The Life (14 page)

“Come on,
Demyan. Be good for mommy, please.”

Asking the baby to do anything was probably useless, but Viviana also knew he could hear her. Maybe all he wanted was to hear something, or perhaps he was missing the comforting tenor
of his father. After all, she’d spent all morning wrapped in her husband’s arms, listening to that voice of his, feeling him love her like only he could.

Feeling the odd cramping sensation subside for a moment, Viviana wondered she should call someone and get their opinion on the false labor. Sometimes it was better to hear the voice of another who had experienced it, too.

Noticing Anton’s cell phone sitting on a side table next to the couch, Viviana was quick to grab the device up and dial a familiar number. Not three rings later, Sasha’s tired voice picked up on her end. Because her mother-in-law had her degree in nursing, Viviana thought she was just as good of a person to talk to about it as anyone.

“Anton,” her husband’s mother said, a smile in her voice. “I thought you were taking Vine out of town for a while?”

“It’s just me,” Viviana replied. “Anton forgot his phone when he took Rocco out. We are out of town, but I don’t know where.”

“Hey, Vine.” The sound of a door shutting echoed over the receiver. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just fine. How’s Daniil?”

“He had a hard night, but he’s sleeping fine this morning. Demanded I go get him some chocolate, so that’s a good sign if he wants to eat. Enough about us, though. How’s the lodge?”

Viviana snorted under her breath. “You know exactly where I am, don’t you?”

“Just about.
I spent enough time vacationing there myself. Well, they like to call it a vacation. It makes them feel less guilty about locking us away from the world for a week.”

“
I’m really liking it so far.”

“That’s good, sweetheart. It holds a lot of memories for our family, so it’s nice you’re finally able to see it, also. Why the early
morning call?”

As if on cue, the baby boy decided to do another acrobatic move. The long stretch had Viviana cramping all over again and the ache in her back starting up, too. Sighing, she went about explaining her symptoms to her mother-in-law. Sasha listened patiently, occasionally voicing her understanding.

“Nothing to worry about, right?” Viviana asked.

Sasha hummed noncommittally. “It certainly sounds like false labor.”

There was an unhidden
but
at the end of Sasha’s sentence. Viviana didn’t like that at all. Panic welled in her stomach like a poison. “What, it is just fake, right? It’s too soon, otherwise.”

“Well, the back pain is a little bothersome. I had that same kind of ache for a week before Anton was born. There’s no blood or water?”

“No, none.”

“I’d say it’s just false labor, then, and try to get the little man to calm down a bit. Seems like something worked him up is all and he’s awake and playing in there. Did you exercise this morning when you woke up? That’ll do it, Viviana.”

Viviana forced herself to stay quiet. No, she certainly hadn’t exercised, not in the way Sasha was assuming. The last thing she wanted to blurt out was the wake-up she’d received from Anton the night before and then the nearly two hour long session that took over them in the morning. Unable to hide the embarrassment creeping over her cheeks, she make a noise that was supposed to sound dismissive.

Apparently, it didn’t.

“But I thought you were supposed to exercise because of your sugars. If that’s not what did it …” Sasha trailed off before clearing her throat. “Oh.
Oh
, did I just make this awkward?”

“Um, no,” Viviana said, cursing herself all the while. “Can we not talk about that?”

“Okay, we can do that. Or not, I mean. But that will do it, sweetheart. Orgas—”

“No, oh my God,
don’t
.” Viviana gasped into the phone, mortified. “Please don’t. That would not be okay with me, never mind Anton.”

Sasha made an uncomfortable noise. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But I want you to know, you’re getting close to eight months. Your cervix is softening, Vine. It won’t be unusual if you do notice a spot of blood or two anywhere from a half hour and beyond … those activities. Okay?”

Viviana took some time to gather her bearings, and swallowed the lump in her throat. There wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about, as her mother-in-law wouldn’t take their conversation anywhere.

“Sex can bring on false labor symptoms?”

“Sure,” Sasha said. “Well, the orgasm does, I suppose. The contractions of the orgasm mimics the contractions of the labor. The baby counters accordingly, some like it, some find it annoying. Funny how a great deal of women seem to want sex more near the end, isn’t it? Don’t be worried about that, for God’s sake. Enjoy it, if anything. Once he’s here, there won’t be nearly enough time for you to find connection like that as often as you do now.”

“Thank you,” Viviana managed to say.

“No problem.”

Viviana glanced out the window, noticing from the corner of her eye that Anton was finally returning back with Rocco walking along beside him at a leisurely pace. Rory was also there. At least her husband didn’t seem to be in a panic, so her bull must have followed her instructions about letting her be the one to tell him of the false labor. Thank God for the little things.

“What did you do the first time they called him the little prince?” Viviana asked.

Sasha exhaled heavily into the receiver. The sound was as foreboding and sad as her answer.
“Nothing. I couldn’t. And neither can you.”

Chapter Ten

“Any better?” Anton asked, rubbing a hand over his wife’s stomach.

Settled into the large couch, Viviana’s legs up in his lap, he watched her face carefully to see if he could notice any signs of discomfort or pain. It had taken a long, warm bath, and then a short nap before she admitted the cramping was easing up.

“A little,” Viviana said.
“Really freaked me out for a minute, though.”

Anton massaged her left ankle before moving to the right. More than anything, he wanted to soothe Viviana, but he knew his worry was coming through strong and she wasn’t missing it. His concern was forefront. It was too soon for his boy to be born. The doctors had already confirmed if he continued to grow much bigger because of the sugar issue, they’d induce her at thirty-eight weeks gestation.
Demyan would be considered full-term then, anyway.

But, that was still three weeks away.

“Are you scared of what comes during the birth?” Anton asked quietly, trying to get his thoughts in order.

Viviana turned to look at her husband, smiling slyly. “Why, are you?”

“Yes. I can’t stand to watch you cry. How do you think I’ll fair through this? It’d be so much easier if this was years ago when men didn’t have to go to the hospital until after the child was born.”

“Oh my God, you are going to be inside that room with me.” Viviana chirped out a laugh. “With a gun to your head if need be, I don’t care. Lord knows if someone else cuts his cord, you’ll regret it every day of your life.”

Anton glared playfully, tickling up the side of her smooth calf. “I know, I’m just saying it made sense, that’s all. Seriously, though, are you worried?”

“I don’t know. Right now I’m sort of complacent about it all. It’s going to happen whether I’m ready for it or not. Of course, ask me that again when I’m in the middle of labor and I really have no choice, and I’ll probably have a different answer.”

Then, Viviana pushed herself up and stared at him intently. “Also, I don’t want pain medication, so it’s your responsibility to convince me not to take it when I’m seconding guessing that choice.”

“Awesome,” Anton muttered dryly. “I’ll get right on that.”

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a needle being shoved in my
spine
. Morphine makes me nervous after the accident, so that’s a no-go. The other things offered just don’t sit well with me. It’s mind over matter, Anton. That’s all pain is.”

Well, he didn’t totally disagree with her there, but if she started asking for pain relief, he guaranteed nothing.

“Whatever you say, baby. I’m not the one doing it.”

Settling herself back down into the mess of cushiony pillows, Viviana sighed happily. “I think he’s finally resting.”

Small miracles
, Anton thought. Reaching over once more, his hand found its way under her shirt to rub back and forth below her navel. Viviana hummed contentedly at the affectionate touch and Anton smiled, watching her watch him under her thick lashes.

Viviana was a crazy kind of beautiful. Thanks to that cocoa butter and oil concoction that she lavished on her midsection, her skin was as unblemished as it always was. She glowed when she smiled. Maybe Anton hadn’t been telling or showing her just how beautiful he thought she was if
her recent insecurities were any indication. Or, maybe that was just an awful by-product of pregnancy, too.

“You’re beautiful, Vine,” he said offhandedly.

Viviana blinked up at him with a slow smile creeping over her lips. “Come here.”

Not wanting to make her ask again, Anton was quick to move Viviana’s legs from his lap and lean over her figure. With two fingers, he stroked her cheek, catching her bottom lip with his thumb. When her hand fisted into his white t-shirt, Viviana pulled him down to meet her kiss. Long enough to have his body aching and his cock waking up all over again, Anton pulled away from his wife’s mouth sooner than he wanted to. Desire glittered in her hooded eyes.

“Too much of that and we’ll be another two hours getting him calmed down.”

Anton nodded his agreement and slipped back into his spot on the other side of the couch. “Is that a no to later, too?”

“Oh, definitely not,” Viviana replied, her hand searching out his.

Intertwining their fingers, Anton brought her hand up to his mouth and laid his lips against each of her knuckles. The comfortable silence that ensued lulled Anton into a peaceful state. This last minute getaway was what they needed. Sure, the idea of the lodge worked out well for needing to get Viviana out of state, but it was more than just that. Very rarely did they get enough time for them together, and in a few short weeks, something beautifully new and already loved would be adding himself to the picture as well.

Were they ready for that?

*

Viviana rested on the swinging bench. Using the tip of her foot, she rocked the swing back and forth, enjoying the sun peeking through the trees. Below her on the ground, resting his large head on a pillow was Rocco.

She hated to admit it, but Anton was right when it came to their pup. He’d been following her around the trails leading into the forest surrounding the lake and lodge all morning without a single complaint. Rocco had started limping a bit, but that was fixed when Viviana decided to take a rest on the bench beside the lake.

Rocco was more than capable of handling the pain he was in, but the moment she or Anton gave any indication they noticed he was uncomfortable, the dog instantly turned into a whining baby. But, that whiny pup also saved her life, so she wasn’t against giving him all the love and affection he wanted.

Enjoying the quiet hum of the forest, Viviana watched as Anton’s form caught her gaze. Jogging around the lake had replaced his usual morning workout routine. It was their fourth morning at the unknown place, and this was the third time she had been able to sit down and enjoy the view of her husband. She purposely made a point of coming out to watch him run, even if that meant getting out of that warm, comfortable bed in the upstairs loft of the two floor lodge.

Wearing nothing but a pair of knee length track shorts, listening to an iPod, and his head down, Anton was lost in whatever zone he found.

The closer Anton got to her spot during his jog, the more Viviana watched him. The fast stride he kept was strong and sure, his skin damp with perspiration. The dangling cord of the ear buds stuck in his ears drew her eyes downward over the chiseled plains of his chest down to the definition of a solid abdomen lined with a railroad track path of muscles. The black licks of his tribal tattoos swayed with the movements of his body like living artwork. Strength wrote lines over every inch of his physique. Discipline colored his physical power.

Observing Anton in his concentration was near memorizing. If she had to guess, he was likely on his fourth or fifth trip around the lake, but his breaths came at an easy pace. He wasn’t tiring in the least.

Glancing down at Rocco who had also noticed his other master getting nearer to their spot, Viviana smiled at the sight of his excitement forming in the thumps of his thick tail to the ground. Before the bomb, the pup loved to run with Anton, even if it was on a treadmill beside the one his master was using. Now, he simply didn’t have the strength in his hind legs to keep up the pace. Sadly, she knew it bothered her husband that the pup couldn’t be his running partner any longer, too.

Sighing away the inner melancholy, Viviana looked back up only to find Anton staring back at her. With that heated blue gaze of his trailing over the button down shirt of his she wore and the stretchy yoga shorts, the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at those full lips. It was the simple cock of his dark eyebrow and the baring of his teeth that had her pulse picking up. The want behind his eyes was clear to see; the throbbing at the apex of her thighs reacting accordingly to the unvoiced suggestion.

Close enough to her spot that she could make out the marks of her scratches on his forearms, she knew there was likely a few lines across his back, too. She wouldn’t deny for a second how much she loved that he didn’t hide the proof of their passion. It didn’t seem to bother Anton a bit to allow the two men staying with them a view of the marks his wife left every time they fucked.

She woke up earlier that morning to colorful wildflowers scattered throughout the bedroom and the sweet smell of hot breakfast and raspberry tea. Viviana managed to get half way through the meal before a hunger of a whole different sort had taken over as she simply watched her husband check his emails.

It had been overpowering. The urge to feel him, to have him hold and kiss and
need
her.

There hadn’t been many words
spoken, only hands that roamed soft and sweet while lips fluttered down to taste and suck. On her knees with her back fitted snug to his chest, she could practically still feel him holding her, a hand between her thighs working quickly with fingers to her sex. The slow stokes of his cock hadn’t taken her too hard, but they still reached her deep, hitting the spots to make her shake and shudder with broken, high cries.

Oh yes, Viviana’s desire for sex, touch, and bliss had surely come back with a vengeance. Thankfully, the false labor didn’t make its unwanted appearance every time they made love, otherwise it would have put a serious damper on the mood. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed the intimate communication they somehow shared when they joined like that.

Viviana’s insides were having the oddest reaction seeing her husband close in. With short breaths, electricity humming over her nerves, and trembling hands hiding in her lap, she knew she was in trouble.

Somewhere along the last four days since their arrival to the lodge, Viviana had stopped letting those pesky hormones and insecurities rule her. She stopped questioning Anton. She didn’t need to ask or worry, and while Anton professed how beautiful she was and how much he loved her every chance he got, he didn’t need to. More often than not, the way he showed her was enough. Words weren’t needed.

Willing the lust she felt to stay out of her voice, Viviana offered Anton a smile as she said, “Hey.”

The ear buds were tugged out of his ears, the speakers still buzzing with music.

“Enjoying the view, baby?” he asked with a smug grin.

“You know it. The lake is incredible.”

Anton guffawed, but he didn’t call her on the lie as he reached down to pet their pup. “How’d Rocco do on the walk?”

“Great. Limped a bit at the end, but I think I was, too.” The worried frown that she got in response had Viviana rushing to reassure her husband.
“Everything’s fine, Anton. No pain, no show, no water. The baby is going to be inside of me for a few more weeks, anyway. I didn’t realize how far we had walked, that was all.”

“But it was quite bad last night, huh?”

Viviana made a face. “More pressure than anything.”

“Did you call Sasha about it?”

“Yep.”

Anton joined her on the bench and Viviana rested into his side as he slung an arm protectively around her shoulders. She didn’t even care that he was sweaty and in serious need of another shower—him being closer was better. With her head tilted down to lay on his shoulder, she allowed him to rock the swing back and forth, tracing circles with the tip of her finger to her swelled stomach.

“Where are Rory and Joe, anyway?” Viviana asked.

The bulls in question had been missing all morning. At first Viviana thought they were just hiking, but they’d been gone far too long for that.

“Picking up something for me.”

Viviana scowled. “It better not be business-wise.”

The rumble of laughter he released shook their bodies. “Nope. A surprise for my beautiful wife, actually.”

“What?”

Anton nodded, his arm squeezing her tighter. “Yeah, should be here soon, so you might want to go take a shower …”

“
You
might want to go take a shower. Stinky.”

The desire shining in Anton’s eyes and he looked down on her had Viviana shivering all over again.

“Care to join me? I promise to make it worth your while.”

Viviana didn’t doubt it, nor did she have the will or want to refuse.

*

“No way.”

Anton huffed a breath and rolled his eyes.

“Yes way,” he mocked, poking his wife’s side gently. “Come on, baby—you talked about wanting to do this. Now would be the perfect time. The scenery of this place is amazing. I paid for it already. What’s the problem?”

The question is more like what isn’t the problem
, Viviana thought.

The biggest of all the problems was twenty feet away chatting up a storm with Rory. The female photographer had been a shocker to Viviana, never mind a sudden stress she didn’t want or need. Sure, she’d chatted offhandedly about getting maternity photos done, both private and couple shots, but that was months ago.

Seemingly deciding to try to appease his silent wife, Anton continued speaking. “She’s a good friend of Eva’s, so I trust her. She was more than willing to accommodate my demand to have the guys bring her here without notice or direction as to where she was going, so she trusts us. It’s a woman, so I’m not going to be an asshole with my jealousy. I’ve seen a great deal of her work, and she takes amazing photographs, especially when the subject is a woman, or a couple.”