A Very Russian Christmas

  A Very Russian Christmas

  By Roxie Rivera

  Night Works Books

  College Station, Texas

  Table of Contents

  Author's Opening Note

  It's a Wonderful Life (DIMITRI)

  The Luxury Sleigh Ride (ALEXEI)

  From Russia, With Love (VASYA)

  All I Want For Christmas (NIKOLAI)

  Nine Ladies Dancing (KOSTYA)

  Toys for Tots (DANILA)

  My Favorite Things (YURI)

  Five Golden Rings (IVAN)

  A Bright, New Beginning

  Author's Closing Note

  About the Author

  Roxie's Backlist

  Copyright

  Author's Note

  This collection of holiday themed short stories fits the Her Russian Protector series timeline between YURI (Book 3) and the beginning of NIKOLAI (Book 4.) It features couples from the first five books in the series as well as glimpses of future couples to come!

  It's a Wonderful Life

  DIMITRI

  Flat on his back under a crib, Dimitri adjusted one of the corner screws, giving it one final twist, and tested the support system for the mattress. Satisfied that it was just right, he expelled the air from his lungs so he could slide out from under the baby bed. It was a tight fit, and he only barely made it free.

  Pushing up off the ground, he took a step back to study the vintage-inspired furniture he had been assembling all afternoon. When he had started the project, he hadn't expected it to be quite so difficult. No one had warned him how tricky these nursery pieces could be to put together. Despite all the frustration, he was glad he had chosen to tackle it today. He couldn't wait to see Benny's face.

  Running his hands over the creamy white finish of the beautifully handcrafted crib, he experienced a thrill of anticipation and a flutter of panic. Seeing the first ultrasound of the baby Benny had conceived had been a shocking and utterly profound moment. Having his suspicion that their baby was a girl confirmed last week had been so incredibly moving. Now, touching the crib where their daughter would someday sleep, Dimitri finally felt like this was really happening.

  I'm going to be a father.

  Just two weeks earlier, he had become Benny's husband. He spun his wedding band around his finger and remembered how gorgeous she had looked in her white dress. Making the woman he had loved for so long his wife had been the happiest moment of his life. He harbored no doubts that welcoming their baby in late May was going to be even more joyous.

  Clearing away the plastic wrappers and cardboard, Dimitri carted them down to the garage and stuffed them into the recycling and trash bins down there. Back inside the house, he smiled at the way his footsteps echoed in the big, open space. They had closed only that morning so the keys to their new home had been in his hand for less than a day.

  Finding the house in Ivan's neighborhood had been a stroke of luck. Houses didn't come up for sale very often in the area and the few that did weren't available for long because the area was so popular with its oversized lots and large homes. He had been on his way to inspect one of the few remaining lots in the neighborhood when he had spotted a real estate agent hammering a sign into the front yard of this house just one street away from Ivan and Erin. He had pulled over immediately to chat with the realtor, texted Benny some quick snapshots while touring the house and made an offer the moment she confirmed she loved it.

  And now it belonged to them.

  Glancing around the spacious downstairs, he mentally catalogued the upgrades and small remodeling projects they wanted to have done. The carpet had to go first. He already had an appointment with a flooring store that Ivan had recommended. The walls needed new paint—especially that garish orange in the kitchen. The chandelier in the dining room and the one above the stairs had to be replaced with something that fit their style instead of the dungeon-like metal with faux candles.

  Tomorrow morning, he would start putting out feelers for contractors to tackle the bigger projects. Some of the work he would do himself, but with his company's recent launch and the sheer number of hours he had to work to get it off the ground, hiring out most of the labor was the best idea.

  He leaned back against the nearest wall and simply took a moment to appreciate everything he had accomplished. As an orphaned child who had lived hand-to-mouth, he had dreamed of new clothes, a full belly and a warm bed. Small, realistic goals were smart and attainable—but this? This was beyond his wildest dreams.

  To know that he could provide such a home for his wife and child filled Dimitri with the strongest sense of pride. Everything he had fought to survive and surmount after his hard start in life had brought him to this point—and he had never been happier.

  Rattling keys outside the front door drew his attention. He crossed the living area and turned into the entryway just as the door opened and Benny stepped inside. She seemed startled by his presence. "Dima!"

  He still smiled every time she used his childhood nickname. When they had married, Yuri, one of his closest friends, had insisted that Benny start using it. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"

  "Um…I guess I should ask you the same thing."

  He didn't want to spoil the surprise. "I thought I'd come over and start making a list of the projects for the house. What are you doing here?"

  "I had hoped to get here before you so I could surprise you with dinner and a sort of camping setup in our bedroom so we could spent the night here."

  Touched by her thoughtfulness, he joined her at the door. Glancing around her, he spotted the small pile of store bags and a suitcase. When he lifted the sack holding an air mattress, he frowned and gently scolded his wife. "Benny, you shouldn't be lifting such heavy things. A gallon of milk, remember? You promised nothing heavier than that."

  She bit her full bottom lip. "Well…it wasn't that much heavier."

  He shot her a look as he carted everything into the entryway and shut the door behind her, sealing out the cold December chill. Cupping her chin, he forced Benny to meet his gaze. "I appreciate the surprise very much, but it wouldn't have been much fun if you had hurt yourself."

  Hoping his words didn’t carry the sting of censure, he leaned down to capture her mouth in a tender kiss. Benny's gloved hands glided up his arms and rested on his biceps. She tasted of hot cocoa and those fluffy, minty marshmallows her bakery made fresh every morning during the holiday season. Pulling back, he smiled down at her. "I hope you brought some marshmallows for me."

  "I did."

  "Good." He tapped the tip of her nose before untangling himself from their embrace. "I'll get everything set up in the master bedroom while you fix dinner."

  Nodding, she grabbed the bags she needed and disappeared into the kitchen. He gathered up the suitcase and bedding supplies and carted everything upstairs. His armful was bulky and unwieldy, but he figured it was good practice for the coming days when he would be juggling a stroller, car seat, diaper bag and baby.

  By the time he had everything situated, Benny was calling up to him from the bottom of the stairs. He discovered her in the kitchen standing next to one of the bar stools that had been left by the prior owners. She eyed the tall chair with the oddly patterned upholstery with a mistrusting eye. "What's wrong?"

  "There's no way my pregnant behind is getting up there."

  Laughing, he agreed with her assessment. "Not without some help." He lifted her up, deposited her on the seat and pecked her cheek. "See? I have my uses."

  "You just love to show off those big, sexy muscles of yours."

  "Only for you, baby." He slid onto the stool next to her. "Only for you."

  She snorted lightly and reached for one of the takeout containe
rs from his favorite Italian restaurant. "Ogling those yummy muscles of yours is what got me into this predicament." She pointed to her round belly with a plastic fork. "I'm hoping that I'll be immune to your hotness by the time she's born. Otherwise I'm going to find myself right back in this position."

  "There are a couple of positions I'd love to have you in tonight." He shot her a smoldering look that made her cheeks heat up with redness. Even after all the months they had been lovers, she still blushed so easily—and he found it incredibly enticing and endearing.

  "I can't believe you're turned on by all this." She shook her head as she gestured to her pregnant belly and firm, heavy breasts. "I'm starting to look like a science experiment gone awry."

  Putting down his fork, he slid his arm along the back of her chair and cupped her face with his other hand. Staring into her eyes, he made sure to use a firm tone to get his point across. "You are the sexiest fucking woman I have ever known." His hand drifted down to the high, round curve of her belly. "I love the way you look now. You're giving me the most amazing gift. How can I not love that? And think of how sensitive you are now."

  She gulped as his hand moved from her belly to her breast and along the edge of her neck. Was she remembering the way he had taken her last night, her thighs splayed wide open as he pounded into her from behind and tugged on her hair in the way that made her so hot? One flick of his fingers against her clit, and she had come so hard and so loud he had feared the neighbors would call the police.

  "Look at me," he urged. "Do I need to strip you down right now and show you how much I want you?"

  She licked her lips and shook her head. "I believe you."

  He kissed her, flicking his tongue against hers until she shivered in his arms and leaned against him for support. Certain she did believe him, he eased off the kiss and pressed his lips to her temple. "I love you, Benny. Pregnant, not pregnant, young, old—you're it for me. You're the only woman I want."

  "You're the only one I want too." She peppered light kisses along his jaw and cheek. "I really love you."

  "I know you do, milaya moya." Sliding back to his seat, he motioned to her empty plate. "Eat. I'm sure our daughter will be kicking soon if you don't feed her."

  Since Benny had first experienced movement earlier in the month, they had noticed that the baby seemed to kick the most when Benny was between meals and snacks. The baby was already big for her age, but so far Benny had shown no indication of gestational diabetes that was often the cause for babies measuring ahead. Of course, one look at him and their obstetrician had chalked it up to his larger than average frame. It seemed their daughter wouldn't be taking after her petite mama.

  "I packed my laptop in case we want to watch a movie or something later," Benny said as she cleared away the island where they had eaten. She stowed the leftovers in the refrigerator and ran her hands over the gleaming stainless steel exterior. "We got lucky with the kitchen appliances. This collection is fantastic."

  Pleased by her approval, he crossed that off the list he was running in his head. "If we keep the appliances, there will be more cash in the budget for the other projects you wanted to do in here."

  "I'm perfectly happy to keep these." She wrinkled that dainty nose while glaring at the orange walls. "But these walls! They have to go."

  "Do you know what color you would like to use?"

  "I have a vague idea of something in a pale gray."

  His brow furrowed. "Gray?"

  She put a hand on her hip. "Yes. Gray. Why?"

  Choosing his battles, Dimitri shrugged. "If you think gray will be nice, then I'll grab some gray paint chips on the way home tomorrow."

  "Just like that, huh? No argument?"

  "No argument." He bent down and kissed her. "The kitchen is your domain. You can paint it purple with lime green stripes for all I care."

  "And your domain?"

  "The garage, I suspect," he said with a laugh. "I hear that's where most of my married friends end up spending most of their time."

  She rolled her eyes. "If you want a man-cave, pick out one of the extra rooms upstairs. We'll only be using the master suite and the nursery next door. That leaves three extra rooms."

  "Until Natalya has a brother," he said, placing a protective hand on her baby bump. "And then a sister and another brother and—"

  "Are you nuts?" she asked amid laughter. "Let's just start with one and see how that goes."

  "All right, lyubimaya. We'll start with one."

  "And her name is Sofia," she reminded him.

  "That's not a battle you're going to win as easily as the paint color for the kitchen," he lightly warned. "I like Natalya. It's a beautiful name."

  "So is Sofia."

  Ending their argument with a gentle kiss, he said, "There's plenty of time for us to fight about that. Come upstairs with me. I want to show you something."

  Hand in hand, he led her to the room they had chosen as their nursery and tugged her along behind him. When he stepped aside, she spotted the furniture. "Dimitri!"

  "I know we have to take out the carpet and paint the walls but I wanted you to see our baby's furniture here. I wanted you to see how wonderful it's going to be."

  Benny smiled at him and made her way to the crib. She touched the pretty finish. "How did you know this was the set I wanted?"

  "I found the catalog you had hidden under the stack of magazines next to the bed."

  "It was really expensive, Dima."

  "So we'll make cuts elsewhere in the budget," he said. "We'll make it work."

  "We always do."

  "Yes." He thought of all the things they survived and accomplished together. "Perhaps that should be our family motto."

  Benny crossed the distance between them and wound her arms around his waist. When she peered up at him, the depth of her love for him was reflected in her eyes. "I know we're only just getting started, Dimitri, but I think we're going to have a wonderful life together."

  "We are," he hurriedly agreed. "It's going to be so good for us, Benny. I'm sure there will be lean times between our two businesses, but we're smart and careful. We'll get through them." He cupped her nape and nuzzled their mouths together. "I keep thinking that I couldn't possibly be any happier with you and then something new and wonderful happens like the baby and now the house."

  "You're the one who made all that possible." She rose on tiptoes to claim his mouth. "You're the one who gave me this baby and this house and saved my business."

  "I'll give you so much more, Benny." He swore the words like a vow. "You can count on me. I'll work harder than any man to make sure you and the children have everything you need and want."

  "We only need you, Dimitri. Just you." She brought his hand down to her belly and slipped it under her shirt. Though she had been able to feel movement for weeks, he hadn't been so lucky.

  Until now.

  A surprisingly powerful kick tapped his palm. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the alien sensation. Wondering if he had truly felt his daughter, he was quickly assured that he had when she kicked at his hand again. Prickly heat irritated his eyes, and he blinked rapidly. "I feel her!"

  "She's pretty amazing, huh?"

  "So amazing." He followed the baby's movements, pressing gently to coax more kicks from her and laughing when little Natalya responded. Fascinated by the tender moment, he asked, "What does it feel like for you?"

  "It's strange," Benny admitted. "But it's so incredible to have her with me all the time. When she moves, I know she's happy and healthy. It's reassuring."

  "I'm actually jealous," he confessed with a short laugh. Sliding to his knees, Dimitri pushed Benny's shirt out of the way and dotted loving kisses across her belly. The sweetness of their family moment faded, and Dimitri's kisses grew sensual.

  She ran her fingers through his thick hair. "Dimitri?"

  "We have a bed right next door."

  "Yes. And?"

  "And I think it's time we break in the new
house." Standing up, he swept his wife up into his arms, grinning at her squeal of laughter, and carried her into their master bedroom. The air mattress was far from the comfort of their king-sized bed, but it would be fun for one night.

  "It's like making love in a bouncy castle," Benny joked as Dimitri climbed onto the mattress with her.

  "A what?"

  "A bouncy castle," she repeated. "One of those big, inflatable castles that parents rent for a kid's party."

  He stopped stripping her just long enough to catch her gaze. "We have to rent a castle for Natalya's birthday?"

  "Definitely," she said, lifting her hips so he could tug her jeans free. "Knowing the way you're going to spoil her, Sofia," she emphasized the name, "will probably convince you to hire a petting zoo and a magician and—"

  "God, I really need to get some more wealthy clients at the security firm," Dimitri grumbled while peeling away Benny's shirt and expertly unhooking her bra. "Natalya's first birthday party is going to cost more than a year at university."

  "Not if you learn to tell her no," Benny suggested.

  Sliding down onto his stomach, Dimitri grasped her panties and jerked them down her hips. "I can't even tell her mother no."

  Giggling, Benny wiggled her hips until her cotton underpants were out of the way. He tossed them over his shoulder and insinuated himself between her thighs. Draping her legs over his shoulders, Dimitri rubbed his lips side to side across the seam of his wife's pussy before using his fingers to part her delicate folds. With her clitoris revealed to him, he wasted no time giving Benny exactly what she wanted.

  "Oh, Dima," she breathed his nickname on a rapturous sigh. His tongue swirled around the little pearl hidden there, coaxing it free from its hood and rewarding the tiny nub with soft flicks. Because she was so sensitive, Benny didn't need much stimulation to reach a climax these days, but eating her pussy was one of his favorite things so he took his time lavishing her with oral attention.

  Hips rocking and toes curling against his tattooed back, Benny whispered his name over and over. He dipped his tongue into the slick entrance of her before gliding it back to that swollen kernel and concentrating all his efforts there. With focused swipes, he pushed Benny higher and higher until finally, he suckled her clitoris and fluttered his tongue over it.