Page 71 of Forgotten Vows
I smiled, nestling up against her. “In the morning?”
She yawned. “Mmm-hmmm.”
“I’ll be right here.”
She nodded. “Good.”
I fell asleep and stayed put all night. In the morning, I woke up refreshed and in no hurry to leave her bed or room.
She was already awake, stirring and rubbing up against me.
“What if you and Lev just move in with me already?” I asked, kissing her lazily and cuddling.
“Here? In your room?”
I nodded. I’d noticed how Gabriella seemed like a bridge to connect for her.
“Then once we can confirm whether Konstantin is dead or not, you can move into my house.”
She stared at me, almost smiling.
“Will you consider it?”
She kissed me as a reply and I wanted to take that as ayes.
Over the next couple of days, I seriously wondered if Raisa was starting to soften and warm up to me more. If she trusted me. I hoped that one day, there would be no doubt. But in the meantime, while more Dubinin men looked into the possibility that Konstantin could be alive after the rumored time of his death, I enjoyed this domesticity. Of spending time with Lev. Of getting closer to Raisa.
Even Luka seemed more welcoming of her, if busy.
At the pool, where we all hung out and gathered around one night, Alexsei and I were teasing Misha and Lev.
“Oh, you and your Dad jokes,” Gabriella teased.
I smiled, loving the fact that I was a dad.
“Hey, I’m funny, too,” Emil said, splashing her back. They’d definitely settled into a more brother-and-sister bickering than a stepson and stepmom. Which was weird because Emil was older than Gabriella.
“Yeah, but you’re not a dad,” Lev said, joining in the impromptu roast.
Emil rolled his eyes. “Not yet. I like being a bachelor.”
“Mama?” Lev looked at Raisa. “What’s a bachelor?”
We all laughed, teasing Emil some more.
Like this, it was hard to recall the pain of missing her and not knowing where she was. She fit in so naturally with us, and it served as a daily motivation for me to be patient. I did my best not to be overly protective of her and Lev, giving them room and space to acclimate, but when I had her alone at night, I showed her more of how my vision of a family would work with her.
Where we’d come together in bed no matter what.
Lev wanted a “sleepover” with Misha in his room in the big fortress-like house, so we had our room to ourselves. And the first thing Raisa had on her mind was to shower after the pool time.
Watching her on her knees, sucking me off, would never get old. I framed her face and smiled. “I will never stop loving you. Only you.”
She paused, pulling back and licking her lips. “Is it true that you could only get hard to memories of me all those years?”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Let me guess. Emil got chatty with you and told you?”
She giggled, nodding. “Maybe.”
