Page 43 of The Bratva King's Pregnant Bride

A cool morning breeze washed over the both of us through the open window, bringing fresh scent of pine trees and the sea. I inhaled deeply, allowing myself to take it all in, and then closed my eyes.

The sounds of distant birdsong echoed through the room. In the background of the quiet morning, I felt Dominik stroke his warm hands over my bare skin. I shuddered with delight as he slowly trailed one hand up my abdomen, leaving hot trails in its wake.

As the sensation of his fingertips danced along my sensitive inner thigh, I opened my eyes again to look directly into his. I saw the raw love in his eyes. As he brought his lips back to mine, I kissed him impatiently. Our tongues entwined, mingling their magic with our mouths.

In that instant, I knew Dominik was the one I wanted, the one I loved. He was everything I’d ever wanted and needed.

Chapter 18 - Maya

Six months later

I flipped to the next page of the novel in my hand as I relaxed against the recliner in the lounge. The book was a good one, and despite the obvious, protruding belly before me, somehow, I had found a way to ignore every kick and the usual disturbances—all because I was deeply invested in what I was reading.

I may have read more than forty different novels over the past few months, but what could I say? Dominik barely let me do a thing in the house, and I hated having nothing to do. I’d already finished my exams, and now, I didn’t even have anything to stress over.

It was funny how, when I’d been studying for exams, all I’d wanted was a break—that was how I’d ended up with Dominik, after all. But now that I was free, I was so damn antsy. Even in pregnancy, if my body wasn’t engaged, then my mind needed to be.

At least, that’s how I saw it at the time. It seemed the right way to think about it, since the only time I truly felt like living was when we were together. I missed my husband. A lot.

I’d never wanted to marry him because of who he was, but now, I wanted to take care of him, make sure he was always happy, and give him the world.

My mind returned to the book before me.

Dominik had quite the collection of interesting series, which was captivating. Day in, day out, while he went out and took care of the world he knew and was part of, I watched the days go by, waiting patiently for nine months to pass.

Pregnancy, however, tortured me. It slowed me down, made me clumsy, and gave me cravings for the most unusual kinds of meals.

I reached the last page of the novel, and after reading its last sentence, I slowly closed the book, thinking about the love story. It had been about a boy who lived with his family in the country. The woman who wrote the book loved him—actually, she was obsessed with him, as far as I could tell, but she also adored him. She couldn’t resist trying her hand at seducing him.

I wondered how the reader was supposed to get along without feeling awkward and shy about being caught in the middle of a love triangle. Perhaps they’d already understood it? Or, perhaps, most people would’ve seen it coming before I did.

But there was happiness in the book, that was for sure.

This made me wonder if Dominik and I could actually lead a happy life together once the twins were born. It was a thing worth pondering over.

Happiness, to me, went beyond a comfortable life. It was my dream, something I yearned to have. Not one of those unrealistic fantasies, where you have an entire mansion and the people surrounding you are all your friends. After all, there was no way I saw myself leaving this house, this new life that was now my own. It wasn’t healthy. Not at all. So, really, what were the chances of anything like that ever happening?

Happiness in marriage was similar, but not the same thing as outright happiness.

Was Dominik doing his best to ensure I got the best of everything I ever needed? I would say yes. But what if that wasn’t enough? This marriage had literally been forced on me. It hadn’t been the usual dating and ‘going steady’ that would eventually lead to a proposal.

Even with my fears and worries, the wedding was nothing short of amazing. Not even I could have pulled it, off even if I’d had ten years to prepare.

I was assessing everything now—like what I felt for Dominik. Was it genuine? Was it enough to keep us in love?

With Dominik quite absent for a major part of every day, considering he left as early as six in the morning sometimes to attend to business, I was a bit tense. I didn’t know why I felt so, but I did.

Having Dominik around always felt safe, reassuring, and right now, I needed that instead of this empty feeling his absence gave me.

My phone rang, and I looked to see it was Jenna calling.

“Hey, Love,” Jenna said, sounding weary.

“Hey,” I replied. “You sound tired.”

“Yeah. Been studying like crazy. I thought I’d sleep through the night, but it didn’t work, and I guess I’m tired of cramming.” She sighed.

I chuckled.

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