AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re staying married, and one day, I’ll have mini-Christians running all over the place. Are you going to refuse to be in your someday niece or nephew’s life?”
“You know just how to go for the gut, don’t you?” Luke asked.
“Look, as much as I love you, as much as I’m sure that you’re here with nothing but my best interest at heart, there’s nothing you can do or say to change me.”
“We’re not done talking.”
“Please don’t come around until you’re ready to support my decision. It’s what I’ve always done for you, even when I knew you were wrong.” Pushing the door completely shut, Zoe stared at it and nodded her head once.
She looked at the clock and began pacing. After thirty minutes of drawing a circle with her footprints around the couch, she decided to go to her office to finish writing the chapter she’d been working on before Luke’s interruption.
Smiling at the pictures that greeted her, she reached out to caress the closest black and white print. She scrunched her forehead, then looked at the other pictures for confirmation and gasped.
They were all the same. Okay, so not exactly identical, but in almost every one, her husband was looking at her. She took one down and held it close. The expression on his face took her breath away.
That settled it. They would go looking for the real Holland Springs. No matter the outcome, her feelings would stay the same. She loved him. Deeply, madly and truly. She didn’t care about his past, only their future. Together.
A noise coming from the front of the house jolted her out of her thoughts. She frowned, thinking that Luke had decided to really press her buttons.
Stomping to the foyer, she yanked the door open. “I thought I told you to—Christian!” She jumped in his arms, nearly knocking him over. Covering his face with kisses, she held on to him as he walked inside. “I missed you.”
“I.” Kiss. “Missed.” Kiss. “You.” Kiss. “Too.” Christian put her down, cupping her beautiful face in his hands. This was the homecoming he had never realized he’d been missing. God, it felt good.
Her pretty eyes crinkled at the corner before she hugged him again. “Did you see me on television?”
Pulling away, he gave her a disapproving frown. “Your behavior, Ms. Ambrose, was very improper. I’m not sure if a right proper gent like myself can be seen with such a scandalous woman.”
“Whatever,” she laughed. “And it’s officially Mrs. Romanov now. I’ve got the papers to prove it.”
“You changed your last name?” He almost dropped to his knees. She was willingly taking on a name that he didn’t know for how long would cause doors to slam against her. Them.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“Let me see that ring, Mrs. Romanov.” He smiled and let her go, closing the door behind him. Then he dropped his bag onto the floor.
She wiggled her fingers at him, her laughter contagious. “How does it look?”
Taking her hand, he rubbed the antique ring. It was finally back where it belonged. “Perfect,” he said and kissed her again, drinking in her happiness.
When they broke apart, she led him over to the sofa and sat down in his lap. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be upset with me for speaking to that scummy reporter because I know you told me: ‘Do not to engage the enemy’, but I was sick and tired of everyone putting you down. Plus, he sat there the longest and Melanie was about to puke from watching him eat.”
Shaking his head at her version of humor, he held her hand while stroking the center of her palm. “Actually, I was angrier at the insults he tossed your way. It won’t be the last time someone does that or blogs about me, or you, but I’m too damn selfish to let you go.”
She leaned against him. “This is where I belong.” Pulling away, she laid her hand on the side of his face. Her dark eyes solemn. “I need you, Christian. Your smile, your laughter, your love, the way you tuck your PEZ dispensers in with my fairies. I trust you to stay. I trust you.”
“I know this is where I’m supposed to say something meaningful and emotional, but all I want to do is show you my appreciation.”
“My man of action.” Her smile was like a siren’s, stealing the air from his lungs.
Christian cupped her br**sts, filling his hands with their heavy weight. He rubbed his thumbs over her fabric covered ni**les and was rewarded with a hitch of her breath. Her eyes closed as her head fell back, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. “I have many, many things planned for you, Mrs. Romanov.” He inched her shirt up. “Things so depraved that you won’t be able to look at me in the morning.”
The doorbell rang.
She growled. “We are so getting rid of that thing.”
He wanted to throw something at the damn thing first. Most likely it was her mother with some kind of casserole or her father “checking” on the progress the crew Christian had hired to finish the renovations of her house had made. Zoe’s family was nosy as hell, and he wouldn’t have them any other way. They genuinely cared about her and her happiness.
“We know you’re in there, Romanov. Open the door.”
“It’s Luke.” She let out a groan, scrambling from his lap. “Let me handle this.” She answered the door and all of her family came pouring in. Brothers, sister, sister-in-law and parents.
Good God, they had seen the video of Zoe and the reporter and were here to kill him.
“Prince Ian,” SmithAnn squealed, running over and plopping down in his lap. He gave her a little hug and moved her over so that he wouldn’t be speaking two octaves higher than usual.
Lawton placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder and pushed him forward. “Go on, speaker elect.”
Luke gave his father an annoyed look before facing Christian and Zoe again. “We’re here to tell you that we support Zoe’s decision.”
“Louder, son,” Lawton said.
“We support Zoe’s decision and want to welcome you the family.”
Christian suppressed the urge to laugh, mostly because he thought Luke might have a scalpel hidden on him. He set his niece to the side and rose to his feet, offering his brother-in-law his hand. “I appreciate it. Immensely.” When Luke took his hand and didn’t rip it off, a collective sigh left the group.
Evangeline cheered and SmithAnn danced around him.
