Page 32 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

Pippa suddenly looked fresh, her naughty mind working overtime. "Have you ever seen him behave himself?" she replied with a nonchalance that made the whole room laugh.

"Well, at least someone’s honest," Vlad said rather loudly with a grin, earning himself a swift kick under the table from me.

Pippa's lips twitched, fighting a smile. She had noticed. I swear, nothing missed her eye.

She opened her mouth to say something when suddenly, the dining room door burst open.

Two small whirlwinds of energy came barreling in—my niece and nephew, still in their pajamas. "Daddy!" they shrieked, making a beeline for Ivan.

I expected Pippa to recoil from the sudden chaos, but to my surprise, her face lit up. "Well, hello there," she said softly as she got out of her chair and crouched on the ground to meet them at their level, her entire demeanor changing as she addressed the children.

My niece, ever the bold one, marched right up to Pippa. "Who you?" she demanded.

"I'm Pippa," she replied, her voice warm and gentle. "And who might you be?"

“Lily,” she said rather cutely. She had just learned how to talk and could spring together two or three words at the time.

“Like the flower?” Pippa’s eyes widened with joy, and Lily squealed happy agreements.

As I watched Pippa interact with the kids, her natural affinity for them was obvious. Gone was the prim woman, replaced by someone childlike in spirit. It was… unexpected. And oddly appealing.

Just as the kids were warming up to their new friend, the nanny appeared in the doorway, looking flustered. "I'm so sorry," she began, but Pippa shook her head.

"Oh I’m sad to see you go," Pippa said, giving the children one last hug before they were ushered out. “But I will see you tomorrow!”

As the door closed behind them, I caught a wistful look in her eye that made me wonder what she had going on through that pretty little head of hers.

The moment passed quickly, but it left me with a new curiosity for Pippa Burrows. I also noticed that my siblings suddenly seemed more comfortable around her, as though her affinity for children made her easier to have as a house guest.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Pippa as she seamlessly slipped back into conversation with my family. The way she laughed at Ivan's dry humor, the attentive nod she gave Adley's gardening anecdotes—it suddenly seemed like she'd known them for years, not hours.

"So, Pippa." Vlad leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Any embarrassing stories about our dear brother here?"

My jaw clenched. Vlad knew damn well Pippa and I barely knew each other. But before I could interject, Pippa's melodious laugh filled the air.

"Oh, I'm sure there are plenty," she said, those green eyes flickering to me. "But he’s kind of in with my boss, so…” she shrugged.

“Hey, we’re in with your boss, too,” Vlad protested.

“True,” Pippa nodded. “But I don’t have to deal with you when I go back to work.”

I smirked, oddly pleased by her quick thinking. But as I watched her easy banter with my brothers, a strange twist in my gut caught me off guard. Was I… jealous of this camaraderie between them? Ridiculous. I shook it off, focusing instead on the way her hands moved when she spoke of things that she was passionate about.

"Emory," Pippa suddenly exclaimed looking ahead at the shelf, "is that a first edition Austen on your bookshelf?"

My sister-in-law's face lit up. "You've got a good eye! Are you a fan?"

"Am I ever," Pippa gushed, her proper facade melting away. "I've read 'Pride and Prejudice' so many times, I practically have it memorized."

"Oh, don't get her started," I groaned playfully. "We'll be here all night listening to Emory wax poetic about Darcy and Elizabeth."

Pippa raised an eyebrow at me. "And what's wrong with that, Abrahim Ustinov? The big, bad wolf is scared of a little romance?"

The table erupted in laughter, and I found myself chuckling along, captivated by the sparkle in Pippa's eyes. Who was this woman, and how had she managed to charm my entire family in one evening?

***

As the last of the plates were picked up by the housekeeper, I caught Pippa stifling a yawn. The evening had stretched on, and I could see the fatigue etching lines around her eyes. I stood, my chair scraping against the hardwood floor.

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