Free Alexandr's Reluctant Submissive by Ann Mayburn Page B

and she tried to fight off the tears, but lost the battle when Dimitri yanked her door open then pulled her out with a happy shout, lifting her by the waist and spinning her around while she clung to his shoulders. Unable to help herself, she laughed while he practically tossed her into the air then caught her in a giant hug.
    Crushing her to his chest, he whispered in her ear, “Welcome home, little sister.”
    “I missed you so much,” she managed to get out in a choked voice.
    “Never again, Jessica. Do you understand? We will never let you be taken from us again.” His voice lowered to barely a whisper. “I am glad you are alive, dorogoya .”
    From next to them she could hear Dimitri’s wife speaking with Alex, but her attention was on the big man who gently set her on her feet. Dimitri had indeed grown up in their time apart and she barely recognized him with his full beard. The teasing sparkle was also gone from his eyes, and a new seriousness seemed to radiate from him.
    Plus, he was huge.
    Pressing her lips together in an effort to regain her self-control—she really didn’t like crying before a crowd of strangers—she shook her head. “No mushy stuff, Dimitri. Be a dick so I don’t feel like crying. You know how weird and blotchy I get.”
    Alex came up behind her and looped his arm around her waist while Dimitri laughed. Right away her hands went over his and she cuddled into him, the movement as natural as breathing. For a moment Alex stilled against her, then placed a lingering kiss on her temple. Dimitri’s wife watched them with tears in her golden-brown eyes.
    Stepping forward, the small woman held out her hand, the massive yellow diamond of her engagement ring throwing rainbows in the bright light. “Jessica, it is…I’m glad…that is— I’m Rya, welcome home.”
    Before Jessica could react, Dimitri stepped behind his much smaller wife and swept her up into his arms, giving her a sound kiss on the lips before setting her on her feet again while she blushed. “Forgive my horrible manners. Jessica, this is Rya Novikov, my wife. She is nervous to meet you.”
    “Shush,” Rya muttered as she elbowed Dimitri in the side until he released her from his hold with a scowl. “I’m sorry, normally I’m not like this.”
    “I understand,” Jessica said with a small smile. “I’m like seeing a ghost.”
    “No, more like meeting a legend.” She smiled up at her husband, so tiny compared to him, but her spirit burned like fire as she gazed up at him with pure adoration. “Dimitri has told me a lot about you. I kind of feel like I know you already.”
    Alex clasped her wrist, cutting off her reply, and tugged her after him so abruptly she almost stumbled. “Come, let us go inside.”
    Dimitri tensed as well and Rya exchanged a worried look with Jessica. Neither woman resisted as the men ushered them into the massive, almost fortress-like building. She got a brief tour of the main floor, making note of the salon so she could finally go back to her natural color, then she was whisked into a waiting elevator. As they went up to the nineteenth floor, Rya talked about people living on the different floors they passed, making mention of a few families with children around Tatiana’s age.
    She appreciated Rya filling her in on everything, but right now her mind was having a hard time doing anything more than living in the moment. The interior of the elevator was made up of mirrors and she stared at the reflection of her standing there with Alex to her side. He was looking down at her, studying her face, and the expression of utter worship on his made had butterflies tickling her lower belly.
    Keeping her gaze locked on the mirror, she pulled him behind her and whispered, “I forgot how good we look together.”
    “I did not,” he whispered back.
    She had to close her eyes for a moment from the heartbreaking intensity of his gaze, a choked sound escaping her, and was saved from further