Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“I haven’t changed,” I argue. “I’m still the same man you fell in love with in that room.”
She lets out a heavy breath and pulls her hand away from my neck. When it looks like she’s going to climb off my lap, my arms tighten around her.
“Don’t,” I whisper with urgency tightening my tone. “Just sit like this with me for a while.”
I want her to remember the bond we shared.
I press her head to my chest and bury my face against her hair. “Just feel us, Everleigh.”
Her body remains tense for the longest while before she relaxes in my hold, and then a miracle happens. Everleigh rests her cheek over my heart and wraps her arms around my waist. Her body melts into mine.
“Imagine we’re back in that room,” I whisper. “Pretend I wasn’t shot, and when my father came, I killed him. I killed them all, and we took the SUV and drove away from that hellhole.”
I suck in a deep breath as I close my eyes. “We drove away, and I took you home with me. You met my mother, Misha, and Tiana. I took a break from work and showed you the beauty Russia has to offer. We found out you were pregnant, and when I had to do my training at St. Monarch’s, you came with me. I was there when Vincent was born. I proposed to you, and we got married.” My voice becomes hoarse. “We were a family.”
“That didn’t happen,” she whispers. She lifts her head to look at me. “It’s been four years. Yes, I’ve missed you, and I do love you, Alek. But…”
Christ.
“But?”
“Even though sitting like this with you feels familiar, you still feel like a stranger to me. It’s weird to explain. I feel I have to get to know you all over again. I love the man you were in that dark room.”
“But you want to get to know me again?” I ask, latching onto a glimmer of hope.
“Of course. You’re Vincent’s father.”
“That’s not all I am, Everleigh.”
“I know.” She lets out a nervous chuckle. “Trust me, I know.”
Suddenly there’s a knock at the door, and Everleigh startles so badly she jumps off my lap.
“It’s okay. Alexei sent the car back for me.”
“You’re leaving?” she asks, and it hurts when I hear the hope in her voice.
Not answering her, I get up and open the front door. Peter, one of the guards, holds the set of car keys out to me.
“Thanks, Peter,” I say as I take the keys.
I shut the door again, and lock it before I turn to face Everleigh. “No, I’m not leaving.”
Chapter 34
Everleigh
Realizing there’s no getting through to Alek, I say, “You’re sleeping on the couch.”
The corner of his mouth lifts in a hot smirk. “That I can do.”
I shake my head at him. “And don’t get any ideas during the night.”
“Like?” he teases me.
“You know what I’m talking about,” I mutter.
When I walk toward the hallway, I change direction and check that the front door is locked.
“What are you doing?” He asks.
“Getting ready for bed.”
He shakes his head. “We’re not done talking.”
At the rate we’re going, we’ll never be done talking.
“I’m tired, Alek. It’s been a crazy day. Let’s continue the conversation tomorrow when we’ve had some rest.”
Agitation flashes over his features. “You asked me to place myself in your shoes, and I’m trying. Can you do the same for me?”
I suck in a deep breath of air, then give in and nod.
“Thank you.” He walks back to the couch and sits down, his eyes following me. When I pass him, his hand shoots out to grab mine, and he pulls me back onto his lap.
Instantly my stomach erupts with nerves. It’s not that I’m scared of Alek. I’d like to believe he won’t hurt me.
But I meant it when I said he feels like a different man. He’s more attractive. He’s stronger. The intensity coming off him in waves has me trembling.
The man is unnerving and too dominant for me to handle.
If I set all the bratva business aside, I’d love to get to know Alek again. Deep down, I know I’ll fall in love with him again.
Because when all is said and done, he’s still the only man I’ll give my heart to.
Instead of forcing me to straddle him, which almost gave me a damn-near heart attack earlier, he cradles me against his chest.
It’s twice as broad and hard as I remember.
His voice is tender as he whispers, “The last four years were the longest of my life, but holding you like this, it feels as if no time has passed.”
I place myself in his shoes and think again about what he must’ve been through. He believed he lost his brother and me. He watched Vincent and me die.
He mourned my death, and then I appeared out of the blue.