Page 37 of Paved in Hate

“No, it’ll be a huge tangly mess if I don’t do it while it’s still wet.”

He sighs and sets me on the bed before going to grab my brush. When he walks back out, instead of handing it to me, he motions for me to turn around and then pulls off the towel, letting my hair fall down my back.

“I can do it,” I tell him, wincing when he puts the brush in my hair at the roots and tries to pull it down. “Ow. Have you ever done this before?”

He laughs. “No.”

“I can tell.”

He laughs harder. “Surely I can be taught, Katya. Tell me what to do.”

I smile and look over my shoulder. “Start at the bottom and slowly work your way up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says, making me laugh.

His hands are gentle but confident as he sections out my hair and starts at the bottom, slowly working his way up. Goosebumps pepper my skin as his fingers graze my neck, combing through my hair like he’s been doing it for years. When all the tangles are out, he doesn’t stop. He keeps brushing, sending little shivers of pleasure through me at his touch. I had no idea it could be so erotic to have someone brush my hair, but everything Vitaly does feels sensual.

Finally, he tosses the brush on the bed and then picks me up again.

“Time to get breakfast.”

I wrap my arms around his shoulders, letting him carry me downstairs because it’s obvious he’s taking my feet very seriously. The others have already finished eating and are off doing other things when he carries me into the kitchen and sets my ass in one of the barstools.

“My skills are limited in the kitchen, I’m afraid,” he says, walking over to grab two mugs and the pot of coffee. “I can do tolerable scrambled eggs and bacon, a pretty decent bowl of cereal, or some frozen pancakes. I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’m pretty damn good at microwaving them.”

“Pancakes sound great. Thanks.”

He smiles and hands me the milk and sugar before getting the frozen pancakes. I point to the sonogram on the fridge.

“Is that Roman and Emily’s baby?”

“Yeah,” Vitaly says, smiling even bigger. He points to something I can’t see from where I’m sitting. “We’re hoping this grows as he gets bigger.”

“I’m sure it will,” I say with a laugh. I don’t add that maybe he’ll get really lucky and be built like his uncle, but I’m definitely thinking it.

After a breakfast of surprisingly good microwaved blueberry pancakes and some bacon that Vitaly only slightly burnt, his brothers come walking in. Lev laughs and smacks Vitaly on the back.

“Guess what we’re doing today?” he asks and then looks over and gives me a smile. “Morning, Katya.”

“Morning,” I tell him.

“How are your feet?” Danil asks, walking over to fill his mug with coffee.

“They’re good. I think I’m perfectly fine to walk around on them,” I say, cutting my eyes to Vitaly who doesn’t miss a beat by saying, “You made them bleed yesterday,ptichka.”

Lev raises a pierced brow at the nickname but doesn’t comment on it. He does give a soft laugh, though.

“What are we doing today?” Vitaly asks, trying to get them back on track.

Lev reaches over and grabs the last piece of bacon off Vitaly’s plate. “We’re putting together a crib.”

Vitaly laughs and nods at Roman. “You sure he can handle this. The painting nearly did him in.”

“We’re five reasonably intelligent men,” Roman says. “How hard can it fucking be?”

“Reasonably intelligent?” Danil asks, trying to look offended. “Speak for yourself, brother.”

Roman laughs. “Good, with your genius brain we should have this thing up in twenty minutes.”

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