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“I’m not worried about you, Theresa,” Ivan said. “Welcome to the family, by the way.” Before I could thank him, he turned to my mother. “Can you play nice, Giana? I know it’s not completely your fault that we’re now embroiled with the Rossi family, but you did bring Donny Rossi to Miami.”
I snuck a glance at Aleksei, who was scowling. He refused to tell me what had become of Donny, but I knew he never went back to Boston with his father. With a slight shiver, I decided I didn’t care and that Aleksei knew best in that regard. Donny got what he deserved.
“I’ll keep Angelo Rossi out of your hair,” my mother promised.
“Then welcome to the family to you as well, Giana,” Ivan said a bit begrudgingly, but I knew if my mom stayed true to her word, she’d be fine.
“Fantastic,” she said, standing up. “We should celebrate. Drinks on me at the Sandy Cove club?”
“I’ve got a baby at home,” Nikolai said, standing. “But it was nice to meet you, ma’am.”
My mother beamed at him. Everyone wiggled out of her invitation, but Yuri offered to drive her home, seeming a little dazzled by her.
“Don’t fall in love with her,” I only half-joked.
I hoped Aleksei’s younger brother wasn’t the next man on my mom’s radar, since she couldn’t be without one for long, even if she did have a broken arm and was full of stitches.
Once we were alone, Aleksei smiled at me and asked if I felt one hundred percent yet. I hurried to assure him that I did, hoping he’d finally stop treating me with kid gloves because I could use some good loving.
“Come with me, then.”
He got up and hurried to the bedroom, and I raced after him, buzzing with anticipation. His huge smile showed he might have been even more eager than me, and I couldn’t wait to dive into bed with him. But the bed was covered in rose petals. I looked up at Aleksei questioningly, and he scowled at an empty ice bucket.
“Damn it, Yuri forgot the alcohol-free champagne.”
I laughed. “Is that why he got up during the meeting? You must have been pretty sure of the outcome.”
He pulled me into an embrace. “The outcome is already settled. You’re mine, and I’m yours. You agreed to it. I was just trying to make it nice.” He pulled a ring box out of his jacket pocket and snapped it open.
It was stunning. A simple, perfect solitaire on a narrow gold band. Nothing like the massive, tacky sparkler I was forced to wear. This was a ring I couldn’t wait to get on my finger. He slid it on and kissed me, leaning me back until I was clutching at his shoulders.
“Tell me what kind of wedding you want,” he said.
“I want to go to the courthouse and get it done as fast as possible, if that’s okay,” I answered, hoping he wouldn’t be disappointed that I didn’t want a lot of fanfare. “I just want us to start our life together.”
“It’s more than okay as long as we’re married,” he said. “I just want us to be together too, little one. We can go next week. I’ll pull some strings if I have to.”
I put his hand on my swelling stomach. “Good, because I want Pumpernickel here to have a father.”
He swept me into his arms and dropped me in the midst of the rose petals. “First of all, no child of mine will be named after a bread. And second of all, he’ll always have a father.”
He kissed my belly, easing my blouse open, smiling as he worked his way lower.
“Or she,” I reminded him.
“Or she,” he agreed. “Lady Godiva for a girl?”
“Emerald Holiday,” I argued. “That’s the one for sure. Emerald Holiday Morozov.”
He burst out laughing and pulled my knees over his shoulders. His mischievous smile sent shivers up my spine. “I love you, Theresa.”
“I love you more.” I couldn’t help but keep our argument going. He raised a passion in me I never thought I’d be lucky enough to know.
“You know I love you more,” he said, nipping at the waistband of my panties. “Now, how can I make you be quiet?”
I grabbed his hair and pushed his head between my thighs. “Make me scream instead, Aleksei.”
He grinned slowly. “Yes, I think we can agree on that.”
