Shattered Innocence

Unyielding Devotion

We gather around the laptop as Mikhail, works through the information. As he starts to get annoyed with us hanging over his shoulder, Zack barks at us to shower and hydrate. Realizing it will take a while, I kiss Mikhail's cheek to reassure him and head back upstairs to shower once more. I take my time, dressing in a comfortable yet movable outfit in case we need to go out. I stick to jeans, boots, and a jumper before grabbing my jacket and taking it downstairs with me.

I hear bickering on the second floor. "We do not share showers!"

"Then get out!"

"Get your act together! Lily, help!"

Chuckling, I shake my head as I make my way to the bottom floor. Zack is on the phone, shirtless with his workout shorts still on and covered in sweat, looking absolutely enticing. His eyes heat up and turn hungry as he surveys me, continuing his phone conversation without missing a beat. The possessive lust in his gaze makes me lick my lips before turning to Mikhail and sitting next to him.

"Everything okay?" I ask, concerned.

He nods, typing away. I lean back, allowing him to focus on his work, but he blinks and looks over at me. "I'm sorry. I just get so into—"

"Never apologize." I lean over and give him a kiss on the lips. "You want a drink while you work?"

He blinks at me slowly before a wide smile spreads across his face. "Coffee, please."

"You got it, babe." I wink as I stand up, and as I pass by him, he grabs my waist and pulls me back, pulling me down for a proper kiss. When we break away, both of us breathing heavily, his eyes are filled with desire. "I forgot to tell you that you look beautiful today," he purrs, smacking my ass playfully before returning to his work.

While I start making coffee for everyone, Zack hangs up the phone with a disgusted sneer on his lips. "Fucking soldiers and their sticks up their asses," he mutters as he leans back next to me.

"Where are the others?" I ask.

"Last I heard, it sounded like Yuri was trying to scare Ivan out of the shower with his balls," I remarked, shrugging nonchalantly. Zack and I exchanged a knowing grin as we heard their thundering footsteps upstairs. "So, just another typical day," I added with a chuckle.

"You spoil us too much," Zack murmured appreciatively as I handed him a cup of coffee. "Never forget it," I replied playfully. "Now, go and freshen up," I ordered, raising an eyebrow. He leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Don't you like me all sweaty, baby?" he teased.

"Oh, I do," I purred, running my tongue along the side of his ear, savoring his scent. "But if you keep standing there shirtless, I might get too distracted and end up ravishing you."

"I wouldn't mind that," Mikhail chimed in absentmindedly, causing Zack and me to chuckle as we broke apart.

"Next time," Zack promised reluctantly before finally tearing himself away from me. I heard his footsteps heading upstairs as I turned my attention back to the coffees, making sure to prepare each one to everyone's individual tastes.

"Fucking hell, Nikolay, get that knife away from his balls!" I heard Mikhail snap a moment later.

"Behave, all of you. It's like living with a bunch of animals. Yuri, stop chasing Ivan around with your Balls," Mikhail sounded exasperated, and I couldn't help but giggle as Mikhail and I exchanged amused glances.

Just as I finished laying out some biscuits and snacks, Nikolay entered the room, wrapping his arms around me from behind and burying his face in my neck.