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“Yes?” I answered, ready to give her anything she wanted.
“I think you better give the cook the day off tomorrow so she doesn’t kill us.”
I told her that seemed like a good idea and pulled her closer, as I gave into laughter.
Chapter 14 - Kira
Yuri took off the next couple of days to spend with me, keeping his phone completely off, his library and office doors shut so he wouldn’t even glance into them and be tempted by work. I was his only temptation. And he was definitely mine.
It was like a real honeymoon, giggling in bed at night, sitting elbow to elbow at the kitchen island eating our breakfast and sipping second and third cups of coffee as we planned our days. Every morning drifted lazily into midday, and we’d wander around his property, exploring nature and get caught up in romantic interludes in the shade. His land extended far beyond the wild hedge that separated the courtyard from winding trails that led through Banyan trees, eventually taking us to the water’s edge where we’d sit and soak our tired feet and roast in the sun.
I was no longer pale, and my initial sunburn had faded to a golden brown, my hair going a shade lighter. Yuri sometimes stood behind me when I sat at my vanity table, running his fingers through the strands while watching me in the mirror. We lay around in the living room, feet intertwined while we read books, often getting caught up in long discussions about them. If we watched a movie, we made popcorn and pulled all the curtains shut, making it dark and cool in the home theater, snuggling under blankets and barely following the plot as we made out like teenagers.
We made outrageous plans to travel down to the islands once everything was settled with our families and most of the time it was easy to pretend. But when reality snuck in I was at war with my feelings. A struggle that tore me in two. I really could love Yuri again if things were different, if we were different, but he was completely loyal to his brothers and his sense of duty was his strongest trait. Marriage to me was one of those duties and while he was clearly not suffering, he would surely bolt if given the chance. Just like I would. I was happy enough pretending but when those flashes of reality reared its ugly head, I wanted so much more.
The more fun we had and the more time we spent together, the less time I looked for chances to run, though. Even my intense need for revenge was dimmed when on the fourth magical day we went shopping at a garden center for flowers, then spent all afternoon digging up part of the garden. We quibbled over whether or not we should plant rows or go for a more natural configuration, tossing chunks of dirt at each other between gently patting the little plants into the ground. We ended up crushing most of them when we fell into each other’s arms, rolling around in the freshly turned dirt in a passionate embrace and getting completely filthy.
“Look what we did,” I said, pulling myself up and trying to straighten the poor broken stalks. “We’re like animals.”
“Rawr,” he said, swiping a few roots from my disheveled top. “They’re stronger than you think. They’ll survive.”
He jumped up, helping me to my feet as we surveyed our handiwork, bursting out into giggles. He wrapped his arm around me, his smile wide and carefree. If only there weren’t an eternal shadow across his eyes. He was worried about staying out of contact with his brothers, but he did his best to hide it. He really was trying.
“Let’s get in the shower,” he suggested, the worry turning to a glint of mischief. He dusted off my arms and pulled a leaf from my hair.
“Sounds like a great idea,” I agreed.
We made it back inside and were setting foot on the curving staircase when there was a pounding on the door. We froze, and Yuri looked down the hallway. I followed his gaze as the pounding continued, accompanied now by Ivan’s shout to open up.
“I know you’re hiding in there,” he yelled. “This is important.
“It’s okay,” I said, tugging on his shirt collar for a last kiss. “It was fun while it lasted.”
He scowled. “It’s not over. But I’ll probably have to go with him for a while.”
He trudged over to throw the door open, and I braced myself against Ivan’s onslaught, hoping I wouldn’t witness a fight. His older brother only shook his head at him as he brushed past him.
“We’re meeting the others. God, what happened to you? You’re covered in dirt.”
“Never mind,” Yuri said. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.” He trotted up the stairs, leaving me alone with Ivan, growing self-conscious about my messy appearance.
“We were gardening,” I said. I liked Ivan, but it was clear he was in no mood for small talk so I raced upstairs.
Yuri had already taken a two minute shower and was pulling on clean clothes when I joined him in the bedroom. He was tense. Our little bubble was well and truly popped, but he gave me a strained smile, kissing me goodbye and telling me not to worry as he rushed back downstairs.
I thought I might actually get some time alone, pleased that he finally trusted me. I took a quick shower, changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and headed downstairs to log onto the laptop Yuri had bought me so I could do my class, when I heard the sound of babies laughing.
Theresa was in the living room with her twins and her nanny, and my excitement over being allowed a small bit of independence shriveled. So much for trust. I didn’t want it to taint the last few, perfect days or take out my disappointment on Theresa, so I put on a happy face and joined them.
The little boys were adorable, if a bit sticky. I was soon crawling around on the blanket Theresa and the nanny had spread out, surrounded by soft toys and getting prodded and grabbed by chubby little hands. They put everything in their mouths and I was quick to pull one of the remotes from Kristoff while Mason gripped my hair and tried to eat a chunk of it.
“They’re teething,” Theresa explained, handing each one a cold, rubbery ring.
They greedily started munching away, making me laugh. “They’re actually really cute,” I said.
“When was the last time you were around a baby?” she asked, snickering at my disbelieving tone.
I cast back in my memory. “Never?” I pulled Mason awkwardly onto my lap and felt a strange sense of satisfaction when he melted against me. “Well, this is all right.” I petted his downy tufts of hair as he gummed on his teether.
