Chapter Thirty

Celia

The day of our wedding starts too early for how late Milos wakes me up. I’m ordered to have a long hot soak and to wash my hair but don’t dry. I don’t dare do anything other than what I’m told.

A hairdresser and a makeup artist arrive and the next two hours are a whirlwind of hairspray and chatter of the upcoming day.

Once I’m finished I stand in front of the mirror. Wow, the women were magical. I look like a princess, so beautiful it shocks me.

When I go downstairs I find Carlo pacing back and forth. “I didn’t think you’d show.”

Glaring at me, he shakes his head. “This is business. Your man told me I wasn’t here to walk you down the aisle and he’d find a new associate. Thinks me not being here would be a smack to you, especially with all of la familia here. Don’t worry, I won’t stay long.”

“Good.”

I hate the way his hand is tight around my arm as if he were forcing me down the aisle. Then I catch sight of Milos standing proudly in front of the judge. All the air is trapped inside me. He’s in a black-on-black tuxedo cut to perfection on his beautiful, powerful body. His yellow eyes are glowing as they catch mine and hold. My husband, my forever.

The short, simple ceremony is perfect. Every word is engraved on my heart, as well as how proudly and firmly Milos says he will. When I slide his ring on, he grasps my hand tight and uses it to bring me to him, kissing me before the judge tells him too. I’m so caught up in his kiss I barely hear the laughter of the crowd behind us. As Milos pulls away his eyes glitter with promise—soon.

Only it isn’t soon enough. The rest of the day both flies by and is so slow I can barely bear it. Milos never leaves my side, his arm around me, pressing up against me. We’re constantly teased about our kiss and how long have we actually been married for?

Finally, just when my control is at a breaking point, Milos picks me up, tosses me over his shoulder and tells everyone to have a nice night, thanks for coming.

Cheers and laughter follow us out of the tent.

I’m gently set into the SUV. “Milos,” I sigh.

He’s unrepentant. “Yes, kotyonok?”

“Never mind, tell Danil to get us there quickly,” I whisper to him.

“Already done.”

Over the hour-long drive, we talk about the wedding, neither of us truly focused on the conversation—it’s a way of keeping our hands off each other until we get there.

As we pull up in front of it, I’m surprised. “It’s huge. When you said lake house, I thought like cottage or something.”

Milos grabs our bags in one hand, me in the other and tells Danil and Peter to leave. No calls for a week, his brother is the one to handle business.

It isn’t easy to keep up with his long legs. The moment the door is closed behind us, he drops the bags and tosses me over his shoulder.

I giggle. “Milos, if you drop me—”

A smack to one ass as we go up the stairs. “Never. Won’t happen.” He opens a door. “Yellow is the guest room,” I hear him mutter as he sets me down gently on my feet.

“Ohh, I love this bed. It’s like the one in my bedroom at home. This is a lovely room.” I sigh as I turn to study it.

His hand is at the zipper in the back, pulling it down. “Thank you for picking this dress,” he murmurs against my bent neck.

“I thought you wanted me to. It was too close to the nightgown I wore in your home to be a coincidence.” I step out of the silk and lace. Standing in front of him in a white lace bra and white silk stockings again—no panties.

He sucks his bottom lip into his mouth. “I went shopping for a Christmas gift for my mother and saw it in the store. The moment I laid eyes on it, it reminded me of you. I wanted to see you in it. Despite knowing I had to stay away from you for years and no idea when you would wear it, I bought it. Putting it on you when you were so bruised was a double-edged sword of elation and anguish. For three years I stroked my cock to the memory of you in that nightgown. You appeared so sweet, so pure. Everything I wanted and nothing I deserved.”

My hands go up and push off his jacket. “I used to wear it to bed. I’d lie awake at night desperate for you, remembering how you fucked my mouth, wishing you had fucked me the way I wanted you to so badly.”

His shirt and tie disappear. I run my hands over his hard chest, tracing along the lines of his muscles. He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t have let you go once I had you. Even if it meant tying you to my bed. You weren’t ready yet.”

I blink back tears. “It feels like a waste of time. We both wanted each other then.”

Cupping my chin, his kiss is gentle. “Sometimes it isn’t enough, no matter how much you want it to be. We would have destroyed each other. The way we almost did in the first week, kotyonok.”

It doesn’t help he’s right. I still feel robbed. Milos deepens the kiss, assuaging the pain I had no idea was still buried deep. I’m clinging, lost in him when he lifts me into his arms and sets me on the bed. I watch as he finishes undressing.

“Your body is so beautiful.” I sigh.

He smiles as he shakes his head. “Nothing compares to you. For years it was only my fist and pictures of your beautiful body.”

I shouldn’t love how dirty he is. He’s coming down over me on the bed and all thought disappears; only feeling matters now.

Over the last two weeks, there was no more of the rough-handling, yet he has yet to touch me as gently and sweetly as he does now. His lips and tongue whisper over my skin, not nearly enough to soothe the ache he’s created within me. Cupping a breast, he suckles deep as his tongue teases.

“I can’t wait until our daughter is here,” he whispers against my nipple before suckling again and again. His fingers run up and down my lower lips. “I love how wet you get for me. I love the taste of your cunt, I could eat you for hours—only your cunt, and never get hungry for anything but you.”

I’m wary he’s going to force me over his mouth like he did before. He chuckles as he sees it. “My baby didn’t love all those orgasms?”

“The first two weren’t so bad, it was that you kept going.” I trace the skin along the edge of his beard.

Pulling back, he looks down at me. “So are you saying you never want me to do it again?”

Bastard, he knows me and my body so well. Embarrassed, I let my eyes fall to his chest. “Not never ever, or maybe you could stop at three,” I mutter as he lifts me up and over him. This time he stops after four—he’s proud of himself for compromising.

***

Celia

The next few days are sweet in a way I never imagined they could be. Milos is gentle, careful, and takes care of my every need. He’s the one who cooks, I don’t even get to clean. I’m barely allowed to help. This side of him is addictive.

I’m curled up in his lap as we watch the sunset.

“Are you okay with us spending most of our time in the city in the condo? I bought it for you but we don’t have to stay there. Once the baby comes we’ll shift to the family home where Mother can help as well as a nanny. However, for now the city is where I prefer to be so I can be close to everything,” Milos asks as he plays with my hair.

“You bought the condo for me?” I’m not really surprised anymore by the things he does, I’m just wondering how he knew.

He sighs. “If I couldn’t handle a night there after the way I chased you out of the room, then I knew you’d forever hate it too. I bought it then gave the decorator all your P*******t pages for homes you loved and told her to give you the home you’d want. I’m sorry for what I said. Only you have the ability to push me past my control.”

I’m not surprised by anything this man does anymore.

Grasping his hand, I press a kiss to it then lay it flat on my chest. 1

“Dear husband, it’s a woman’s mission in life to bring out the best in her husband, and you losing control with me is the only way I want you. And that day you losing control—even though it hurt at the time, you said and did the right thing. By then I was taking you for granted. You would always come when I called, be there when I needed you. Except I was never there for you—I just took. Maybe a part of that was how young I was, not knowing how to give back. It shocked me out of take mode, promising myself if I had another chance, I wouldn’t only take.”

Shaking his head, he kisses me roughly. “What I wanted was too much—everything you weren’t ready to give to me. As the one with all the experience, it was on me to teach you, and that’s what I was trying so hard to do in the beginning. Be my good girl. Give in to me, your body, your heart, all of you, and I’ll give it back because it’s already yours.”

“I do so love being your good girl.” I moan into his mouth.

***

Two Months Later

Celia

My phone starts ringing. I sigh and answer. “I was just thinking about it. I wasn’t going to do it.”

“You shouldn’t have even thought it. And you were going to do it if I hadn’t caught you.” Milos growls low.

The man knows me too well. I glare at the camera in the corner of the room. “Don’t you have work to do? Shouldn’t you be doing something besides watching me? Rachel, could you please move the kitty litter from this corner where the men unloaded it to the shelf? Thanks.”

“I’m waiting for a phone call. Good girl for getting Rachel to do it. I’m so proud of you for letting others do things for you.” Smoky and rich, the words leave a glow that glides from my chest to my tummy. “You’re coming home early today.” Milos states.

“What, in an hour? I’ve only been gone for two hours.” I give Rachel a grateful smile as I go into my office. “Isn’t there some upside to you working all the time?” I huff.

“We talked about this. You’re pregnant. With twins.” His voice is strained.

I giggle as I run my hand over my tummy, kind of sad there’s no sign yet of our babies. I am only eleven weeks along. Milos had freaked out when he saw the second baby on the ultrasound. He apologized profusely for a week straight, swearing he’d never do anything like he did ever again. I was so freaking happy I could barely believe it. That’s Milos, not doing anything by halves. “I want you home not lifting litter or dealing with hissing cats.”

“Two hours.” I attempt to compromise, flashing my eyes as big as I can make them at the camera in the corner of the ceiling in my office. Milos watched me everywhere from our condo to my rescue.

“No compromising with your health. I want—”

I’m holding up my shirt, flashing my bra. Milos doesn’t say anything, although his exhale of air feels like a win.

“Celia,” damn it. “I’m going to spank your ass. No. One hour.”

I undo my bra. He swears as his phone rings.

“Spanked raw, and you just lost your hour. Get your ass home, now.” It’s an order.

Damn it. I pull my bra and shirt down, moping outwardly. Inside, I’m excited by the promised spanking. He hasn’t spanked me in the six weeks since we found out I’m pregnant with twins, flatly refusing for the safety of the pregnancy.

I close everything down to leave the rescue to Rachel’s competent handling. I’m so lucky she has stepped up the way I needed from the beginning. She didn’t complain at all when I told her I wasn’t allowed to hire men to work here. Her judgement of me bowing to Milos’s demand of no men was clear. Then she met him and said she understood—no problem with her.

Gleb has remained as my driver with Sergei as my primary guard. Sergei opens the door to the SUV for me. “Girly, you lasted almost three hours today. Good job.”

“Shut up.” I mutter.

“Come on, you know you’d rather be at home with Milos than with the kitties.” Sergei laughs.

“That’s what I’m worried about. I’ve only needed to take home a kitten once and he let me, but am I being a bad rescuer for not doing more?” I share my fear.

Rolling his eyes, “Come on, you’ve managed to find homes and save more than two dozen cats and it’s only been six weeks. You wanted to do all that when you didn’t have a life. It was all about cats. Now you have a very demanding husband and two babies on the way. Something has to give a little. For you it’s cats and the rescue for Milos it’s work. Poor Aleksander and Nikita aren’t loving life as much as they used to since Milos has them working more, so he can spend time with you.”

“It has been amazing the way Milos changed. Him turning off his phone for the night, swapping nighttime calls with his brothers was something they never thought he would do. At first I was resentful it was for the babies but typical man once he got me pregnant he barely talks about the babies, it’s me he’s worried about.”

“Typical Milos, he’s worried the twins won’t be full term and it will be hard on you. After he read the book on pregnancies, he changed his mind on having more than one. The two—if they make it, are enough for him.” Sergei giggles.

“Always the worst-case scenario for Milos. I told him you said that, and he admitted everything.” I shake my head. “He’s adorable sometimes.”

“Only you would think Milos is adorable.” Sergei cackles as he opens the door for me.

Unlocking the door into the condo, I’m surprised Milos isn’t waiting for me, then sad. I slip off my shoes in the foyer. My shirt is tossed onto the sofa in the formal living room. I slide my leggings off in the doorway of the living area with the television.

The door to Milos’s office is open. Milos is on the phone. Yellow glows as they run over me. The command is there. I don’t hesitate to follow it. Going to the space Milos has made, pushing away from his desk then down on my knees in front of him. He doesn’t stop talking as I undo his belt and pants. It’s only as I grasp him through his silk boxers that he so much as pauses.

I watch him press a button as he helps me get his pants down. “Be a good girl and keep your moans low. Don’t let Vasily hear you.”

Meeting his eyes, I nod as I tongue the thick, flared head of his cock. A sigh escapes me as I suck those lovely three inches I can easily take. A rough hand goes into my hair. “What did I say?”

“Sorry,” I hum with a smile.

“No, Vasily.” Milos mutters. “I agree with you. I just don’t think it’s the way to bring Damien to heel. The moment you tell him to go right, he goes left. He needs to be handled carefully…” I’m smug as I take him deep into my throat without him forcing his cock down. “Careful.” He nearly sighs. “I’m just saying it needs to be done carefully.”

He closes his eyes as he tries to control himself. I swallow, and a growl comes out of him as the hand in my hair tightens painfully. Through the tears the tightened hand pulls from me, I watch Milos fight for control. I love it.

I don’t have long to enjoy the moment before Milos grabs me by the throat, bends me over his desk and begins spanking my ass hard. I’m so wet I’m dripping down my inner thigh by the fourth smack. A hand goes over my mouth yanking me against his hard silk covered body. The cool silk against my heated body has me greedy for more.

“I’m listening. I just think you’re wrong, which is why I’m not arguing with you.” He thrusts into me hard, rough. Yes, that sting is still there and I love it. If he didn’t have his hand over my mouth, I’d be moaning my love and begging for more.

The hand over my mouth tightens as he wraps his arm around my waist, fucking me harder, faster. “Damien is attempting to push you. Do what he wants and you’ll regret it.”

Oh god, I don’t understand how he can speak as if he weren’t balls deep inside me fucking me harder than he has in weeks. So fucking good. I’m close, so damn close.

I shatter into a thousand pieces. Oh my god. I’m shaking as Milos holds me tight against him as he continues fucking me through my orgasm. Suddenly, I’m sitting on his lap as he comes deep inside me. His exhale is in my hair. “I’m going to spank you raw.”

I’m floating on waves of pleasure as Milos gives his brother one last warning before ending the call. He tosses his phone on the desk then wraps both arms around me tight. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

“Love you too, dear husband. Thank you for my spanking.” I sigh as I run a hand over his arm, loving how tightly he holds me.

“Hmm, you had that smile when I warned you I was going to spank you. It reminded me it’s been a minute.” He catches my hand and brings it up to his lips. “What’s the matter? Are we getting a new cat? I was rather surprised it’s taken you so long to ask for one. Koshka will not be pleased, but she’ll come around.”

I pull back to look up at him. “I love you. I love the way you get me, even more than I do sometimes. Maybe I won’t complain about all the watching me that you do.”

“So it’s two cats?” An eyebrow goes up.

Shaking my head, I tug him down to kiss him. “No, I talked to Sergei about it, and I feel better now. I was worried I wasn’t doing enough helping kittens. Thank you for letting me bring home the kitten a few weeks ago. And if you’re open to more kittens, then maybe…”

His laugh is everything. “Whatever you need, kotyonok, I will give you for your happiness.”

I nod. “I know, and I’m aware I’m lucky. What do you say to some Chinese food and an early night?”

“I say, that sounds like a perfect evening.” He whispers in my ear.

Three months later

Milos

I close my eyes as the numbers swim in front of me. As badly as I would like to stop, I don’t. If I get this done tonight I won’t have it hanging over my head during my brother’s wedding day tomorrow. My mother was already annoyed by me having to spend most of today in the city. The only reason she hadn’t complained louder was because I sent Celia here earlier in the day. I hadn’t liked it, but since I needed to spend the day wrapping things up in order to take the next few days off, it was better for Celia.

As if my thoughts of Celia conjured her up, she slips into my office, wearing only a silky white robe wrapped around her delicious body. “Kotyonok, you cannot wander around the house so very naked, you little minx.”

I tug her into my lap. Her smile is the cat that got the cream. “I’m not naked. I’m wearing a robe.”

Sliding my hand up her inner thigh…damn, even better than the silk she’s wearing. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.” I undo the knot around her waist. So damn sexy.

I press my hand over our children. A solid kick is against my palm. All over again I’m in awe of the way she is growing our children within her small body. She was even sexier than I imagined, I loved how my kitten became so very needy in the last few months. Her pleas for me to be inside her kept us in our room in bed most of the day. Heaven. I became adept at doing business from my phone so I didn’t leave her.

“Your daughter won’t let me sleep. I had to get up to pee.” She grumbles as she buries her face into my neck. “It’s been over an hour and I can’t get back to sleep. I’m so tired. But I can’t get comfortable.”

“Hmm…I’m sure it’s your son.” I brush a finger over a tight nipple and she squirms on my lap. Then ruins my plans by yawning. Poor baby is far too tired, and I’ve already taken her twice since I came home before coming into my office to work. “I have things I need to do, my love. You’ll be a good girl in my lap.”

“Yes, Milos.” She hums the words into my skin. Running a hand over her hair while I study the figures, I feel her fall into sleep within minutes.

Almost an hour later I finish my work and begin shutting down, careful not to wake Celia. She usually stays asleep when I carry her to bed. My phone rings, it’s Valdez.

“Yes?” I answer.

“I finally have the information on the threat to Celia, her sister, and her mother.”

“It took you long enough. I’d almost forgotten about it,” I admit.

He clears his throat, obviously embarrassed by his failure to answer the question long ago. “There was no threat.”

“What?” I hadn’t thought there was, but it still doesn’t make sense based on what Carlo said.

“It was his second taking advantage of a situation. He was dating a nurse who worked in the emergency room. She recognized Cassandra and saw she was pregnant. The nurse told Carlo’s second, wondering what Carlo would do about his mistress pregnant. He was pissed Carlo hadn’t named him as his successor and inheritor. That’s why there weren’t any notes for so long. But his son knew about them. The son wanted to move up and was interested in using Celia to do it. He left the notes in order to make a marriage with her. Then Carina when Celia became engaged to you.”

I shake my head. “It never made sense to me. After so many years watching her so closely and never seeing anything, I wondered. I’ll talk to Carlo about it tomorrow and let him decide what he wants to do about it. Thank you.”

“I’ll send it over email now. Have a good night.”

Hanging up, I sit in wonder for a minute. I’m relieved but it feels rather anticlimactic. As I carry Celia to bed, it comes back—do I tell her the truth of Carlo’s feelings?

She snuggles into me the moment I’m in bed. “What’s the matter?”

I decide to tell her everything, keeping to my no-more-secrets promise. I haven’t regretted it once so far.

Her eyes are wide when I finish. “What in the hell?”

“Should I not have told you?” I ask.

A heavy sigh. “I’m glad you did. At the same time it doesn’t really change anything. As you once said, it doesn’t matter what you intended. If the result was the same, it doesn’t mean a thing. He never showed us the smallest kindness, never mind love. If he could pretend he didn’t care for my mother and still love her in private, there were ways he could have…”

The pain in her eyes has me wishing I could make Carlo pay for it.

“My mother wasn’t much better. For years I blamed Carlo for the way she treated us, but I don’t know, I don’t think it was all him. Something tells me even if there wasn’t a threat to us, neither one of them would have been a loving parent. My mother didn’t like to talk about her parents, but I’m guessing they weren’t so great. And Nonna said often her husband was a cruel man who raised a cruel son.” She sighs as she lays her head on my chest.

“Maybe, I had wondered how a man could look into your eyes and not give you everything you wanted and needed—I couldn’t imagine it.”

“Milos, what happens if one of our children is…gay? What will you do?” Her question is hesitant.

Grasping her hair, I bring her eyes up to mine. “What I won’t do is stop loving them.” She sags into me. “They will have two options and it will have to be up to them. The most painful for them is to live the lie here with us in Chicago. Marry someone they trust to keep their secret, who will allow them to live their truth while hiding it. Or the most painful for us as their family, but most freeing for them, is to go as far as they can. I would push the lie that they are no children of mine, and we would change their name for their safety. They cannot be tied to us—if it’s believed they could be used against me, then they would be. In our family we would know the truth, but the outside can never know. A few times a year we could see them, but they would—for their protection—live a life separate from ours.”

Her smile is tender. “I shouldn’t be surprised you’ve thought so far ahead. But I am.”

“Of course, after finding out for myself there is no dictating to your heart who you will fall in love with, I thought long and hard about the future of our children.” And I had for exactly the reason I fell in love with her—completely, totally, and consuming. There is no guarantee our children will fall in love with who I want them to, as my brothers sure as hell hadn’t. While I can’t come up with every scenario that might befall our children, I sure as hell can try.

“Hmm, no dictating, but you don’t regret it at all.” She is as smug as she deserves to be.

No longer a man obsessed now that there is no question my heart’s desire is as in love with me as I am with her. I give the answer she never had any doubt over. “No, my love, not in the slightest. You and that kitten were the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Six Months later

“Milos?” I sigh as I come back to the table from the restroom to find him on his phone again.

“Yes, my love.” He mutters as he stares intently at the screen.

I snatch his phone from his hand. “Victor and Kira are fine. Mother and the nanny have everything in hand. This is our anniversary. We deserve a night out without checking on the children every five minutes.”

Nodding, “I apologize, you are right. They were just babbling to each other and I got caught up in what they could possibly talking about when they can’t even properly talk yet.”

“Knowing your son, he’s telling his sister what to do.” I sip on my water with lemon as I’m not allowed alcohol while I’m breast feeding. Although we do supplement with formula and bottled breastmilk so Milos, Mother, and the nanny are all able to feed them to bond with them it’s easier not to drink.

He chuckles. “And knowing your daughter she’ll ignore him.” I ignore his hand out for his phone. An eyebrow goes up. “Kotyonok, my phone, please.”

I send up my own eyebrow. “And if I don’t give it back?”

That exhalation of air that is almost a laugh. “Ah, you are making sure I keep to my promise of a spanking tonight?”

“Maybe. You did promise last time we were out and there was no spanking.” I pout. It’s been months since we made love, more than four months. The last two months of my pregnancy—Milos refused even though I begged all he allowed was him going down on me. He wouldn’t even let me taste him. When we attempted to make love a few weeks ago my incision from the cesarean to deliver the twins started hurting so Milos refused to go any further.

“You were still healing, my love.” Milos sighs.

This is only the second time we’ve been out since the twins were born—at his insistence. I find it adorable how much Milos loves being a father. Throughout my pregnancy I was worried about how much Milos wanted a daughter that he would give all his attention to our daughter. Only for there to be an issue with our son having the umbilical cord wrapped around him causing his growth to suffer compared to our daughter. It’s why I was on bed rest and the doctor agreed with Milos to perform a cesarean.

Our son was almost two pounds smaller than his sister. Milos became obsessed with ensuring our son caught up. He read wearing a baby in a sling was better for growth and security so began wearing our son almost the entire time he was home. Now our son is almost caught up with our daughter on all stages.

Shaking his head, “I don’t care how you felt. You were still healing and if I’d known that I never would have agreed to spank you in the first place. However, tonight since the doctor has given you the all-clear then you will most definitely get a spanking. Not just to your ass but to your—”

“Milos!” I hiss at him as the waiter arrives at our table.

Milos only chuckles unrepentantly. We decline dessert and Milos hands his card over to pay. When the waiter returns with the bill for a signature he also brings a small paper bag.

“What’s that?”

Picking it up as his hand goes to my back to guide me out of the restaurant, “Your late-night snack. It’s the spaghetti and meatballs you passed on for the lobster ravioli.”

I sigh as I lean into him. “You’re such a good husband.”

He presses a kiss to my temple as he opens the car door for me. “I do my best.”

He really does. Milos was still bossy and dominant as ever, yet he was also thoughtful, caring, considerate and what I thought he would never be—sweet. He cut down on work significantly, allowing Nikita’s wife to take over running much of the legitimate business. It freed up so much of his time he almost had normal hours.

I was so happy to have more time with Milos I barely went into the rescue leaving it to Rachel to run. Koshka was not happy with the two new kittens who had joined our family but she adored both Victor and Kira. Everywhere the twins went so did she, including their crib. For now, the twins were sleeping in one crib, hating when we attempted to separate them. I had heard so many horror stories of having twins yet they were sweet, easy babies who simply needed the other to be happy that and to eat when they were hungry.

In less than fifteen minutes we’re in the condo, where the moment the door is closed behind us Milos sweeps me up in his arms and carries me into our bedroom. While we haven’t spent time here since the twins were born we have a nursery here in case there is a time when Milos needs to be here and doesn’t want to be away from Victor and Kira—Milos always planning ahead.

He slides me down his hard body until I’m on my feet in front of our bed. Brushing his lips across the back of my neck as he draws down the zipper of the dress, he sighs. “My beautiful wife, tell me truly, has the last year of our marriage been a good one?”

I turn to face him, studying him. Shaking my head, I run a finger over his lips. “No, I wouldn’t call it good. I would not even call it excellent. I would call it ecstasy to have your love and attention day in and day out. To fall asleep in your arms and wake up with you beside me as been better than I ever dreamed possible. Thank you, my beautiful husband for loving me and giving me the only thing I have ever wanted—you, all of your heart and devotion.”

His forehead falls on mine, he is all I see, feel, and breathe and there is nothing else better than this. “My heart wouldn’t allow anything less.”

Epilogue

Nine Years Later

“Kira, I said no.” I exhale slowly. I swear my daughter is doing everything she can to push every button I have.

“But Papa said—”

“Papa said only if Mommy said yes.” Victor’s arms are crossed across his chest so like his father my heart squeezes tight at the sight. He even has his father’s yellow eyes.

“I never get what I want.” Kira explodes and runs up the stairs.

Victor rolls his eyes. “I’ll talk to her, Mommy.” His kiss to my cheek has me catching him close for a hug. He sighs but allows it.

“Thank you.” I murmur into his black hair.

“And don’t worry, I’ll help nanny with the children. I do think we need another nanny. She isn’t as quick to get ahold of Celeste and Vicenzo as she used to be.” Victor shakes his head as he follows Kira upstairs.

He’s right, it’s a discussion I intend to bring up with Milos tonight. Six children, poor nanny. She’s been doing great but once our last set of twins got mobile a few months ago she needed more help than Mother could provide. I’m wondering what Milos’s reaction will be to my news.

Once Victor and Kira were two I told Milos I was ready for another. Keeping to his promise he said every pregnancy and when was up to me. After a year I gave in and got the shot Milos had the doctor give me, it resulted in another set of twins, two boys—Timur and Gabriel.

The same thing happened with our third pregnancy except after two sets of twins Milos made us wait for a year and a half but to no avail. When the ultrasound showed another set of twins Milos said no more children—he loved me far too much to see me go through another difficult pregnancy.

I tried to tell him that the only thing difficult about the pregnancies was going without my husband for the months it required. I’m well aware I’m lucky that even carrying twins wasn’t a rough thing for me. I had some morning sickness in the beginning and I was tired more but other than that I loved being pregnant. There might be the added benefit that Milos even more so treated me as if I were fragile and delicate which might be why we now have six cats to match our six children and I now have two rescues that I never spend any time at.

Peter appears, “No need to look so upset. He’s running late but he will not miss your anniversary. I’m to take you to him.”

I sigh in relief and follow Peter out to the car. On the drive I check my tiny purse a few times to make sure it’s still there. I’m relieved when the car goes into the parking garage for the condo. I didn’t really want to do this at a restaurant.

Opening the door to the condo I find the lights down low. The smell of Chinese food is strong. It’s not in the kitchen though, it’s in the cozy living room. I find Milos on the couch without a shirt, in pajama bottoms.

Without a word, I slide the zipper down and let it fall to floor. I undo my bra and don’t even care where it falls. I take the shirt he offers me and put it on. Then I step closer, he grabs my hand and tugs me into his lap.

I press a kiss to his cheek. “I think this might be our best anniversary ever.”

He chuckles, “Better than year five when you were in labor with Gabriel and Timur?”

“Much better, the nausea was unbearable.” I hug him tight. “How did you know I had no desire to get dressed up fancy tonight?”

“Maybe it was when I watched you tell Mother you wished you could stay home in front of the television and have five uninterrupted minutes of peace.” An eyebrow goes up.

“Still watching me.” I offer him a piece of Crab Rangoon.

Taking it, he chews thoughtfully. “Of course, just like I watched you take a pregnancy test and start crying.”

I go still. “Are you mad?”

His kiss is gentle. “Not mad at all. My hope is since this was natural that it means it will just be one. But I have made an appointment for a vasectomy in two weeks.”

“I adore you my beautiful husband. No vasectomy necessary. I’m going to tell them to tie my tubes while they are in there. Vasectomies can fail, it’s rare for a tubal ligation to fail.” I assure him. “But thank you for thinking of it. Most men wouldn’t, especially mafia.”

“I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks. I’m concerned about you carrying so many pregnancies. Your health is far more important to me.”

“All these years, all of our children. Still love me as much as you did the first day we met?” I whisper against his lips.

“No.” He presses his lips against mine. “I love you more and more every day. I thought it would change, especially when our children came but it’s only grown deeper and stronger until the love I feel for you takes my breath away just thinking of you.”

I squeeze him tight. “Ditto, my beautiful husband. Sometimes merely the thought of you is all it takes for me forget everything but you. I often feel guilty for all the nights away from the children, here with you in the condo yet it doesn’t matter if they are screaming their head off in my arms—you’re all I see and hear.”

The condo here in the city had become our refuge. We spent a night or even several long weekends here for time away from the children for us to reconnect. Sometimes we went out to dinner then came here, others we ate in front of the television where we cuddled then went to bed where I got my spanking and had loud, dirty sex without fear of being interrupted by our children.

His hand goes into my hair. “Hm, we’ve discussed this. We are raising our children to be adults who while they will hopefully love and want to be around us as adults once they have grown will leave us. We’ll have an empty home with only us and since neither of us are going anywhere we will still have to have love to keep us together.”

“No worries about that, you’ll never be free of me.” I assure him.

“From your lips to god’s ears.” He whispers against my lips.

Ten Years Later

I reach out to turn off the bedside table lamp. Before I get to it, Milos rolls me beneath him. “No turning out the light. I need to be able to see my beautiful, sexy wife.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “No longer all that beautiful—”

The rough slap of my ass hurts. “Do not say such things. You are even more beautiful than the day we met. I’ve told you often over the last few years I don’t want to hear a word about your breasts and tummy. You are so gorgeous my cock still gets hard thinking of you and I fight not to come as I undress you.”

I’m unable to call him a liar or argue when it is so clearly what he believes. “If I’m beautiful it’s because you make me feel like I am. So show me again, my beautiful husband.”

A nod. “After I have given you the spanking you deserve for daring to say otherwise.”

“Yes, please.” I whisper against his mouth.