Page 59 of Love, Always and Forever
It spoke to how much time they spent together that the bulldog automatically headed right for Amy’s front door instead of Misha’s. Panda, always happy to hang out with his best buddy, came trotting across the yard to follow Sarge into the house. She appreciated that Mikhail supported her arm as they climbed the few steps up to the porch. Her legs were a bit wobbly, which had nothing to do with the height of her heels and everything to do with their plans for the rest of the night.
When they were inside, she turned off the porch light and locked the door, shutting the rest of the world out. Now, if only she could’ve left her doubts and nerves out on the porch instead of carrying them inside with her.
A pair of heavily muscled arms wrapped around her, tugging her back against an equally powerful chest. Despite Mikhail’s obvious strength and power, he cradled her with such amazing care as he nuzzled the side of her neck. She arched her head back to give him better access.
“I’ll go as slow as you need me to and only as far as you are ready to go. My only request is that we do it someplace more comfortable than your couch.”
She closed her eyes to better absorb the sensations that were new to her. It was time for a little of that truth she’d been meaning to share with him.
“There’s something you should know.”
When she paused to draw a deep breath, he finished the sentence for her. “You haven’t done this before.”
She twisted in his arms to face him. “You knew?”
He smiled and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Let’s say I suspected.”
It might be stupid, but his correct assessment of her experience made her a bit mad. “Why? It’s not like I have a big V branded on my forehead.”
“It wasn’t just one thing, but there’s an innocence about you that’s hard to miss. You’re so damn beautiful, but there’s so much you’ve never done before.”
“The fact I’d never gone dancing doesn’t mean I haven’t done anything else. I guess I must be a lousy kisser.” She was more embarrassed by that idea than mad.
Misha shook his head as he ran his hands up and down her arms, soothing her with his touch. “Not true. What you lack in experience you make up for with natural talent. All you have to do is touch me, and this happens.”
He took her hand and pressed it against the hard ridge straining against the front of his pajama bottoms. Still controlling her hand, he stroked it up and down a couple of times. If anything, the already impressive bulge grew even larger. When she tried to do it again on her own, he stopped her.
His voice deepened. “My control is pretty shaky, and I don’t want to rush things. Like I said, we’re taking this nice and slow. Okay?”
She managed a nod.
“What I’m going to say next might sound like a cliché from an old movie”—he paused to give her a quick kiss—“but while I open the wine, why don’t you go slip into something more comfortable. ‘Comfortable’ being the operative word here.”
That sounded like a good idea. She loved this dress, but it would be nice to have the freedom to move a little easier. “I’ll be back in a few.”
In the refuge of her bedroom, she let out a long, ragged breath. What the heck was she doing here? She liked Misha. Maybe more than liked him. Her heart said he had some pretty strong feelings for her, too. All of that was good. But right now, she was standing on the end of a high dive with no idea of how deep the water was beneath her. The only question was should she jump?
“Heck yeah.”
Fast or slow didn’t matter. She wanted to go wherever he was willing to take her tonight. Her decision made, she slipped out of her dress and took the time to hang it in the closet. It was tempting to just toss everything in the corner, but this was the first time Misha would be in her bedroom. Once she was stripped down to her skin, she put on the bulldog pajamas he’d insisted he found sexy. It was tempting to wear a short nightie that she’d bought after she first met him for just such an occasion, but it was too revealing.
Until she could warn him and explain a few things, she needed the armor the pajamas afforded her. While she brushed her hair, she could hear him moving around in the other room, his deep voice full of laughter as he talked to the dogs. What was he telling them? Something about entertaining themselves because Mommy and Daddy had their own plans for the rest of the night. Bribes were definitely being offered, some new chew toys and special doggy biscuits if they did him a solid tonight.
She took one last look around her room, not sure if there was anything else that ought to be done. Should she turn down the bed and maybe clear off the collection of decorative pillows that cluttered up the duvet? Neither of those jobs took more than a few seconds, leaving her fresh out of stupid excuses to hide out in her room. Mikhail might be a patient man, but eventually he was going to wonder what had happened to her.
She crept down the hall and paused in the doorway to the living room. The scene in front of her made her smile and warmed her heart. Mikhail was lounging on the sofa with Panda in his lap and Sarge curled up beside him. He was still murmuring total nonsense while outlining their wingman duties as he scratched heads and rubbed tummies.
“Guys, like I told you. When it comes to the ladies, it’s every man for himself. If some hot-looking bulldog chicks came strolling by, I’d get out of your way ’cause that’s what a good wingman does.”
Sarge slowly raised his head to look across the room at Amy and immediately got down off the couch. Panda yipped and followed the older dog into the kitchen where she kept Panda’s crate and Sarge had an old blanket he liked. Mikhail immediately cracked up, his laughter filling the room and her heart.
He held out his hand toward her as he called out, “Thanks, guys! I knew you’d understand.”
She crossed the room and let him tug her down onto the couch next to him. “Care to tell me how you did that? Granted, Panda will follow his friend anywhere, but did you teach Sarge some magic signal?”
“Nope, he just takes the duties of a good wingman seriously.”
“Yeah, right.”
