Unconditional

Chapter Four

        When he pulled away, I was completely stunned and unable to say anything. I'd seen Raven's interest in me, but this was a whole new level.

        Slowly, I set my plate on the counter behind me before I dropped it.

        "Join me in my bedroom, kitten, and I can show you how a Russian man thanks his wife for dinner." Raven let his lips hover just over my ear as he leaned over me, speaking quietly in Russian. I couldn't see any of the other boys, Raven had essentially created a shield around me with his massive arms.

        "Raven," I gasped, placing my hands on his chest and lightly shoving. He didn't budge.

        "Raven get the fuck off her now. You can't just force yourself on her like that!" It was the loudest I'd ever heard Axel speak and I think it scared me more than it phased Raven.

       "She's Russian!" Raven bellowed back like it was an explanation, and in a way, it was. I understood Raven's actions because this was typical where he came from. It wasn't an excuse, but I knew that if I really told Raven no he would stop eventually.

        "That's no excuse to force her to kiss you!" In a whirlwind, Raven spun around to face a quickly advancing Axel, blocking me with his arms once again. I was neatly pressed between his tense back and the counter.

        This was bad, this was really bad. I'd been here less than twenty-four hours and I'd already caused a fight. Peaking out from behind Raven's arms, I saw Corey looking red-faced and shell shocked and Brandon looked like he didn't know if he was angry or amused. When I finally glanced at Axel, he was the picture of fury, standing in front of Raven looking ready to toss a punch.

        When I felt Raven's body coil and prepare to attack, I knew I had to at least try and do something. Thinking back to how similar Raven was to a past boyfriend, I hoped most Russian's responded the same as Maksim.

        My left arm snaked up to grab Raven's bicep and I leaned forward, pressing my body flush against his back. Letting my right hand settle against his back also, I was sure if he tried to make a move against Axel he knew it would jolt me badly. Peeking at Axel once more I urge him with my eyes to give me a minute.

        "You haven't even offered me a fruitcup yet." I whispered to Raven, nuzzling my head against his back. "Tomorrow I will cook and you can offer me a fruitcup, I will accept. For now, I am hungry and tired, can you get me some water?"

        Slowly the tension drained out of Raven's body and I sighed in relief when he shoved past a shocked Axel to grab me a water bottle from the fridge. Maksim had once explained to me that Russian men liked to know they were needed.

        "What did you say to him? I've never seen him calm down that fast before." Axel looked weary, unsure if Raven would turn around and hit him.

        "I reminded him of a Russian tradition," I accepted the water bottle from Raven with a thanks. "I know you think that him doing that was uncalled for but it's very common. My parents married less than a week of knowing each other."

        "I thought you were Greek?" Corey's face finally returned to it's normal color.

        "I was born and raised in Greece but my father was from Russia and we visited often. " Russia was an intimidating place and I'd often felt out of place despite my heritage. All of the women were so immaculately groomed and even at twelve, the age I'd been when I'd last seen Russia, it caused a lot of doubts.

        "See!" Raven exclaimed at Axel pointedly. "She's Russian."

        "I'm not going to argue with you about it, but that still doesn't give you the right to just put your hands on a women uninvited." Axel, I'd realized, was definitely a southern man.