Chapter 15TomasI have to meet with Nicolai and Yakov and make our arrangements. I know I do. But there’s nothing more I want to do than spend every moment with Caroline. So, I compromise. We’ll eat lunch before we part again.
I wish I had time to take her back to our bedroom. But there will be time for that. There has to be.
I never go to the kitchen, I hardly know them, but they know me. I step into the kitchen with Caroline by my side. There’s laughter and the sound of voices chattering good-naturedly. But when I enter the kitchen with Caroline, a hush comes over the kitchen staff.
“Mister Dobrynin,” says a tall woman wearing an apron, her hair pinned to the nape of her neck. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
“I’d like to introduce you to my wife. Her name is Caroline.”
She takes Caroline’s hand and shakes it vigorously with both of hers. “Mrs. Dobrynin. So pleased to meet you. Welcome. I’m Lydia, head chef here.” She introduces her to the rest of the staff. Caroline literally glows with pleasure, grinning.
“So nice to meet you,” she says.
She’s fucking adorable.
“Caroline loves cooking, and I promised her that I’d allow her to work with you. Shortly I go join my men, and I’d like you to welcome her to work with you.”
Lydia blinks. “Work in the kitchen, sir?” she asks. It’s unusual for anyone of my position to even step into the kitchen, and it’s almost shocking for my wife to join as well. Her staff looks at her expectantly while she processes my request.
“Whatever she wants,” I tell them. I want this abundantly clear how vital this is that they give her this, that no one treat her differently because she’s the wife of the pakhan.
I want everyone to love this woman.
Lydia nods slowly, then smiles at Caroline. “So you’ll be helping us prepare tonight’s dinner. Good. I can use an extra set of hands.” She waves her hand at someone at the back of the kitchen. “Fetch Mrs. Dobrynin an apron,” she orders.
Caroline shakes her head. “Please call me Caroline.”
I make a sound of disapproval. She’s not their equal, and I want her to remember that. She has a place of honor in this home.
But Caroline puts her hand on my arm and smiles at me. “Tomas,” she says, those eyes of hers melting whatever wall I’ve built to damn near nothing. “It’s fine. Please. Go, meet with your men and come back when you’re ready for me.” Holding onto my arms, she goes up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek and right then, I’d give that sweet girl literally anything she asked for. She whispers in my ear, “We have business to attend to later.”
Christ, like I’d forget.
“Behave,” I whisper, pulling her to me and kissing her forehead before I leave. And I swear to God when I leave that kitchen, I leave a little part of myself there with her. I don’t know how I’ve earned this woman. What I’ve done in my life should have earned me damnation, not this sweet woman that calls me husband.
I go about my business, and I don’t realize I’m only half paying attention until Nicolai waves a hand in front of my face and snaps his fingers.
“Where the hell are you, brother?” he asks. “Did you hear a word I said?”
“Sorry,” I tell him. “Please repeat it.”
Yakov snorts and elbows Nicolai. “Someone needs to get back to his wife, I think.” He winks and says something filthy in Russian that I only catch the end of, but it’s something about my body being here and my cock somewhere else.
“You two want to join Ilya in the kitchen?”
Nicolai laughs and Yakov snorts out loud. “You sure you want Ilya in the kitchen, Tomas? Didn’t you send your new wife there? You want her scrubbing potatoes with a new recruit?”
Christ, I didn’t think of that. I ignore their laughter as I leave the room and head to the kitchen. No, I’m not sure I want some fucking recruit flirting with my wife. If he gets too close to her, he’ll have another kind of punishment to face, much harsher than the one he does now.
I push the doors open to the kitchen and freeze. No one sees me at first, and I unexpectedly get a glimpse of Caroline from another angle.
Large picture windows illuminate the room, and she stands in a pool of sunlight while rolling out dough. She’s laughing easily with a young, petite brunette by her side, and a small circle of employees stand around her. She’s directing them to add ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and I muse at their rapt attention on her instructions. They love her already. I can see it in the way they talk to her, how easily they laugh and how everyone is eager for her instructions.