Page 38 of Koroleva

"Sorry, I didn't realize the child was here, I'm new to this motherhood thing." I placed a hand on my heart. "My apologies." I looked at the little one innocently. "Adri, darling, a lover is someone who loves. And last night your father needed that from Irene. You’ll understand when you’re older, or maybe you won’t need to." The tension was palpable. "Excuse me, I'm going to get that coffee to wake me up."

If I expected a counterattack from Romeo, it didn’t come. He remained silent under the accusatory gaze of his relatives. The silence was broken by barking.

Just what we needed, the dog had arrived!

Brutus turned out to be a drooling Rottweiler who ran around wildly. The kitchen was very close to the outdoor table, so it shouldn't have been hard for me to get there. The problem was that I didn't make it. Two huge paws hit me from behind with such force that I had to hold onto the back of my father-in-law's chair.

I screamed, more out of surprise than fear.

Not content with cornering me, the big dog began rubbing against my leg earnestly while I tried not to move in case it decided to attack.

"Brutus!" bellowed Romeo. Adriano stood up, frightened.

"Let her go! Let her go! Or the wicked witch will throw you out!"

"Adriano!" his grandfather scolded, pinned against the table and unable to move.

"But someone get him off her!" exclaimed my sister-in-law, pushing her chair back.

Amid the commotion, I found myself laughing at the animal's panting behind me. The situation was so surreal that I couldn't believe it.

Romeo tried to free me from the animal, but it was too focused, so much so that it didn’t take long for something warm to slide down my leg before my husband could pull it off.

"Mamma mia!" That was my sister-in-law again, who had also left her seat and had just witnessed the dog climaxing.

Without hesitation, I grabbed a napkin that Irisha offered me and wiped myself, glancing sideways at Romeo.

"Some dogs have better taste than their owners." I heard my father-in-law laugh, while my husband muttered under his breath in Italian.

"Ah, Nikita, how you remind me of my late wife, God rest her soul! You seem more Calabrian than Russian." My sister-in-law also smiled at me, and Adriano continued to look at me with reservation.

"Well, now that I've had my official welcome, I'm going to get that coffee."

I resumed my path to the kitchen with a smile on my lips.

A petite woman bustled about the room. She appeared to be in her late fifties, was stocky, wore a uniform, and had a pair of dimples in her cheeks that deepened as she hummed.

"Good morning," I greeted her. She turned her ruddy face and fell silent immediately.

"Good morning, u... you must be the new wife of the lord."

"That's right."

"I am Ana María." She offered a slight nod.

"Nikita Koroleva."

"Delighted. How can I help you?" she offered.

"Could I have a strong coffee?"

"Of course. How do you like it?"

"Short, black, no sugar."

"An espresso, just like I like it," Romeo commented from behind me. The cook looked at us both, pleased.

"What a coincidence. It's good for a marriage to have things in common."

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