“And not even for him in the long run,” Alexei pointed out softly.
“Right, yeah. I think you and Vera can make things good. Make things right.”
She didn’t have to be looking at him to know he was smiling the soft, somewhat goofy smile that she liked to think belonged to her. It wasn’t like the one he gave when he was flirting or the one he turned on his sister when he was trying to reassure her or convince her of something. No, this smile looked like he was overcome with feeling and didn’t know what to do about it. She liked it quite a bit.
They were quiet for awhile after that, both of them drifting in and out of their thoughts and enjoying the fact that they didn’t have anywhere to be or anything to do.
Emma was close to nodding off when Alexei spoke again.
“So...speaking of my mother…” he said, voice hesitant.
“Who was speaking of your mother?”
“You were. We were. Just a little bit ago.”
Emma hummed. “In the bath? Shame on us. Go on.”
“Are you awake?” he asked, sounding amused now. “This can wait if you’re sleeping.”
“Not only am I awake, but I’m alert, too,” she replied. “What is it?”
He was quiet for so long that she shifted so she could look at his face. It wasn’t usual for him to be apprehensive about speaking his mind, and the way he was chewing on his lip wasn’t like him, either.
“Alexei, what?” she asked, poking him. “Out with it.”
“I think you should meet my mother.”
The words left him in a rush, and Emma’s eyes went wide once she had processed them. That was probably the last thing she’d been expecting him to say, assuming as she had been that he was content to keep his personal life something that he didn’t share with his mother.
From the stories she’d heard from him and Vera, she could gather that the woman was an awful mixture of strange and infuriating, and she hadn’t been in any hurry to cross that particular relationship bridge.
“You...want me to meet your mother,” she repeated. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” Alexei said. “Seriously. I want her to know that I have someone. She’s got it in her head that I need her to find me some suitable woman to end up as my wife, and I don’t need her to do that. Not that I’m thinking about marriage or anything right now,” he rushed to assure her. “I just. I think you should meet her. I want… I want her to see that I can decide my life for myself and that I’m doing alright at it. You’re a testament to that.”
“O-okay,” Emma acquiesced. It was a somewhat terrifying prospect, but hearing Alexei say that he wanted her to do it made it seem worth it. She was sure he’d never introduced anyone to his mother before, and there was a sense of pride at being the first, as well as pride at the way he thought she was a good testament to him being his own person.
When he tipped her face up to his to kiss her softly, she kissed him back, and then settled back against him as he rambled about how she wasn’t obligated to try to impress his mother or change anything about herself to suit his mother’s needs.
“I want her to meet the real you,” he said. “The you I like so much.”
And honestly, it was kind of hilarious how things changed. How this man who had crashed his car into hers and become something of a thorn in her side could now have such a cozy place in her life. How she could be sitting there in her tub with him on a Friday night, contemplating meeting his mother because that’s just where they were now.
She didn’t have any illusions about the road ahead being easy, but she knew with a certainty that surprised her that she was ready for it.
Publisher’s Notes
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Monster Media LLC
About the Author
Hello,
So this is the part where I'm supposed to talk about myself. I write so many stories but I often I have a hard time telling my own. Funny how that works.
My name is Cristina Grenier and I have been writing stories for as long as I could remember . I'm a sucker for romance. I draw from past experiences and from others around me when I write. I enjoy creating characters that everyone can relate to.
Besides writing, I also enjoy painting and figure drawing. I'm a bit of a homebody, my ideal night consists of a chilled bottle of wine, some pasta and Netflix. I really hope you enjoy the stories I create.
If you want to keep updated on my new releases and receive a FREE full-length romance, please visit my website and subscribe to my email group.
cristinagrenier.com
Sincerely,
Cristina
Crash into Me: A BWWM Russian Billionaire Romance Page 14