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Scarlett
Two years later
Warm sand cradles my feet, the Sun’s golden rays caressing my skin as I watch Anton and Nikolai splashing in the crystal-clear water.
The salty air fills my lungs as I sit under a vibrant palm tree, baby Lila by my side. She giggles, her chubby fingers grasping at the seashells scattered around her. Her bright red curls are offset by the luminous pink of her full-body swimsuit and a little pink sun hat. She’s the picture of innocence, a stark contrast to our dark pasts.
“Um-mum-mum,” she says, raising a sandy handful of shells at me. The words are starting to form, and it’s just a matter of time before I’m getting a clear Mama from her. Though of course, Anton got “Papa” the moment she’d figured out how to use her voice. Not surprising since she’s the apple of his eye – and she shares his, the unusual gold flecks that make my husband eyes so incredibly beautiful.
I look for him now, spotting him and Nikolai cutting through the waves. He’s been teaching the boy to bodysurf, which is a skill I’d never imagine Anton having. But then again, the man can do anything, and he does it all well. And now I can’t tear my eyes away from the gleaming lines of his muscular body as he dives beneath the waves with Niko mimicking him.
God, what a sight.
The lycra of my bikini bra is smooth against my skin, and when I glance down, I see my nipples poking against the pink fabric. Dammit, the man can turn me on from a hundred yards without even looking at me. And I’m pretty sure it will always be that way.
Always be this perfect.
I can’t help but marvel at how our lives have changed since leaving our old world behind. This beach in Tulum, Mexico, once just an escape plan from danger, is now our happy haven. A place where we’ve built a life together.
A life that’s given us everything we wanted and more. I sink back onto my elbows in the sand, keeping an eye on Lila as she plays with the shells on the edge of her pink towel while I soak in the summer sun.
This is the life…
“Zayka.” Anton’s deep voice cuts through my reverie as he strolls toward me, water droplets glistening on his toned chest.
Oh, lordie lord!
“Hello, hot stuff.” I grin up at him.
“Pop-pop-Papa!” Lila has her arms raised and Anton reaches down for her. Dammit, that’s definitely a “Papa.” The man has a way with every woman he encounters. He’s like catnip for females. We all want to roll around on him.
“Come, Pinkie,” he says, crooning a string of endearments as he brushes the tip of his nose against hers. “Ty ná-she sa-kró-vi-schye.”She gurgles with delight, grabbing a handful of his hair. My heart melts.
His eyes lock onto mine when he’s had his fill of charming our daughter. A small smile warms his chiseled features. “Niko wants to show you something.”
“Whatcha got there, kiddo?” I turn to face my stepson. My heart son.
“Look at this!” Nikolai holds up a beautiful seashell, his face beaming with pride. He looks so much like his father, it’s uncanny.
“Wow, that’s amazing, little man!” I exclaim, taking the shell from him and examining its intricate patterns. Memories of my own unusual childhood flood my mind, the skills my father taught me shaping the person I am today.
“It’s for you, Mama,” Nikolai says, his face lighting up.
It didn’t take him long to transition from “Miss Scarlett” to “Mama,” and though initially, I was worried about it, he was the one to tell me that there’s room in his heart for the Mama I’ve become to him as well as his Mama in heaven. Kids can be so darned smart. And I love that we can acknowledge his birth mother now. We’ve become open with him about Katya, answering his questions and assuring him of the boundless love she had for him. Yet, he’s embraced me as his mother too, something I’ll never take for granted.
“You hungry?” Anton asks Niko, his clipped tone softening as he passes his son some bottled water. In the past, he might not have been one to express emotions easily, but being here has changed him.
Niko nods, looking at me expectantly.
“I’ve planned a picnic,” I reply, handing out freshly-made fruit skewers to everyone as I unpack the basket I’ve set nearby. As we eat, we chat about our plans for the day – swimming, exploring, and simply enjoying each other’s company.
“Niko and I will go fishing later. You want to join us?” Anton glances at me. I shake my head.
“I’m getting dinner ready with Luka this afternoon,” I tell him. “Carl and Jess are bringing the gang around later. I told them we could go out on the yacht for a cruise, remember?”
The diamond turned out to be a bigger cash cow than we’d expected – our buyer upped the price when he thought we weren’t going to sell it to him. News of Cartwright’s prison sentence over Maya Tait’s death had raced through the smart set like wildfire, and I didn’t feel a moment of guilt over stealing the stone. Now, I’m enjoying the life I’d known it would promise me and the team. And I celebrated by gifting Anton with a fishing boat called Scarlett’s Surprise. He returned the favor by surprising me with the Crimson Wrath, a 60-foot ocean-going cruiserliner.
Show off.
