Love, Always and Forever

by Alexis Morgan

  At least he hadn’t dragged Amy to the floor with him. Right now he was biting back curses as he waited for the pain to fade to a manageable level. Sarge trudged over to check on him, snorting in his face and coating Mikhail’s skin with a sticky layer of bulldog love. Great, the morning just kept getting better and better.

  Amy’s sleepy face appeared over the edge of the cushion, staring down at him in bewilderment. “Mikhail?”

  “Yeah, I’m still here.”

  By this point, Panda was yipping from the kitchen. Somebody needed to get up and let both dogs out. It appeared that Mikhail was the most likely candidate for that job. Grabbing onto the front of the couch and the edge of the coffee table, he leveraged himself up off the floor. Sarge trotted past him toward the kitchen to stand by the door. Mikhail let him out and then unlatched Panda’s crate. The puppy bolted past him to head outside with his buddy.

  Watching to make sure he navigated the steps down to the grass safely, Mikhail stretched his arms over his head and twisted from side to side. His back popped and crackled from sleeping on the couch, but all things considered, it was still one of the most restful nights he’d had in a while. The reason for that joined him in the kitchen.

  Amy sidled up next to him, her arm settling around his waist as she leaned her head against his arm. “Should I apologize for asking you to come over last night and then falling asleep on top of you so you couldn’t sleep in the comfort of your own bed?”

  “I’d be mad if you did. Other than falling off the couch this morning, I actually slept great.”

  In fact, there was nothing he wanted more right now than to get horizontal with her again, but this time he wouldn’t be interested in doing much sleeping. Despite his sleep-fogged brain and the knock on his head, he was pretty sure that wasn’t a good idea, even though he couldn’t quite remember why.

  Considering how the front of his pants was tenting right now, his body was all for the idea even if his brain wasn’t. Judging from the flush on Amy’s face, she’d noticed the effect she was having on him, too. She backed away.

  “Uh, why don’t I make us some coffee?”

  Mikhail waited until she turned toward the counter to put his hands on her shoulders and tug her back against his chest. He kept his hands anchored firmly right where they were so he wouldn’t remind himself how perfectly her breast had fit his palm. “I can’t help how my body reacts to having you close by, but nothing’s going to happen that you don’t want to happen. Not now. Not ever.”

  Although holding her close like this, with her delectable backside pressed right up against Misha Jr., didn’t help his good intentions at all.

  “I know that, Mikhail.”

  “Neither of us started out intending to spend the rest of the night sleeping on your couch, but all we did was sleep.”

  She set the coffee canister back down. “I know, but I’ve never ever—”

  Before she could finish, the phone rang. She lunged for the receiver like it was a life preserver. He stepped back out of the way to give her the space she obviously needed right now. Clearly, it was time to gather up Sarge and head back home.

  “Hi, Mom, what’s up?”

  Amy’s eyes tracked Mikhail’s every movement while he changed Panda’s water and dished up the puppy’s breakfast for him. Then he headed out to the backyard to round up the dogs. Panda trailed after Sarge as the older dog charged up onto the porch, but the little guy struggled to clamber up the steps. While Mikhail ensured Panda made it okay, he listened to Amy’s half of the phone conversation.

  When he and the dogs came back inside, she was saying, “No, I’m not having trouble breathing. I was out on the porch watching Panda take care of business when the phone rang. I had to hustle back inside to answer it.”

  Mikhail leaned in close enough to whisper near her ear, “Tsk, tsk, lying to your mom.”

  —

  “Hush!”

  He smothered a laugh and kissed her on the cheek when she immediately lied again. “No, Mom, I don’t have company.”

  Waving goodbye, Mikhail and Sarge started out the back door. When Panda tried to follow, Amy swooped down to capture him before he made good on his escape.

  “That noise you heard was Panda growling at something he didn’t like out on the porch. A slug, maybe, or some other disgusting creature.”

  Mikhail shot her a look that said there would be retribution for that crack, but she didn’t care. As much as she appreciated him coming to her rescue, the last thing she wanted was for her mother to get the idea that she’d spent the night curled up in her handsome neighbor’s arms.

  “So, what’s up? It’s kind of early for you to be calling.”

  As she listened, she shook her head even though her mother couldn’t see that she was doing it. No way she was going to do what her mom was asking.

  “Sorry, Mom, but no. You can just call them back and cancel. I’m not available that day.”

  There went another lie, but she’d make darn sure she had other plans.

  “I know it’s been almost a year, but I’ll make my own appointments.”

  When it came to most things, Amy’s move to her own home had forced her family to start accepting that she was an adult and capable of taking care of herself. There was one area of her life, though, that they just couldn’t let go of no matter how much she needed them to. If she didn’t carve one of those lines in the ground that she and Mikhail always talked about, she’d never get them to back off.

  “I’m sorry if you’ll be embarrassed about calling them back, but you shouldn’t have made the appointment without asking me first.” She paused to draw a breath. “Or actually at all, Mom. You should’ve told them that I no longer live with you and that they should contact me directly.”

  When her mother sputtered and protested, Amy held firm. “Look, maybe you meant well, Mom, but you don’t control my life anymore. If you’re in an awkward position, that’s not my fault. Regardless, I won’t be going to that appointment nor will I call to cancel it for you.”

  Because it would be all too easy to cave in and go just to make everyone happy. Everyone but her, anyway. “Now, I’ve got to get dressed and take Panda for a walk before I start work. Tell everyone hi for me.”

  Then she hung up. When the phone rang again within seconds, she ignored it and walked away. In the bathroom, she immediately cranked the shower up to full so she wouldn’t have to hear the phone if it started up again. Holding her face up to the hot spray, she did her best to pretend that there weren’t any tears mixed in with the water circling down the drain.

  This morning had been unique in her life, especially considering she’d never spent the night in a man’s arms before. There were good reasons for that, but things were different now. Her inexperience had made things a little awkward, but the two of them would’ve gotten past that. Even now, she could remember the warmth of Mikhail’s big hands on her shoulders when he’d promised her nothing would happen that she wasn’t ready for.

  That could be a problem, because there was a lot she wanted to happen. How could she give in to temptation when she had secrets she hadn’t found the courage to share with him? Secrets that could change everything. And even if she’d forgotten that for a few seconds, her mother’s intrusive call had served as a stark reminder.

  Her conscience was pretty sure that she had overreacted to what her mother had done, but she wasn’t going to apologize. Not this time. Good intentions didn’t count for much when the end result was spoiling what could’ve been a special moment for her and Mikhail. Even if it was one she suspected she wasn’t ready for.

  That didn’t mean she’d given up on more adventures. More firsts they could share. She shut off the water and reached for her towel. Stepping out of the shower, she looked down at her new constant companion.

  “So, Panda, do you think I should ask Mikhail when he’d like to help me pick out a motorcycle? I only have one more training class to go before I’m cleared to ride
on the streets.”

  The puppy was too busy licking the water off her feet to offer up any opinions on the subject. “Hey, you little rascal, that tickles.”

  When she jerked her foot back out of reach, Panda pounced, liking the new game. For the next few minutes, she made them both happy playing naked tag in the bathroom and out into her bedroom. By the time she was dressed, her mood was much improved.

  Before she lost her nerve, she dialed Mikhail’s number. When it went to voicemail, she considered simply hanging up. That way she could chicken out with her dignity more or less intact. Deciding that was the coward’s way out, she left a message and crossed her fingers he’d get back to her soon. “Hey, there. Will you have some time later this week to go shopping with me? I need your help picking out something sleek and black and with a lot of chrome.”

  Her phone pinged with a new text message a few minutes later. His answer was short and to the point. You bet. I’m off Friday. We can go then.

  —

  Amy’s escort had shown far more patience with her waffling than she would have if their positions had been reversed. Mikhail had trailed after her from bike to bike, only speaking when she asked him a question. Regardless, she wasn’t surprised when he finally spoke up. “You’re still sure you want to do this?”

  No, she wasn’t, but that only made it that much more important that she carry through with her plan. “Yes, I’m sure. Now, what do you think of this one?”

  Mikhail did her the courtesy of giving her his honest opinion of the motorcycle in front of them. The salesman hovered a short distance away, ready to answer any questions she sent his way, but he obviously knew whose opinion really counted here.

  “I wouldn’t want to go on a weeklong vacation on it.”

  In other words, it wasn’t the one he would choose for her. She really appreciated that he’d let her make up her own mind, but at the same time he wasn’t going to let her pick a bike she’d end up hating.

  She wandered through the dealership, rejecting some bikes for various reasons: price, size, looks. When she found herself circling back to the same bike for the third time, she stopped.

  “This one.”

  Mikhail had been hanging back a little, but now he moved up to stand beside her. “It’s a beauty. Perfect, in fact.”

  “Is that because it looks like a smaller version of yours or because it’s the right one for me?”

  Although she already knew the answer. This is the one he would have picked for her if she left it up to him.

  “Does the price work for you?”

  That was the one sticking point. Her savings had taken a pretty big hit from buying the house and everything that entailed.

  “It’s over the budget I set for myself. Even with the amount I plan to put down, the payments would still be a stretch for me.”

  The salesman must have scented a sale, because he finally spoke up. “If it makes a difference, we just took a similar bike in on a trade. It’s two model years older but has low mileage, and it’s been well maintained. We’ve done all the service on it, so we can show you all of its records. The woman who owned the bike upgraded to a more expensive model.”

  Okay, then. “Can I see it?”

  An hour later, the check was written, the paperwork signed, and Amy had possession of the keys.

  A few butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach as soon as she and Mikhail had walked into the dealership. Now that she was about to drive the bike out of the parking lot, that fluttering flock had increased exponentially. Even so, that didn’t keep her from grinning from ear to ear as she revved the engine and followed Mikhail out onto the street. He’d promised they’d keep to side roads today to give her a chance to get used to the bike.

  So far, so good. She’d taken all the classes that were offered, and Mikhail had worked with her in a huge parking lot with his bike. That had been fun but hadn’t felt real.

  This, though, with the wind in her face and the rumbling of the engine so much more up close and personal than when driving her car, this was real. Fun. Daring. Exciting.

  Exactly the kind of thing that had been missing from her life for so long. She pulled up next to Mikhail at the corner as they waited for the light to turn green.

  “You doing okay?”

  She gave him a thumbs-up and let her smile speak for itself.

  Then they were off and running again. It occurred to her that this was yet another first in her life that she’d shared with this man. Another item checked off her list of things she wanted to experience.

  There was a major one left on the list, one that simmered right below the surface whenever they spent much time in each other’s company. But before they crossed that bridge, she’d have to figure out how to tell him about her past. God knows she didn’t want to do that. Once she spoke those words, they couldn’t be taken back, and their friendship might be altered in ways that could never be changed. So until her back was against the wall and she had no choice, she’d go on pretending she was just like all the other women he’d ever known.

  Even if she wasn’t.

  Chapter 12

  Ricky dumped the contents of the wheelbarrow on the tarp they’d spread across the driveway. “Uncle Mikhail, tell me again why we’re digging up half your grass?”

  “To make my yard look better.”

  The teenager gave the torn-up lawn a skeptical look. “Really? You really think a bunch of dirt clods looks better than grass?”

  “Smart ass. No, I don’t think dirt looks better than grass, but I need to clear out the sod before I can bring in new plants.”

  Mikhail studied the new flower bed along the edge of the yard and tried to imagine what it would look like once the new bushes and perennials were in. It would look good, wouldn’t it? He didn’t appreciate Ricky making him second-guess his plans. Why couldn’t the kid just do the work he was being paid to do?

  “Grass is plants.” Ricky took a drink of water from the bottle he’d left sitting on the porch. “Or should it be ‘grass are plants’?”

  Like grammar mattered right now. “As long as you’re getting paid, do you really care what I’m doing with my yard?”

  Ricky laughed. “Nope, not in the least.”

  Mikhail slit open another bag of compost. “Then get back to work.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ricky executed a sloppy salute and pushed the wheelbarrow over to shovel in another load.

  Rolling his eyes, Mikhail felt much put-upon. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a nephew like you.”

  The kid laughed. “Just lucky, I guess.”

  There was no harm in admitting that much. “Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head. No matter what that gaggle of girls who keep calling you might think, you’re cute, but not that cute.”

  “Sure I am. Just ask them.”

  “Humble, too.”

  Ricky only grinned again. “As far as I can tell, women find all us men in the Lukash clan irresistible.”

  “Yeah, right. It’s a burden we’ve all had to learn to live with.” He went back to mixing the compost into the soil. “Like I said, get to work before I dock your pay for being such a pain in the ass.”

  The kid’s last comment had actually stung a bit. If Mikhail was so damn irresistible, how come he hadn’t gotten laid since who knows when? That had him automatically glancing toward the house next door. The answer to that question was pretty damn obvious. Amy was the only woman he was interested in, but they were still abiding by their friends-only policy.

  Maybe he should do something about this growing need for some feminine companionship, the kind that involved getting naked together. However, with both of his brothers happily married now, he lacked a wingman to go out prowling with. Maybe he should give Tino’s buddy Jay a call and see if he’d like to hit a bar or two to check out the local action.

  Surely there was someone out there who wouldn’t mind hooking up for the short term. But when he tried to picture a likely candid
ate for a night of sweaty sex, the only image that would come into focus was a certain leggy brunette who had a thing for motorcycles and bulldogs.

  A sharp whistle cut through his tangle of thoughts. He jerked upright and looked around to spot Ricky staring at him from across the yard.

  “Did you say something?”

  “I didn’t.” He pointed next door. “She did.”

  Mikhail shook his head to clear it. “Sorry. Guess I got lost in the pure joy of spreading manure.”

  As excuses went, that one was pretty lame; however, it was better than admitting to his nephew and his sexy neighbor that he’d been too busy picturing her naked to hear a word she’d said.

  “Did you need something?”

  “I’m going to make a quick trip to the store. I wanted to make sure it was all right if Panda stayed here with you two for a little while longer. Otherwise, I’ll take him back inside.”

  The puppy had been sniffing around the yard with Sarge for the past hour. Right now, both dogs were sacked out on the porch happily snoring away. “He’ll be fine.”

  “Do you need anything while I’m there?”

  What he needed they didn’t stock at the store. “Nope, I’m good.”

  In fact, he’d love to show her how good he was. How good the two of them would be. He wanted to grab that ponytail and hold her head at exactly the right angle to kiss her until they both went up in flames and down for the count.

  As she pulled out of the driveway, he noticed that Ricky was watching him with an odd look on his face. “What, kid?”

  “Seeing Amy reminded me that I was supposed to ask you something. Uncle Tino wants to know if you’ve made up your mind about bringing a plus-one to that charity dinner dance we’re all supposed to go to next weekend.”

  Well, crap, he’d forgotten all about that. The last thing he wanted to do was get dressed up and hang around at some fancy country club on his night off. “I haven’t made up my mind if I’m even going at all.”

  Ricky’s expression brightened right up. “Really? Any chance I could stay home with you?”