Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
And for some reason, that takes away some of my stress.
Not all of it. I doubt that’ll ever happen. But just know Alex will be there no matter what, and he’ll take up all my slacks—that makes a difference.
“I have a surprise,” he says as we head up into the apartment.
“Oh yeah? Better than letting me out of my cage for once?”
He snorts with amusement. “It’s not a cage. More like a fortress for your own protection.”
“And yet since I don’t need it anymore, does that mean I have more freedom?”
His eyes narrow. “I don’t know about that.”
“You just like keeping me under control.
“I’ll admit there’s a certain pleasure in knowing where you are at all times.”
“It’s a sick and weird pleasure.”
“So judgmental.” His hand grips my ass hard and he pulls me against him. “And yet you fucking like it when I’m staring at you through the cameras. You like it that I can’t stop watching you.”
“I guess I’m sick and weird too.”
“Then we really are a good match.” He buries my mouth with his.
The kiss breaks off when the elevator reaches the penthouse. We head inside and he takes me to the guest room, but it isn’t the guest room anymore.
The bed’s gone. The dresser’s different. The place looks strangely barren.
Except now there’s a changing table and a crib. There’s a rocking chair and a pile of diapers. There are stuffies, a mountain of them, and I have no clue where any of this stuff came from.
I look around in shock.
“You did all this in an hour?”
“An hour and a half. You were gone for longer than I expected.”
I turn around and laugh. I can’t help myself. “IT’s a nursery.”
“For our baby.” He leans against the doorjamb. “Did you think we’d just… keep the baby in the living room?”
“No, of course not.”
“Well, I assume this room will turn into our child’s bedroom one day. I thought about giving up the office, but this is a better space.”
“No, you’re right. This is perfect.” I stare at the crib. It’s brand new and white, so damn white. The mattress has a flat light blue sheet pulled snug and tight. I lean down to run my hand over the soft fabric.
“What do you think?” He wraps his arms around me from behind.
“It’s perfect.” I turn and press my hands to his chest. I get on my toes to kiss him. “Is this why you got me out of the house?”
“It wasn’t my original plan, but I figured I’d take advantage of your absence to get started.”
“This is really happening.” I bite my lip and look down. He pulls me closer to him. “I was talking about it with Pattie. She basically told me not to worry.”
“She’s probably right. You’re going to be a great Mom.”
That finally breaks me. I try to blink it way, but I can’t stop myself. I start crying right there in the nursery.
“This should be a happy moment,” I tell him, feeling bad. “I’m just so emotional.”
“You have every right to be.” He hugs me tight. “But we’re in this together, baby. You and me. You know I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know that.”
“I’ll do anything for you.”
“For me? Not just for the baby?”
“For you.” He tilts my chin toward him. “You know how I feel about you by now.”
“You haven’t said it.”
“Do I need to?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes it’s nice to actually hear the words.”
His smile is gently. My stomach is a mess of butterflies and nerves. Why do I feel like I might melt on the spot? He leans down and kisses me.
“I love you, Natalya. Come on, don’t start crying harder.”
“IT’s not you,” I say, wiping my face. “I’m just happy. And feeling happy makes me feel guilty as hell because of Lev. It’s just such a mess.”
“No matter what happens with him, we’ll have each other. I won’t let you go.”
“Even though this is supposed to be just temporary?”
He smile is dangerous. “This stopped being temporary the moment you came into my life. It just took me longer than it should have to finally admit it.”
I kiss him again. “I love you too, by the way,” I whisper.
And he laughs. He squeezes my ass and hugs me to him. “I know.”
We stay like that together in our nursery, swaying slightly as we hold onto each other like we’re caught in the center of a storm and just trying to survive, but I see a path out of the darkness. It’s rocky and strewn with hidden traps, but if anyone can get me through, it’ll be him. It’ll be the man I’ve always hated. The man I’ve always loved.
The man that finally fills that lonely void in my heart.
Chapter 36
Alexander
Igive Lev another day before I get tired of this shit and hunt him down.
It’s not easy, since he’s not answering calls. But eventually, around midnight the night after I showed Natalya the nursery, I find him hanging drywall in the back room of Fed Jeweler.