Authors: Aliyah Burke
“
Is she…will she…?” Lord
help her, all she wanted to do is run to the child, hold her close
and promise all would be well. To hell with anything else. Legal or
otherwise.
“
Time will
tell.”
Aida stared at him, and Dane held her gaze,
unwavering. “Ever the protector, aren’t you?
He shrugged easily. “It’s
in my blood. She’s an innocent, Aida. A
baby
. She should be protected and
safe. Her days should be filled with games, fun, and more. Not
worrying about who will show up in her room at night.”
“
So you’re taking her home
with you.” She wasn’t asking. She knew he could do no less. Dane
had this infallible streak in him, a need to safeguard those
weaker.
He nodded. “She’ll be safe there.”
She sighed. Dane may be pushy and extremely
arrogant, but the one thing she couldn’t argue was how well he
defended those he promised. “Okay, now suddenly, my whining that
you didn’t contact me for five weeks seems so very childish.”
He cupped her jaw. “You
were in my thoughts every day,
solnyshko
moyo
.” Dane kissed her until she sagged
against him. “Every single day. I’m not sure about our mating bond,
you shouldn’t be able to shut me out. Please don’t do that again. I
need to feel you, Aida. Even if we’re apart.”
She nodded. There was no reason to block him
out. She loved the security it gave her to be able to always feel
him with her.
He traced her lower lip with his index
finger and took a deep breath. “Now, speaking about children. When
were you going to tell me?”
Aida frowned over the slight return of the
edge in his tone. “Tell you what?”
“
You don’t know, Aida?” He
lifted a brow.
She pursed her lips. Her
mind was still abuzz over what he’d told her about Isolde’s foster
parents, and she was having a hard time concentrating on anything
else but the longing and desire to hold the child close to her.
“What
are
you
talking about?”
“
I’m talking about the
fact,” his hand covered her womb, “that you, mate of my heart, are
carrying my child within you.”
For the first time in her entire life, Aida
fainted.
She stirred slowly and frowned as she looked
around. This was a hotel room. Pushing to a sitting position,
Aida’s breath caught when Dane walked into the room, clad only in a
pair of low-slung jeans.
“
What
happened?”
“
You fainted.” He crouched
by her side and handed her a glass of water.
“
Where’s
Isolde?”
Dane pointed to the side. “Other bed,
sleeping with the wolf and tiger.” He nudged the glass.
“Drink.”
“
How come you’re so sure
I’m carrying your baby?” she asked after taking a sip. It hadn’t
even crossed her mind she could be pregnant.
“
Your scent.”
Aida groaned. “What a way to make me feel
even more self-conscious. Now, I smell.”
“
You,
solnyshko moyo
, smell like cinnamon,
vanilla, and soft apples to me.” His voice dropped lower than a
whisper, and he kissed her palm. “You taste like sunlight.” Another
light kiss. “I can smell the chemical change being pregnant gives
you.”
“
I had no idea,” she
admitted, placing one hand over her belly.
Dane took the water from her. “I kind of
figured that when you fainted.”
She punched him in the
shoulder, and he arched a brow at her. “You could at least pretend
it hurts.”
A baby. Dane’s baby.
“Look at you, coming here and getting not one but
two kids.”
A sensual and contented
grin tilted up his lips. “Lucky night for me.” He watched her with
warm eyes. The colors were beautifully blended, and the word which
popped into her mind as she found herself lost in his gaze
was
contentment
.
He was content. With everything that had happened, he was content
to have her pregnant and Isolde.
His warm look made her smile. She sobered.
“What about Isolde?”
“
What about her? I’ve set
things in motion. Before she wakes, she will be Valera Grace
Sidorov. We discussed it, and that’s the name she wants. She’ll go
by Lera, it means strong.”
There was no room for argument or discussion
on the subject. His tone inferred that, and she let it go, knowing
he meant every single word he’d just said.
Aida kissed him lightly. “I don’t even want
to know how you’re pulling this off. Thank you for protecting her.
You must be getting ready to go…handle…that then.”
“
Yes. Will you be
okay?”
She smirked. “Amazingly
enough, I
have
managed to live without you watching over me every second of
my life.”
“
Are you challenging me,
mate?”
“
Oh no,” she said in a
droll voice, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
His beautiful eyes narrowed. “I can’t wait
to strip you down and enjoy you from head to toe.”
She trembled. “Don’t you have to leave?”
Dane stood in an easy
motion and pulled on a shirt. He kissed her fast and hard.
I expect you here when I return, mate.
He left.
I wouldn’t leave her here alone.
Aida got up to pace while she thought. She
called her parents and said she was fine, with Dane, but fine. And
she made no mention of Isolde. No, not Isolde, Lera.
Standing in front of the
large mirror, Aida tried to imagine herself pregnant. Her fingers
splayed over her womb.
Something to always
tie me to Dane Sidorov
. A wry smile filled
her features. A baby.
“
Aida?”
The quiet voice immediately grabbed her
attention. Moving to the bed, Aida sat down with her. “Hey,
sweetie.”
“
Where’s Dane?”
“
He went to get things
ready for your trip.”
Lera scooted closer, putting the white tiger
against Aida’s outside hip and the wolf by her. Then, she curled up
against Aida. “I’m not bad like they say. I promise I’m not.” Her
words were desperate to have someone believe her.
“
No, you’re not.” Aida
wrapped her arms around her, battling back the fury she had over
this sweet child’s treatment.
“
I’m gonna like my new
name. Valera Grace Sidorov. Do you like it? I think I’m going to
like being Lera.”
“
It’s a beautiful name.
Will you tell me about your angel?”
Lera sighed. “He’s strong like Dane, in a
way. Always with me when I needed to get away.”
Aida wanted to scream for the pain Lera had
been forced to experience. Children were supposed to be loved and
protected, not abused. “When did you meet…him?”
“
My angel? He’s always
been there.”
“
Oh, I see. What does he
look like?”
“
Tall. Gray eyes. Black
hair. He only wears black. Sometimes he gets angry, but I’m never
scared. He protects me.”
Aida frowned.
Dane?
Do you need me?
His concern obvious.
Is
everything okay? Lera?
A smile flashed quick at
Dane’s use of the girl’s new name.
She
sees
this angel of hers.
I didn’t see him in her memories. What did
she say?
Tall, gray eyes, black hair and only black
clothing.
Let me think. I’m almost on my way back.
Would you like me to bring you anything? Chocolate, perhaps?
No, thank you.
Although, chocolate did sound so good.
“
Sometimes he comes as a
wolf. A beautiful black wolf. Sometimes not. But he always protects
me.”
Aida held her close, smoothing a few wisps
of black hair back from the child’s forehead. “Rest, Lera. Looks
like you are going to have a long day ahead of you.”
“
Yes. Night.”
“
Good night,
sweetie.”
Aida watched as Lera readjusted and curled
up into the wolf. The child had such innocence about her, and yet
at the same time, she appeared so much older than she was. Her
eyes, they were old soul eyes.
She got off the bed and covered Lera with
the comforter. Then, Aida headed out on the balcony and let the
cool night desert air flow over her. Aida closed her eyes and
gripped the rail. Isolde…no, Lera was handling this way better than
she was, and hell, the child was the one who’d had to go through
those despicable acts.
“
You okay,
solnyshko moyo
?”
Dane’s voice stroked her seconds before his
warm body brushed against hers. She relaxed into him without
hesitation. How she’d missed him. And his touch was making her
crazy.
“
Dane,” she gasped when
his large callused hands slipped up under her shirt.
“Stop.”
Five weeks, Aida. I’m so hard for you. Feel
what you do to me.
Wetness gushed when he
pressed his erection into the material of her pants. She
whimpered.
No, Dane. There’s a child
near.
His rumble of
disappointment vibrated against her back.
I will hold you in my arms tonight, mate. You and our
child.
That she wouldn’t argue. He lowered his head
and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear.
“
Come, Aida. We need some
sleep.”
Soon, they were lying on the other bed in
the room. Dane spooned around her, one arm under her neck as her
pillow and his other around her middle, his large hand splayed over
her womb as if protecting the life growing in there. Aida fell into
a deep sleep, once again safe in the arms of the man she loved.
She woke alone. Completely alone. No Dane.
No Lera. With a groan, she got up and went to the bathroom. As she
splashed water on her face, she frowned. “I need my clothes, Jesus,
and a shower.”
The sound of voices and the smell of food
reached her. Pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail, Aida opened
the door and stepped out. Dane stood with Lera at the table,
whispering something only they could hear.
“
Morning,” Aida
said.
“
Good morning,” they
answered together, sharing a smile between them.
“
Come and eat breakfast,”
Dane said, his look whisking away all her common sense.
She sat down to a bacon, egg, and cheese
bagel with orange juice and coffee and listened in silence while
Lera chatted happily about the trip.
Why so pensive, Aida?
Not pensive. Wanting a shower and some clean
clothes.
I’ll take you to your parents’ after
breakfast.
Thank you.
I can be nice,
solnyshko moyo
.
He flashed a wicked grin.
Oh yeah. That tabby
attitude just overflows from you.
She
smiled sweetly and drank some coffee.
His smile turned
primitive, and his eyes grew wild.
Mark my
words, Aida. I’ll show you just how much of a tabby I am not before
the sun sets today.
Despite all attempts not
to, Aida couldn’t help the quivers his words delivered.
Thought you were leaving today.
We are.
Aida nodded and stood. “I should get back to
my parents’ house.”
Dane glanced at Lera who was in the process
of swallowing her last bite. “Very well.”
Aida rode in silence except to tell Dane
where to go. Her mom was out in the front garden when they arrived.
She never even batted an eye when the child got out. Dane gave Aida
a look, and she knew he had something to do with that as well.
“
I’ll be right back,” Aida
said, heading to her room.
Grabbing some clothing, she stepped into the
attached bath and pulled her shirt off. Tawny-green-gold orbs met
hers in the mirror. She jumped and dropped the cotton shirt on the
floor, her heart pounding hard and fast.
“
What are you doing in
here? Where’s Lera? And the whole bell thing…seriously thinkin’ on
that.”
“
She’s with your mother,
learning highly prized gardening secrets. No bell.” Tanned fingers
skimmed her shoulders, slipping her white bra straps down. “Let me
love you, Aida.” Need flared in his gaze.
It was on the tip of her tongue to say no
but the only word to escape was yes. She ached for him. For his
touch. For the feeling only he could bring her. Aida was silent as
he removed their clothes and carried her to the bed. His touch
excruciatingly gentle as he settled over her and pushed his cock
deep within her.
She undulated against him. “Faster.”
“
Slow, Aida. Nice and
slow.”
His slid his arms under her shoulders and
shoved his hands into her hair. Dane kissed her as he moved
continuously within her.
Thank you, Aida. For
everything you’ve given me.
He buried his
face in her neck.
She held him tightly and closed her eyes as
the slow burn engulfed them both.
I love you, Aida.
His words rang in her head as he came deep within
her.
Now and for all eternity.
Dane.
Her body shuddered.
“
I’d love to stay like
this, too, Aida, but we can’t.”