Day three at the secluded cabin and Elaine felt like she was living in a dream. They spent their nights before the fire and barely moved from that spot in the mornings. It all began their first night at the cabin. Elaine had read and watched movies of couples making love before a fire and it was so romantic she wanted to do it. Derek responded by pushing the couch back to the wall then dragged the full-size mattress from the bedroom into the living room to take its place. Now they spent every waking and sleeping hour laying there in each other’s arms. They only got up to use the bathroom and Derek to kindle the fire. They ate on that mattress, but so far it had been easy dishes like sandwiches, salads and grab, though soon she would have to start cooking. They hadn’t bothered with clothes and their bags hadn’t been opened since they left Georgetown.
If Elaine were to have a honeymoon, that would be it. Relaxed, happy and without a care in the world. They hadn’t even called home to check on Katya.
She worried over that. Did taking time for herself and not looking upon her child make her a bad mother? Should she call? How often should she call? Was she prioritizing sex with Derek over someone else, again?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Derek squatted before the fireplace and began stalking the wood inside, careful not to extinguish the dying fire.
She watched how his back muscles bunched and stretched under his gray tee shirt as he worked and their movement had her mesmerized. She was getting really hot and the fire hadn’t been lit and she was naked under the sheet. This was what he did to her, always had, but now, after she’d confessed her feeling it was more intense. She got a ticklish feeling in her chest that strengthened as it moved slowly down to her stomach igniting everything it touched on its way down. She felt like her insides were itchy and she moved around trying to eliminate it. Her breasts tingled and tightened and her crotch felt like there were invisible fingers teasing her, making her squirm. She needed him, needed what he did to her, what he made her feel. Hell, she needed him to give her relief so bad it made her whimper.
Derek looked over his shoulder when she did. The question in his eyes quickly disappeared when he looked into her eyes. Something there must have told him how desperate she felt for him and his eyes grew smoldering, his nose puffed as he took in a deep breath like he could smell her arousal and wanted to inhale more of it. Oh hell, that only made her situation worse and she tilted her hips to press her crotch into the heel of her foot then she grinded on it.
He turned to her slowly. His movements calculating, his intention clear. He reached his arm over his shoulder to his back, grabbed his tee shirt and with one yank pulled it off and tossed it aside. Elaine turned to where it landed and a second later was startled by the looming shadow above her. She hadn’t heard him move. Her skills perfected from years of running from death were asleep. She yelped when her ass was dragged from under her and she fell on her back, her legs wide open and him looming between them threateningly on his knees.
Her breath came faster, harsher as she watched him reach for the sheet she’d tightly clasped to her chest with one hand while the other pushed it slowly away from her legs to expose her bottom half. Her pelvis rolled up and her legs fell open wider in anticipation when his hand traveled down to the inside of her thigh close to where she needed him the most.
Dear God, this was not normal! Her thoughts shouted to her in alarm. Right before he’d walked in she’d been thinking of—
“No!” she yelled quickly scrambling to a sitting position. Derek didn’t move, but his expression did change. Gone was the hungry desire and surprise had replaced it.
“Elaine, what’s wrong?”
Her chest ached. She swallowed hard and took deep easy breathes. Breathe deeply in and out. In and out. It would help if he put his bloody shirt on! Breathe in and out.
“Elaine?” he pushed, his voice harder.
Elaine hugged the sheet to her chest, “Derek, how many times have you thought of Katya since we came here?”
He frowned, “A lot, I can’t give you a precise number, why do you ask?”
“You consume me. I haven’t called to check on Katya once since we came here and I barely think of her. A mother isn’t supposed-”
His face grew thunderous and he lifted a finger effectively shutting her up, “Now wait a minute. Just because you haven’t called to check on our daughter, does not make you a bad mother just like it doesn’t make me a bad dad. Have you taken a minute to think that maybe you haven’t called or worried about Katya was because you knew she was safe with my parents?” she opened her mouth to speak but he kept on, “Daniel and Luciana are there too, Ellie, Tasha, and my cousins are right across the street. You know as well as I do, she is well taken care of and it’s not like it’s the first time we’ve left her with them.”
Elaine nodded. He was right. Katya was well loved and cared for. She had nothing to worry about. And just because she was taking some time away from her child didn’t mean she was neglecting her. Tasha called it a mommy time out and had decided to come up to the cabin with Damien for her turn soon. Ellie and Dale were also going to do the same a few days before their twins are born. It was normal, healthy and rejuvenating. Great in the long run for a relationship and a family according to Amelia. But she still felt a little guilty about leaving her child behind.
Thinking of Amelia always made her think of her own mother. Would she say the same thing about Elaine’s little trip or would she be against it? It saddened Elaine not knowing.
She turned to face the presence next to her. Derek was there looking at her with concern. Her guard was dropping lower and lower with each passing day, she barely noticed things as fast as she used to. Like another person in the room. Before, she would have been instantly awake the moment Katya sat up on her bed. She would have known instantly that Alonzo was at her door even before he opened it. Her eyes would have locked onto Derek when he made the slightest movement and watched as he sat down beside her. She would have been stiff beside him, waiting to see what he would do before she felt safe enough to relax.
It made her apprehensive how at ease she was. She was afraid that one day she would be so lax she wouldn’t be able to protect her family when danger came looking.
She hadn’t forgotten Dimitri. She hoped he still felt sorry enough for her to keep her whereabouts a secret, but Volkov was his boss and owned his loyalty. She should be preparing for him when and if Dimitri sold her out and Volkov came looking. But that would mean going back to being Katarina and she didn’t want that, not one bit.
“Babe, why are you so quiet?”
She shrugged, “Just thinking.”
He nodded, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. He leaned against the couch, which they’d brought closer to act as a headboard. They sat there in silence for a while watching the fire take life before he finally spoke.
“You know, another woman would have lashed out about me willingly leaving Katya that first time. Another woman wouldn’t have forgiven me for abandoning you with a child to live my life. Another woman wouldn’t have given me a second chance.”
Elaine sighed. Amelia had said the same thing and Elaine had given her the same answer she was giving Derek, “That’s because I’m me, not another woman,” for good measure she looked up at him, touched his cheek with her fingers to draw his attention and once their eyes met she said, “And I’m also looking for a second chance. Who am I to deny you that?”
He lifted his hand to her face and with the tips of his fingers drew them down her face from her temple to her chin, “You are the woman I love, the mother of my daughter. That’s who you are to me.”
Her heart fluttered at his words, “Then those are the two most important reason to forgive you and give you another chance. Besides, you came back for us.”
His eyes darkened, “Did you hear what I said?” Elaine nodded, but he shook his head no, “I don’t think you did. I told you I love you.”
She nodded, her throat clogged up with tears. Her chest constricted with so much happiness she was afraid it would bust open. He loved her and he meant it. His love was beautiful and pure, and it fed the yearning she had, that deep hole in her heart left void by the death of her mother. Honest and true love from another human being. Her eyesight blurred as she looked at him, into his eyes that expressed so much more than words could ever do.
He loved her and dear Lord, she loved him with every part of her being.
“You don’t know how much that means to me,” she whispered past her tears.
His thumb caressed her cheek, his lips lifting in a slight smile, “I’m starting to get that impression.”
****