Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
I don’t want change. If I could live like this forever, with me and Karine and this perfect little space we’ve built for ourselves, I would.
“I know you’re right,” I tell Oleg grudgingly.
“Come on, it won’t be so bad. You’ll have nannies and such.”
“That’s not the problem.” I glare at him and he takes the hint. This is not a topic I plan on discussing any further.
He clears his throat and moves on. “You should know, the newly expanded trade routes up through Canada are working very well. Product is coming in at faster rates than ever before. But there are whispers that the Italians aren’t happy about it.”
“We’ll deal with the fucking Italians.”
“Perhaps. Still, I worry. If they decide to get aggressive—”
I hold up a hand. “If you came all this way to warn me about Don Marino, I’m sorry you wasted your time. I’m aware of their actions and their stance on our expanding trade, and I don’t give a damn. Like I said. I’ll handle them.”
Oleg inclines his head as we come down the path and enter a small sitting area in the back of the house. Karine’s waiting for me there, lounging back on a bench and watching a fountain bubble. Little fish swim, their scales catching the sunlight.
“Then I’ll leave you in peace,” Oleg says. He nods politely to Karine and hurries away.
I watch him go, a bad feeling in my guts.
Which instantly disappears when Karine walks over and leans into me.
“What was that all about?” she asks. “You have a big, nasty scowl on your face.”
“I do not.”
“You most definitely do.” She kisses me and smiles brightly. “Come on, out with it. And don’t say it’s just business.”
I pull her roughly against me. “What if I said Oleg wants me and you to have a baby?”
“I seriously don’t love the idea of you talking about my reproductive organs with Oleg.”
I give her a hard look. “There were no organs involved in our conversation.”
“That’s a massive relief.”
“I’m serious, malishka. What if we started trying?”
She hesitates, licking her lips. “I guess… I can go off birth control.”
“And then?”
“And then what? You know how to make a baby.” Her cheeks turn bright red.
I tilt her face toward me. God, she’s so beautiful. This gorgeous, perfect girl. My fucking queen.
“I think we should start right now.”
She laughs uncertainly. “I mean, I’m not sure—”
“Now, malishka.” I kiss her hard and hold her tight. “Or are you going to fight?”
“You’d like that.”
“Yes, I would.”
She sighs dramatically. “We really are perfect for each other.”
“We really are.” I slap her ass and throw her over my shoulder. She yelps, kicks, punches, but there’s no stopping me now.
I have an heir on my mind, and she’s going to give one to me.
Chapter 44
Karine
Ten Months Later
Mama shuffles around the hospital room fussing with everything. She’s chatting up a constant storm, I think because she’s nervous about being back here. She doesn’t have a lot of good associations when it comes to healthcare settings.
But I can barely hear her. I’m exhausted, I barely slept the night before, and there’s a beautiful, perfect little distraction lying nestled in my arms, happily feeding away though starting to slow down now.
“Did you hear me, Karine?” Mama asks. “You have to get them to bring more pillows. Look at these.” She fluffs the ones behind my back, jostling Anna awake. Her big, blue eyes open and she blinks up at me and I swear, my heart stops. We stare at each other, and her lips pull back.
She’s smiling at me. She’s beaming, grinning, so happy it’s absurd.
And then she’s screaming.
“Oh, shush, little one,” Mama says and tries to take her away, but I hold on tight. “Come now, Karine, let me try to calm her down.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got her.”
“You haven’t let anyone hold her since she was born.”
“I let Valentin.”
“He’s the father.” She scowls at me. “Give me the baby, Karine-jan.”
I don’t want to. I know my mother is going to be a wonderful grandmom, but right now, Anna is just so perfect I can’t imagine letting anyone take her from me. I know I’ll be begging Mama for babysitting—not that I’ll really need it, considering Valentin already informed me that Nikkita will now be responsible for watching over our child—but right now, I’m too happy, and things are too perfect.
The door bangs open. Valentin rushes inside, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “What’s the matter?” he asks, hurrying to my side. “Is she okay? Is she hungry? I heard sometimes newborn babies have mucus plugs—”
“She’s fine,” I say, waving him away. “She’s completely fine and healthy. Just startled, that’s all. Right, little baby?”
Valentin gets on his knees beside me and leans over to look into his daughter’s face.
He hasn’t left my side since I went into labor. Just now, he stepped into the hall for a few minutes to give me some time alone with my mother, but I can tell he’s just been hovering right outside the door waiting for something to go wrong.