Page 109 of Twisted Princess

He’s made sure of that.

I make it out and back across the catwalk two more times before the show is done. And by the end of the night, it’s been such a whirlwind of action that I can hardly believe it’s almost midnight.

The other girls get ready to head to the afterparty. But as soon as I change into my street clothes, Gleb and I slip out the back. It’s time for us to go home and relieve Gabby’s sitter.

“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lycaon,” Jenny says, hopping up from the sofa as soon as we step through the front door. The peppy thirteen-year-old lives just a few doors down, and she loves coming over to watch Gabby, so long as it’s not a school night.

“How was she tonight?” I ask, pulling off my heels as Gleb takes out a crisp hundred-dollar note and hands it to the young babysitter.

“Great. As always.” Jenny shrugs and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“Well, thank you for staying so late,” I say, giving the girl a quick hug.

“No problem. Have a good night!” Jenny scoots out the door a moment later.

And in the silence that follows, I notice how loudly my ears are ringing. “Man, I think fashion shows are not my favorite part of the business,” I admit, rubbing my ears as I work my jaw.

“No?” Gleb says, pulling me into his arms as soon as we’re alone. “Then what is?”

I smile shyly, and lean back just enough to meet his warm eyes. “The photoshoots.”

He nods and brushes a kiss across my lips before gently steering me toward the bedroom. “Then why take the fashion show gigs? Do you need them?”

“Probably not as much now that I’m more established as a model. I have a steady flow of jobs, so maybe I’ll cut back.”

Our conversation stops momentarily as we reach the hall. And I quietly crack Gabby’s door open to peek in. She’s sleeping soundly. The giant stuffed polar bear she begged Gleb to win her at the fair a month back is tucked snugly in her arms. And we share a smile at how effortlessly adorable she is.

Quietly pulling the door closed again, we then slip down the hall and into our bedroom. And only after our door is shut does our conversation resume.

“Well, I think it sounds like you’ve got a solid plan,” he says. “But I have to admit, I would miss watching you out on that catwalk… and even more when you’re busy stripping backstage,” Gleb adds playfully.

Laughing, I shake my head as we head into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

“Well, maybe if I slow down on the fashion shows, I can do some private ones for you here at home,” I suggest.

“Mmm.” Stepping up behind me, Gleb wraps his arms around my waist and meets my eyes in the mirror. “I like the sound of that.”

My heart flutters, my stomach tightening with anticipation, and I turn slowly in his arms so I can face him. “I was also thinking…” Nervous excitement blossoms in my belly, and it hasn’t been this hard to talk about something with Gleb in a long time.

“What were you thinking, my love,” he murmurs, running his fingers lightly along the bottom edge of my jawline. When he reaches my chin, he tips it up to look deep into my eyes.

“Well, now that I’ve made a name for myself, I don’t think I’ll have as much trouble finding different kinds of gigs, so… I was thinking we could start talking about expanding our family?”

I’m ridiculously nervous just suggesting it. But Gleb and I haven’t really broached the subject of another child, and I’m anxious about the possibility that he might not want one.

Shock registers in his expressive eyes, and his eyebrows climb his forehead. “Really? You want another child?” The disbelief in his tone makes my stomach drop.

“Y-Yes,” I admit, my heart rate kicking up a notch. “But what do you think?”

Gleb’s smile is both instantaneous and radiant, and it soothes all that anxiety that threatened to consume me. “I think let’s start trying right now,” he says playfully.

Scooping me up, he deposits me on the bathroom counter to step between my thighs. And as he kisses me fiercely, laughter bubbles up from my stomach. I love his enthusiasm.

“You mean it?” I ask. “Because if so, I’ll make a doctor’s appointment to take out my IUD.”

“Mel, nothing would make me happier,” he murmurs, pressing his forehead to mine in a heartwarming display of sincerity.

When our lips meet this time, he kisses me not with roguish verve but with a tender passion that makes my heart skip a beat. The temperature of the bathroom climbs quickly as the slow, sultry kiss grows deeper. And Gleb’s hands creep up my thighs.

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