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 containers 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.”