62

"No. I didn’t say that. Your mind is just… overly practical."

"Well, you know!" I frown at him. "I have a question for you after our first night too. How did I end up pregnant?!" I start getting angry that someone’s “practical mind” turned out… not so practical!

"There’s no 100% contraception," Kirill sighs heavily. "Maybe a condom was defective somewhere. We went multiple times that night," he smiles confidently. "Maybe our little boys got lost somewhere between changing the rubber…"

Wow! He talks about it so casually! Of course, he wasn’t the one writhing in pain for more than twelve hours!

"Tell me, after that incident in the library, did you take emergency contraception?" If I blushed before, now I noticeably turn pale, and Kirill notices immediately. "Are you serious, Vicky?!"

"If you didn’t notice, I wasn’t alone at that event!" This topic irritates me, and so does the way he acted then… and even now. "It would’ve been strange to go to a pharmacy with Danil and buy anything for an unwanted pregnancy. Knowing him, he might’ve gone with me or said he’d run to the pharmacy himself. That happened a few times already. And your marks were all over my neck, so I wanted to wash them off quickly and hide them from prying eyes. At home, I immediately jumped into the shower, and when I got out, my mom was already at my apartment door, about to leave."

"Vicky…" Kirill groans in anguish.

"Don’t worry so much!" I give a bitter smile. "I don’t want more kids from you. After giving birth, I never had a proper cycle, and I was breastfeeding heavily, which is also a form of contraception. Twice in one place doesn’t work like lightning strikes twice."

"Alright, we’ll think about your contraception later," the man gets up from the table. "Now it’s my turn for a shower."

While Kirill was soaping up, I washed the dishes and called my mom. I was worried about the boys and already missed them, since I had never left them with anyone for an entire night.

Mom calmed me down and said they were doing great, behaving quietly and not thinking about me at all. And hearing that last part, I felt a twinge of hurt and jealousy. I wanted to pick them up right away, but mom convinced me to leave the boys until tomorrow, saying she and their father enjoy playing grandpa and grandma. But I knew perfectly well that she was just giving me more time alone with my fiancé. If only she knew how much I was avoiding that time!

After talking to mom, I called Marina. She knew about my adventures with the suddenly appearing father, but a phone call couldn’t replace a personal meeting. So we arranged to meet at our favorite café in half an hour.

Not wanting to waste time, I decided to quickly touch up my eyelashes and eyebrows and put on some lip gloss. When the last step was left — letting down my hair — Kirill entered the room, sizing me up with his gaze.

"Where are you off to?" Without shame, the man removed the damp towel from his hips and reached into his travel bag for clean clothes, making me blush and look away once again.

"Am I not allowed to go anywhere?" Who knows, with his contract demands.

"No. It’s a normal question. Why are you reacting like that?" he asks suspiciously.

"How am I supposed to react when your conditions feel like a noose?" I shot him a look of reproach. "I arranged to meet a friend. And you, where are you going, since we’re at it?"

"To Nazar," he answers briefly. "I can give you a ride."

"I can walk myself. It’s not far."

"Stubborn, aren’t you?" Kirill smirks, fully dressed now.

The forecast promised a warm day, but I still put on my leather jacket, unlike Kirill. We put on our shoes and leave the apartment together.

“Just like a real husband and wife,” I thought to myself and smirked. In principle, when Kirill wasn’t acting like a total bastard, he was easy enough to talk to. Maybe our marriage wouldn’t be as horrible as I’d imagined? My mood started lifting rapidly.

While we were heading down to the exit, Kirill’s phone rang, and he started talking to someone. I didn’t pay much attention and stepped out of the building, where his car was parked not far away.

My steps immediately slowed, and my mood crashed the moment I saw Mila waiting by his car.

"Finally, Demon!" purred the tall, beautiful brunette, flashing her perfect smile. "What took you so long?" and then, as if she had just noticed me, "Oh, hi. You’re here too?"