Page 30 of Bratva's Vow
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“What?”
“Kroshka? That word you always call me.”
“It means little monster.”
“Oh.”
He sounded disappointed, and I couldn’t take it, even though I initially wanted to poke fun at his question.
“It means…” I sighed, softening. “It means something small and sweet. Literally crumb or cupcake, but in this context, sweetheart.”
Wren blinked at me, his expression shifting. “What about the other one?Sol—I can’t say it.”
“Solnyshko. That one means little sun. Because that’s what you are to me. Warm. Bright. The center of everything. The light in my dark world.”
Wren ducked his head, a tiny scoff slipping out. “That’s… kinda cheesy.”
But his voice betrayed him—soft, touched—and I caught the slight curl of a smile he tried to hide. He could downplay it all he wanted. I still heard the happiness.
“How about I stop using them, then?”
“No!” he said quickly.
I chuckled. “Thought so.”
“We’re straying from the topic. Now tell me, what do you want for your birthday?”
“I don’t want anything.”
“Liar,” he said. “Everyone wants something. Even you.”
He kicked off one of his house slippers, pulling that knee up to his chest, tablet resting on it. “I already have everything I want, solnyshko.”
“You’re really making this tough for me, babe!”
Babe.
The word hit me like a sucker punch. My stomach flipped, caught somewhere between a laugh and a gasp. No one had ever called me that. I should’ve hated it.Babesounded cheap, like something someone said to every warm body in their bed to keep from slipping up on a name. But from Wren’s lips, it didn’t feel borrowed or lazy.
It felt real.
Like he’d meant it just for me.
“How so?” I feigned indifference while my heart betrayed me, thudding against my ribs like it knew better. “Nothing is the easiest gift to give someone. If not, then I won’t say no to a blow job.”
He groaned. “How boring! I give you blow jobs all the time. This has to be special.”
“But your blow jobsarespecial because they are from you.”
“Stop making me blush. I came in here to stand on business!”
“You’re doing an awful lot of sitting down for someone who is supposed to be standing on business.”
“Ugh.” He let out a frustrated breath. “There’s no reasoning with you sometimes.”
I shook my head, the corners of my mouth twitching despite myself. He did this more than he realized. Slipped into the bathroom while I showered, like it was a second living room. Like my space was his by default. And I let him. Every time.
