I look out of the round window, seeing England slowly appearing underneath the clouds. It's covered in snow, but not as much as Saint Petersburg where we took off three hours ago. I take another sip of my coffee and smile. We're finally bringing her home. I can't believe this day has finally, finally come. It feels a bit surreal. I turn around in my seat as I hear the door of the bedroom opening.
"Fasten your seatbelt, we're landing soon." Troy's voice comes out of the bedroom before I watch our two girls running out of it. Ana's green eyes are a bit sleepy, but they widen as they look around our private jet once more. She probably thinks all of this is a dream once more. She expected luxury but she didn't expect that high of a standard. She has never flown before and it's a miracle that she could sleep on the jet. Or maybe it was much needed since she probably talked the whole night with Adaline yesterday. Even the nap today must've not been enough, but it did last for the ballet - or at least until the great finale.
Flashback
"Are you guys ready?" I ask as I rush into their bedroom. I stop in my way as I see my two girls swirling around in their dresses, creating big dark blue and dark green circles around their waists. My two girls... I gulp down the tears. "Come on, we have to get going." I urge them. Our suitcases are already on the way to our jet, as we will head to the private airport straight after the ballet performance. I can't believe Troy made it happen. He got ticket for the five of us: Della, Ana, Krimov, himself and me. There's no better place to watch ballet than at the Mikhailovsky in Saint Petersburg. Especially Swan Lake.
They stop spinning and look at me. "Come on!" I urge them again, holding out my hands. They run over to me before each grabs my hand. Hand in hand we walk into the living room, where their Daddy is already waiting for us. I don't even try to hide the smile on my lips as we stop across him. He grins back at me, "Well, look at my girls. All dolled up." he knees down to take a closer look at their dresses. "You two look very pretty." he smiles at them before rising to his full height and meeting my gaze. He tilts his head to the side as I watch his blue orbs glowing with a turquoise marble. No words needed here.
I watch the ballerinas hopping and swirling around in their tutus according to the beat of the music. Troy is here to see the athletes at their best - I am here because of the wonderful compositions of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. That man understood emotions better than anyone else at his time. I look next to me and notice that both of our girls have fallen asleep in their seats. They might have taken a nap during the day, but it certainly wasn't enough. The grand finale is on full blast as I turn my head around. Krimov is sitting behind us in the private box that Troy somehow still were able to book for tonight. His grey eyes are focused on what's happening on stage. He loves ballet not less than my husband does.
I turn around again and look at my husband. I take this moment to shamelessly stare at the perfection of his profile. His nose, his cheekbones, his crystal blue eyes that focus the stage in front of us... his lips... and that freshly shaved chin. He's wearing a black tuxedo as all men do here, but I swear he gives the word tuxedo a whole new meaning. It's rare that he doesn't notice my stares, but that makes it even better for me.
Suddenly, he turns his head around and meets my gaze. "Why aren't you watching the ballet?" he asks me back, his voice as crisp as ever through the music.
"I love watching you more." I whisper back, not ashamed of my feelings for him.
He takes my hand into his before kissing my knuckles. There's no need for words.
"Plus, our girls have fallen asleep. As I predicted." I say back with a smirk.
He bends forward and looks over my head, straight next to me. Both Ana and Della are fast asleep despite the loud orchestra, the cheering of the audience that starts now and the bright lights. I don't even know at which part they fell asleep. But I hope they at least enjoyed the ballet for as long as they could keep their eyes open.
End of Flashback
Della and Ana sit down in the beige leather padded seats across me. There's a mahogany table separating us with two closed MacBooks on it. I spent the last three hours catching up on E-mails just like Troy did while our two daughters slept in the bedroom at the back of the jet.
Our two daughters. Just the thought makes my heart jump.
Ana's green eyes look out of the window, "That's England?" she asks with a huge grin on her lips.
"We'll reach London soon." I can't help but mirror her smile. Troy sits down next to me while Adaline opens up a book called The Gene: An Intimate History. Another book she just reads for fun. Thanks to her our library at home is really getting some use. My blue eyed daughter doesn't seem interested in looking out of the window. She has flown a lot with us over the years, seeing parts of the world most people her age haven't seen yet. Flying is like driving in the car for her - she rather spent her time wisely by either reading or catching up on sleep.
Flashback
I feel Troy squeezing my hand as if this would calm my nerves down. It doesn't. Nothing will calm me down until I know I will leave this country with my family - and Ana's now part of it. I won't leave without her.
I won't.
Anastasia has been in that room for over an hour now. Together with Claire, the social worker. After interviewing both of us and Adaline, she disappeared in the spare bedroom with Ana. I don't know why they need to discuss this for so long. I mean, I know the adopting process usually takes longer but... I am still worried. Adaline's playing on the piano, creating soft notes. She's bored. I can tell by the way she plays, that she's bored. We've packed our suitcases and we're ready to go shopping for their dresses for the ballet. I have no idea how Troy did it, but somehow he booked us a whole box at the Mikhailovsky, where we will watch Swan Lake. He even got a seat for Krimov, who will freak out when we inform him about it. I know he enjoys ballet at least as much as Troy does. We're all done, we made plans for later... The only thing that's left to do is sign those adoption forms. If Claire will hand them to us.
"What's taking them so long?" I ask Troy in a whisper. It worries me. It really does. Maybe Ana doesn't want to be with us. Maybe she has second thoughts about it. But last night went okay... I think. I mean, I thought she and Della got along but maybe I was wrong. Did they fight while we were having sex? Did I miss something? What the hell is going on?!
On the other side, this is an ad-hoc adoption. Something that never happens. Especially not after only spending 24 hours with the child.
"I don't know. Perhaps they go through some standard questions." he brushes through my hair with his free hand. Even his touch doesn't resonate in my body like it normally does. Because I am just so fucking worried!
"What if she doesn't want to be with us?" I ask him, biting my lip. She has already made it into my heart so easily. One look was all it took. I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her.
"I doubt that." he looks deeply into my eyes, "I really doubt that."
I shake my head, "Something must be wrong if they're so long in that room. Something-" I stop as I hear the door opening. I watch Claire and Anastasia walking out. Adaline stops playing immediately. Ana's green eyes stare at us for a moment before taking a seat on the couch, right between us. It's a good sign. A really good sign.
But I won't get my hopes up until I signed that form.
Claire smiles at us before looking at Adaline, "You're playing really good."
Della smiles back at her, "Thank you."
Claire walks over to us before taking a seat across us. The coffee table is between us. "Well, I think we're ready to sign those papers now." she announces with a soft smile on her lips. "I never had an adoption go through this fast, which is why I took a little longer with Anastasia. But she is as willing as the three of you are." Claire looks at Ana, who nods in response. She wants us. We want her. I feel the tears building in my eyes as a huge grin appears on my lips. It's really happening. I let go of Troy's hand before grabbing the pen. Claire turns the adoption form towards me and I see that Anastasia has already signed it. She has a cursive handwriting that's elegant, romantic and mysterious all at the same time. It reminds me of Troy's handwriting. I sign next to it before handing the pen to my husband. He signs with a swinging motion before handing the pen back to Claire.
"So, now I can finally call you Mom and Dad, right?" Ana asks us.
End of Flashback
Ana looks so excited that it nearly bursts my heart. She's clearly enjoying this as much as the rest of the family is. Family... we're officially a family now. My heart skips a beat at the thought. Troy's fingers find mine under the table and he laces our hands together, squeezing softly. I look away from Ana's excited face before my eyes lock with my husband's. They sparkle in a mixture of light blue with a teal green marble. It's a kind of color I have never seen before in his eyes and I know it's because of the newest addition to our family: Anastasia. She's the reason for his sparkle, that takes my breath away so easily. In this moment he's full of joy, love and gratitude.
And I am, too.
"Welcome home." Adaline grins as we drive through the black iron wrought doors that keep out any unwanted guests and all of those sneaky paparazzi, which are not too many and I am so thankful for that. I have no idea how Ana is going to take the media storm that's ahead of us. She knows Troy and me are successful people, but I don't think she realized that this success comes with a price. I turn around to watch her expression a little better. Ana's green eyes have been glued to the window the whole drive from the private airport to here. She hasn't stoped smiling since we signed the adoption form. And now we're home... Home, that is a five hectare huge property - or seven football fields - with about 500m2 of habitable surface - excluding the guest house, pool house and my recording studio. It's huge by all means and now it has one more resident.
"Home..." she echoes as we drive on the pebbled driveway until we reach our house. The Spanish styled mansion is covered in a light blanket of snow, but it looks nothing compared to Russia. The winter here is not as cold, not as merciless. Troy parks the silver Tesla 3 in front of the garage before shutting the car off with his iPhone. Adaline has already unfasten her seatbelt and jumps out of the car. Ana follows her shortly after, her forest green eyes still wide. The next few weeks are going to be rough on her. There will be a lot to take in. As I am about to open my seatbelt, I feel Troy's hand on mine, stopping me. I look up and gasp as I see his light blue marbled orbs. We barely had a moment to ourselves in the last 48 hours.
"I'd like to kiss you right now." he breathes out his need to touch my lips with his.
I look through the rear window, Ana and Della are talking about something while Ana stares at our Spanish mansion styled mansion with wide eyes. Perhaps Adaline is explaining all the exits in case there's a fire or evacuation. That would be typical of her. The first thing she does when she enters a building is look for any emergency exists - it's only one of her habits. "I think we're clear for a little affection, Mr. Bolton." I breathe out before looking at him. He doesn't give me a second to take another breath as I feel his lips crashing onto mine. His fingers fondle my cheeks before they brush through my hair. I feel his tongue entering my mouth and I allow us to dance a quick tango. His smell starts washing over me like the waves of the ocean on stormy days. My fingers find the collarbone of his white oxford shirt and I pull him even closer to me, allowing my body to take over. The electricity between us is explosive, the need for one another too strong to be ignored. As I feel the heat rising inside of me I let go. If I don't stop us, he's going to be all over me in a blink of eye.
"God, I love you." he breathes out, pressing his forehead softly against mine.
I smirk at him before opening my seatbelt, "I love you, too."
I wince as I hear a knock on the glass window. Adaline's standing on Troy's side, knocking heavily. Chuckling, I get out of the car. I open the trunk and get out our suitcases before Troy helps me with carrying them inside. We've traveled with only two: One for us and one for Adaline and Anastasia.
"Come on, I want to show Ana the inside." Adaline urges us as we walk to the front door. I watch Troy unlocking the front door with a code and his fingerprint.
"There's no key?" Ana sounds surprised.
I shake my head, "No. Just like with the wrought iron gates we usually have an iris scan to get on the property and then a code in combination with a fingerprint for the front door of the house. Don't worry, we add you later."
She frowns, "No key..."
Adaline chuckles, "A key lock is not that safe anyway. A keyless lock is much safer. You don't even have to carry those heavy iron keys now."
"But what if I forget my code?" she looks at Della.
"You've never forgotten anything in your life, Ana. You won't forget that code."
She nods, obviously it was fear talking out of her and not logic. "You're right." she whispers, shaking her head. "I've never forgotten anything. I won't forget this either."
Troy pushes the huge front door open and gestures us in. Adaline drags Ana inside behind her, pulling on her hand. "Wow..." Ana's mouth is wide open as she stands in the foyer, the huge marbled staircases with black wrought railings and the high ceilings. There's a dome at the ceiling with windows to let in as much natural light as possible. There's the marbled round table with fresh pink peonies standing in the middle. The round windows from the dome circle in the table as the sun is standing high, shining directly through the glass of the dome. I drag the suitcase inside before I hear Troy following me. He closes the front door and places a hand on my shoulder.
We're home.
"Come on, I'll show you everything!" Della smiles at her before rushing around the marbled table, almost tearing the vase with the peonies down.
"I think you forgot something!" Troy warns her, staring at her boots that are covered in snow and a little bit of slush. I open my duffle coat, feeling no longer the cold winter from Russia.
Adaline's head swings around before she looks down to her shoes. "Right." she opens the wardrobe and gets out of her shoes and coat before placing them into it.
Ana hasn't moved an inch the entire time. She is staring at the gallery wall across her. It started with a few framed photos, but it grew over the years. Now, there's a stripe of framed photos in different sizes leading upstairs on wall of the left staircase. There are photos of vacations we made over the years and even a few before Della was born. There are photos of our whole family at Christmas, Thanksgiving and Della's third birthday. Those photos tell a story... the story of us. And now Ana is part of us. I can't wait to hang up the first photo of her.
I gulp, maybe we're moving too fast. Perhaps we should have stayed in Russia for a couple more days to ease her in.
"Come on!" Della urges Ana as she slips into her UGG slippers. She gets out a pair of Ana as well. Della is already more accommodating than she used to be. Hopefully Ana will help her become more aware of the feelings of others. Della has always struggled with that due to her low EQ.
Ana takes a deep breath before walking over to Della. I watch her taking off the red duffle coat and hanging it into the wardrobe before she places her boots next to Della's. She slips into her slippers before turning around. "I already love it here."
I gulp the tears down, "That's good."
She smiles at us before Adaline drags her through the foyer. I watch them disappearing in the living area and I hear a 'Wow' coming out of Ana's mouth. The second they disappear out of our sight, I feel Troy's lips crashing against mine again. This time, I return his kiss and feel the wooden door in my back. His tongue enters my mouth as I wrap my arms around his neck. Our tongues entwine as I surrender myself in his kiss. I feel his body pressing against mine and I fight very hard this urge to wrap my legs around his waist. I have to remind myself that we're not alone. Ana and Della could come back any time. I force myself to let go of his lips, missing them the second I pulled away. I breathe heavily as I stare into his sapphire blue orbs. "You make it really hard to not want you."
"That's my speciality." he grins before taking a step back. I watch him dragging both suitcases further inside before getting out of his shoes and coat. I still try to catch my breath, feeling hot as I stare at him. My 33 year old husband with a heart of gold and a body of a god. One kiss and he got me wanting more so easily. He puts his coat and shoes away the same way Della and Ana did. I brush through my hair before I walk over to him. He places his hands on my shoulders a bit too long. "Careful, or I will drag you into that wardrobe and lock it." I threaten him with a smile on my lips.
He chuckles as he helps me out of the coat. I get out of my heels before putting them away. He closes the wardrobe before lacing his fingers with mine. Hand in hand, we walk through the foyer until we reach the living area. The huge glass front lets in the little light coming in from outside today. There's snow in our backyard, covering the grass. Christmas is almost here. I scan the wide living space, we still haven't bought a Christmas tree. "We should buy a Christmas tree." I suggest before I feel him lifting me. I chuckle as he swings me around, he hasn't done that in a long time. "Troy, let me down." I demand, mirroring his grin.
He lets me down before an intensive glance meets mine. I gasp as I feel his fingers fondling my cheek, "You are magnificent."
I blush, "You are not so bad either." I give the compliment back before kissing his cheek.
"We'll buy the Christmas tree tomorrow." he promises me as I wrap my arms around his neck. "And we'll start a new Christmas tradition." I can feel his arms wrapped around my waist. His touch resonates in my whole body.
"Which is?"
"We'll decorate this tree with eight hands."
I chuckle, "I like your way of thinking." Though, I doubt that the others will let us do it by ourselves. We've been decorating the Christmas tree together for eight years now. A tradition the rest of our family surely won't give up.
He smiles back at me, "Oh the things you do to me, Mrs. Bolton."
He hasn't even got a clue of all the things he does to me.
"Okay so behind that door is Daddy's office. He has a pool table in there." I hear Adaline's voice. She's still on the ground floor with Ana. I mean, we do have a lot to show here on the first floor anyway. "Have you ever played?"
"No."
"Don't worry, it's easy. Once you see the table you'll automatically calculate the right angles to get the balls into the designated wholes. Pretty simple math."
Ana chuckles, "Tell me something that's not math."
"Emotions."
I watch them appearing from the right. So, she already showed Ana the library, gym, indoor pool, sauna, cinema room and three guest rooms. Ana seems a little overwhelmed by all of this. Her forest green eyes are sparkling with joy though. "I think I might get lost in here."
"Hey," I say as they walk past us. Ana stops in her movement, her head turned towards us. It's the first time she's seeing us so close together. It takes her a second to fully recognize us, I notice. She hasn't seen a lot of affection in her life. So, I was right. We'll have to be a little more reluctant in the next few days.
"Hi." she breathes out.
"How do you like the tour so far?" Troy asks her smiling.
She starts sparkling from within, "I never thought your house would be this big. It's like a palace." And she hasn't even seen the whole property yet.
I chuckle, "We might show you Buckingham and Kensington Palace tomorrow. Then you'll know what a palace looks like."
Adaline grabs her hand, "I have a lot more to show you." with that she drags her out of our sight.
I chuckle at Adaline's excitement. She waited for so long to finally do this. "Della's so excited..." I breathe out.
"She's not less happy than we are." Troy agrees with me before I look at him again. I press my forehead against his, inhaling his scent.
"We did it. We adopted her."
"Yes we did." he leans in to kiss me again. As our lips meet I can hear Ana's amazed voice as she sees our kitchen and I let go. Much too quickly for him.
"We should keep it to a minimum in the next few days." I breathe out, brushing through his silky chestnut colored hair.
He frowns at my suggestion, "What?" He looks like a train hit him.
"Did you see Ana's look when she saw us?" I ask him back causing a much more confused face. "When she saw us this close, my arms wrapped around your neck, your's around my waist... It took her a few seconds to get used to this image... to answer you." I explain slowly.
"There's no way we won't have any sex in the next few days." he breathes out. "No one will keep me away from my wife."
I chuckle, "I'm not talking about abstinence. I am talking about keeping it to a minimum around Ana and Della. Della might be used to seeing so much affection - feeling so much love. But Ana... she never received that." I gulp at my own words, realizing she really never did. She's been pushed around between foster parents and orphanages for years. She never stayed long enough to feel loved - let alone, allow someone to get close to her heart.
"So, no touching around them?" he snorts. He definitely doesn't like that.
"Not at all... Let's just take it step after step. Holding hands here and there...a hug... maybe a kiss."
"Holding hands? A hug? A kiss? Are we in high school?" he echoes me, shaking his head, "I love you. I love my family. I want her to see that. I want her to see that it's normal to feel loved."
"And she will. It's just..." I fondle his left cheek, feeling the stubbles of his beard coming in, "I want to ease her into this. Really ease her into this." I let my thumb run over his lips.
"You're making it really hard for me to resist you." his orbs sparkle in desire.
I smile, "There's no one here right now." I provoke him with a raised eyebrow.
He grins at me before pulling my body even closer to his. I feel his steel hard chest against mine as his lips touch mine. I return his kiss, allowing our tongues to entwine properly. He tastes of blueberries and warm summer nights among with his very own Troy Bolton taste. My fingers dig into his silky hair as he leads me backwards until I crash against the glass from the window front in our living room. The crash resonates through my bones, sending small waves of ache through my system. But I ignore it as I feel his body warmth giving me the comfort I need. I wrap my left leg around his hips, keeping him close as I feel his cock coming to life. God, he makes me want him so easily.
"Mom! Dad!" Adaline's voice interrupts us abruptly.
He lets go of my lips being as breathless as me. Yet, I mirror his smile as I unwrap my left leg from his hips, "We should take it slow."
His fingers brush through my hair as we hear Adaline calling us once more.
"We're coming." I mumble as I lace my fingers with his. "That's not keeping it to a minimum." I say referring to that kiss as we rush through the living area and dinning room. "If you keep on kissing me like that when we're alone, it'll be hard for me to not be all over you." With two kids in the house now, we have two more people we need to consider. And damn, it's so hard to keep my hands off of my husband when he looks at me like that.
"Well I guess I need a lot more practice then." there's a smirk on his lips as we walk around the kitchen island.
"I think I can arrange that, Mr. Bolton." I return his smirk as we walk up the staircase. His fingers play with my wedding bands as we walk down the hallway of our first floor, passing a few guest rooms and my study. We stop as we see Della and Ana standing in front of Adaline's room. There's a painting of a starry sky hanging on the left side of the door. It's the starry night over the Rhone, an original Vincent van Gogh from 1888. A breathtaking piece of art that Adaline picked out a few years ago as we took her to her first auction.
"What's wrong?" Troy asks as we reach them.
"Where's Ana's room?" Della asks.
"Three doors away from your's." I explain but Della already knows that. She's asking for a different reason. We thought we shouldn't have them so close, since they may not get along. We decorated that room child-friendly with some colorful pillows and hung up a few paintings as we talked things through with Jessica, our interior designer. It's the same room we showed Claire when she visited us since it was meant to be Ana's room. I look at Ana. She seems uncomfortable. "Don't you like that room? The three rooms that separate you guys are guest rooms anyways. You can have any room you want."
"Any?" she asks me back with a small smile on her lips. She likes that answer.
I nod with a smile on my lips.
"I want the room next to Della." she announces. I feel my heart skipping a beat. I didn't expect them to grow so close so quickly. I thought Ana would want space to let things sink in - but she's choosing the opposite. She wants to dive in headfirst.
"Left or right side next to her?" Troy asks.
"Hmm... I think right." Ana says with a grin on her lips, "That way I'll be closer to the kitchen."
I chuckle, "You like the kitchen?"
She nods, "It's so big... and white and there's so much light! And the fridge is huge!"
Maybe she'll eat more then. So far, she has always left the plate half empty. No matter what was on it. "Good, then you'll have that room."
Suddenly, she pulls us into a hug. "Thank you." she whispers and I know she doesn't just mean the room.
She means this life we're enabling her.
Adaline opens the door and looks inside, "But it looks so boring!" she breathes out before stepping in as Ana's arms are still wrapped around us. "You'll need to decorate it to your needs."
I gulp and restrain myself from kissing her cheek. It might frighten her. More than the scene she witnessed downstairs. She lets go of us and walks into the room that's a little smaller than Della's and smaller than our's. As this is a guest bedroom we kept it quite neutral with very light grey on the walls and beige bedsheets on the king sized bed. The curtains have big drawings of black flowers on them and the closet is half as small as the closet in the master bedroom, making it just as big as Della's. There's enough space for a big desk and a reading corner in front of the fireplace. The floor length windows face the backyard and offer a view over the River Thames. The bathroom door next to the windows is a full one with white marble, so that's going to be okay.
"This room is not boring. It's perfect." Anastasia breathes out as she looks around. Our guest rooms look like hotel rooms. Neutral but welcoming and cozy at the same time.
"Well, we can redecorate it if you want." Troy starts, "Maybe a different wall color or a wall paper, another bed... paintings or posters on the walls." he suggests.
Ana sits down on the king sized bed, looking a little lost on the huge bed. She shakes her head, "I like the light grey. And this bed is very soft, too." she jumps up and down a little.
"How about an armchair in front of the fireplace?" I ask her.
She frowns, "Maybe."
"Do you like anything from the other room?" I ask her. Jessica ensured us that it would be every girls dream to have a baby pink room with crowns and stars and all that jazz. She ensured us that a princess room is exactly what seven year olds wish for.
Ana shakes her head, "No." Guess Jessica was wrong.
"Okay, we can meet up with our interior designer sometime next week and talk things through. She'll have some more ideas." I'm really not big on interior design. "And you could browse through some websites or Pinterest or somewhere to get some inspiration. Della will show you how to use the iPad." I'm pretty sure she's never seen one.
"Okay." her forest green eyes look scan the two nightstand tables that have lamps on it. "But I want the same flowers as downstairs here. They are pretty."
"Pink peonies." I say with a smile on my lips, "They're my favorite."
She returns my smile, "They're mine as well."
"Is she here?" I hear Ryan's voice asking me as I take a look at the oven. There's a vegetarian lasagne bubbling in there. Troy made it before he got an urgent business call that he now is taking care of. Perhaps I should try to take some cooking classes from him - but those would end up like the last time. It was filled with more sex than cooking. I dismiss the idea. "Yeah." I say as my eyes scan the inside. It will be done soon. I could try to take a serious cooking class from a chef. Maybe with Miley - she has at least as much learning to do as me. It will be fun.
"When will I meet her?" he sounds as excited as we all feel about this. Ana and Della are upstairs unpacking their clothes and getting settled in.
I turn around and look at the screen of my iPhone, that's resting against the glass filled with water on the kitchen island. "I don't know. In a few days."
"In a few days?!" his face makes a shocked expression.
"Yeah."
"I can't wait that long. I'm so excited to meet her! How about tomorrow?" he suggests as I get out the cutlery.
"I'm not sure, Ry. We want to ease her into this new life. I'm afraid by taking her back to England so soon, she might freak out at some point."
"She's not going to freak out!" he snorts at me, "Even if so, you'll know how to calm her down. You guys are like the pros at freaking out and calming down."
I chuckle, "We want to buy a Christmas tree tomorrow. We'll go to a farm to get one." So far we haven't really decorated our house for Christmas. We waited for Ana to arrive.
"Perfect, I'll help decorating this thing then."
"Ryan..."
"Gabriella," he starts, "We've been decorating the Christmas tree at your house for eight years now. Every single family member helps: Lucas and Miley, whereas Miley's more likely to direct everything and now she has a free pass anyway, and Kelsi and me... and you guys. It's a tradition I refuse to break! Kelsi and I enjoy it not less than Adaline and you guys. And I'm sure Ana will love it too. We'll put on some Christmas tunes, sing along while Della plays the piano or you or Troy or me. We'll have eggnog and hot chocolates. We'll get to know each other without any pressure. We won't scare her off."
I bite my lip, "I don't know."
"You rather want us all to meet up on Christmas Eve? With Diana, Shailene and your Dad there, too? Us all in one place with too much wine and she'll have the shock of her life."
He has a point. "Alright fine. I'll talk to Troy and we'll call you when we brought the tree home."
"Sounds good. I'll let the others know." he smiles at me before hanging up.
I close my eyes, sending a prayer that tomorrow will go fine. No tears, no nervous breakdowns... just a normal getting to know each other. It'll be fine, just like Ryan said.
I rest my head on my bent elbows, leaning against the kitchen island as I watch Anastasia drawing a picture on the dark wooded dinning table. She has a variety of colored pencils laying in a rainbow order in front of her, but she chose the simple pencil instead. From here, I can't tell what she's drawing. The chandelier hanging in the middle above the table is hopefully giving her enough light. She's been sitting there for almost two hours. I didn't know she liked drawing so much.
I can hear piano notes coming from the living area and I know it's Troy who is playing. There's a certain beauty in the way he transfers his feelings into music that touches the depths of my heart. We finished dinner two hours ago - Ana left the plate half full again. I didn't question her... yet. Maybe she just needs to adjust to us a little more.
After all, this is new territory for all of us.
Ana's forest green eyes are focused on the paper in front of her as her fingers draw with the pencil. She looks so peaceful... so beautiful. She didn't deserve a life at orphanages. She didn't deserve getting pushed around between foster parents - or getting disciplined by the social workers there. She didn't deserve any of that. No one does.
It breaks my heart just thinking about that.
Suddenly, Della walks in from the living area, "Ana," she says as her sister didn't notice her walking in.
Ana's head swings up as if she was day dreaming while drawing.
"Wanna play chess?" Adaline's bright blue orbs are sparkling.
Her sister continues drawing for a few more seconds, "Okay." Ana lays the pencil down in front of the yellow colored pencil that's the start of the rainbow order and closes the sketch block before following Adaline into the living area.
"Daddy said you play."
"Did he mention I beat him twice already?" Ana asks back, laughing.
It's her twenty third laughter since she came to us. A good sign.
I don't think I'm going to stop counting for a while.
I take this moment to walk over to the dinning table and have a peak at her drawing. I'm just too curious. Anastasia is so organized, all pencils are lined up. She didn't even use a rubber, I notice as I don't see one laying on the table. There's just the sketch block and the pencils laying on the table. Maybe she's still trying to be careful and wants us to like her. Perhaps she's still afraid we might send her back. Given her luck with former foster parents, I somehow understand her.
But she doesn't know we already love her.
I open the sketch block for just a tiny little peak. But I gasp as I see what she was drawing. I can see our living area in shades of grey from the perspective of the foyer. There's the fireplace with framed photos on the mantelpiece at the right, the book shelves on each side of it, my rolled yoga mat in the corner, the black Bechstein piano, the huge L-shaped couch on the left with a coffee table in front of it, the chess table with the two armchairs, the standing lamps... and then there's us.
Troy and me.
I have my arms wrapped around his neck and look into his eyes. There's a smile on my lips. I have my hair open, my curls fall down my back. I am dressed in a simply pair of jeans and a blouse with no shoes. Troy's hands are resting on my waist. He's mirroring my smile, showing his pearly white teeth. He's wearing a sweater above his oxford shirt and light trousers. Also no shoes. We're standing in front of the glass front. I can see the snow that's covering the backyard and the Thames on the horizon. The sun is standing low.
That was us four hours ago.
That was what Ana saw when she walked in with Della earlier.
That's love.
I can't believe my eyes! She draw this? She really draw this? In two freaking hours? There are so many details, so many shadows and light reflections she did right... She's seven! Ana's seven years old...
"Hey,"
I jump up as I hear my husband's voice. "Fuck, don't you ever scare me like that again." I hiss at him as I look up. He's standing in the doorframe, watching me. Quickly, I close the sketch block again.
"Why? Because you're sneaking your pretty little nose into stuff that's none of your business again?" he mocks me as he walks over to me.
"I wasn't..." I stop as his eyes stare at me, "Alright, you busted me. I was just about to sneak a tiny little peek of what Ana has been drawing for the last two hours." I explain as I feel his hand on my right shoulder.
"You were using the momentum while she was gone." he lowers his eyes on me.
I roll my eyes before placing my hand on his, "Yes, I was. I am guilty."
"Well, is it good?" he asks, looking over my shoulder.
"I don't know. You tell me." I say as I open the sketch block. I look at him as I see his eyes widen. He looks not less surprised than I was.
"Wow..."
"Exactly." I agree with him.
"Is that us?" he asks, still in shock. "I mean, that has to be us. They look so much like us…"
"Yes."
"Is that what she saw earlier? I mean, she draw us exactly the same way we were dressed and the position and... there are so many details!"
"She draw what she saw."
"If we only look half as in love in real life as we do in that drawing, then boy we must have it bad."
I chuckle at his words before placing a kiss on his left cheek. "I do have a pretty big weakness for you, Mr. Bolton."
He smiles before his eyes look further at the drawing. "Look at that." he points into the right corner of the drawing. Mommy and Daddy, 12th of November 2024.
I don't even try to fight the gigantic grin on my lips, "I like that."
"I think she does, too." he agrees before looking into my eyes, "We haven't scared her off then."
I shake my head, "No, looks like she's okay with a little affection."
"Well, I need a little more than that touching." he mumbles before kissing me softly. I turn around as I return his kiss and wrap my arms around his neck, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Our tongues entwine and I allow them to dance until I feel the heat between us becoming too hot. I let go and smile at him, "Easy there. We still have to get those two into bed before we can get any further than this." I brush through his silky hair. "First the children and then our addiction."
"I love your huge heart, my angel."
"Yours is just as huge as mine." I say as I feel his fingers fondling my cheeks. "And I love you, too."
Desire burns in his eyes. "I need more of you."
"You'll get more." I promise him before closing the sketch block. I don't want Ana to find out that we know what she draw. Let alone, that she's so amazing at it! I lace my fingers with his before we walk into the living room that looks exactly the way that Ana draw it. She used her memory, which works flawlessly. My eyes see Ana and Della sitting opposite each other in the armchairs with the chess table between them. Della has the black figures, while Ana took the white ones. Both pairs of eyes are focused on the board in front of them. Both seem highly concentrated, so I decide to not interrupt them.
We sit down on the L-shaped grey couch and I move over to Troy until I my back rests against his torso. "Who's not keeping it to a minimum now?" he mocks me.
I chuckle, "Shut up. Or I'll leave. Don't tell me you don't like that."
His hand on my right arms pulls me closer to him. I let my hands rest on his thighs before covering us with the cashmere blanket. Inhaling his scent, I feel loved right away. This is my home... I feel his cock coming to life behind me. "You're right, I definitely don't enjoy that." he jokes before brushing through my hair. Spooning with him is always making me forget my issues - it takes my mind off of any problem and makes me focus on the presence and the gratitude I feel when I think of my family. I take his hands and lace them with mine, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine and the warmth coming from my heart. I look at our daughters, who still play chess.
This right here is all I ever wished for.
My family.
"You are not that bad." Adaline breathes out, making her move.
Anastasia chuckles. "You're a worthy opponent." her eyes scan the playing field and she frowns. It looks like Adaline is winning.
I smile at their words.
"You seem happy." Troy's hot breath creates goosebumps on my neck.
"I am."
"Good, I'm too."
I place the journal on the walnut wooded nightstand, right next to the vase with a single pink peony in it. There is a glass of water on the other nightstand at the left side of the bed. Troy is getting Della into bed while I do the same with Ana. I think Della is still licking her wounds as she lost at chess - for the first time in her life.
"What's that?" Ana asks me as I sit down on the empty side of her bed. She is already tucked under the bedsheets in the room that she picked out. Right next to Della.
"That's a journal. Adaline has one as well. She says it helps her to keep calm. I thought it could help you, too." I start explaining, "Five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the evening." I open the journal, "You write down three things you are grateful for, three things that would make your day wonderful and a daily mantra in the morning. At night, before going to bed, you write down three amazing things that happened today and what you could do to make it even better the next day."
"In which language?"
Just her question makes me smirk, only a genius would ask that kind of question. "It doesn't matter. You choose. There are no rules. This is totally up to you."
She frowns, "Will you read it?"
I shake my head, "No. This one is like your little secret. No one will read it but you. You can keep it on your bedside table or put it into the drawer. If you don't want to use it, don't. It was just a suggestion."
"Do I have to tell you what I wrote?"
I shake my head again, "Not if you don't want to."
"Okay." She smiles at me. "I'll try it out."
"Good." I brush through her blonde hair, "Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams, Mommy."
My heart skips a beat as I feel the tears building in my eyes. I gulp them down before I smile. "If you need anything, you know where we are." I say, getting off of the bed.
She nods. The stuffed teddy bear is hugged tightly by her little arms. Adaline told her to give her Lily back whenever she's ready to. I stop in my way, seeing Troy standing in the doorframe. "Goodnight, Daddy."
I close my eyes for a second, allowing the tears roll down my face as she only sees my backside. My husband notices them and for a second he looks concerned. But he puts on a smile, "Goodnight, Ana." He switches off the lights as I walk pass him. I hear him closing the door as more tears roll down my face. His hand reaches for mine and I feel him squeezing my hand as I lean against the white wall with the black stripe in our hallway. I take deep breaths, trying to calm me down as I feel him standing next to me.
"She's safe. She's here now. She has us." Troy's whisper reaches my ears.
I nod before looking at him, "Yes, she does."
He wipes the tears off of my face, "I hate seeing you cry."
I chuckle, "I'm doing my best to prevent them."
He sighs before pressing his forehead against mine, "You are a wonderful mother."
I stare into his sapphire blue orbs, "And you are a wonderful father." I give the compliment back. I feel his hands resting on my waist, creating a fire within me. It takes him less than a second to change my mood. I feel my breath quickening as I fondle his right cheek, my fingers feeling the stubbles of his beard. I let them run over his lips as his orbs still stare into mine. The heat inside of me rises so quickly. All of my worries fade to nothing when I look at him. "I want you naked."
A dirty grin appears on his lips, "Good. Because I want you naked, too." With that he scoops me up before walking down the hallway.
I chuckle before I brush through his hair, "Troy,"
"Hm?" He carries me like I am five pounds light.
"You are the man of my dreams and darkest desires." He stops at my words, allowing me to see his reaction better. I can see my emotions reflecting in his orbs.
"I have that same feeling about you, my love."
I kiss him as he continues walking down the hallway. Our tongues start their beloved dance as he opens the door of our bedroom. I let go of his lips as his feet kick the door close. "Maybe we should lock that. Just in case." my voice is hoarse as I feel the desire floating through my veins. With each passing second it grows, making me almost forget about the two girls at the other end of the hallway.
"Okay." he agrees, locking the door before letting me down.
If you need anything, you know where we are. My promise to Ana rings through my ears as his lips kiss my neck. His fingers move beneath my blouse before helping out of it. I feel my muscles reacting to his touch as they travel up my arms. His lips touch mine again as my fingers unbuckle his belt before opening the button of his trousers. They fall into a pile before he steps out of them, not leaving my lips once. His fingers open the button of my trousers as my fingers start help him out of his sweater and his white oxford shirt. I feel his thumbs hooking into the waistband of jeans. If you need anything, you know where we are. He stripes the skinny jeans down my legs and I step out of them before I feel his lips moving down my neck, cleavage, stomach... I tilt my head back and close my eyes as moans escape my lips. God, he can turn me on so easily. So easily... If you need anything, you know where we are. My eyes pop open as this voice in my head won't stop. "Wait," I breathe out as his lips kiss each side of my hips. His fingers find my laced panties. "What?" he asks, rising from his knees.
"Maybe we should keep the door unlocked." I breathe out.
He frowns before his fingers unlock the door behind me. I can feel his cock pressing against my stomach as his lips start kissing my neck again.
But I don't want Ana seeing us having sex the first night she spends here either. "Or maybe-" I stop as I hear him growling.
"Gabriella, can you finally decide and give into me?" he breathes out, sounding frustrated. "I want to finally fucking bury myself in you. Deep, deep inside of you." he growls. "I can make love to you here, fuck you in the shower or go a step further in our fucking room. However you decide, but just ignore those fucking voices in your head right now. Because if you don't, then I will make you. Locked behind that door with floggers, whips and a lot more toys that you don't even know we have yet. I'd do that because I fucking want you. I need to be inside of you, do you understand?!"
I gulp and nod, "Yes."
"So, what is it? Locked or unlocked?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Locked." I say nodding.
"Okay."
"No, wait, unlocked." I breathe out.
"Are you sure?"
I shake my head, "No, locked."
"Gabriella," he narrows his eyes at me.
"Locked. Definitely locked."
"Good." his fingers lock the door behind me again. "Because that teasing is getting on my nerves." He leans in to kiss me again, but I hold back. He lets out another frustrated growl, "What is it now?!"
I smile before brushing through his hair, "I want a hot bath, following a steamy shower and our bed. No room of pleasure. No floggers. No whips. No cuffs. No toys. No tying. Not tonight. I want lovemaking in our bed. Slow, prickling, lovemaking."
"Okay." he agrees before striping down his briefs, revealing his impressive pulsing cock. "But I get to fuck you while the water is filling the bath tube."
"Deal." I agree with him before stripping off my laced panties. After all, it's about compromising in a relationship. There's a dark glitter in his sapphire orbs as I walk past him, "But before you do so, I should actually make sure the water is filling the bath tube." I say as I unclip my bra. I stripe down the hangers before letting it fall to the ground on the threshold to the bathroom. Naked, I enter into the bathroom, feeling the floor heating beneath the white marble. I put the plug into drain before allowing the hot water to fill the bath tube. My hands reach for the bubble bath with lavender and bergamot. As I pour it into the running water, I hear Troy entering the bathroom. I look to my left and see his naked backside as he puts our clothes into the laundry basket. I close the bottle with the bubble bath before placing it back on the window sill. I bent down and swirl my hand in the water to create even more bubbles. A nice relaxing bath with my husband is just what I need after these last eventful days. As I rise, I feel my husbands hands on my hips. He pulls my hips back and opens my legs so fast that I can only wrap my fingers around the edge of the free standing bath tub before I feel him thrusting into me. I cry out, feeling arousal rushing through my veins as my sex embraces his. He stretches my insides to a limit that almost hurts. Almost.
I cherish this feeling so much.
"Fuck." his hot breath clashes against my neck as his left arm wraps around my waist. "Hold tight." he warns me before moving out just as rapidly as he moved in. He thrusts into me and I am thankful for his arm around my waist. It keeps me steady. My fingers hold tighter on the edge of the bath tube as an aroused cry leaves my lips. This. Feels. So. Good. He starts moving quicker and I finally allow myself to surrender in the world of pleasure he's opening up for me...again... and again... Until I explode, crying out his name and seeing the stars of our love. I feel my heart bursting from love and desire for my husband. I feel him pumping into me one more time, before he finds his release as well. I feel his bodyweight against mine for a moment as the orgasm rushes through his system. Just like me, it takes him almost a minute to come back from paradise. I can feel his hot breath in the nape of my neck and I tilt my head to the side to see his face. His blue orbs have a turquoise marble in them and there's a smile on his lips. He's not done with me. He's far from feeling satisfied. But he enjoyed it for a starter.
So did I.
He flexes his hips back, exiting me as we both are still catching our breaths. I feel empty already, as I fell his warm sperm running down my legs. With his hands on my hips, he twists me around so I face him. Pressing my forehead against his, I feel his warm breath against my face. We breathe in symbiosis. As we always do when we had sex. We're a union.
We always will be.
For minutes, we just stand there listening to each other's breaths and heartbeats, feeling each other's skins... Just being together. I fondle his right cheek as his fingers brush through my hair. There's no need for words. Our glances say it all. God, this man... This wonderful, stunning and breathtaking man I get to call my husband for seven years now - and I am still head over heels in love with him. More than ever.
More than I ever thought I'd be.
I kiss him softly, hearing my pulse, his breath and the running water in my ears. He returns my kiss, filling it with a kind of passion I never could. I place my hand on his chest, feeling the throb of his racing heart as our tongues entwine. Within seconds, a strong need washes over me out of the sudden. He bites into my lower lip, allowing me to catch some air. He has to feel it too. Suddenly, I feel his hands on my waist lifting me up. His lips crash against mine as I wrap my legs around his hips, locking my ankles behind his butt. He bends forward and I hear him turning off the water as our tongues start dancing again. I feel him walking, but I don't care where he brings me.
I'd follow him everywhere.
I feel the cold marble beneath me as he sits me down. On the sink, I realize as I feel the cold mirror behind my back. With his hands he spreads my legs further before pulling me closer to his pulsing erection. I feel the tip of his penis brushing my clirotis and I expect him to thrust into me like before, but to my surprise he kisses me softly. I return his soft kiss, but let go as I feel him entering me, slowly stretching out my insides again. I gasp, "This feels so good." I breathe out, my voice sounding hoarse.
He grins against my lips before slowly sliding out. My toes curl as I feel the orgasm already building so rapidly. I place my hands on his that are wrapped around the edge of the marbled sink. I feel his wedding band beneath my left hand and I run my fingers over it. Our bond in a symbol wrapped around our left ring fingers. He glides into me a little faster and I grab his biceps to stabilize myself. His strong arm muscles beneath my hands vibrate from my touch and I can feel it echoing through his whole body, resonating into mine. "Faster." I breathe into his ear before kissing his cheek. "Fuck me." I demand.
"What my wife wants, my wife gets." with that he speeds up, moving in a rhythm that's exactly to my taste. I close my eyes and surrender myself in the feelings he's giving me. My body starts moving with his as we melt into this union once again. Our bodies clash together before our hips move apart all by themselves. We both surrender in our emotions for one another, allowing our bodies to work on their own. My hands wander up his shoulders as our shallow breaths and my moans fill the bathroom with a music straight from depths of our hearts. I feel the sweet pressure building as my hands wander down his back. My nails start scratching him uncontrollably, motivating him in silence. We move faster together, feeling sweat running down our bodies. I'm already on the edge again...
"Come for me, my angel." his breath in my neck is all I need. I burst into a thousand pieces as the orgasm rushes through me like hot lava. A cry escapes my lips that he catches with his. I flex my feet and curl my toes as waves of pleasure run through my system. A moment later he comes as well.
I let my fingers travel up and down his back as he deals with his orgasm. He came even longer this time. I kiss his right shoulder and the nape of his neck before my lips find his right cheek. He smiles at me, "I think you've earned your bath with me, Mrs. Bolton."
I grin, "I think so, too."
A new chapter! Please review!
Xoxo