by Roxie Rivera
"Benny!" He groaned my name while I painted his shaft with my tongue. Sucking the tip of him, I stroked his hard length and cupped his taut sac. He let loose a string of Russian when I swallowed most of him. Loving the taste and feel of him in my mouth, I took my time and enjoyed every moment of it.
"Fuck me," he practically begged. "Ride me, Benny. Now."
When he used that tone, there was no denying him. I crawled over his hips and grasped the base of his erection. Dragging the ruddy crown of him through my wet folds, I pushed him against my entrance. He thrust up into me, burying himself to the hilt. We both groaned with delight.
Gazes locked, we found a rhythm that left us panting and gasping. I did most of the work, swaying back and forth like a belly dancer on his lap. Dimitri relaxed on the bed and swept his hands up and down my body. When he toyed with my nipples, I inhaled a sharp breath. He pinched and rolled the dusky peaks, causing delicious little shocks to travel right to my pulsing clit.
Licking his thumb, he brought it down to the spot where our bodies were joined. He flicked the rough pad side to side over my clit. My lower belly clenched as need pooled hot and heavy between my thighs. His other hand squeezed my breast and tormented my poor nipple. I gripped his wrist as the first panicked flutter shuddered deep in my core. "Dimitri! I—ah! Dimitri!"
I could hear him laughing as I climaxed hard. Snapping my hips, I rode his cock as the pleasurable ripples exploded in my belly and arced through my chest.
"That was two," he said and thrust up into me. "Let's see how fast I can get you scream again."
"No! Wait! Oh!" I wasn’t ready to try to come again but he had that wickedly sexy grin on his face. I hissed when he brushed his thumb across my super sensitive clit. His thumb moved just to the side of the pulsing bud. The slow up and down strokes left me panting and shaking as that coil of ecstasy screwed tighter and tighter in my core.
This time, when I shattered atop him, I threw back my head and shrieked his name. My pussy fluttered around his cock. I could feel him growing harder and thicker inside me. With a growl, he thrust up inside me and joined me in an intense, shared orgasm. His fingertips bit into the fleshy softness of my ass so sharply I was sure there would be tiny bruises there by morning but I didn't care.
Slumped against his chest, I buried my face in the crook of his neck and inhaled the familiar scent of his cologne and sweat. His body heat soothed and relaxed me. Tucked against his steely body and safe in his arms, there was no place else I wanted to be.
Chapter Nineteen
Five Weeks Later
"Congratulations!" Erin engulfed me in her embrace and did a little happy dance with me.
Laughing, I hugged her back. "You already congratulated me when we broke the news a few weeks ago."
"I know." Grinning, she released me. "But what's an engagement party without another round of congrats?"
She had a point. I glanced around the Samovar and couldn't believe how many people were packed inside the restaurant. Nikolai had taken it upon himself to host a huge engagement bash. With Lena, Erin and Vivian's help, he'd organized the entire thing. So far everyone seemed to be having a great time. Of course, all the amazing food and free booze probably helped.
"Ivan and I bought you two a couple's gift but I got you a little something extra." Erin handed me a wrapped rectangle.
"Erin, you didn't have to get me anything."
"Take it." Smiling, she pushed it into my hands.
I peeled back the pretty pink wrapping paper and started giggling when I realized what it was. "A Russian workbook!"
Giggling, she explained, "I know how annoying it is to be unable to understand a dang thing that comes out of your man's mouth." She glanced over at Ivan who was laughing and telling an animated story with Yuri to a small group of men. Love burned brightly in her eyes for that giant bare-knuckle fighter of hers. Looking back at me, she added, "Ivan was seriously touched when I started learning his language. It meant a lot to him."
"I'm sure Dimitri will appreciate the gesture." With a self-deprecating smile, I said, "I'll probably have to hire Vivian as my tutor."
"Definitely," Erin agreed. Looking around, she asked, "Where the heck is she?"
"Um…" I rose on tiptoes to scan the crowd. My gaze landed on Lena first. She chatted with a couple of women and a man I didn't know. When she reached into her purse and withdrew business cards, I realized she was networking. Did that girl ever take a break?
"Oh, there she is!" Erin pointed Vivian out near the front of the restaurant. Her brows knitted together. "Did you invite Detective Santos?"
Surprised by the mention of my old friend's name, I shook my head. "I don't know. Lena handled all the invites. He's a friend from way back so maybe he got put on my guest list."
"Hmm," Erin hummed softly. "No, I think he's here for Vivian. He's still wearing his gun and badge."
"Why would he be here for Vivian?" I scooted over just enough to see the pair huddled together. Whatever they were talking about, it wasn't good. Vivian looked really upset and Santos wore an expression of displeasure.
"They're cousins. Maybe it's a family thing."
I reared back in shock. "Vivian and Eric Santos are cousins?"
She nodded. "I didn't know either until after we had that run-in with the Hermanos gang at Ivan's place. Santos was the detective on our case. Later, Vivian told me they were cousins. Her dad and his mom are brother and sister. Apparently, Santos' side of the family doesn't speak to her dad. They basically shunned him because he was a criminal."
I remembered the sordid tale Dimitri had told me. Vivian's family situation seemed even bleaker now. Movement off to Vivian's right caught my attention. Nikolai stepped away from a group of partygoers to watch the intense discussion.
Dressed in all black with that bright white shirt he preferred, the imposing Russian crossed his arms and seemed to be fighting the urge to get involved. His demeanor relaxed suddenly. I glanced at Vivian and Santos. They were hugging and seemed to have resolved their spat. Santos handed her a wrapped gift and quickly left the restaurant.
Without even trying to hide her nosiness, Erin waved at Vivian. She crossed the room, winding in and out of the crowd to clear a path to us. Along the way, Lena joined her, looping their arms together at the elbow. When they arrived in our secluded little corner, Erin pounced. "What the hell was that, Vivi?"
Stiff and obviously uneasy, she radiated anxiety. "It's my dad. He's getting early release from the federal pen."
"What?" Lena's harsh tone made me flinch. "How? When?"
Vivian shook her head. "I don't know how he got early release. Neither did Eric. It will be sometime around the New Year when they let him go."
Erin reached out and patted Vivian's arm. "What are you going to do?"
She shrugged. "What can I do? I'll probably have Eric help me put a restraining order against him but I doubt he'll let a piece of paper stop him from trying to talk to me."
Lena glanced over her shoulder before reluctantly asking, "Maybe you could ask Nikolai to do something about it."
Vivian looked back at her protector. Voice soft, she said, "I don't think I'll have to ask. Something tells me he already knew."
When she turned back to us, we exchanged uncertain glances. I, for one, had no idea what to say about any of this. We were all friends but I wasn't aware off all the dynamics involved in this Charlie-Foxtrot of a situation.
Lena sought to lighten the somber mood. She snatched my left hand. "Girl, you better be careful working in that kitchen of yours. You lose this in a batch of pan dulce or a tray of cupcakes and you're going to have to put up a big reward to get it back!"
Gazing at the gorgeous emerald-cut solitaire Dimitri had chosen, I confessed, "He made me swear I wouldn't wear it in the kitchen. I told him no problem."
"It really is a beautiful ring," Vivian said and tugged my hand closer for a better look. "It's so perfectly you. He did really well."
"Yes,
he did." I found Dimitri across the restaurant. He sipped a beer and laughed with Ivan and Yuri.
"So how is the bakery setup going?" Erin snatched a champagne flute from one of the passing waiters. "Ivan said you guys are getting close."
"We are. It's coming along a lot faster than I'd expected but we've got some of the bakery crew coming in to help. A lot of the guys who work for me do tile work or lay flooring or install drywall on the weekends anyway. They know the contractor I hired and he's only too happy to have more hands on the job."
"Probably because Dimitri inserted one of those bonus payments on early completion clauses," Lena remarked. "It's a good way to keep a contractor from milking you dry." She stepped away to grab a glass of white wine from another waiter. "Don't forget we're meeting at my graphic guy's place tomorrow. We have to okay the designs for the launch."
"I won't." I'd started using her color-coded scheduling system to keep track of everything. I wouldn't ever miss an appointment again.
"I heard the radio commercial on the way to class this morning," Vivian said. "It was catchy. I liked it."
"That's all Lena." I smiled at her. "This girl knows how to hustle."
Just then, a waiter stopped by our group with a tray of canapés. The overpowering scent of salmon and dill and some kind of egg salad made me queasy. I moved to the side and pressed my hand to mouth and nose.
Erin shot me a worried look after waving at the waiter to go. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," I said and swallowed hard. My stomach calmed slightly. "I think I caught a slight case of food poisoning from that Thai place the other night. I've been sick to my stomach ever since."
Erin frowned. "Benny, we ate there a week ago. You've been nauseated for, like, seven days?"
"Are you sure it's food poisoning?" Lena's dark eyebrows had arched to her hairline.
"Pretty sure," I replied.
Vivian lean forward and whispered, "Are you late?"
"For what?"
She rolled her eyes before focusing her gaze on my belly. "You know."
"No! I…" My brain short-circuited as I tried to remember the last time I'd had a period. It had been a week or so before Dimitri and I had gotten together so that meant my period was due…
My tummy pitched as I hastily recalculated. "I'm three weeks late."
Calmly, Erin asked, "You're sure? It could be the stress of everything you've been through in the last month and a half."
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Is it likely that you have a little Dimitri bun in your oven?" Lena asked the obvious question. "I mean, have you two been together without…?"
I blushed as I remembered that first morning when we'd made love and then again the night he'd asked me to marry him. "Yes. Twice."
"There's a drug store around the corner that's open all night. I could run over and grab a test," Vivian offered.
"No." I caught Dimitri's questioning gaze across the restaurant. Even at that distance, he could read me so easily. Glancing back at the girls, I said, "If I'm going to test, I'm going to do with him. You won't say anything until I'm sure?"
"No."
"Definitely not."
"Your secret is safe with me."
Assured they would keep mum until the time was right, I excused myself. Lena squeezed my shoulder as I left and smiled encouragingly. Moving through the thick crowd, I was stopped every few feet and hugged and congratulated. Some of the well-wishers I knew and others I didn't. Here, though, we were all friends.
Butterflies swarmed in my belly as I drew near Dimitri. He still chatted with Yuri, Nikolai and Ivan but his gaze skipped to me as I made my approach. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to tell him what I suspected. I fought the urge to press a hand to my still-flat tummy.
Deep down inside, I knew it to be true. All the little things I'd been ignoring and chalking up to stress over the last couple of weeks made sense. The nausea, the headaches, the sleepiness, my super sore breasts—they were all clear pregnancy signs but I'd been blind to them.
Dimitri held out his big hand as I came close. I placed my palm on his and enjoyed the heat of his fingers enveloping mine. Dragged to his side, I wrapped my arms around his waist. He kissed the top of my head and caressed my lower back. "What were the four of you whispering about so conspiratorially?"
"Oh that?" I shrugged and managed to play it off. "Just girl talk."
Dimitri's eyes narrowed with suspicion but he didn't pry. Instead, he said, "Yuri was just bragging on you. Apparently, you're doing very well in your lessons."
I shot the billionaire playboy a grateful smile. "He's teaching me all kinds of useful tricks for running a business on lean margins. I'm starting to look forward to checking my email every morning for my next lesson."
Yuri laughed. "I'm enjoying it actually. It's nice to pass on some of the things I've learned to someone who actually wants to learn them. Usually when I get requests for mentoring, they're from people who want to make a fast buck."
"Well that's not me," I said with a laugh. "If I was after fast money, I've gotten into the wrong business."
"Fast is rarely good. Sometimes the slow, easy build is the best way to happiness."
His teasing smile told me Yuri wasn't talking about business now. He meant relationships. My relationship with Dimitri fit that bill. Was he also talking about his relationship with Lena? I wasn't really sure where that was going. They weren't friends but they weren't enemies either. They were…acquaintances with the possibility of something more.
The soft notes of music faded and the DJ switched to some truly old school R&B. Etta James crooned over our heads. Beside me, Ivan swore softly in his mother tongue. I spotted Erin coming toward him, holding out her hand. I sensed he didn't actually like dancing but he wasn't about to tell her that. He let her drag him onto the floor. Grinning and laughing, he pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her. There was no mistaking the love they felt for one another.
"Dance with me?" Dimitri gave me a gentle tug toward the swaying couples. I happily went with him. My eyes closed briefly as I pressed my cheek to his chest. His scent and heat soothed my raw nerves. I tried to decide if now was the time to tell him or if I should wait until we were alone and had privacy.
"What were you really talking about with the girls?" Dimitri peered down at me with concern in his pale eyes. "You looked panicked. Was it something to do with that tense discussion Vivian had with Detective Santos?"
"No. Did you know they're cousins?"
His surprised expression answered that one. "No, I didn't."
"Well they are. He was coming to give her a heads-up that her dad is getting out of prison early."
"Shit." Dimitri's gaze jumped from my face to some place behind me. I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know he was searching for Nikolai. "That's going to be a problem."
"I gathered that."
He slid a finger under my chin and forced me to meet his curious gaze. "If it wasn't that, then what had you so panicked?"
I gulped, my mouth suddenly dry, and tried to figure out the best way to tell him. "Um…what do you think about kids?"
"Kids?" He seemed taken aback by the unexpected query. "I think they're fun. I assumed we'd have some."
"Like…when?"
He laughed nervously. "I don't know. Whenever you'd like, I suppose. Why? Is this your way of telling me you'd like to start trying after we're married?"
"Well…"
Dimitri stopped dancing. Shock filtered across his face as he pieced together the hints. "Are you—are we—?"
"I'm not sure," I hurriedly patted his chest. "I'm late. Like really late and I have other symptoms and we did…you know…twice."
Slowly, his mouth curved into the most ecstatic grin. Gone were all traces of shock. He seemed completely and totally thrilled by the possibility. Touching his forehead to mine, he whispered, "We'll buy a test on the way home. I hope it's positive."
"Really?" I held his gaze and gauged h
is sincerity. "You're not upset?"
"Upset? About making a beautiful little baby with the woman I love? Never!"
I'd never seen him so happy. The anxiety I'd been experiencing fled.
"Are you upset?"
"No," I answered quickly and honestly. "I'm a little scared. Two months ago, I wasn't even dating. Now I'm engaged and probably pregnant. It's a lot—and really fast."
"Life doesn't follow prescribed timetables, Benny. Sometimes it just…happens." He cupped my face and captured my mouth in a loving kiss. "I promise I'll be a good father."
After the miserable childhood he'd experienced, Dimitri would probably spoil our baby rotten but he'd be a wonderful father. My heart threatened to burst as I gazed into the shimmering eyes of the man I intended to marry. "I know you will. That's one thing I never doubted. You're the best man I've ever known, Dimitri. I can't imagine sharing all this with anyone else."
He gathered me close and started to sway with me again. "We'll have to move up the wedding date. Yuri offered to let us use one of the yachts for the ceremony and reception so Johnny can be there." He chuckled and teased, "Of course, Johnny's probably going to punch me in the face when he finds out I got his sister pregnant."
"Probably," I agreed with a short laugh. He'd been so supportive when I'd called to inform him of the engagement. Honestly, my brother hadn't seemed the least bit surprised. I'd been left wondering if he and Dimitri hadn't already discussed the possibility of him proposing at some point.
"You'll have to cut back at work," Dimitri insisted. "What do you think of hiring an office manager to handle the part of the business you dislike so much?"
"It's not a bad idea."
"And you'll have to stop going in for the early morning shift. You'll need your rest. We'll get you a nice, comfortable stool for working at the decorating table. You can't be standing on your feet for twelve hours a day anymore. And fans for the kitchen," he added hurriedly. "It can't be healthy for you to be so hot."
Amused by his overprotectiveness but also a teensy bit annoyed, I started to argue with him. Then I remembered how he'd borne my mothering and coddling when he'd been injured. With a submissive smile, I replied, "Yes, Dimitri."