Page 29 of Knocked Up By the Russian

Except... now that she was thinking about it, Amy kind of wanted to talk to Zia. Setting her phone back on the nightstand, she decided to get ready for work instead.

Wherever Ivan was, hopefully, he'd turn up soon. In the meantime, she figured that she might be able to make some sense of the thoughts running through her mind. Confused was an understatement. Her whole body ached in the best possible way as she made her way across the room to her suitcases.

"I can't believe I slept with him," she whispered to herself, hearing the incredulity in her tone. Without a condom. She shivered, heading back to her phone. She'd gotten the shot a little while ago, and her calendar showed it was still another month or two before she'd need a new one. Still... not even birth control was infallible.

What if?... No, she shook her head. It had to take more than that to get pregnant.

Heading back to her suitcase, she pulled out a dress she hadn't worn in a while and then went to shower. The evidence of their night together had dried on her thighs, and Amy blushed, her heart racing as she washed it off. That was the first time she'd ever let a man... in her...Oh god,her cheeks heated even further.

Half an hour later, she finished getting dressed and was padding around the kitchen in a pair of socks when the front door opened. Ivan strode in, spotting her in seconds. Before she could even say hello, he prowled toward her, a cocky grin on his face as he pulled her into a kiss that left her breathless.

"I was hoping you were still asleep," he admitted when he pulled back. His fingers stroked her cheek tenderly, and she blinked up at him, speechless.

"Where were you?" fell from her lips a moment later, and he grinned, his tongue swiping to lick his lips.

"Why? Did you miss me, Mishka?" he said with a lazy grin.

"No," she scoffed, turning back to the coffee machine. He pressed against her, one palm resting on her stomach possessively.

"Pity," he whispered against her neck. "I missed you."

Sure you did,she thought to herself. But the sentiment left her heart fluttering and she kept quiet. He settled his chin on her head, inhaling deeply only to let out a contented sigh a moment later.So weird, she mused even if she had to admit she liked it.

"Adrian asked me for some help this morning," he spoke softly as she waited for her coffee to be poured. Another cup was procured from the cup above, and Ivan left it nearby. She placedit under the tap the moment her own was done, feeling oddly domestic about it all.

"Was there trouble at the clubs?" she asked, fighting to keep herself from melting into him. That easiness in his movements left her body wanting the same, but it felt too comfortable and she wasn't ready for that yet. They'd have to talk at some point and figure out what this was. Six months were ahead of her, it wouldn't help to get her own heart broken.

"Not quite," he mused before pulling away. She had to brace herself against following him, and wasn't that a dangerous realization? "But I'll need to go to the club again later to sort out a few things. I'll drop you off at Zia."

"Why?" she questioned, turning to face him. Her hands wrapped around her mug while he added a spoon of sugar to his cappuccino.

"I need to oversee a few things for the Bratva," he mentioned, tattooed fingers stirring his mug as he leaned against the counter next to her. Her eyes caught on his platinum wedding band, remembering the feel of his fingers the night before as she studied the square amethysts circling the full length of the ring. Her face heated, and she looked away.

"I'm not going to be able to make sure you're safe. If you're with Zia, then you'll have her security detailing you both."

"Oh," she muttered quietly, seeing the smile forming on his lips in her periphery.

"Your mom hasn't moved into the house next door yet, but I can give you the keys if you want to go look at it?" Ivan asked, tugging her close to him as she sipped her coffee.

"Okay," she said, her tone soft. She hated to admit that she was curious about what it looked like inside. Maybe a visit to Zia wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'm going to shower." Ivan set his empty mug in the basin, shooting her a cocky grin. "Want to join me, Mishka?"

She shook her head, feeling shy. "I—I've already showered."

"Pity," he lamented, his hand curling around her waist as he pulled her into him. "Any regrets, little bear?"

She shook her head, unable to meet his eyes. How the hell was she supposed to answer that? She didn't even know what she was supposed to think. What about their year-long feud? The jokes and pranks? Where the hell did they go from here?

Ivan's fingers pulled her chin up until he could kiss her lips again. His tongue pressed into her mouth in one smooth motion that made her mind go fuzzy, and she moaned softly, setting her coffee cup down to run her fingers through his hair. When he pulled away, his ocean-blue eyes searched hers—for what? She wasn't sure.

"I'll be down soon," he promised, kissing her softly again.

***

"You what?" Zia hissed on the other side of her kitchen island two hours later. They'd gone to look at Amy's mom's new place, Amy fully dressed and Zia in a silk robe and pajamas. It was gorgeous...Too much,her mind supplied helpfully as she shoved the thoughts away and concentrated on the here and now. Here, in Zia's kitchen while she interrogated her about last night.

Her friend's eyes were sparkling as she cackled loudly. "Oh my god, really?"

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