DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Skate the Line: Chapter 67
I thank my lucky stars daily for putting Sunny into our lives, but especially today.
Three sets of giggles hit my ears as I climb the stairs to the freshly remodeled loft. What was once an empty space full of cobwebs is now filled with the scent of acrylic paint, hardening clay, and canvas-covered walls.
Nana and I have become awfully close, and she let me in on a little secret, telling me where all of Sunny’s old paintings were stored. Naturally, I had them sent here and hung them up so she could feel even more at home while dipping her toes into painting again.
Sunny already knows all my hopes and dreams: hockey, Ellie’s happiness, and her. Not in that order. But when I asked about hers, ending up in an art museum one day was near the top of her list, so I’m going to do everything in my power to help her reach that goal. She might take some art classes at the art school up the street to finish out her degree, and I’ve even encouraged her to start making those mesmerizing time-lapse videos again of painting.
Everything else in the house remains the same, besides Sunny moving into my room and extra security around the perimeter, because neither of us trust a flimsy piece of paper stating that Nicholas can’t come near us.
If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay in Canada, which is where he ran off to shortly after paying his fines for the hit-and-run. If it were up to me, he’d be in prison, but when you have deep pockets and a good lawyer, that isn’t always the case.
Standing along the opening to the loft, I watch Sunny concentrate while she puts two facemasks on Ellie and her new friend, Jacie.
Ellie has made so much improvement at school, and she actually has a friend. When she had asked if Jacie could spend the night for a slumber party, I panicked. A slumber party? I had no idea what that entailed, but leave it to Sunny to swoop in and save me. As always.
Star-shaped twinkle lights hang above the window, and two light-blue sleeping bags lay on the floor with an abundance of pillows and snacks.
“There.” Sunny scrunches her nose and smiles at the girls. “You two are going to have fabulous skin.”
They giggle and remain still, not wanting the masks to slip off their faces.
When Sunny peeks up and sees me leaning against the opening, her smile grows wider. It knocks the breath right out of my chest. Since bringing her back to Chicago with me, we’ve gotten even closer than before. I’ve always felt like I’ve known her all my life, but being able to share all my thoughts with her instead of hiding from them has erased any line that was there before.
We know each other’s hopes and dreams.
We know each other’s worst fears.
We’ve shared our happiest and worst childhood memories, and I’ve planned our Christmas vacation. First Russia, so she can meet my mother, who is beyond excited that I’ve finally found someone to give my love to instead of being against it due to my father’s broken promises, which is something I’ve never shared with anyone—except for Sunny.
Then we will go to Washington to spend time with Nana.
It won’t be long before we move her closer to us.
Being apart from her makes Sunny sad, and that’s unacceptable to me.
I watch Sunny tilt toward the girls with her sights set on me. The flirty glint sends me reeling as she whispers something in their ears. I have to behave, though, because tonight is all about Ellie and her slumber party. The girls giggle, and then all three stare at me with amusement.
“I’m not sure I like the look you three are giving me,” I joke.
“Daddy,” Ellie quips. “Your turn.”
My eyebrows rise. “Huh?”
Sunny laughs, and I flick my eyes past Ellie and her friend. She is holding another facemask in her hands with a teasing smile.
“I am not putting a facemask on,” I say in a panic.
Ellie and Jacie both laugh. My mouth twitches because they look ridiculous with an entire sheet covering their faces. All I see are two eyes, a nose, and a mouth split into giant smiles from both of them.
“Pozhalusta,” the Russian word for please slips with ease from Sunny’s mouth, and my stomach dips.
She is playing dirty.
My eyes narrow.
Sunny knows exactly what she’s doing by using that word. Quick snippets of her beneath me in bed from the night before fill my head, and all I hear is her quiet voice full of pleasure, saying please in Russian over and over again.
Damn her for asking Marco to teach her the language during the day while Ellie is at school so she’s “prepared for our trip.” She’s been using it to her advantage since the first lesson.
I’m not going to lie, though. I love it.
Sunny opens her mouth, and my eyes flare. I reluctantly agree to the facemask, just to keep her from saying the word again. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to steal her from the girls and disappear to some hidden part of the house to have my way with her, so I quickly stop her before I can’t stop myself.
After the facemask is on my face and the three of them get over their fits of laughter, Sunny snaps a photo and lets me take the horrible thing off.
It smells like coconut, which reminds me of her, so I guess there’s a benefit in the end.
“Here we go,” I say after I get the projector set up so the girls can watch Tangled while snuggled in their sleeping bags.
The movie is playing on a sheet that Sunny hung from the exposed wood, and the girls are fully engrossed. She comes over and stands in between my legs while I sit on her favorite stool. Her back presses against my front, and I wrap my arms around her waist, bringing her in even closer.
God, I fucking love her.
Ellie and Jacie giggle at Pascal, and a thought slips into my head that would’ve scared me months prior, but now it no longer does, especially with her in my arms.
A bigger family would be nice.
Seeing Sunny pregnant with my baby would be nice too.
I press my head onto her shoulder and skim my nose along the slender part of her neck. She shivers, and I smile against her skin.
Her whisper is only loud enough for me to hear. “Better stop it. You know I’m sleeping up here with the girls, right?”
I want to pout, because she’s mine. But then I remember that I’m in my thirties, and it’s a bit much to throw a tantrum.
“Mm-hmm,” I whisper back. “I’ll miss you, though.”
A faint laugh leaves her. “You will not.”
“Will too,” I argue.
Her warm hands fall to mine wrapped around her waist. “I’ll miss you too,” she admits.
A question rushes from the tip of my tongue. “Do you want kids?”
Her spine stiffens.
It’s a question that packs a heavy punch, and I’d be perfectly fine with whatever she wants. Though, again, the thought of her carrying my baby is so enticing. “You can tell me,” I stress quietly.
“I do,” she answers. “But—”
“Should we try now or later?” I ask, interrupting her.
Her head jerks over her shoulder, and our eyes snag. I grin, and she presses her lips together to hide a smile.
“You already have one,” she notes.
I snort. “I’m well-aware. And thank God for that or else I never would’ve met you.”
Fate has a way, though. Sunny belongs to me, and I would’ve found her one way or another.
“I’ll give you a baby, Solnushka.”
Sunny’s white teeth sink into her bottom lip, and I want to kiss her so bad.
“But first you’ve gotta marry me,” I add.
I wink at her, and a blush blossoms over her cheeks.
I expect a flirty eye roll or something to that extent, but as always, she surprises me.
“Okay, Oscar.” She smiles, and my entire world lights up. “I’ll marry you.”
I’m crazy in love with her, and having her in my arms after hearing those words has me skating the line yet again with Tangled on in the background and two happy little girls in their sleeping bags, paying us no mind. I stare at her lips, and desire flows through my veins.
Sunny smacks my hand when I start to rub circles against the little bit of skin peeking out from below her shirt. “Knock it off,” she warns.
I smirk. Fine.
“Zhena,” I mutter the word wife in Russian when she turns back around to watch the movie.
Before she relaxes back against me, I hear her faint whisper. “Muzh.”
Husband.
My chest swells.
Sunny Volkova, I think to myself.
What a perfect name.