His hands grip my hips, guiding my movements as I start to ride him. The position gives him control, and he uses it, setting a rhythm that has me gasping. One hand slides up to cup my breast while the other moves lower, fingers finding my clit.
"Andrey," I gasp, my body already trembling.
He growls in answer.
His fingers work my clit in tight circles, and the pleasure builds fast. When my orgasm hits, it's intense, my body clenching around him as waves of sensation roll through me. Andrey groans, his grip tightening as he drives up into me harder, chasing his own release.
When he comes, it's with a curse, his cock pulsing inside me as he fills me. Finally, Andrey lifts me off him and carries me to the bed. He lays me down gently, his hands smoothing over my belly.
"You okay?" he asks.
"More than okay."
He settles beside me, pulling me against his chest. For a while, we just lie there in comfortable silence. But the question that's been haunting me all day finally surfaces, and I can't keep it inside anymore.
"Andrey," I say quietly. "I'm afraid."
His hand stills on my hip. "Of what?"
I turn to face him, my eyes searching his. "How do we protect a baby in this life? How do we keep them safe when everything around us is dangerous?"
44
ANDREY
Mariya's body is still trembling slightly against mine, her breathing uneven as the weight of her confession settles between us. I hold her closer, my hand sliding up and down her spine in slow, soothing strokes. The fear in her voice when she told me about the pregnancy cut deeper than any blade ever could.
"Our child will be protected," I say firmly, my lips brushing against her temple. "I promise you that."
She pulls back just enough to look at me, her dark eyes searching mine. "How can you be sure?"
"Because I'll make it sure." I cup her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away the tears still clinging to her lashes. "I'll hire the best guards. FormerSpetsnaz, men who've protected heads of state. Our child will have a security detail that makes the president's look amateur."
A small, shaky laugh escapes her. "That seems excessive."
"Nothing is excessive when it comes to protecting what's mine." I lean down and kiss her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth. "I'll update the entire estate's security system. New cameras, motion sensors, and reinforced perimeter fencing. I'll turn this place into a fucking fortress if I have to."
Mariya's hands slide up my chest, her fingers curling into my shirt. "You really mean that."
"Every word." I pull her back against me, needing to feel her warmth, her heartbeat steady against mine. "No one will touch you or our baby. I don't care who they are or what connections they have. They'll have to go through me first."
She's quiet for a moment, her breath warm against my neck. Then she whispers, "I'm scared, Andrey."
"I know." I tighten my arms around her. "But you're not alone in this. You have me. You have Matvey and Sophia. You have the entire fucking family to protect you and the baby."
We stay like that for a while, wrapped up in each other as the night deepens around us. Eventually, I feel her body relax, the tension slowly draining from her muscles.
"Sleep," I murmur, brushing her hair back from her face. "I'll be right here."
She catches my hand before I can pull away. "Promise?"
"Always."
I strip down to my boxers and slide into bed beside her, pulling her back against my chest. My hand settles over her slightly rounded stomach, protective and possessive. The thought of our child growing inside her fills me with something fierce andprimal. This is mine. She is mine. And I'll burn the world down before I let anyone threaten them.
Mariya's breathing evens out gradually, her body going soft and pliant in my arms. I press a kiss to her shoulder and close my eyes, letting sleep pull me under.
The next morning, I wake before dawn with Mariya still curled against me. I slip out of bed carefully, not wanting to disturb her, and head to the shower. The hot water helps clear my head as I run through everything I need to do today.
