by Lia Lee
“We are not splitting the check.” He said it as if there was no question at all. “And what it means is that I’ve made a sworn statement to the US government to renounce my claim to any rights I might have had as a Russian citizen. I specifically renounced any claim to the imperial bloodline, and there is literally nothing that my mother can do. I’ve defected.”
She didn’t looked as thrilled as he was hoping that she would. “Are you sure you’re all right with that?”
“Of course!” How could she even consider otherwise? “I don’t want to be a part of my mother’s schemes.”
“Yes, but are you sure you really want to renounce your citizenship to do that? It just seems so drastic, that’s all.” She pursed her lips and ran the tip of her finger around the edge of her glass. “I just don’t want you to hate me later on because you think I made you give up your heritage.”
“You’re not making me do anything,” he stressed. Why could she not see? “I did this for myself, and for our child, and yes. I did it in part because of you. I don’t want you to have a target on your back just because of my idiotic family and their deranged plans for global domination.”
“Whoa.” Her eyes began to crinkle at the corners as a smile spread across her face. “You’re actually joking about this! What’s wrong with you?”
“You have to admit that the entire scenario going on here is a little humorous,” Alex said drily. “If it were happening to anyone else you would think it was hilarious.”
“Actually, I would call it a Lifetime network movie,” she joked. “But in all seriousness, I only want what will make you happy, Alex.”
He reached out and cupped her cheek. “You make me happy. I think these last two days have proved that to me beyond doubt.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
***
MADDIE’S HEART WAS pounding with excitement. She pulled the tiny ultrasound photo from her clutch purse and laid it on the table. She saw Alex frown and cock his head to one side as he likely tried to figure out what he was looking at.
Then he suddenly looked up at her, a very strange expression on his face. “Is this our child?”
“Yes.”
When he reached for the photo, his hands were visibly shaking. “It’s so very tiny! I can see where the head is forming, but the rest of it looks unbelievably like a tadpole.”
The wonder in his voice softened his choice of words.
Maddie chuckled a bit. “I was pretty much the same way when I saw it, but I can’t wait for you to hear the heartbeat! It sounds so amazing and so strange all at the same time. It’s so crazy to think that we made this little person. And right now at this very second the kid is growing like a little weed inside my belly.”
He was smiling at her in such a way that she felt almost shy. Then he reached across the table and took her hand. He lifted her fingers to his lips. “I’ve wanted to say this to you for so long, Maddie, but I wanted to get the drama with my family sorted first.”
“Say what?” Her tummy was already in knots, though, as she anticipated what could only be the most amazing thing.
“I love you, Madison Castillo.” He pulled a little box from his pocket and set it on the table. “I had some time while I was here in the city.”
“Oh my God,” she murmured. Reaching for the blue velvet box, she glanced up at him. “Am I allowed to look?”
“Of course.”
She tried to be discreet about wiping her palms on her skirt before she reached again for the box. She was so very nervous! Then she flipped open the lid and felt all of the air leave her lungs at once. “Oh.”
It was the only word she could say. There were no other words. Nothing could possibly describe. The huge, princess cut emerald was enormous. It had to be at least three karats if not more. The setting was completely surrounded by tiny clusters of diamonds. The stone’s brilliance was breathtaking. The color was incredible. Such a deep, deep green that she could not imagine ever tiring of staring into its depths.
“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “I feel like I shouldn’t even touch it!”
Alex reached out, plucked the ring from its padding and held it between two fingers. “May I have your hand?”
Maddie tentatively held out her left hand and suddenly felt as though everyone in the entire restaurant was staring at them. Then Alex slid the ring onto her fourth finger, and she completely forgot that they weren’t alone. She was caught in his dark eyes. There was something so soft and loving in his gaze. When the ring was perfectly in place, he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. She shivered in response.
“So will you marry me, Madison Castillo?” Alex whispered.
How could she even contemplate saying no? “Yes! I will. I mean I do. I mean, yes, I’ll marry you. I feel so silly!”
“Don’t.” His smile seemed to suggest that they were the only two people in the room. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“So I’m perfectly silly?” She couldn’t help but tease him a little. “Have you tried to imagine what our offspring will be like? With your built-in politeness meter and my sense of the ridiculous, the kid will either be perfectly balanced or hopelessly out of whack.”
“This baby is going to be amazing,” he assured her.
Maddie’s brain was spinning. So much had happened in so short a time, and yet it felt like forever. She had to keep reminding herself that it hadn’t even been a full two weeks since Alex had come back into her life. What if that wasn’t enough time to know someone enough to marry them?
“I can see the panic on your face,” he told her softly. “My family has been arranging marriages and being successful at it for centuries, you know.”
“This isn’t arranged,” she told him wryly. “Remember? I think if there was a polar opposite of arranged marriage, we would be it.”
“Perhaps, but the mindset remains the same.”
“How so?” She stared at the enormous rock on her finger and wondered how many other Romanov women had enjoyed a similar experience. It was a little overwhelming to consider.
He touched the stone on her finger. “You’re starting to worry that we don’t know each other well enough to marry.”
She raised her gaze in surprise. “How did you know?”
“You would be foolish not to wonder or at least consider such a question.” There was something so very certain in his tone. It made her feel better. “The thing is, marriage takes work no matter how well the parties know each other. There will be ups and downs. There will be fights, and there will be making up. No matter how well we know each other or how compatible we believe that we are, those things will happen. They are an inevitable part of sharing your life with anyone. Even friends quarrel.”
“And sisters,” she agreed softly. “So what you’re saying is that as long as we work at it, we can get to know each other as we go. Right?”
“Exactly.” He stood up. “Our table is ready. Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
He tugged her closer and put his arms around her. “What you need to remember most of all, Maddie, is that you are the one I want to work on this with. I want the ups and downs because I’m looking forward to the unique way that you view life. You’re an incredible woman, and I feel privileged that you’re saying that you want to be part of my life and make me part of yours. This has nothing to do with babies or insane mothers or imperial thrones that don’t exist. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” In fact, she understood so well that there were tears threatening to wreck her makeup. “And I love you too, Alex. So very much.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alex swayed back and forth on the dance floor with Maddie in his arms. Her backside was flush against his front. She lifted her arms and let her hands gently brush the back of his neck. The music pulsed around them. The club was apparently one of Maddie’s favorites. Right after dinner she had insisted on his taking her dancing for just a little while.
>
There was quite a crowd on the floor, but nobody bothered them. Alex had found an out of the way spot that afforded them a tiny bit of space away from the masses dipping and diving in rhythm with the music. The DJ kept the beat wonderfully vibrant. Alex could easily see why this had been a favorite place for Maddie to hang out. Now she shared it with him, and he was grateful to be a part of her life.
He let his hands travel slowly down her torso. He felt the flutter of her heartbeat beneath her ribs. It made him think of what she had said regarding the baby’s heartbeat. He let his hands go lower until he was pressing his palms over the very small baby bump on Maddie’s belly. Her breath caught at the tender touch, and she lowered her arms in order to place her hands over his.
Time seemed to spool by unchecked. Alex paid no attention. There was nothing for him but the scent and feel of his woman. His fingers brushed the ring that now adorned her all important left ring finger, and he experienced a deep sense of satisfaction. She belonged to him, and nobody could change that.
“Let’s go home,” she said in his ear.
“Back to the hotel?”
“No.” She turned in his embrace. “I want to go back to the ranch. I know we were going to do date night and all of that, but I really just want to go home.”
He nodded. He could absolutely understand that feeling. “All right. Let’s get out of here then.”
She took his hand and led him toward the edge of the floor. They squeezed past couples grinding heavily on each other and others writhing in a desperate rhythm with the beat. There was a little bit of everything out here on the floor. As much as Alex could appreciate that, he no longer craved the variety. He just wanted the one woman who completed him in ways that nobody else in his life ever had.
Suddenly Maddie stopped walking. Alex had to hit the brakes to keep from mowing her down. She was now gripping his hand so tightly that he was sure his fingers were going to explode. “Shit. What are they doing here?”
***
MADDIE WOULD HAVE known her sisters anywhere. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t seen them in years. Jacey and Ariane both had her dark red hair and the same athletic build. Jacey was a little thicker than Ariane and Maddie. She had never been shy about how unfair she felt that she got to be the oldest and the “fat one.” Of course, most of that had been because of their father and his endless mental and emotional games.
“Maddie!” Ariane started eagerly waving. “Jacey, there she is!”
Maddie was taken aback by their obvious enthusiasm. The last time she had seen Jacey, her older sister had told her that “never would be too soon to see each other again.” It wasn’t like Maddie could mistake the meaning of that sentence. Now it almost looked like Jacey and Ariane both were eager to see their baby sister again.
Maddie took a deep breath and stopped trying to amputate Alex’s fingers with the strength of her grip.
“Those are my sisters,” she told him.
“I gathered that.” He looked them over with obvious interest. “They look like you.”
“Oh really?” She didn’t necessarily appreciate that. Growing up in their shadows had sucked. It was one reason she’d developed her wild child persona.
Alex gently pulled her in close and kissed her nose. “You’re the only one for me, my love. I promise. If you want to introduce me to your family, I will happily go along with it. It isn’t as if you haven’t been forced to deal with my family.”
That made her laugh. “At least my sisters aren’t likely to try and shoot you.”
He groaned, and Maddie marched right over to Jacey and Ariane feeling better already. He was right. It wasn’t as if the family experience for the two of them could get much worse.
Maddie looked Ariane straight in the face. “I’m sort of surprised to see you two here. How did you find me?”
Ariane gave Maddie a knowing smile. “Aunt Lori texted us and said you were coming to Dallas for a visit. We couldn’t imagine you coming all the way here and not hitting your favorite club.”
“I guess I’m pretty predictable that way, hmm?” Maddie felt a little awkward. She turned and indicated Alex. “This is my fiancé. Alex Stepanov, this is my sister, Ariane Moreno.” Maddie took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Jacey’s gaze. “And this is my oldest sister, Jacey Kinsey.”
“Hello ladies.” Alex really turned on the charm.
She almost elbowed him. There was no need to make her sisters fall for him! She certainly wasn’t going to share, which brought her back to what had happened with her sister Jacey.
Maddie swallowed back her fear. “Jacey, I want to apologize for what happened all those years ago. I might not have been at fault, but I could have handled it better.”
“No.” Jacey shook her head ruefully. “Believe me, it was easier for me to buy his story about you coming onto him. But it didn’t take long for Brad to show his true colors.”
“That’s why they got divorced a few years ago,” Ariane supplied. “Brad totally knocked up one of his administrative assistants.”
“What a loser!” Maddie reached hesitantly for her sister, giving Jacey a hug. “I’m sorry. That’s awful no matter how much of a jerk he was.”
“I just feel bad that I let all of that ruin my relationship with you,” Jacey admitted. “And Dad didn’t help. He just kept telling me that you couldn’t help it. You had Mom’s wild streak, and it made you unable to settle down.” Jacey gestured to Alex. “Glad to see Dad is wrong.”
Ariane snorted. “Dad is wrong a lot.”
“Eventually I’m going to have to make amends with that bastard,” Maddie told her sisters. “But I was never close to him the way I was to you guys. It hurt so much more when I thought the two of you were angry with me.”
“So are you going to stay in Texas now?” Ariane looked eagerly from Maddie to Alex. “You could always build a house out on the ranch, you know.”
***
ALEX SAW THE way that Maddie bit her lip and realized that was actually what she wanted. What were the odds that the music talent scout he had met in New York City would wind up being a cowgirl in disguise? As far as Alex was concerned, he didn’t much care where they lived as long as they were together.
“I work remotely,” he told Maddie’s sisters. “Maddie is going to be the one to decide where we live. It will depend on what she wants to do with her career.”
Jacey raised her eyebrows. “You’re letting her make that call?”
“Absolutely,” Alex said without hesitation. “It’s only fair. Believe me.”
Maddie grinned at him. “That’s going to take some thinking.”
Ariane threw her arms around Maddie. “Then you’re going to be around, right? Because I think we need to reinstate Sister Night Out.”
“Oh yeah,” Jacey agreed. “It’s been so many years that I bet we can even go back to all of those clubs that banned us before.”
Alex looked at the sisters as they burst into a fit of giggles. They were talking in garbled sentences that could hardly be understood with all of the laughing and silliness. He could not ever remember being so connected to anyone in his life. Not even Vladimir. It seemed very important for Maddie to be near her family. She had been gone for so long. Perhaps now was the time they could mend the rifts between them. If he could help her do that even while he was trying to stop his own family from imploding, he would consider it a good day’s work.
Alex caught a glimpse of someone familiar from the corner of his eye. At least in the crush of the crowded club the individual had appeared to be familiar. His gut tightened, and he shook his head. Yuri would not be here in Dallas. There would be no reason for it. Nobody knew that he was here. He and his security team had taken great precautions to keep his whereabouts out of the news, out of any sort of social networks, and certainly outside of his mother’s knowledge.
Taking a step back, Alex tried to find the individual he’d spotted just moments earlier. He couldn’t find the man at first
, then he saw a short balding figure. The man was turned away from him. It certainly appeared to be Yuri. Still, there could be any number of people that might have Yuri’s body type or features. His cousin was not here. Alex was just feeling paranoid, especially since he’d been standing there ruminating on families.
Maddie touched his arm. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Fine.”
Her expression said she realized that he was anything but. She turned to her sisters and gave them each one final hug. “We’re heading back to Aunt Lori’s tonight. It’s just so relaxing there, and I’m ready to put my feet up and enjoy myself.”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Ariane announced. “We’ll come out sometime in the next week and we can all catch up. Would that be all right?”
Maddie was beaming. “It sounds wonderful! Can’t wait!”
***
MADDIE PUT HER arm through Alex’s and began steering him toward the exit. She didn’t know what had happened, but it was obvious that something had him spooked. She didn’t like it. Considering everything that had happened so recently, there was absolutely no telling what could, would, or might happen next.
“Who?” Maddie asked him tersely. “Who did you see?”
“I thought I saw Yuri.”
“Here?” She felt almost panicky. Her hand went unconsciously to her belly. “Why would he be here?”
“I don’t know.” Alex took her arm more firmly. “We’re just going to play it normal. We’ll get the car from valet and leave. Don’t move from my side. Understand?”
Maddie nodded. There were so many people! The club business was really picking up for the night, and it was as if everyone in Dallas was here. They managed to get outside, but there was a total crush on the sidewalk out front. Alex waved his valet ticket. A uniformed man snagged it from his fingers and disappeared. Thankfully Alex had paid extra to keep it close. Within what seemed like seconds his rental car appeared at the curb.
“All right, let’s go,” he urged.
Alex used his broad shoulders to muscle his way through the crowd. Maddie tried to hold onto his suit jacket, but she got ripped away just as she had almost made it to the edge of the sidewalk. One second she was hanging onto him. The next she was holding empty air. She gave a little shriek and stood on tiptoe to try and see him. He was taller than everyone else. She should have been able to spot him in the crowd.