by Roxie Rivera
“If he keeps hiding in Mexico, someone else will snap you up first,” she replied knowingly. “Look at you.” She rested her hands on my shoulders and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. “What man tonight isn’t going to want to take you home?”
“Mom!” I made a face at the idea of being picked up at the gala. “I’m really not in the mood for casual sex.”
“Well, I am,” she said with a naughty smile. “In fact, I intend to bring home my latest conquest so don’t try crawling into bed with me later to sleep off your hangover.”
“Mom! Please!” I didn’t know whether to laugh or act grossed out by her oversharing. “I don’t know why I let you convince me to move back in with you. You are almost as bad as my roommate sophomore year at SMU. I never knew what I was going to walk into when I opened the door on a Saturday night.”
“I’ll hang a tie on the door,” she offered with a laugh as she swanned out of my room. “I’m leaving now to meet my date. Your car will be here in half an hour,” she called out as she headed down the hall. “Lock up on your way out, please.”
“I will.” When she was out of earshot, I made a dramatic gagging sound. My mother had a hotter sex life than I did these days. Maybe she’d always had one that was busier than mine, but I hadn’t noticed it until moving back in with her. “I have to get a new place,” I muttered to myself while touching up my makeup.
My house was supposed to close in a few days. Once I had my cash in hand, I planned to start looking for something new. I couldn’t decide if I wanted another house or something more upscale like a luxury condo or apartment. Whatever I picked had to be pet friendly.
One of my resolutions for the coming year was to get a pet. I was leaning toward a cat, but a small dog, maybe a Pug or Pom, were on my list, too. There were a handful of rescues in the area that handled certain breeds so I had no doubt I could find the perfect companion.
I definitely didn’t want a massive beast like Vivian and Nikolai had. Stasi was a wonderful and well-behaved dog, but I couldn’t handle the noise, slobber or food bills. The dog definitely kept the house safe. Even friendly faces earned an eardrum blasting bark. I couldn’t even imagine what kind of a clatter that dog would make if someone tried to threaten the family.
Knowing I would see Vivian and Nikolai tonight at the gala, I practiced the Russian phrases she had taught me so far. She was a very good teacher. If she hadn’t been so happy as an artist-slash-housewife, she could have had a very successful career as an educator. She never made me feel dumb or slow when I struggled with the strange alphabet or the awkward pronunciations that felt alien to my tongue. I envied her patience and calmness and felt certain she was going to be an incredible mom.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. The car wasn’t due to pick me up for another ten minutes or so, but maybe they were early because of a heavy workload. Grabbing my clutch, I dropped my lipstick inside, checked my reflection one more time in the full-length mirror and left my room. I descended the stairs carefully, not wanting to trip or slip, and hurried to the door. Even with heels, I had to lift up on my tiptoes to see out of the peephole.
My heart stuttered. What is he doing here?
Shaking with excitement, I opened the door and smiled at Kostya. He looked adorably uncomfortable in his starched jeans, white button-down, black jacket and bolo tie. Someone had helped him pick out the perfect boots and Stetson to complete his look. He cleared his throat and fidgeted with the skinny tie at his neck. “Your mom picked it out for me.”
I laughed, finally realizing why she had left so early. “Of course, she did.”
“May I come in?” He seemed nervous, as if he expected me to slam the door in his face.
“Please.” I stepped aside and closed the door after he was safely in the foyer. Leaning back against the door, I studied him for a long moment. “You look good.”
“You look beautiful,” he said, almost breathless. “You always look beautiful, but tonight? You look amazing, Holly.”
“Thanks.” I shyly smoothed my hand down the front of my gown. “I usually wear black to this gala, but I wanted to try something different this year.”
“I like it. The white,” he clarified. “It reminds me of Christmas.”
“Oh!” His comment reminded me of the present I had for him. “I’ve got your present in here—”
“Holly.” He grasped my wrist as I tried to rush by him into the living room where our Christmas tree still twinkled. “I didn’t come here for a gift.”
Biting my lip, I stared up at him anxiously and asked, “Why did you come here?”
“To apologize,” he said, cupping my face with his other hand. “To beg you to take me back. To get down on my knees and plead if I have to,” he continued, his thumb gently stroking over my lower lip. “I was a fucking idiot to send you away like that. I know I’ve apologized before in our texts and phone calls, but I wanted to do it properly. Here. Standing in front of you.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing for what happened in Mexico.” I touched his jaw and breathed in his cologne, the scent comforting and sexy at the same time. “You were in a lot of pain, and you were scared. You were a real asshole, but I understand why.”
“You don’t have to forgive me for what I did in your salon, Holly.” He seemed to be the most bothered by that. “You were right. I had other options. I could have come clean to you about the hit list. I could have made different decisions. I was arrogant and stupid to think that drugging you and getting you out of the way was the best choice that night.”
“Yes, you were.” I ran my fingertips over his chin and jaw. “You made a lot of mistakes. A lot of them,” I emphasized, “but we can’t move forward together if we’re both mired in the past.”
“Can we start over, Holly? I don’t expect us to pick up where we left off,” he promised. “We can take it slow. We can do it the right way, the way you deserve.”
“Yes, we can start over. I’d like that very much.” I tried to blink away my tears, suddenly glad I had used my waterproof mascara. Holding out my hand, I said, “I’m Holly Phillips. I think you work for my dad.”
He smiled at that and clasped my hand. “Kostya Antonovich. Former spy. Former mob cleaner. Current underboss and employee of your father.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kostya.” I gestured toward the door. “I’m on my way to a party. Would you like to come?”
“As your friend?”
“Or my date,” I said with a shrug. “We can see how the night goes.”
He tugged me close, pulling me into his arms and burying his face in my neck. “God, Holly, I have missed you so much. I was fucking lost without you.”
Closing my eyes, I held tight to his shoulders, desperate for him to never let go. “You found your way back to me. That’s all that matters.”
He touched his forehead to mine. “I love you, Holly. I know we’re taking it slow, but I need you to know that I never stopped loving you. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love you even more now. Every day, it’s like my heart is growing bigger and bigger for you.”
Lifting up, I kissed him tenderly. “I love you, too. So much.”
“Good,” he said, sliding one arm around my waist and taking my hand with the other. “I love you so much that I let Gabe fucking Reyes teach me how to two-step.”
Laughing, I let him guide me around the foyer of my mother’s house, my heels and his boots shuffling in time to an imaginary country song. Eventually, I rested my face against his chest and enjoyed the gentle motion of his body leading mine. I could hear his heartbeat thudding through his chest, and it reminded me of all I could have lost.
It wasn’t going to be easy. Moving forward, we still had a lot of issues to work out, and I was sure there would be disagreements. We had made it this far. Together, hand in hand, there was nothing we couldn’t face.
“Happy New Year, Holly.” He nuzzled my face. “I hope the co
ming year brings everything you want.”
I pressed my lips to his in a sweet kiss. “It already has.”
The End.
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Also by Roxie Rivera
Her Russian Protector
Ivan
Dimitri
Yuri
Nikolai
Sergei
Sergei 2
Nikolai 2
Alexei
Kostya
Fighting Connollys
In Kelly’s Corner
In Jack’s Arms
In Finn’s Heart
Debt Collection
Collateral
About the Author
A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, I like to write super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas on five acres with my Viking husband, daughters, two loveably goofy Great Danes and two mischievous cats.
You can find me online at www.roxierivera.com.