CHAPTER 10. FRIDAY JULY 17, 18:30.
Caramarin never officially moved in with Valeriya. Not that she never asked him to, but there just wasn't the room. Not with her, her mother and little Vladimir all in the same one-bed apartment. And Caramarin valued his independence. Yeah, he loved women but always he kept a part of himself close and locked down tight.
Usually the women he shared his life with knew they could never have him one hundred per cent. Some wanted more than he could give and others accepted the situation. Until either they moved on for another man who could offer more; or more usually Caramarin himself became fed up and walked out. Tried to leave amicably but that wasn't always possible.
However, with Valeriya, he quickly grew to care for her a lot. Little Vladimir also loved him. Hero-worshipped him. The boy was always talking about Caramarin. When he had time, Caramarin picked him up from playgroup and treated him to something to eat on the way home. To a growing four year old boy, that means a lot.
Once, he took Vladimir to the Potemkin Stairs and helped him count them. Couldn't count all the way up to two hundred but counted to a surprisingly high number. This time, they took the cable-car back up the hill. Simple pleasures but good ones.
He visited the Centurion Casino more often to play on Valeriya's roulette wheel and gambled with his own money as well as laundering Maiorescu's. Sometimes he broke even, but not always. Started losing, sometimes big time, trying to chase that elusive jackpot that was always just on the next turn of fortune's wheel.
Then, one evening, Valeriya's mum took Vladimir out. Couldn't remember the reason but it was so obviously an excuse. She could read Caramarin better than he thought. Knowing Caramarin's love of local food and drink, the woman had placed a bottle of home distilled horilka moonshine spirits on the table for them.
"It's good," said Valeriya. "One of Mum's friends makes it. It's flavoured with gooseberries and she leaves it on her roof for months to bleach it to perfection. I thought you'd like it."
"Sounds great," Caramarin poured it into two glasses and toasted Valeriya. The horilka was more than good, it was great. The fruit infusion was just right. Not too sweet, a dry clear taste. Burned on the way down and warmed him up inside.
He refilled his glass and crossed to the window. He drew the net curtains. They billowed slightly in the breeze, casting ghost shadows on the carpets.
"Close the curtains as well, please," said Valeriya. Caramarin did as asked. The bright sun still filtered through, casting the room into a soft dovelike shade of grey.
Valeriya was wearing a floral sun dress. She turned her back on Caramarin, then with one practised movement she pulled it over her head. Her white bra and panties stood out in the semi gloom of her apartment. Caramarin put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. He kissed her full on her lips. After a brief pause, her mouth opened and she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He tasted the horilka on her tongue. They broke apart, flushed, panting for breath.
Caramarin looked down over the swell of her stomach. Valeriya covered herself with her arms.
"Don't look at my terrible jelly belly."
Gently, he pulled her arms away. Silvery grey stretch marks traced their way over her belly.
"My war wounds. From the birth," she murmured. Caramarin knelt in front of her and covered her tummy with kisses. His tongue licked into and around the dimple of her belly button. Valeriya ran her hands through his long, dark hair holding his head in place.
Slowly, Caramarin moved lower down over the swell of her abdomen. Gripped the elastic of her panties and tugged. She helped him by slipping them down her thighs. He kissed the stubble of her lady garden, then tenderly his tongue found her button.
Her feminine scent filled his nose as his tongue worked its way ever deeper. She moaned and her hands gripped his head harder, holding him tight. Caramarin took her to the edge, then scooped his hands under her bottom and carried her over to the couch. She was a little heavier than he expected. He dropped her onto the cushions and flung his own clothes off throwing them in a heap on the floor.
Valeriya arched her back and unhooked her bra. Her large breasts fell free to either side of her body. Caramarin pressed them together and buried his head between her flesh. His tongue worked her large nipples, teasing them up to maximum hardness.
Still holding her breasts, he worked his way down her body again. Could tell the girl was sucking her tummy in. He kissed some of her stretch marks on the way down, showing he loved her, that he wasn't put off in any way. That he found her truly sexy. A real woman.
Again, he came to her cleft. His head burrowed down, spreading her thighs apart. His tongue probing and prying. He looked up, his eyes asking a question. Valeriya nodded.
Caramarin moved back up her body and slipped a rubber over his rod. He slipped into her easily, no messing. She threw her arms over his back, her mouth kissing him, nibbling his lips. His strokes, gentle at first then harder, faster, deeper brought him to climax. He carried on, felt her buck beneath him. Then collapsing, he laid on top, gasping. They lay together for a while, he still inside her until he withdrew.
He kissed her again and again until Valeriya excused herself. She wriggled out from under, crossed the sitting room to the bathroom. Her dark hair fell half way down her back but he could tell she was still holding in her tummy. On her way back, Valeriya picked up the horilka and refilled their glasses.
Watched her cross the sitting room. Yeah, if he was honest, had to admit that Natalya had the better body. No doubt about it. Both had large breasts, but Valeriya's were perhaps a little heavy with less well defined nipples. And Valeriya was self conscious about her looser stomach.
But Caramarin didn't mind anywhere near as much as Valeriya thought he would. She'd brought life into this world and was bringing up Vladimir as well as she could. The woman deserved respect. And she did have great feet and ankles.
They drank the horilka together. Its rough, fierce potency livened him. Almost as good as the coke hiding in his jacket pocket for that. Finally, he took her glass, pushed her down onto the cushions and took her again, gently yet passionately.
"Pass us my ciggies, please," asked Valeriya.
Caramarin rolled off the couch and walked over to the low table in the middle of the room. He could sense her eyes following his bum as he walked. He clenched his cheeks for max definition. By the time he'd tossed her a packet of smokes and lighter she had draped her sun dress over herself.
He then pulled a small bag of white from his jacket pocket and showed it her. He grinned and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Shall we?"
Valeriya sat bolt upright, clutching the sun dress to her boobs.
"Get that out of here," she shouted. "I'm not having that junk around Vladimir."
Caramarin was surprised by her sudden rage.
"I don't understand. He's not here. There's only you and me."
"Doesn't matter. I'm not having no drugs in my flat. And don't you dare take them here. I thought you were better than that, Nicolae."
Her face was screwed up with anger. Tears leaked out of her slightly almond-shaped eyes.
"I'm sorry," said Caramarin, slipping the little zip-lock bag back. "I just thought it would be fun. Heighten the pleasure."
"I don't know why you want drugs when you've got me. I should be enough for you. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Anyway, you smoke. What's the difference?"
In answer, she flung her cigarette packet at him, It bounced onto his chest and onto the carpet. Her dress slipped down, exposing her large boobs. He held her in his arms. She tried to push him away but Caramarin was so much stronger than her. She stopped struggling.
"I'm sorry," Caramarin said "I didn't realise you felt that way."
"When I was a dancer in the clubs, I saw too much of where drugs take you. Please stop, Nicolae. Or if you can't, please don't bring them here again."
"I understand."
"Anyway, I don't smoke much," she said defensively. I'm trying to give up."
He nodded. Wiped the tears from her pretty green eyes and kissed her.
"Listen, I'm really sorry," said Caramarin. He looked deep into her pretty green eyes. "I promise I'll never bring gear round here again.
"Ring your Mum, ask her to look after little Vlad. I'll take you out, nice restaurant, make a night of it. What do you say?"
She sniffed, then nodded.
Caramarin dried away her tear drop with his fingertip then licked it. "That's better. I'll go home, get changed and meet you later, okay?"
He'd toot later.