We kiss passionately as he moves before he suddenly breaks the kiss to bite my shoulder and buries himself deep inside of me. He looks down at me with hooded eyes, and I smile breathlessly.

Chapter 21 - Kervyn

I haven’t slept a wink. Penny is breathing deeply as she lies in my arms on the sofa. We went at it another two times before we curled up together. In my arms, she rests with her chest on my head. My jacket is covering her to protect her from the cold.

I’ve been stroking her back for what feels like hours, and I’m sure at one point I dozed off, but now I’m staring at the ceiling with a sense of panic settling in.

I shake her softly. “Penny? Penny, wake up. It’s like five in the morning. Let’s get you home.”

She sleepily untangles herself from me and starts to find her clothes. She looks a mess, and it’s cute, which compounds my panic.

I summon Luka and then get dressed. By the time we’re clothed, he’s there, grumpy for being woken up.

I send her home with him, opting to stay at the office for a little bit.

Once she’s gone, I pick up the phone and dial Danil.

He’s already awake, as usual, and answers my call almost immediately. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” I say, getting up and pacing. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?” he asks, sounding alert.

“I thought I loved Penny, but I didn’t know what love is. I’ve fallen for her, Danil. I will burn this world to the ground for her. I can’t think about anything but her. I want our lives to be completely entwined, and at the same time, I want to protect her from the darkness of our world.” I sigh.

“They’ll see this as a weakness,” Danil says seriously. “They’ll target her to get to you. This isn’t a smart idea, Kervyn.”

“No one would fucking dare,” I snarl. I take a deep breath. “No one has crossed me before, and no one is going to cross me now. No one touches her. I need you, Arseny, and Luka to make sure everyone knows that. Throughout every family.”

“It’s your choice in the end, Kervyn, but I just hope you can trust Penny. If not, you may come to regret your decision.” He hangs up on me, and I stew for a few moments.

I go home and check in on Penny. She’s asleep in my bed, so I sneak to the guest bathroom to have a shower before I have breakfast.

My phone rings as I finish showering, and I answer it. “Yes?”

“Is that how you greet your mama?” my mom says into the phone.

“Sorry, Mama. It was a late night,” I say. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes. I received a wedding invite but haven’t even met my daughter-in-law. I am informed I’m going to have a grandchild, but I don’t even know their mother. I want to meet her and see what has you so busy you can’t even remember to come to family dinner.” She sounds stern. I know she will give Penny a hard time, and I was trying to avoid that. She’s called me out directly, though, so I can’t even try to lie.

“We’ll come for dinner tonight,” I assure her. “Make something delicious. Penny will be happy to meet you.”

“She has no choice. She has to see me for the rest of her life,” my mother says. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

I sigh and hang up. Seriously? My mother, of all people? That’s who Danil confides in.

I potter around the house for a few hours before I go upstairs to wake Penny. “Penny? Penny?”

She slowly opens her eyes. “Is it time to eat?” she asks curiously. “I want pickles.”

I smile. “No, sleepyhead. But we do have something exciting happening today. You’re going to meet my mother.” I try to sound as casual as I can.

She sits straight up—not the reaction I wanted. “Your mother?”

“Yes. Look, she’s a bit of a bitch, but I’ve seen you hold your own. You have to stand up for yourself,” I say, taking hold of her hand. “You’re feisty when you want to be. Just try to let that shine through tonight, and she’ll leave you alone.”

“I feel sick,” she groans. I’m about to say we can’t use that to get out of it when she gets up and runs to the bathroom to throw up.

“Morning sickness?” I call, not wanting to bother her.

“Yeah,” she groans. “It’ll pass, I’m sure.”

“You should wear one of your normal maternity dresses to my mother’s house,” I say. “They’re pretty and simple, and she won’t think you’re trying to overdo anything.”

I hear the basin running, and then she comes out after a while. “Overdo anything? You make your mom sound like a monster. Are you sure you’re not overreacting because Luka says your mother is a saint?”

“Remember, Luka is the baby of the family and didn’t have to go through what we went through. My mother clicked that Luka was her last baby, and man, has she treated him like it all thirty-five years that boy’s been alive.” I take her hands. “Please just don’t try to be polite and get your feelings hurt. If you want to go, just nudge me under the table.”

She nods and bites her lips. “Last night…”

“And this morning…” I smile. “Was amazing.”

She is still biting her lip, but this time, I think she is trying to suppress a smile.

I kiss her forehead. “Everything will be fine.”

I pester her the rest of the day to give her tips about how to deal with my mother. She isn’t an easy person to deal with, and I don’t want Penny to get hurt. There’s nothing I can do about my mother, really.

Penny eventually gets tired of my pestering and sends me off to find something to do while she gets ready. I go to my office and sit there for a moment, having a cigar. This is a power play by my mother. I know it’s because of something Danil has said. I need to take back the power.

A thought pops into my head, and I get up, hurrying to the vault in my room. I find the small box I’m looking for and tuck it into my slacks pocket.

I walk out as Penny exits her bedroom in a gorgeous maternity dress. “How do I look?” she asks, twirling around.

“Like my gorgeous pregnant fiance,” I growl.

She doesn’t blush, and I pout. “I prefer it when you blush.”

“You’ll have to find new ways,” she says with a cheeky smile. She kisses me softly.

I smack her on the butt as she walks away, and she glances behind to look at me. This time, she blushes.

I smirk. “It isn’t so hard.”

I decide to drive to my mother in my own car instead of having a driver take us. Every time I try to say something to Penny, she just says. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

It makes me more worried because she’s not the most confident person. I want to believe she’ll be fine, but I also know my mother is very possessive of her children. I fear for the day Luka settles for someone.