Chapter 130 Belly Rubs

Chapter 130 Belly Rubs
❦ Rosalind ❦

“Please,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning one hip against the banister. “Do explain.”

She fidgeted, her cheeks flooded with color.

Out of the corner of my eye, Viktor’s mouth curved into a smile. His eyes glinted with a wicked, self-satisfied glimmer… oh, he’d absolutely planned this.

My heart did that stupid thing where it melted and burned at the same time. Of course he had known. 

Of course he’d set it up this way. The man probably knew before I even suspected. I bit back a smile and made a mental note to deal with him later… thoroughly.

Adrian, of all people, looked like a teenager caught sneaking in past curfew. His hands were in his pockets, his eyes darting between me and the woman at his side. Juliana. My cousin.

She took a slow step forward, like I might pounce if she moved too fast.

She drew a shaky breath and said, “Rosa, I’m really sorry for keeping it from you. I just… I wanted to be sure before saying anything.”

My brows rose higher. I could feel Viktor’s amusement pulsing in the background like heat from a fire.

Adrian came closer. “It’s my fault,” he said. “I should’ve told you before now. I know how much you care about her.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. 

“God, you two act like I’m about to banish you or something. I’m not even mad.”

Their heads snapped up at that.

“I mean,” I went on, biting my lip, “maybe a little disappointed that you didn’t trust me enough to say something sooner. But angry? No.”

It came out lighter than I felt. Because underneath the teasing, something in me sank.

My voice cracked when I spoke again. “I’m just… really tired of everyone keeping things from me like I can’t handle the truth. Like I need to be protected from every damn secret.”

Juliana didn’t hesitate, she crossed the space between us and wrapped her arms around me, pressing her cheek to mine. 

“You’re right,” she whispered. “We’re sorry, Rosa. Really.”

Juliana’s arms were warm, solid, and familiar, and the moment I melted into them, the tears came.

My chest tightened painfully, shocking me with the intensity.

“I needed you,” I choked out, clutching her harder. “So many times, Julie. And you… you hid yourself away because of a fucking man?” My voice cracked on the last word. “Why’d you choose him over me?”

Juliana’s hands trembled as she held me. She pulled back to look at me, her eyes glassy. 

“I didn’t choose him over you,” she said, her voice breaking. “I just… I thought I was protecting you, I didn’t want to burden you. I messed up. I know I did, it was selfish of me. But I swear, I’ll never disappear on you again.”

I started sobbing harder, my shoulders shaking as years of swallowed emotion came spilling out.

“I missed you,” I cried. “God, I missed you so much.”

I could feel every eye on us, Adrian’s guilty ones, Viktor’s… heavy stare. 

There was a silence, then a shared glance between them I barely registered before Viktor moved.

His slid his arm around me and guided me toward the sofa. I folded into him without thought, curling against his chest where I belonged.

His voice rumbled through his chest dangerously.

“You’re both lucky she forgave you,” he said to Adrian and Juliana. “If she hadn’t, I’d have made sure you regretted it. Look what you’ve done.”

I half-laughed through my tears, burrowing closer to his warmth. 

“You’re such a brute,” I mumbled against his shirt. “I love you.” 

His hand slid up to the back of my neck, brushing my jaw with his thumb as he tilted my face up.

His mouth curved. “You do, hmm?”

My chest tightened. I nodded, my eyes swimming.

“Ti amo,” he said quietly. “Immensely.”

“Like… all of me?” I asked.

His eyes softened, grays churning with warmth. “All of you.”

“Totally? Forever?”

He smirked faintly, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Yes and yes.”

I sniffled. “Even if I were a worm?”

He chuckled, “Even if you were a worm, Tesoro.”

“Even if I were a… pregnant worm?”

The laugh died in his throat. The whole room went silent.

Juliana’s hand flew to her mouth. Adrian blinked. 

And Viktor… his gaze locked onto mine like he could peel back the words and see the truth underneath.

He leaned in slightly, cupping my face, his expression fierce. “You’re sure?” he asked, his voice rough.

My lips trembled as I nodded.

And then he kissed me. 

My fingers fisted in his shirt as heat flooded through me, my heart hammering against his chest. The rest of the room blurred. There was just his breath, his hands, his mouth.

In the middle of the kiss, Viktor murmured against my lips, “Come home with me.”

His voice was hoarse.  His hands gripped my waist so tightly it almost hurt, like if he let go, I’d vanish right back into the chaos that had swallowed us both for too long.

And God help me, I didn’t want him to ever let go.

I sighed against his mouth, the answer spilling out before I could even think. “Yes.”

Juliana made a loud, dramatic, “Awwwnn!” that made me laugh despite the lump in my throat. 

I turned my head to see her clasped against Adrian’s side, both of them grinning like idiots.

For a moment, it felt like sunlight broke through everything, through the tension, the secrets, the near-deaths, all of it. It illuminated warmth. Family.

Juliana started to step toward us, ready to throw her arms around me, when Viktor’s head snapped up.

“Not so fast,” he said, his tone pure command. “You two can go upstairs and pack Rosa’s things. Consider that your punishment for working her up and causing unnecessary emotional stress.”

Juliana groaned like a child. “Can I at least rub the belly first?”

“You can rub the belly after the punishment.” he growled.

Adrian tried, and failed, to hide his grin. “On it, boss.” 

He tugged a cooing Juliana by the toward the stairs as she blew exaggerated kisses my way.

I laughed into Viktor’s chest. His arm tightened around me, and he pressed a kiss into my hair.

“They weren’t the main surprise I had for you,” he murmured against my scalp.

I tilted my head back to look up at him, smiling despite myself. “Oh, really?”

His eyes caught the light, glinting with promise.