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“Fine.” She huffs. “We’re both idiots.” She brings my hand to her mouth and presses a kiss to my palm. “I do love you, Maxim. I love the arrogance, the overprotectiveness, the bossiness and none of it makes any sense to me at all. But when you’re here, when you touch me, it’s like the whole world just gets lighter.”
“Of course it does. I won’t allow you to carry it on your own anymore.” I cup her cheek. “I will break away from the Romanov family if it will make it easier for you.”
She surprises me with a shake of her head. “No, I don’t want you to do that. They’re your family, and they aren’t the problem—not the whole problem anyway. Gunner’s addiction wasn’t their fault. In fact, I think their involvement actually kept him alive for a lot longer than if they hadn’t found him.”
She’s probably right about that. From what Nikolai told me, he’d been strung out on some really wicked shit.
I climb on the bed, pressing my back into the headboard and pull her into my lap. She lets me hug her, which only makes me tighten my arms around her. I rest my chin on her head.
“No more clubbing with Anya. You two drink too much when you’re out.”
“I think she lured me out last night.” She laughs. “I hadn’t heard from her in a while. I’m pretty sure she just wanted to get me out so you would come. She kept filling my glass.”
I’m going to send her flowers.
“I want you to move in with me,” I say after a moment goes by in silence.
“I’m not sure.”
“I am. Besides, your roommate’s boyfriend makes this place smell like a gym locker room.”
She laughs. “It’s his soccer shoes. No matter what he does, they just stink. He’s airing them out on the balcony right now.”
“Come live with me. If you hate it, you can move out.”
She looks up at me. “Really?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Once you’re there, you’re there, but I can pretend you have a choice if it makes it easier for you.”
“My grandmother once told me never to move in with a boyfriend.” She grins. “Something about buying a cow and getting free milk.”
I laugh. “Then I guess it’s good you’re not moving in with your boyfriend. You’re moving in with your fiancé.”
“Fiancé? Don’t you think you should ask?”
I shrug. “Why? The only acceptable answer is yes.”
“At least pretend I have a choice,” she urges.
“Fine.” I lean over a bit to reach my pocket and pull out the small black box holding the ring I purchased two weeks ago. I open the box to show her the single diamond band. “Mandy, you’re going to marry me.”
“That wasn’t a question,” she points out, keeping her eyes glued to my face.
“Mandy, you’re going to marry me, yes?” I prompt her, bringing the box closer.
She laughs. “Yes. But you need to work on your questions.”
I pluck the ring out of the box and slide it on her ring finger. She smiles down at it.
“It’s pretty.”
“Of course it is. I wouldn’t give you an ugly ring.”
“Arrogant.”
“You love it.” I kiss her softly.
“I love you.” She kisses me.
