Page 106 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump
“Do you want to come in?”
He gazes past me for a moment, then he shakes his head. “No. I have some things to tend to and until I have made up for what I did, I don’t want to intrude. Next time.”
As he steps away, words rise inside me and I blurt them out before I can think it through. “You’re going to be a grandfather. So please, be sincere when you apologize to her.”
He stops halfway down the path, caught in whatever thoughts swarm him in that moment. Then he continues down to the car and only a handful of guards follow. Given how distant he’s been since my brother died, this is the warmest thing he’s ever done. Closing the door, I head back inside and beeline to Hollie.
She gives me an incredible smile as I kneel next to her and she cups my face. “Hi, handsome.”
“Marry me,” I say quietly under the hum of activity at the table, presenting the box to her.
Her eyes widen and she gazes down at the ring while thumbing the current ring around her own finger. “We’re already married.”
“Marry me properly. A full wedding. Everything you could ever want. Have your family and friends there, make it as big or as small as you want. I love you, Hollie, and I never gave you the ceremony you deserve. So marry me again and let me make you proud.”
Her lips part and she stares at me in quiet shock, then she takes my mother’s ring and very slowly slips it on until it nestles next to her original ring. “Wow. It’s heavy,” she murmurs, curling her fingers. Then she cups my face and draws me up against her, kissing me hard. “Yes,” she whispers against my lips. “I’ll marry you again. For real this time.”
Never has life been so kind, and I will spend the rest of my days earning every drop of her love.
40
HOLLIE
Sun trickles through the blinds, waking me slowly. Sleep curls its warm fingers around me, enticing me back under but the moment Maxim moves against, I’m fully awake. His firm cock presses against the crease of my ass but he still seems asleep despite how both his arms tighten around me when I move.
Every part of me tingles. We spent the whole day yesterday celebrating Christmas in all the places that are important to us. Starting with my parents’, we stayed there until lunch and then visited the hospital with presents for Toto, including my deep thanks for his attempts to protect me and my family. While there, Stu finally apologized for hitting me when we first met and I happily informed him that I forgave him the moment he protected me from Vinnie in the park.
What’s a slap between friends?
Dinner was spent with Maxim’s father, a tense affair, but the man did seem to be making an effort. Given what I learned about his late son, I understand his urge to protect. While the actualwordsorrynever left his lips, his actions give me hope that at some point, there’s a chance my baby will be born into a family without discord. After dinner, we visited Zoe and handed out some presents to her and her family, then paid a visit to the club, which is still open even at Christmas. After a mocktail with the girls, Christmas was almost over.
Then we returned home where, in our absence, Maxim had people decorating the penthouse to look like a winter wonderland, and it’s here I wake up, cozy among the cushiony nest created near the Christmas tree. Cotton lies everywhere, creating the illusion of soft snow with glitter sprinkled around to add to the sparkle. Despite the weak winter sun coming in through the blinds, the room remains cozy.
The tree still covers the walls in bright colors from the lights, the dangling decorations and snowflakes spin and drift in the heat rising from the fireplace, and the soft nest we sleep in makes the thought of leaving utterly impossible.
I want to stay here forever.
“Morning,” Maxim groans, tightening his arms further against me and pressing his face into the back of my neck. “You smell so good.”
“I smell like you,” I murmur back with a smile.
“Like I said, good.”
“No complaints from me.”
“Mmhmm.” As he cuddles into me, his cock slides against the crease of my backside and a warm shiver curls down my spine. Stretching out some stiffness in my arm from my injured shoulder, I admire the two rings nestled together on my finger.
As soon as the baby’s born, we’ll have a real wedding with a real dress, proper vows, and all my family there. I can’t wait.
Suddenly, Maxim rolls me onto my back and positions himself over me, his sleepy eyes locking with mine. “How did you sleep?” Concern furrows his brow. “I wasn’t too rough last night, was I?”
My core throbs at the memory of his cock pounding into me and I smirk. “Not as rough as I’d like.”
“You’re hurt,” he says softly. “I need to be gentle.” The hand he’s not bracing on rests against my bare ribs and the blanket shifts as Maxim fully moves over the top of me. “I don’t want to do anything that sends you back into the hospital. Plus, I’m not a hundred percent either. Yet.”
“If I got whiplash from your dick, I would be pretty happy,” I grin, reaching up and cupping his face. “Trust me. I’m fine.”
“Yes, you are.” He leans down and kisses me slowly. “I say we stay here and fuck like rabbits until New Year’s.”
