Page 115 of Under Control

“Now, malishka.” I kiss her hard and hold her tight. “Or are you going to fight?”

“You’d like that.”

“Yes, I would.”

She sighs dramatically. “We really are perfect for each other.”

“We really are.” I slap her ass and throw her over my shoulder. She yelps, kicks, punches, but there’s no stopping me now.

I have an heir on my mind, and she’s going to give one to me.

Chapter 44

Karine

Ten Months Later

Mama shufflesaround the hospital room fussing with everything. She’s chatting up a constant storm, I think because she’s nervous about being back here. She doesn’t have a lot of good associations when it comes to healthcare settings.

But I can barely hear her. I’m exhausted, I barely slept the night before, and there’s a beautiful, perfect little distraction lying nestled in my arms, happily feeding away though starting to slow down now.

“Did you hear me, Karine?” Mama asks. “You have to get them to bring more pillows. Look at these.” She fluffs the ones behind my back, jostling Anna awake. Her big, blue eyes open and she blinks up at me and I swear, my heart stops. We stare at each other, and her lips pull back.

She’s smiling at me. She’s beaming, grinning, so happy it’s absurd.

And then she’s screaming.

“Oh, shush, little one,” Mama says and tries to take her away, but I hold on tight. “Come now, Karine, let me try to calm her down.”

“It’s okay, I’ve got her.”

“You haven’t let anyone hold her since she was born.”

“I let Valentin.”

“He’s the father.” She scowls at me. “Give me the baby, Karine-jan.”

I don’t want to. I know my mother is going to be a wonderful grandmom, but right now, Anna is just so perfect I can’t imagine letting anyone take her from me. I know I’ll be begging Mama for babysitting—not that I’ll really need it, considering Valentin already informed me that Nikkita will now be responsible for watching over our child—but right now, I’m too happy, and things are too perfect.

The door bangs open. Valentin rushes inside, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “What’s the matter?” he asks, hurrying to my side. “Is she okay? Is she hungry? I heard sometimes newborn babies have mucus plugs?—”

“She’s fine,” I say, waving him away. “She’s completely fine and healthy. Just startled, that’s all. Right, little baby?”

Valentin gets on his knees beside me and leans over to look into his daughter’s face.

He hasn’t left my side since I went into labor. Just now, he stepped into the hall for a few minutes to give me some time alone with my mother, but I can tell he’s just been hovering right outside the door waiting for something to go wrong.

Valentin’s going to be averyoverprotective father.

And I don’t mind it one bit, because he’s looking at Anna with a deep, obsessive devotion, just like when he looks at me.

That’s love. Raw and true and deep.

I calm Anna down and Mama decides to run down to the cafeteria to get everyone something to eat. We’re alone in my private room at the top of Jefferson Hospital with my perfect husband, and I feel like everything’s right with the world.

When my phone rings.

“Ignore it,” Valentin murmurs. He’s half in bed with me and playing with Anna’s little hand. Her eyes are drooping, finally falling asleep.

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