Page 53 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

Somewhat relieved and dumbfounded about it, I sighed and shook my head before I left the grape-smelling room behind and continued.

It seemed one of my suspects was just chronic, and not up to nefarious dealings in the office washroom. As annoying as it was, at least I could cross her off the list. That left Raf as one of the top contenders, and even if it felt unfounded still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that nobody knew him as well as they assumed.

As five o’clock came around and the building started to clear out, I got up from my place and moved through the floor until I reached Sky’s office.

I found her sitting at her desk, working hard on her assignment. Smiling, I gave a small knock against the wall before entering.

Sky mirrored my expression upon seeing me, and it was enough to make something in my chest stir. “Hi…how’s your day been?”

“Not too bad. Not very eventful…a bit underwhelming,” I returned gently, approaching her desk before leaning back against it on her side, “I have been itching to see you, at least.”

“Fortunately, I’m not too far away.”

Warmed from the mere sight of her, I reached forward and tucked her hair behind her ear, then gently traced the back of my finger against her cheek. At the sight of her faint shiver, I grinned. “Fortunate indeed.”

She hummed her amusement, features soft all the while she looked so compliant. “Did you come over here just to flirt with me?”

“Maybe I did,” I returned somewhat smugly, focused on feeling her smooth skin beneath my touch. “In fact…I definitely did.”

Sky’s smile didn’t fade as she leaned into my touch the moment I cupped her cheek, making my smirk turn into a more genuine expression. “I won’t complain.”

After a beat of soothing silence lingered between us, my thumb caressed her skin as I spoke up, “How have you been feeling?”

“Better. I felt nauseous earlier, but it passed,” she reassured me.

Even if it was true, she still looked exhausted, and I could tell being at work and managing her symptoms was wearing her down, regardless of how she insisted otherwise.

“I’m glad you feel better at least. How much longer will you be at it?”

Sky let go of a gentle breath. “Likely another hour or so? I want to make up for what I couldn’t do earlier.”

As much as I wanted to tell her to go home and get some rest, I didn’t want to overstep or tell her how to navigate the experience. Not just saying things as I saw them was something I had been working on, especially for her sake, and it took extra care for me to keep it up. In trying to be deserving of her, it was in my best interest to be less controlling and demanding of her.

Nodding, I gently brushed my thumb against her chin before dropping my hand back to my lap while I leaned back against the desk. “Alright. I can stick around until you’re ready to go.”

She gave me an appreciative smile and nodded with her faintly sleepy expression.

I appreciated that small moment between us, glad for the chance to see her and to be able to push aside my search for the spy for at least a short time. She had been an overwhelming distraction before, but after finding a better stride with her, she became a more relieving, welcomed one.

Regardless of what kind of day I was having, being able to check in on her and visit always made it feel that much easier on me. Even if I managed to find a way to tell her just how much that meant to me, I knew I’d never be able to express the full extent of it.

“I just hope the little one doesn’t keep you up too much before they’re even born,” I said gently, watching as she leaned against her armrest. “Or else I might need to have a stern talk with them.”

Sky chuckled at that, and her smile did so much to me without her even realizing it. “You and me both. I’ll need all the rest I can get before then.”

“But, if they’re anything like me, we’ll both have our hands full,” I murmured while gently reaching out and feeling the barely noticeable swell of her belly. My palm moved back and forth rhythmically as I thought about how impossibly perfect she was going to look once her pregnancy was more noticeable. The thought was enough to send a thrill down my spine.

“I’m already preparing myself for twice the trouble,” Sky returned with a grin as she placed her hand on top of mine.

Losing myself in the moment while I took her in completely, half tempted by the lewd thoughts that seemed to consume me at once, it all shattered the moment my phone went off in my pocket. Then again. I forced out a breath, closing my eyes briefly in a silent apology before I pulled my hand away and grabbed it.

Glancing down at the screen, Ari’s name popped up, along with two texts. One claimed there was an emergency at one of their warehouses, and the other was a location pin to the one in question.

My brows furrowed, and I straightened up.

“What’s going on?” Sky asked, growing concerned at my sudden change in demeanor.

“There’s been another accident with the Levovs…something went wrong with a trade and they’re asking for backup,” I said, growing more concerned at the likelihood of it being another Pesci hit. I met her gaze. “I’m sorry, I know I said I’d stay, but this sounds bad.”

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