Well, hell.
He was damn aware.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Saturday Night
They both took a shower and washed away the stench of death before flipping the switch to the other part of their lives. Dressed in their robes, and relaxing in the master suite, Greyson knew it was time.
“We should talk to him.”
Emma bounced on the bed. “I can’t wait. He’s going to be so excited. Just the look on his face, babe,” she said grinning, “is going to be worth it!”
He agreed.
At first, he was worried about their plan, but now…it felt perfect. It completed the circle in their lives. There was no one who deserved to be a Croft more than Curtis.
The honor was truly theirs.
“Hurry! I’m dying in anticipation.”
Croft pulled out his phone and sent the young man a text. They could hear him heading down the hall, and toward their room.
At the knock on the door, Greyson called him in.
“You wanted to see me?” Curtis asked. Looking around the room, he took in his surroundings.
Emma and Greyson were smiling.
It worried him.
“What did Dimitri say I did?”
Yeah, not even close.
In that moment, Emma wanted to mother him. His voice was fraught with nerves, he was twitchy, and they knew why.
A girl.
If anything, Curtis was predictable. They’d watched him through the process of Brynn, but this time it was so much worse. Curtis had been forced to grow up, and fast.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m just sweating it over tonight. Katerina is gorgeous, and I’m just some average guy. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself. I know people are going to look at us and think she’s with me because of your money.”
“Our money,” Emma corrected. To them, they didn't care about being loaded. They wanted the people they loved not to stress the everyday financial strains. If they could help each and every one of them, they would.
Family was about taking care of your own.
That was their goal.
Greyson grinned. “Son, you’re a catch. She’d be lucky to have your attention. Just go there tonight and make her the center of your world. She’s a girl. They like to feel special and like they’re your everything.”
He was making mental notes.
“Hold her hand,” Emma said. “When you walk through the ballroom, make sure she’s beside you—not behind you.”
“Get her champagne when her glass is empty,” Greyson added. “You don’t eat unless she eats first. Make her your priority and remember your manners.”
Curtis wanted to laugh. “Is this written down in some book for cavemen? If not, you should do it.”
Croft winked at the boy. “Trust me, son, it works.” He pointed at his cave babe as if to prove a point.
“Did you get her flowers?” Emma asked.
“Yes, red roses. She loves them. Is that moving too fast? Red means love, doesn’t it?” he asked. “Did I screw up out of the gate?”
Emma smiled. “Hell no! Girls love flowers. It’s not so much about the color but the fact that you remembered to do it.”
Curtis took a deep breath. “I can do this.”
It was time to distract him with something else.
Greyson opened his dresser and lifted out a box. “We have something for you. Maybe this will help you forget about your nerves.”
He handed Curtis a Tiffany & Co box.
Holding it in his hands, he glanced over at them, and he was clearly confused by the entire thing.
“Uh, you give these gifts to your woman. Babes like the blue box—not men. Are you getting senile?” he teased.
“Just open it, smart ass.”
Curtis shrugged. “Okay.”
As he carefully opened the box, he realized it was a watch. The size and shape gave it away. When he lifted the top, he stared down at it.
It was gorgeous and very expensive.
It screamed wealth.
“When I turned eighteen, right before I went off to the military, my father gave me a watch. It wasn’t a Tiffany one, but it meant a lot to me.”
He glanced up. “It’s really nice.”
No, nice wasn’t the word. It was spectacular, and he was touched on a deep level. No one gave him anything at eighteen when he headed off to college. His grandmother was poor, and it was just another day for her.
This had value to his heart.
It mattered.
Why was he shocked that these two people would make his heart quiver in love?
“A man needs his work gear and his ‘dazzling the ladies’ gear. That, son, is for when you put on a tuxedo and slow dance with your babe. I’ve taught you everything I can about the ladies, but now I’m going to start lesson two. You need to impress them with the little things. A nice watch, shiny shoes, and impeccable manners matter.”
Emma agreed.
Curtis grinned ear to ear. “I love it.”
Greyson held out his wrist. It was almost exactly like the one he was wearing. “Take it out and read the back. We had it inscribed for the occasion.”
Curtis ran his fingers over the rose gold. It was likely worth his entire year’s salary.
Still, that didn’t matter.
It was that they gave him something to link his life to theirs. It was one more tie to the family that chose him.
In the end, that was more powerful than being born into one. That was fate.
This was choice.
“I didn't know you when you were eighteen, but I wish I did. You’ve been nothing but special in my life, and in Emma’s, since the day we met. I wanted you to remember this day.”
He was getting emotional. Greyson Croft was his idol and surrogate. Curtis grew up unwanted until he found them. Then he grew in love.
He survived it all because of them.
Curtis knew he’d never have words to give them back to thank them for always being there.
No matter the time.
The day.
Or the situation.
They had his back.
He pulled the gorgeous work of art out of the case and flipped it over in his hand. The weight proved that it was well made and gold. This was something to cherish.
He could tell.
When he focused on the inscription, his heart flipped in his chest.
To Curtis Croft.
Our Son.
Love Mom & Dad
It stole his breath.
He’d never really had that connection as anyone’s son in life. His own father was a mystery, and his mother…she never came back.
Son meant something.
There were words he’d never thought he’d feel a true attachment to in his life. Growing up a child, he’d never had those parents, and now not only did he have them, they wanted him more than anything. As a grown man, they still wanted him.
Their love was rare.
“Read the date,” Emma said, giving him a clue.
He ran his finger over it, and he was confused. When he looked up, Emma was holding a packet of papers.
“It’s official,” Greyson said.
He got the significance. Today was his birthday of sorts. His new life began then and there.
“They came?”
Greyson grinned. “The adoption is legal as soon as you put your name on the dotted line. Once you do, you’re ours. Thank God, you’re already potty trained. We lucked out on that one. Talk about awkward.”
Emma sniffled. “Still want to be part of our life?”
He wanted that more than anything. All he ever wanted in life was a family. His grandmother raised him, and now she was gone. Emma wasn’t that much older than him, but Greyson…he was totally father material.
“I absolutely do. For the record, it’s not about the money. I’d pay you to be part of this family. I’d give everything I have to be part of you and Greyson. Hell
! I even like Dante most days.”
Greyson laughed. “Me too.”
Emma wiped her eyes. It had been one hell of an emotional week.
This was a damn good day.
Croft made a pen appear.
“Make it official, Curtis. However you sign that paper is what is going on the official document. So, hyphenate it if you want, but make your choice.”
Oh, he already knew what he wanted, and it was simple.
“I just want to be a Croft.”
He took the pen, grabbed the papers, and filled in the lines. Cautiously, he printed.
Then he signed it.
Curtis Calvin Croft
It was official.
Emma signed her name, and Greyson his. When they were done, he slipped them back into the envelope. “Welcome to our family.”
He hugged them both at the same time.
“I love you both so much. Thank you for giving me this gift. I’ll never disrespect it. No one has ever given me anything like this. I’ll cherish our family, and help you protect it.”
They felt the same.
He began a probationary agent and ended up their son.
It seemed right.
It was perfect.
“Go get dressed,” Emma ordered. “Put on that tuxedo and dazzle the girl. You have big shoes to fill.”
Yes, yes he did.
And Curtis would try until the day he died to make them proud.
For the first time, he felt like he was worthy of something. Before, he had nothing to offer Katerina. But now…he had a family, and that was exactly what he thought she needed.
If anything, the Crofts would protect her.
And that’s what the doctor ordered to heal her too.
It was the beginning of his new journey. Brynn was forgotten, his past was washed clean.
He was reborn.
He was a Croft.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Emma finished getting ready. As per their tradition, she and Greyson split up. It was usually her idea, since she loved to astonish him when she made her entrance.
Since she was done early, she thought she’d check on Curtis’s date. Emma had a vested interest in the woman. Curtis was now theirs, and she wanted to make sure that this girl wasn’t going to break his heart.
Like Brynn had done.
They’d been there and done that, and she was going to make sure it didn’t happen again.
As she approached the door, she could hear the woman pacing and talking to herself in Russian.
It looked like Curtis wasn’t the only one who was scared shitless. That, to Emma, was a damn good sign.
Knocking, Emma waited for Katerina to make an appearance.
When the door opened, there stood a towel-clad woman.
“Are you doing okay? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“Do you think he’d kill me if I ran away?” she asked, her voice tinged with an accent.
Emma noticed that when Dimitri got angry, or freaked out, he slipped back into his heritage.
“Why do you want to run?” she asked, going in when she was invited.
“I don’t know what I can offer him. I’m not used to the spotlight. I hide for a living. How am I supposed to go and impress people?”
“Just be you.”
She stared at Emma. “You’re sweet, but I need help. That’s not helping. Don’t you have any better advice to get me through this?”
She laughed. “I may. Let’s start at the beginning. Who are you trying to impress?”
“Curtis. The media. You. Greyson. Everyone.”
Emma sat on the bed, running her hands down the long fabric of her gorgeous gown. “Here’s a newsflash. Curtis is impressed, and Greyson and I happen to like you a great deal. You’ve saved Curtis twice now from a shooter, and that matters to us.”
Still, she paced.
“Where’s your dress?”
She pointed at the garment bag. “I know it’s all wrong. I don’t know what I was thinking. I saw it and thought he’d love it. I know that in this day and age, I shouldn’t care, but I do. Now I’m scared.”
Emma smiled.
Yeah, this girl was smitten. If she was cold, calculating, and heartless, she wouldn’t be this stirred up.
Kat was genuinely afraid.
She got those emotions. She’d had to dress for the Director of the FBI. Being paraded around like arm candy had its stresses.
“I dress for my husband all the time. There’s nothing wrong with that. Curtis isn’t your typical man.”
It looked like it was time for the talk.
Katerina stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“He’s like Greyson. He’s a caveman.”
She stared at her.
“He gets bossy, and he likes his woman to be safely protected. That’s why he and Brynn didn't work. She was hardcore feminism, and when you mix the two, it’s bad.”
“What are you saying? I’m too nervous to figure it out. Can’t you just tell me?”
“If you want to be with Curtis, you have to let him be him. Let him lead and trust him not to let you fall. It’s the story of my life, and if you decide to enter a relationship, it’ll have to be yours too. It’s just how it is. Can you do that? Can you let him be the man and still find your way in all of this?”
Katerina studied the woman before her. Emma was a force to reckon with in her own right. She was far from a pushover.
She reminded her of herself.
Katerina could be strong and still bend. With Curtis, she loved the way he made her feel.
While they were no one’s punching bag, they were still able to hold their own.
She made up her mind, because in no way did she believe this wasn’t Emma testing the waters for what was to come.
“I love him as he is.” Then she realized what she’d said. “Crap. I meant…”
Emma was amused at the slip. “Anyway, let’s see the dress.”
This girl was tied up in knots.
If she wasn’t crazy about him, then she was one hell of an actress.
Katerina opened the garment bag and pulled it out.
“Well?”
“He’s going to love that dress. If your intent was to captivate and stun, you’re going to do it.”
She touched it. “Do you think? It’s not too…trashy? I don’t want to cross that line, and let’s face it…I’ve never been asked out on a date before. Well, men asked, but Dimitri always said no.”
“It’s definitely not. It’s gorgeous. It’s you, Katerina—edgy, sleek, and stunning.”
So, this was what it was like to have a mother. Katerina got the allure. She only wished this was her life growing up. Maybe she wouldn’t be such a mess.
“Let me help you get ready.”
Emma let the girl get into her undergarments, and when she was ready, she zipped her up.
“Is my back covered?” she asked, that being her utmost concern.
There was no doubt that they knew about her scars. If Curtis didn't tell them, then the dossier that Greyson Croft had created did.
“Yes, they are. You can barely see them.”
“Good. I hate them.”
Emma dropped her chin onto Katerina’s shoulder as they stared into the mirror. “Can I be honest with you?”
“Yes. I prefer it.”
“Be proud of your scars, both emotional and physical. They made you the wonderful woman Curtis is crazy about today. We all have a past, and I’ve learned that they are always far worse to the person who carries them. They tell your story, and you survived.”
“More like a nightmare.”
Had she survived?
Really?
“They led you here, Katerina. They brought you into our life. They made Curtis fall for you.”
She had a point.
As Emma headed toward the door, Kat called out her name.
“Emma!”
“Yes?”
“Are yo
u sure it’s not too short? Your gown goes to the floor.”
She smiled. “If I had your legs, I’d wear that gown. If I was twenty-one again, I’d be shaking my ass all over town in it.”
Well, she’d try to wear it.
Only Emma was pretty sure that Greyson would tell her to cover up. God, she loved a caveman.
Kat smiled.
“Thank you.”
“See you downstairs. We have a tradition. The men give us token gifts before we leave. My husband trained Curtis well.”
She smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Truth be told…
Neither could she.
Curtis Croft was going to fall over when he saw his date. This was going to be fun.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Greyson loved taking his wife out. It wasn’t about showing her off to strangers, or the media. It was about this moment when she came down and into his arms.
He got a sick little rush from dangling jewelry all over her body—decorating her like a sexy Christmas tree. When they got home, she’d wear only the gift as he made love to the sexiest women he’d ever met.
This was like foreplay for them.
At some point, during the party, they would be making out.
Then, tonight, when they were home, they’d get down and dirty in the love nest he’d created.
Oh, he loved his life.
As he stood there grinning, the men around him were watching him. Any second, the teasing would begin, but for this, he’d suck it up.
He was no fool.
He had a sexy younger wife who would be rocking his world in a few hours.
“What did you get her?” Dante asked, knowing what was coming. If anything, Greyson was predictable.
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Last time it was a necklace,” Curtis said, adjusting his new watch as he held the roses. “It was the one that looked like some bondage collar.”
The men all began snickering.
Oh, he had the last laugh on that one. She’d worn it to bed and nothing more. Since the night he originally gifted the necklace had been ruined by Trudy Booker trying to kill her, they’d revisited that necklace a few times afterward.
Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Page 31