Page 81 of Conceal

“I almost lost you,” I whisper into her hair. My hands can’t seem to figure out where they want to touch her first, so they roam over every inch of her body.

I drop needy kisses on her cheeks, her chin, her neck, her shoulders. She moans and wiggles in my hold, and I’m instantly hard for her. This wasn’t even about anything sexual; I just needed to hold her close, but the way she feels and the sounds she’s making drive me crazy.

Ro climbs back into the driver’s seat, and Mik takes the passenger seat, giving me a semblance of privacy with her.

I appreciate it more than they know.

I pull her onto my lap, spreading her legs so her pussy rests on top of my cock. But I make no move to take it further. Roman drives for what feels like hours as I kiss Tatiana like my life depends on it. I’m not good at expressing my emotions verbally, so I pour out my heart and soul with my tongue. I try to show her how much I missed her; how much I needed her. I make love to her mouth and tell her silently everything I want to promise her.

Finally, when she rocks her pelvis, grinding her pussy against me and I almost come in my pants, I pull back. Her eyes are glassy, far away; a furrow between her brows.

“How do you feel about kids?” I ask, eager to throw her off the same way she’s thrown me.

“Kids?”

I nod, biting my lip to hide my smile. I run my hands up and down her thighs.

“I want kids.”

“How many?”

She gives me a confused look that makes me want to kiss it off her face. So I do. But just for a moment.

The sun has set, and I have no idea where Roman’s going, but I find I don’t really care at all. I have my Tati back. My knyazhna. I’ve been calling her a princess this entire time as a way to tease her, but in this moment she is my princess, and there’s nowhere she could go that I wouldn’t follow. I’ll happily be her jester or her knight for the rest of my goddamn life. Long or short. I don’t care.

But when I think of little kids running around, sporting her blonde hair and my eyes, Christ, it melts my insides.

“Five?”

My smile widens. “Good answer.”

Finally, she simply rests her head on my shoulder and dozes while I hold her as tightly as I can without hurting her.

Roman flips on the blinker and turns into an industrial-looking area, with a tall chain-link fence and spotlights everywhere.

It’s not until he drives towards a hangar that I finally question where we are.

“Tatiana has an uncle. He’s waiting for us,” Ro says as an explanation. I want to ask more questions, but he’s out of the driver’s seat and opening the back doors before I can.

He pulls Tatiana from my arms, and I’m instantly colder and lonelier than when I held her. I don’t like it. I’m going to be needy as hell for the next few weeks when it comes to her touch.

He whispers something to her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She blinks up at him before rubbing at her eyes.

They turn then, as an older man in a black tux approaches. He’s tall. Six-two or more, with broad shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair. Crow’s feet frame two blue eyes - the same blue as Tatiana’s. A five o’clock shadow makes him look dangerous.

“Tatiana,” the man says with a smile. When he stops in front of her, he bends slightly and drops a kiss on each of her cheeks.

“Dyadya?” Uncle?

His smile widens with pride.

“Tanechka,” he replies. She sucks in a breath. No one has called her that in a long time, maybe ever. The fondness this man has for his niece is clear as day in his face. “I’m so proud of you.”

Tears spring to her eyes instantly as her face screws up into a pout. She’s been through so much these last twenty-four hours.

He wraps her in his arms and is content to simply hold her. And I realize why this feels different. This is how her father should have treated her. He should have called her a cute nickname, told her he was proud of her, and held her when she needed it. And in fifteen seconds of meeting this man, he’s already acting more like a father than her own blood had.

It makes my chest ache.