AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, yum,” she claps her hands in delight. “I was craving Italian.”
I bring out a cheese platter, a pizza, and a bowl of spaghetti to share. We dig in.
I watch as she takes a bite of the burrata. She closes her eyes, savoring it, swirling it in her mouth. Watching her eatmakes me want to undress her. I look away, casting my gaze out toward the twinkling city lights in an attempt to distract myself from the overwhelming desire pooling in my veins. I need to focus on her words and her presence. I can’t let my thoughts wander into forbidden territory.
“So, how have your cravings been?” I ask.
Robin seems to ponder the question for a moment before setting her fork down. Her eyes meet mine, a mix of mischief and something deeper flashing in their depths.
Robin smiles as she chews on a slice of pizza, her eyes shining with amusement. "Oh, believe me, Boris, the cravings have been all over the place. One day, it's pickles and ice cream. The next, it's spicy ramen at two in the morning." She chuckles softly. "It's like a rollercoaster of food emotions."
“Pickles and ice cream?” I respond, rightfully horrified.
Her laughter rings through the air as she tells me the strangest concoctions she has been craving. I hang onto her every word, my heart pounding in my chest like a caged animal. The desire to touch her, to be close to her, gnaws at me relentlessly.
"How’s work been?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Ah, well... it's irrelevant." I struggle to find words to describe the dark world of the Bratva, which I have tried to keep her far away from.
“Oh well,” she frowns. “If it’s irrelevant, then it’s irrelevant.”
“How have you been, overall?” I ask, changing the subject. “How are your energy levels? Is there anything you need? I was thinking we could hire a housekeeper and a nanny to help you later.”
“Whoa there, soldier,” she laughs. “I’m pregnant, not invalid.”
“I know, I know,” I reply, feeling a touch of embarrassment at my overprotectiveness. “It’s just... I want to make sure you have everything you need.”
“Everything I need…” she tastes the words in her mouth, almost looking sad, forlorn.
The change in her demeanor catches me off guard. “Is there something lacking?” I ask, worried.
“It’s just lonely,” she whispers. “Sometimes. You know? I imagine other women have their mothers and sisters and family, and it’s supposed to be such a joyous time in a woman’s life.”
I need to fix this for her. She’s been lonely? I never would have thought. But now that she says it, it makes sense. Her brother isn’t here. Her friends aren’t a part of our lives because she wants to keep them safe from our world. I need a solution, stat.
“I can have Anoushka give you company. And Vanya,” I offer immediately.
She looks at me and smiles, still with a tinge of sadness. “Sure,” she says. “Thank you.”
“That will work, won’t it?”
“They’re lovely women,” she doesn’t answer my question clearly.
She looks so vulnerable, so lonely. As a husband, I feel like I have failed. Had our marriage been a traditional one, I would never have let her feel lonely. I would kiss her a thousand times a day, massage her tired feet, and make love to her.
But I have limitations. At this moment, the distance I've tried to maintain between us begins to blur, and for an instant, Ifeel the need to take her into my arms and tell her just how I feel. She doesn’t have to be lonely if she so chooses.
Suddenly, out of the blue, probably worried at my silence, Robin reaches over to place her hand on mine. “Boris, I appreciate your concern. And I truly am grateful for everything you’ve done for me. It’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine, actually.”
Her touch sends a jolt through me, a spark that ignites a fire in my veins. Her words are sincere, her touch so gentle, yet it feels like everything I’ve been holding back is crashing down around me. I have forgotten about the Bratva, the arranged marriage, and the reasons I’ve kept my distance.
I look into her eyes, losing myself in them. “Robin, I wonder if there’s more I can do.”
“More?” she whispers, the idea seeming limitless.
“All I want is for you to be happy.”
Her eyes widen slightly, searching mine for any sign of deceit. But all she finds is raw honesty and a flicker of something more profound than either of us anticipated. The world around us stills, and I realize I might have just spoken the one absolute truth, admitting it out loud to her and myself for the first time ever:I want to exist for her alone, give her whatever she seeks.
