Miles for love series bo.., p.42
Miles for Love Series Box Set, page 42
“It is Viksna.” I tell her how to spell it. “What is yours?”
“Lynch. Spelled with a ‘y’.”
Leaning over, I reach for Mallorie’s plate, pulling it towards us. Both our plates are side by side in front of us.
“Oh, you’re really gonna piss off this old couple if you start feeding me, baby.” She chuckles, impressed.
“They are pissed off already.” I say, grabbing a forkful of her food and serving it to her. It is a simple salad with shrimp, same as me. “Good?”
“So good.” She gushes, reaching for my fork. “You know, I don’t see why we don’t just order two different meals, so we can sample more, or just large-size one meal and share it.”
“Next time.” I say, offering her another forkful. “I was just being polite ordering the same as you, but it makes more sense your way.”
“You are polite by nature, Aleks. Besides, I would never be offended by you ordering something different for yourself, even if you don’t intend to share.”
“I would always share.” I say as she forks a helping for me.
Her phone starts to ring, and she removes it from her back pocket. We both look at the screen and then at each other. “She read our minds.” Mallorie comments before answering the call. She points the screen towards us, and her mother’s face appears. “Hi, mom.” Mallorie says.
“Hello, Karen.” I wave.
“Oh, hi kids.” She smiles. “Let me guess…I’m interrupting another meal.”
“We’re just having a late lunch. How come you’re up so early? It’s what…six o’clock in the morning there.”
“Daniel and Kayla are bringing the baby this morning for a visit before work. I thought I would get a few things done beforehand, and I figured, hey, why not give you a call.”
“Kayla is going back to work already?” Mallorie asks.
“She’s just bringing the baby in for a visit. Everyone is dying to see him.”
“Including you.” Mallorie snuffles a laugh.
“You should call back when he is there. I would love to see him.” Aleks says.
“Oh, that’s a great idea, mom. I’d love to see him, too. And Daniel and Kayla if you can.”
“Sure, I can do that.” She glances at us both. “Is there not enough seating there?”
I feel my cheeks heat, so I let Mallorie answer.
“No, I just figured you’d like to talk to us both. It’s easier this way.” Mallorie tells a half-lie. I look at her and wink.
“Aleks, you better let my little girl come home when it’s time.” She says, good-naturedly.
“I will, Mrs. Lynch.” I say, smiling. “Is Henry up yet to say hello?”
“No, he’s still sleeping. But I’ll wake him up when Daniel and Kayla arrive.”
“Okay, mom. We’ll talk to you later.” Mallorie says.
“Okay, bye for now, you two.”
We both say goodbye and Mallorie places her phone back in her pocket.
“Do you lie to your mother often?” I tease.
“Would you prefer that I tell her the truth?...that my lover can’t stand a minute without us being joined at the hip?” she says against my lips.
We kiss chastely. “More like I want to take in every second I have with you while I can.” I correct, serving her another forkful of food.
We finish our meal and take a walk on the beach, hand-in-hand. “This is so lovely.” Mallorie comments, as the water washes up on the shore.
“Would you like to go swimming?” I offer.
“To me, it’s a little chilly for that. I don’t usually do outdoor swimming unless I’m sweating with my clothes on.”
“Okay, we can just enjoy walking then.” I say, and then stop, wrapping my arms around her, bringing her close to me. In the space that we are walking in, there are only a couple dozen people off in the distance, either swimming, or milling about at the shops. Our eyes meet, and then our lips, as I envelop my lips around hers, kissing her semi-chastely under the afternoon sun. Snaking her arms around my neck, my love leans her body into mine, sliding her tongue gently inside my mouth.
When our lips part, I say. “Or we can make out.”
She chuckles. “I just…couldn’t stand another minute without kissing you.”
“Hmm…we cannot have that.” I murmur against her lips, tilting my head, sweeping my tongue inside her mouth. Our bodies pressed up against each other, our hearts beating fast with arousal, I feel Mallorie’s fingers combing up the back of my neck, and I slide my hand up the back of her shirt, feeling her soft skin.
“Maybe we should go put our bathing suits on,” she says when our lips finally part, “and have a little nooner in the water.” She lifts her brow and gestures with her chin towards the water behind us.
“You want to make love…here?” I clarify, surprised.
She looks around and notices that there are too many people wading in the water. It would be too obvious. “Let’s get out of here.” She says.
“After you.”
Thankfully the traffic is light on the way back. We still make out at every stoplight. “Would you like to stop by and pick up your things?” I offer, and then my Bluetooth rings in the car, showing that my brother Vladimir is calling. “Excuse me for a moment.” I say.
“Go ahead.” Mallorie smiles. “It’s not like my mother hasn’t called enough times.”
I answer the call. “Vlad, I am with Mallorie now in the car.”
“Oh…err…okay.” He pauses. Then he says something to me in Russian, so that Mallorie will not understand. I reply and give him further instructions in Russian.
“Thanks, Vlad. See you shortly.” I say and hang up.
Mallorie is looking at her lap. “What is wrong?” I ask her, taking her hand in mine.
“Nothing…I…just…I heard you mention my name. What were you saying about me?” she asks, as though her level of trust in me is reduced.
“Oh…no, no, liybimaya…it is not what you think.” I give her hand a squeeze and then I lift it to kiss it. “No, I am so sorry, malishka. I should have explained before I picked up the call.” I kiss her hand again. “It is your surprise. I do not want it to be ruined. We spoke in Russian to avoid spoiling your surprise.” I look at her and slide my hand down her cheek. “Malloriya, I would never do anything to hurt you. I am so sorry I made you feel this way.”
“It’s okay, Aleks. I understand.” She says, taking my hand in hers.
“Thank you. You will understand very soon.” I smile at her and give her a wink.
She smiles. “I wish I could climb in your lap right now and hold you.”
My heart swells for this woman. “Soon, very soon, I promise. We are almost home.”
As we pull into the driveway, ten minutes later, it has arrived. Vladimir is standing beside Mallorie’s present. She has no idea. She just thinks that my brother is here for a visit. “Hi, Vlad.” She says to him, as a shuttle car is on the street, and the driver is honking his horn like an impatient idiot.
“Malloriya, hi.” Vlad says, leaning in to kiss her cheeks. “I hope you enjoyed your afternoon at the beach.”
“Oh, yes, it was lovely.” She smiles, and then waves at the unmarked shuttle car. “Who is he?”
“My ride.” Vladimir answers as I shake his hand. “Here are the keys.” He passes the car keys to me. “The papers are in the glovebox. It is all yours. I must go.” He pauses to kiss Mallorie again.
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yes. I was just delivering for my brother. I have work to do still today. Enjoy!”
“Thanks, Vlad.” I say as my brother walks towards the shuttle car, slides in, and they drive away.
Mallorie turns to me. “What is this? Did you buy another car?” she inspects the white BMW; just like mine, only mine is black and is a year old. This one is new.
“Yes.” I hand her the keys. “You want to try?”
“W…didn’t you test drive it? W…it’s just like yours, no?”
“Yes. You like my car?”
“I love your car.” She says, sliding her hand down the smooth white paint.
“Then this one is yours.”
Her eyes dart to mine. “What?”
“Well, you will need a car while I am at work in the mornings. I feel so guilty leaving you here without one, and I must go to work every morning.”
“But I’m only here for another eleven days.” She says, stunned.
“Yes, but you will come back to visit. And you will need a car.”
“Aleks, this is crazy. I can just hang out at your place in the morning, and if I’m desperate, Larissa can always drive me wherever I need to go. Worse case scenario, I could rent a car.” A pause. “You didn’t have to spend…a crazy amount of money on a car for me.”
It was either a car or a ring. “It is my gift to you, malishka. I wanted to buy it for you.”
The shocked look on her face softens. “You didn’t have to do this.”
I take a step towards her. “I wanted to.”
“But how did you…oh….” She trails off, putting the pieces together, “because Vlad owns a car dealership….”
“And an insurance company. This car was on the lot yesterday, ready to go. That is why he called a few moments ago, to let me know that he was on his way with the car for delivery.”
Her lip quivers. I bend down to look at her face. A tear is pooling in her eye. When I gently lift her chin with my hand, a tear falls down her cheek. I am not sure if these are happy or sad tears. Her arms snake around my neck and she buries her face in my neck. As I wrap my arms around her, I feel her body pulse. She is sobbing. Pulling her close to me, I bury my head in her neck and grasp her back with my hands tight. She cries into me, and I know in my heart that this is her saying thank you, I love you. It hurts to love someone this deeply, especially when you know that your time together is limited. I felt like this was a grand gesture, a way to show her how much I love her.
She sniffs, and as she pulls back, she is playfully kissing my neck, cheek, and all over my face, until she reaches my lips. Planting so many kisses on my lips I lose count, I start to chuckle against her lips. “You like the car?”
“I love the car.” She says, the happiness in her voice is palpable, warming my heart. “I love you a hundred times more, but, yes, I love the car.” She gives me a good, long, playful kiss on the mouth. “I’m so sorry I thought you were being less than gentlemanly earlier.” She says, pressing her forehead against mine. “I guess trust is a precarious thing in a new relationship.”
“Yes. I understand.” I say honestly. “It was stupid of me. It will never happen again.”
“It won’t. Because after this I will never think that of you again.” She kisses my lips again. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
“Malloriya.” I say. “I am only crazy for you.”
Chapter 20
Mallorie
Most men buy flowers, chocolate, maybe even a stuffed animal, to show their affection. Not Aleks. He buys me a car. And not just any car. A brand new BMW. Evidently it’s not just him, his brother and his father who have money. No, the Viksna family is a long line of wealthy politicians, which is why Aleks’s father is a diplomat. His father did not groom his sons to follow in his footsteps, because he remembered how much pressure was placed on him as a child, and he didn’t want to give his children the same experience. Besides, when Aleks started showing his gymnastic prowess, his mother and father knew that that’s what he was meant to be. Good call.
I can’t stop kissing Aleks after he hands me the keys. It feels like a dream. Nobody has ever given me such a generous gift. Even though it is completely unnecessary, I can’t break Aleks’s heart. He is so proud to give me this. He wants so badly for me to have it. “Well, sit in it.” He coaxes.
Pressing the key fob, it bleeps, giving me a thrill, and then I open the driver’s side door. Aleks climbs in the passenger side and we sit in the silence as I examine the luxury that is now mine. “God, this is so beautiful, Aleks.” I say, in sheer awe. I can’t believe this is mine. “Are you sure this isn’t just a loan? I mean, literally, you can give it back when I go home.”
“No, Malloriya, you will need it. I want to see you as much as possible, and you will need transportation when you are here.”
“Can’t I just drive you to work and use your car?”
He smiles at me sheepishly. “Nobody drives my car except me.”
I take in a breath and look at him. “Oh…you’re one of those.”
“One of those what?” the playful smile on his face is so adorable.
“Territorial men.” I explain.
He leans in and kisses me. “With you, yes. You are mine and nobody else’s.”
“That goes double for you.” I warn tenderly.
“Malishka, there are no other women.” He looks at the dash. “Let us hook up your Bluetooth so you can take calls when you are driving?”
“Okay. I think I remember how to do this.” I pull my phone out of my pocket.
He chuckles at me. “You will need to start the car.”
“Show off.” I taunt as the car comes to life. We set up my Bluetooth together, and then I look at him. “God, Aleks.” I search his eyes. “This is the nicest gift anyone has ever given me.”
Leaning in, he gives me a slow, loving kiss that makes my toes curl. “You are welcome.” He says softly against my lips.
“Oh, no…” I murmur against his lips. “I’m going to thank you properly.”
“Hmmm…would you like to go for a drive first?” his voice is low and sultry, and he is speaking in between kisses.
“How about we Christen it first?” I joke, smiling against his lips.
He chuckles, and it sounds so sexy. He’s about to answer, when my phone rings, lighting up the Bluetooth panel on the touch screen. It shows that it’s my mom calling. “I better pick this up on the camera.” I say, reaching to disengage the Bluetooth.
“No, no, Malishka.” He chuckles, good-naturedly. “Here, let me show you.” He pulls the parking brake up. “Now you can apply the camera.”
“Now you’re really a show off.” I scoff gently, picking up the call.
He takes my hand and kisses it as my mother’s face appears on the screen. “Hi, mom.”
“Hi Karen.” Aleks waves.
I see my brother Daniel’s head appear from beside her. “Hi, Daniel.” My smile goes from ear-to-ear. “Where is that nephew of mine?”
He takes a seat beside mom and I see little Mitchell asleep in his arms. He’s so tiny you could fit two of him there.
“Oh my God!” I place my hand on my cheeks. “He’s so tiny!”
“He’s grown, sis. The little piglet eats every two hours, sometimes more.” Daniel says matter-of-factly.
I giggle and then turn to Aleks. “Daniel, this is Aleks. Aleks, this is my brother, Daniel.”
“Oh, hey. Nice to meet you.” Daniel says, tipping his head at Aleks.
“Very nice to meet you, too.” Aleks says.
“Where’s Kayla?”
“She had a clothing malfunction thanks to the little squirt. She’ll be right back.” Daniel explains. “So, how’s Latvia?”
“It’s just wonderful.” I gush. “Loving it. I don’t want to go home.”
“But you’re gonna.” My mom says, feigning a warning tone.
“Yes, of course. Where’s Henry?”
Henry’s head is upside-down as he appears on the screen. “Kayla, baby, you’re gonna hurt yourself.” Daniel chides his wife tenderly.
“Mommy, Auntie Kayla was lifting me up by the ankles behind the camera.” Henry giggles.
I smile. “I see that. Be careful with Auntie Kayla, honey. She just had a baby.”
“I’m fine, Mallorie.” Kayla snuffles, smooshing her head in beside Daniel’s. He kisses her temple and I’m instantly reminded of the love between those two. I was always jealous of that…was…until Aleks. “Kayla, this is Aleks. Aleks, Kayla my sister-in-law.”
“Very nice to meet you.” Aleks says warmly.
“Nice to meet you.” She says.
“Where did you guys go today?” Mom asks.
“We went to lunch at Jurmala beach when you called earlier.” Aleks explains. “Now we are about to go for a drive.”
“Okay, we won’t keep you, then.” Mom says.
“Oh…let me see Mitchell one more time before you go.” I squeal.
Mom turns the camera to him. He’s sound asleep. He’s so perfect it brings tears to my eyes. “God, Daniel. How did you make such a beautiful kid.”
He looks at Kayla and kisses her. “I had help.”
“Alright, you two.” Mom says, bringing the screen back to her. She tilts it to her side, to show Henry, who is waving.
“Bye, Mommy!”
“Bye, baby!” I say, feeling so happy I could burst. My little family is all good and well while I’m away. I couldn’t be more blessed. Ending the call, I look over at Aleks, who is about to speak, but I cut him off, giving him the slowest, sexiest, ‘make-love-to-your-mouth’ kind of kiss I can muster. His hand grasps the back of my neck as he deepens the kiss. Our breathing is ragged, and we both pant as our lips break contact for a second. We can’t stop kissing. It’s like we are both each other’s sole source of oxygen, and we will die if we stop.
Blindly, I reach for the keys in the ignition, and turn the car off. My lips lift from his and I start kissing his neck. His pulse beats rapidly against my lips as I suck up and down his skin. We are both breathless in the silence. “We cannot do this here, in broad daylight, malishka.” Aleks pants. “Come. Let us go inside where we can make love properly.”
Pushing the door open, Aleks exits the car. The few seconds that we aren’t touching feels like a lifetime. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I rake my hands in his hair desperately, and he lifts my feet off the driveway, carrying me to the house. “Lock the car, malishka.” He says, and I still have the keys in my hand, so I push the key fob twice, listening to the bleep twice. His hands are on my waist as we arrive at the door. My body mass is like a child’s teddy bear to him, based on how easily he is carrying me.
