Page 52 of Arranged Bratva Virgin

I find myself thinking about how I have never seen this side of him and wondering how much more of himself he keeps hidden beneath his protective emotional layers.

“Stef, tomorrow night there is a thing at my brother’s house. I want you to come with me.”

He glances up at me. “I don’t remember there being a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.”

“No, it’s a family dinner. Not a work thing at all.”

“Oh. And you want me to go with you?” he asks, sounding a little surprised.

“Of course, I do,” I giggle.

“Well, then, I would love to.”

He walks over to me and holds out a cracker with cheese on it. I open my mouth and he smiles as he puts it between my lips. I bite down.

He pops the other half into his own mouth.

We spend the next half hour in the kitchen, chatting and snacking on crackers, until my body starts to feel tired and my eyes start feeling heavy.

I guess all of the emotional and physical pleasure of experiencing that for the first time has caught up with me.

Stef leans against the counter between my legs and kisses me again. His kisses are so much more tender than they were before.

“Come on, baby girl, I think it’s your bedtime,” he says, lifting me into his arms and carrying me back up to the bedroom.

He pulls me against his body, wrapping me tightly in his arms as I close my eyes. I fall asleep almost instantly, so comfortable and satisfied.

When I wake up in the morning, Stef is still holding me, and I breathe a sigh of relief that he didn’t sneak off during the night.

Chapter 17 - Stefano

I grumble inwardly when Darya reminds me that we have the family dinner party thing tonight. It’s some reunion of friends and family she hasn’t seen in a while, and I really do not want to go.

I have never really enjoyed her family events, never really feeling like I belonged. Honestly, the only reason I ever went was to watch Darya. I would stare at her obsessively the entire time, and wonder what it would be like to have her. But now she is mine, and I see no point in going to her family things. I would rather stay at home with her and lie in bed all night.

“Are you sure you really want me there?” I ask tightly. “I won’t be offended if you go on your own.”

She laughs. “Yes, I told you, I definitely want you there. And I would be offended if you made me go without you.”

“It’s just that there is clearly shit going on between your brothers and me, and I don’t think any good will come of me being there. They really don’t like me, and they make it obvious.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Stef. They are your family now, too, and you are coming with me. There isn’t anything going on between my brothers and you. Just relax and enjoy yourself. The whole stupid thing that happened at the last meeting is over. It won’t happen again.” She sounds so sure of herself.

I sigh loudly.

She chuckles and stands on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on my lips, leaving me wanting more immediately.

“I am going to be ready in about an hour,” she says as she walks off and I have no choice but to go and get ready as well.

***

I feel incredibly tense as we walk into Paval’s house. Everyone greets us and comes across as friendly enough, but I can feel the static in the air when her brothers shake my hand.

Darya almost instantly gets pulled away by her nieces and nephews, who all adore her.

It makes me smile, because I love watching her being playful and laughing with them, but at the same time it leaves me entirely on my own and feeling even more awkward.

Her brothers drift off after greeting us, and I don’t follow any of them. I don’t quite know what to do with myself, and I start feeling more and more out of place.

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