Page 129 of Gilded in Blood

Kira laughs. “You two were practically having an entire conversation with your eyes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar,” Calina sings.

I groan, dropping my face into my hands. “You people are impossible.”

Kira nudges my shoulder.

“So…” She wiggles her brows. “Tell us.”

“What?”

“What’s he like?”

Calina gasps dramatically. “Kira!”

“What?” Kira laughs. “I’m talking about as a boyfriend.”

“Oh.” Calina presses a hand to her chest.

Laughter ripples through the four of us. When it dies down, three pairs of expectant eyes settle on me.

I shake my head, already feeling warmth creeping into my cheeks.

Irina smiles knowingly. “You’re in love.”

It’s not even a question. I don’t bother denying it. Instead, I smile. “I am.”

My gaze drifts back toward the garden where Kirill is still seated with my brothers and Maxim. “I really love him.”

There’s a softness in my voice that surprises even me.

“For the longest time…” I admit quietly, “I’d watch my brothers with all of you.”

I look between Irina, and Kira.

“The way Mikhail looks at you, Irina. The way Artyom practically worships the ground you walk on, Kira. The way Maxim looks at Calina like she’s the only woman in existence.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “I used to envy that. I wanted what you had. I wanted someone who looked at me the way your husbands look at you.”

Someone who felt like home. Someone who chose me every single day. I smile to myself. “And now I have that.”

I glance toward him again, and right on cue, he looks over. It’s almost as if he can feel whenever I’m thinking about him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

Warm smiles spread across their faces.

“You deserve to be,” Irina says softly.

Calina reaches over and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “I'm so happy for you, Mila.”

Kira nods, smiling. “You really do deserve this kind of love.”

Emotion swells in my chest as I look at my sister and sisters-in-law. “Thank you.”

We fall into easy conversation after that. Irina shifts slightly, hand resting on her belly, and suddenly her face lights up. “Oh—there it is again.”