
“Miller—” My father tries to cut in, but I silence him with a glare.
“You insult us and then expect us to bend to your wishes?” I shake my head. “You do not deserve our presence, let alone our affection.”
“Ungrateful,” my mother hisses, and I smile sadly at her.
“Perhaps.” I nod as I tuck my wallet into my jacket. “But I will remain ungrateful while never speaking to you again.”
They are silent as I turn from the table and walk out of the restaurant just as the food is delivered. When I step outside, I see that Frost is gone and so is my car. I sigh, knowing he left because he needed to get out of there, but he coul
d have at least waited.
“Miller!” I hear my name and turn to see Chel coming close.
Before I can react, she’s putting her arms around me in an embrace and holding my face. I start to put distance between me and the young woman who has always been too touchy for my liking.
“Chel,” I say and look around like Frost will appear any second.
“Your mom said to meet you boys here, but I didn’t imagine you’d be waiting for me outside. I’m so sorry I’m late. I had the worst time finding parking.”
It takes me a second to catch up, but when I do, I’m livid. Chel is the daughter of someone in my parents’ circle. I assume this is the woman my mother intended for my brother and me to share. Are we such low dogs we can only fuck one woman? The thought turns my stomach sour when I think of sharing Pumpkin.
“She’s inside,” I say as I take my phone out and hit the number for my driver. Wyatt answers and says he’s on his way without me saying a word, and I’m grateful for him.
“Are you coming?” She steps closer and tries to put her hand on my chest, but I dodge the contact.
“Nyet,” I hiss, holding my hands up and walking away.
I can’t do this. I can’t handle my parents and this bullshit on top of it. I’m going to kill Frost for leaving me here, but all of that can wait. What I need right now more than anything is to hold Pumpkin in my arms. When she’s wrapped around me, all's right with the world.
Chapter Fifteen
Pumpkin
Cookie pushes the cart down the aisle of the grocery store, and I try not to think about what I saw earlier. I trust him, so I’m choosing to wait until I hear the whole story.
Now that I know both Miller and his brother are coming, I want to make sure we have enough food. My heart flutters thinking about him. He said he has family things to deal with, and as much as I don't want to leave his side, I know family is important, so I smiled and told him I’d see him later.
I can’t help but wonder if he might change his mind and have dinner with his family instead. I know I’m being stingy with wanting him to come be with me for Thanksgiving, but there’s no way I could skip out on mine.
In the back of my mind there’s a small voice that wonders why he didn't ask me to come along today. It’s silly because we’ve only known each other for a short time, but I invited him to spend the day with my family already. Our connection is so deep it feels like I’ve known him my whole life.
Mom told me I was being silly but quickly caved, saying if I wanted to get extra food then I should so I don’t worry over it. She knows me well because I would have stressed out over having enough. Plus it gives me something to do so I don’t obsess over when Miller might call or text.
I peek over my shoulder, seeing the same man that I saw earlier. I’m either paranoid or someone is following me. I’m going with paranoid because there is no reason for someone to be following me.
“I think you’re right about getting more food. Your man is big,” Cookie says while wiggling her eyebrows. “Is he big everywhere?” I hit her with the loaf of French bread I picked up. “That’s a yes.”
“You hush.” My face heats, and I get turned on thinking about the things Miller does to my body. He’s the only lover I’ve ever had, but in my heart I know sex couldn’t be better with anyone else. It’s the connection we feel, or at least the one I feel.
“From how red your face is turning, you don’t need to answer me.”
I roll my eyes. He is big everywhere, and I’m still surprised he fit inside me. It was like our bodies were made for each other. I know it’s crazy, but I’m starting to think he’s my soul mate. I didn't ever believe in the whole “love at first sight” thing, but my mind has quickly changed after meeting Miller.
“I think we got everything,” Cookie states. I scan the cart and nod in agreement. “Let’s get out of here. I want to make the cheesecake tonight.”
My mouth waters thinking about her cheesecake. It’s the one thing she can make, and I swear she puts magic into it. She never tells anyone the recipe, so my cheesecakes never turn out quite right.
We both head toward the checkout and I see the same man again. What the heck is going on? I openly stare back at him while we bag up the groceries. Maybe he’s waiting for the right moment to hit on Cookie. Men are always fawning over her, but she never gives anyone a chance.
“You know him?” Cookie asks, seeing me stare at the guy. I shake my head and watch him walk out of the store. “He’s creepy.”
“Yeah he is.”
I find myself checking behind me as we drive home to see if someone is following us. I don’t see anything, so maybe he was just a weirdo who liked to stare.
“Did you girls buy the whole store?” my mom laughs as we bring in all the bags.
“I actually looked up some popular foods from Russia and I was going to give them a go. Pelmeni is sort of like a pastry dumpling and I want to try making a sharlotka. It’s like an apple cake.”
“She’s in deep,” Cookie says to Mom.
“What? I want them to feel welcome, that’s all.” It’s the truth. Again, I know I’m being crazy, but if this is what I think it is, then Miller is going to be around forever. Not that I’m ready to say that to him, because he would probably run for the hills. Aren’t men scared of commitment?
Am I mixing up love with lust? It doesn't matter. For now I don’t think that Miller is going anywhere. We can take things nice and slow if he wishes, but I’m not sure how long we can go slow with him not using protection.
“I’ve decided I’m quitting my job,” I blurt out, and both Mom and Cookie stand there looking shocked for a minute before they practically burst with happiness. They both hug me so hard I almost can’t breathe. “You were so excited when I took the job,” I say, pretending to be pissed.
“I wanted you to follow your dreams,” my mom says and then hugs me again. Of course she did.
“Thank you.” I kiss her on the cheek.
“I’m really starting to like this Miller guy if he’s got Pumpkin coming home,” Cookie chimes in.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” I admit.
“He just gave you the final push?” Cookie asks, and I nod.
We get to work prepping the food for tomorrow, and a little while later my phone chimes. I grab it so fast Cookie bursts into laughter, but I ignore her as I swipe to see what he sent.
Miller: I’ve missed you. Come stay the night with me.
I bite my lip, tempted to do it, but there’s still so much to be done.
Miller: There are things we need to discuss.
My stomach drops. “That’s never a good sign,” Cookie says from beside me, and I elbow my sister for reading my texts over my shoulder.
Me: Can we talk about them tomorrow when you come for Thanksgiving?
“Oh, good call. If he wanted to end it, he wouldn't come over for Thanksgiving.”
“That’s what I was thinking too,” I admit as I wait for him to message back.
Miller: I’m out front.
Well, I guess that answers that question. I bite the inside of my lip, worried about what he wants to talk about.
“Go talk to him,” Cookie pushes.
I wash my hands and take my apron off before I walk to the front door. When I open it, I see a black town car sitting in front of the house, and Miller gets out and holds the door open for me. When I slide in, I see he already has the partition up so the driver can't hear or see us. When he gets in after me, he shuts the door behind him and immediately pulls me into his lap.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you.”
With those four words I know he’s not breaking anything off, and I’m relieved. He drove here to have a few stolen moments with me because he missed me that much. His mouth is all over me, and then I feel the car moving. I don’t ask where we’re going, because all I can think about is Miller’s mouth on my body. In seconds he has my pants off and moves me to straddle his la
p. He kisses me as he frees his cock and then fills me in one hard thrust. He lets out a loud groan as I squeeze around him, not realizing how much I needed this connection.
“You're always so wet for me.”
He’s not wrong. The moment I saw him, my excitement began to spread. And right now I might be on top of him, but Miller is in control. His hands on my hips lift me up and bring me down on his thick, swollen length. It’s impossibly bigger than before, and with each thrust I swear he’s growing. He says something in Russian, and while I don’t understand it, it sounds so freaking hot that I clench and grind down on him.
“Play with your clit, krasota.” I do as he tells me, already so close to my orgasm. “Give me your pleasure,” he orders, and I come undone in his arms.
His warm release spills inside of me, and it spurs my orgasm on harder. Feeling him cum in me is so hot I bear down on him so he can’t escape. I rest my head on his shoulder, trying to catch my breath as the throb of him makes aftershocks roll through me.
“I missed you,” I tell him.
“I missed you too.” He plays with my hair. “You smell like sweets.”
“I’ve been prepping for tomorrow. It’s why I can’t stay with you tonight.” As much as I want to, I want tomorrow to be perfect.
“But tomorrow night?” The hand he has in my hair tightens. “I do not like sharing.”
“I’m all yours.”
“You are already all mine,” he says against my throat, and I smile.
When I snuggle into his chest, I realize he smells different. There’s a faint scent of perfume and I don’t like it. I think about the woman I saw him with earlier today and I’m close to saying something about it. But when I lean back and look into his eyes, I know that it’s not guilt I see, but sadness and need.
“How did everything go today?” I’ve decided to trust Miller, and I know that whatever that was, it wasn’t what it seemed, and I’ll let him tell me when he’s ready.
“I saw my mother and father. They will never change.” His voice is resigned, and I’m guessing that’s why he seemed sad.