Page 50 of King of Malice
“Morning,” Anna chirps with a smile.
“Your ear feeling better?”
“Yep,” she answers, scooting to the edge of the bed and sliding off.
“Where are you going?”
“To play.”
I start to push up to follow, when Dimitri’s arm tightens around me. “Where are you going?”
Smiling, I look back at him. “To watch your daughter.”
“She’ll be all right for a minute.” And then he nuzzles my neck.
I’m not completely sure why he’s so snuggly but I don’t really want to question it either. I slide my hand over his arm, tilting my head to give him more access to my neck.
I tangle my legs in his. His free hand splays out on my belly. “You feel so good.”
“So do you,” I breathe out.
“Ava,” Anna calls from the other room. “Come play.”
I groan as Dimitri laughs in my neck. “You’re being called.”
“I hear it.” I nip at my lip. The idea of not being part of Anna’s life stiffens my muscles. “Is she going to be really upset when I leave?” I feel my breath catch as Dimitri’s fist balls against my stomach.
“Ava,” he rumbles into the skin of my neck. “I should have?—"
“I’ve got Gertrude coming tonight.”
“Gertrude?”
“The nanny.”
He sighs but doesn’t stiffen away. “Right.”
“I can’t cancel her again, she’ll quit.” I take a breath. I’m enjoying the snuggles and I don’t really want to disrupt the harmony. But thoughts about what is coming today have started creeping in and I’ve never been good about ignoring those.
He pushes up on an elbow, looking down at me. “I should have known that a woman like you would take my fit of temper to heart.”
“Who can blame you? And wasn’t I supposed to?” My breath catches as he looks away.
“Yes.” It’s his turn to sigh. “And no.”
My brows lift as I wait for him to explain. His hand slides over myhip. “I don’t know how to explain this, but from the first moment I met you, I just knew you were mine.”
My mouth falls open. “You’re serious.”
He kisses my neck again. “I know it’s very early in our relationship and I told you to leave my house yesterday, but seeing you with my daughter…” I feel him grimace against my neck. “I know where you belong, milaya, and it’s with us.”
I feel it too. Being in Dimitri’s life is the best thing that’s happened to me. “I want that too,” I whisper faintly. “So much.”
His warm breath rushes over my sensitive skin. “But we’re going to have to work on trust.”
“Understood,” I answer faintly. “I’ll get my stuff together, clear out the room for Gertrude. I can bring it all home later?—”
“Your home is here.” He’s kissing a trail down my shoulder and over my arm.
