Page 38 of The Bratva's Bounty
"Nicole!Blya, ya vlyublyayus' v tebya," I gasped out between my tears.
I wasn't exactly sure why tears streamed down my face. Everything kind of broke with my climax.
The faint touch of Nicole's hands wiping my tears away kept me from totally losing it and making a fool of myself. "It's okay,d?i ca." Her voice was so soft yet strong. "Let it all out. You're in a safe space, and I'm here." Her hands caressed my body in such a way that it was impossible not to lean into her. "You don't have to keep it all in with me. It's okay to be vulnerable with the right person and at the right times."
The right person…
It terrified me how I didn't question or doubt that one bit—Nicole being myrightperson.
Swiftly, in one smooth motion, Nicole set my legs to a comfortable position before laying down next to me, holding me tightly.
Together, we stayed in each other's arms for a long while. The air around me filled with Nicole's sweet nothings as her hands stroked the back of my head and neck soothingly. Besides her words,my soft sobs gripped the air. I stopped trying to control it after I found it futile; the tears and choked breaths came out whether I wanted or not.
"Will you be fine if I leave for a second to grab you some water and snacks?" She didn't sound eager to leave or anything. Honestly, she sounded reluctant to leave me.
Sucking in a deep breath, I nodded against her chest. "I think I'll be fine now. I… I don't know what came over me." I hated how vulnerable I sounded, but I couldn't steel my nerves back up right now. I felt exhausted for some reason, both physically and emotionally.
Nicole chuckled softly while giving me a look of understanding. "You had a drop, so it's normal. Besides, it's good to let it all out sometimes." Kissing my forehead, she smiles at me for a moment before slipping away from me.
As Nicole busied herself with gathering things, I slipped myself under the covers for some comfort. Thankfully, Nicole didn't take long to return with refreshments and some wet washcloths.
Smiling at me apologetically, she lowered the covers off my body to clean me. "It's okay, Lev. I'm not going to think or see you any differently. I know how tiring it can be to hold your head high and be the powerful leader everyone expects." Nicole was sympathetic and understanding, and the fact there was not an ounce of ridicule or judgment in her voice made me appreciate her more.
Forcing out a sad chuckle, Nicole gestured for me to sit up, waiting for me to do so before forcing me to drink some water. "I guess both of us are tired in a way." I couldn't really reply to her because she kept shoving handfuls of fruits and nuts into my mouth whenever I opened it. "We're both tired of being in charge all the time, me outside while you inside. It's going to be a good change for us both. You being in charge in the streets and me in the sheets." She gave out a soft laugh at the end before kissing my cheek.
A comforting moment of silence fell upon us as we sat there looking at each other as if we were the other's world. Well, that might be true for me the more I let myself get lost in her strong yet soft eyes and body.
Maybe myidea of straightening out our strange dynamic won't be too horrible. Not to say I had horrible ideas, but most of the time, they were on the fence at best.
Reaching out, she cupped my face and stroked my cheek with her thumb. "Rest." Her eyes gestured for me to lay down. "I gotta go talk with Angel for a bit, but I'll be here when you wake. I gotta go get some stuff to make us dinner, too."
"You and I have a lot to talk about later." My tired voice slowly faded as I felt the full effects of my crash.
I barely made it through three blinks before my heavy eyelids refused to open. It felt like someone superglued them down and slapped some duct tape over it for extra measure.
So much for closing my eyes for a few seconds.
Four fucking hours. I napped for four fucking hours! And that still wasn't enough.
When Nicole shook me awake, I wanted to knock back out. I probably would've if she hadn't been so insistent on getting my ass up so that I could eat.
Yeah, forget about the talk. I just wanted to eat and go back to bed at this rate. I could barely keep my eyes open while I waited for her at the dining table. Nothing against my lovely empress, but her voice grated my nerves the wrong way right now, too. My damn head felt so hollow that every little sound bounced around like a kid on crack in a bouncy house.
A hiss of pain slipped out between my gritted teeth from my body flinching at Nicole's concerned touch. "Lev?" Her frowning face moved within my sight as she sat beside me. "Did I push you too hard earlier? What's wrong? You're kind of scaring me." The tips of her fingers gingerly brushed my tousled hair out of my face.
Forcing a smile on my aching face, I nodded weakly. "Exhausted… It's not you. I was stubborn and pushed myself too much being sick." This cold was definitely going to get worse, and this wasn't me being a wimp with a man cold or whatever. Literally, I could feel the aches from my muscles seep down into my bones.
Sighing, Nicole'sfrown deepened as she leaned in and kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have engaged us in anything with you being sick." Her words rumbled against my hot body. "Eat up. I'll get you some meds and whatever concoction Angel and Alexei cooked up for you," she told me with a caring smile. "Then, we'll cuddle," she added with a bright grin.
Unable to muster the strength to respond verbally, I let out a small hum, smiling and nodding my head. Then, I turned my attention to the bowl of… Well, I don't know what it was actually. It kind of looked like porridge, but it was more mushy looking and white in color with bits of green onion, ginger, and chicken in it.
"Honey, it's not going to kill you. It's just some congee." Nicole's amused chuckle rang from the kitchen.
I wasn't inclined to believe that… Until I took a bite of it.
Now, I wasn't a picky eater by any means. Even if something was horrible, I usually grit my way through it unless it wasthatunpalpable, like now. The moment Nicole had her back turned to me, I spat out the mouthful I had back into the bowl with a silent gag.
"Hey, Nicki, I just don't have much of an appetite," I lied with a clenched heart.