Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Katya
“Hello, Katya Luká?ová.”
“Hello,” I respond, unsure whether I should give him my hand to shake.
Just twitching my hand up causes him to reach for it, but rather than shaking it in greeting, he lifts it higher. My brain short circuits as the man brushes his lips over the top of my knuckles like a lord meeting a maiden in a period romance.
Mouth suddenly dry, I slowly take back my hand as he releases his hold over it smoothly. “I’d introduce myself but you already know my name.”
“I do,” he confirms with a nod. “But I won’t pretend to have known it for long. My father informed me only a few minutes ago. He’s handled most of this process so that I can keep my focus on my sons, whom you’ve just met.”
Nervous tension in my shoulders seems to soften at the mention of them. “They’re lovely boys,” I tell him softly. “You’ve done a great job with them.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” Leon says, though he seems pleased by the compliment. “They have plenty of good role models around them, helping me.”
I nod in agreement, trying not to fidget. “I can tell.”
“They need more than good role models, though,” he begins, his tone becoming more serious. He steps closer, the proximity meant to keep our conversation private but intimidating me all the same. “They need a mother.”
“O-oh?”
He dips his head, watching me carefully.
My lips are suddenly dry, but I don’t dare lick them.
“I know you’ve likely heard mixed things about my relationship with my departed wife, but Cleo was a good mother to our children. She refused to let them be deprived of growing up without a mother’s love, and made me promise to find someone worthy of them and to marry that someone.”
“You’re doing this for your boys,” I gather, having already suspected that could be the case. “I…are you telling everyone this?”
“No.”
Gulp.
“So…why—”
He knows what I’m going to ask, so he replies before the question can even be uttered.
“You know why I’m telling you, Katya. Why I’m speaking to you so frankly.
I’m looking for a woman to marry, to be there for my children.
A wife in name, and in honor, but a nanny and eventual mother in practice.
I need them to feel comfortable around the woman I choose, and eventually, choose her themselves. ”
“Chloe will make a good wife,” I tell him, in denial about what he’s implying while biting my lip and looking down.
“You’ll make a better mother.”
My breath catches and I look up, unsure how to react and reply. “I’m supposed to be here to help her…I don’t—”
He stops my stammering with a tilt of his head. “Linus wouldn’t have sent you here if he wasn’t okay with you being chosen. I’ve always known your stepfather to be a pragmatic man.”
“Do you know him well?” I ask, swallowing nervously. “He didn’t mention…well, I suppose he didn’t have much time to.” Not with Chloe stealing every moment of my time since finding out we were invited here.
Leon nods. “We’ve had our fair share of meetings. A few of my brothers like the Gabris casinos, and since we occupy the same coast, we share information quite a bit.”
“That makes sense,” I say lamely, not sure what else to add. “Ares has mentioned your family a few times—stories from Empire mostly.”
“I can believe that,” he says, chuckling lightly. “You never attended the college yourself, did you?”
“Gosh no.” I shake my head quickly. “I’m not ashamed to admit that the idea of that place has always frightened me a bit.
It’s a little eerie, isn’t it? An island that’s more like a Washington forest than a tropical paradise?
It wouldn’t help matters that I tend to get seasick and the semester begins with a ship ride to the location. ”
“It’s a little eerie,” he allows, lips twitching. “My sister thinks it’s beautiful, though. Beautiful enough for her wedding venue.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to insult—”
“You didn’t,” he cuts in before I can blurt out a thousand apologies. “Honesty is a good quality in a wife, and in a mother.”
My breath stalls in my lungs and my body stiffens tightly.
I’d almost forgotten what he pulled me over to discuss; I’d let myself relax and now I was stunned yet again.
He’s interested in marrying me, something that I’m completely unprepared for.
I didn’t give myself the time to ponder this possibility, or consider what I might do or even feel if I was presented with it.
“I really did come here to help Chloe,” I tell him quietly. “I don’t know what to say.”
Leon looks at me, his sad blue eyes shifting curiously. “Are you not interested in the proposal?”
My heart gives a funny beat, hearing the word proposal. “What?”
“Do you not want to be picked because you’re uninterested or do you not want your friend to be upset that you were picked while she wasn’t?”
My mind spins and I swallow tightly. His blunt question hits me hard, but I understand why he’s asking it. He knows my intentions in coming here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be swayed to change my intent.
“Your sons are amazing,” I tell him in a rushed breath. “Anyone would be lucky to be their nanny or to be their mother.”
And I mean it completely. I only spent a few moments with the young boys, but I already find myself missing them.
Leo and Bastian are polite, and silly, and cute as buttons.
I started picturing what it would be like to be important in their lives the moment Leo’s infectious laughter and Bastian’s shy smiles came out.
I could see how much they adore their aunt and uncle, and I couldn’t help but want something like that for myself. A child’s love and friendship is a wonderful thing.
“And you want to be a mother, don’t you?”
His smiling reply makes me hesitate, unsure how to answer.
Probing further, Leon asks, “Do you not believe you could love them as much as you’d love a child of your own?”
“What?” I gape at him, horrified by the question. “Of course not. I mean, yes, I’ve always wanted to have children of my own. But if I married you I would never treat them anything less than my own.”
His lips twitch, one side higher than the other. A smirk. “Then it’s settled.”
My eyes widen, surprised by his sudden switch in demeanor. He’s gone from cautious to victorious in the blink of an eye.
“I don’t see how it’s settled,” I reply with a gulp. “I…Aren’t there more questions? Don’t you need to speak to—”
“I doubt Linus will carry any objections, unless you do.”
My heart clenches and I think of the little boys who’ve already stolen my heart.
The boys who deserve to grow up feeling unconditionally loved and cared for.
And it becomes painfully certain that I can’t find it within myself to think of any objections.
There’s something telling me to throw myself at this opportunity, and the voice refuses to be ignored.
Chloe is going to kill me.
“I don’t want anyone to know about the circumstances of our contract,” I tell him quietly.
“If we do this, the nanny role stays between us and your family. I know it’s sort of temporary, but I don’t want my mother to worry.
She has dreams that I’ll marry for love like she did, and she wouldn’t understand taking a chance like this. ”
“That’s fine,” he agrees easily. As if to persuade me further, he adds, “It’s a real marriage, Katya.
We will be man and wife, but the boys need you more than I do, at least for now.
They need someone who’s invested in them completely, and I need that for them as well.
I hope that friendship between us will grow easily, and eventually we’ll make an effort to make this marriage something more.
But I need you to be here for them, not for me. Not now.”
The earnestness and the honesty of his words nearly knock me off my feet.
Here before me stands a man who lost a wife, a wife who never loved him if the rumors are to be believed.
And instead of seeking to soothe whatever inner turmoil that relationship caused by finding love for himself, he’s desperately looking for someone to come into his life to be there for his babies.
As if he can read the contemplation on my face, Leon speaks up again.
“Even if you say no, Chloe will not be my choice. I’m sure she’s a wonderful friend, and a good woman, but I need more.
Nothing about her calls to me, and I can see that she eyes my children with worry rather than hope.
I’m sorry if I’m putting you in a difficult position with her, but I have a feeling that you’re exactly what we need.
I’ll do whatever I can to give you a good life, Katya, as long as you do the same for my boys. ”
And it’s his ability to be open about his needs—the pleading in his voice—that makes my internal battle come to a halt.
I can’t consider how this will affect my friendship with Chloe anymore, not when I know she wouldn’t be his choice even if I said no.
Not when I’ve met his precious children and already found myself attached to the idea of keeping them safe and loved.
“Do you want more?” I blurt out suddenly. “More children? Eventually?”
“Yes,” he answers without even thinking twice. “I love being a father.”
My stomach flips, attraction flaring hot.
“And you’d have them…with me? You don’t want me to be a motherly nanny forever, only a nanny for now?”
“A nanny for now,” he muses, scratching his chin. “I like the way that sounds. But yes, Katya, I’d have babies with you. As soon as you wanted, honestly. As long as the boys are settled, of course.”
As soon as I wanted.
“You’re attracted to me, right?”
I swallow down the awkwardness it took to ask such a bold question.
Another small smirk finds his face. “Yes, Katya. I find you attractive. Do you share the notion?”
I almost squeak. “Y-yeah.”
“I know my decision may seem quick to you, and you may think I haven’t thought it through, but I have.
You’re young, but not too young. You’re beautiful, educated in the right languages, and from your paperwork, I can see that you’ll be a good fit.
Bastian plays piano too, did you know that? He’s quite good.”
“He didn’t say.” A vision flashes behind my eyes of sitting on a sleek piano bench, little fingers playing alongside mine, and a shy smile coming across the child’s face. “He mostly let Leo do the talking.”
“He does that,” Leon says, looking almost wistful. “He’s a bit shy and quiet, but he liked you. Leo tends to be a social butterfly, he gets along with everyone. But Bastian felt comfortable around you too. I need that for him. He needs a safe space.”
“You love them so much,” I murmur, hiding a smile. “They’re very lucky to have such a devoted father. I’m sorry to admit that I was a little skeptical about you at first, hearing that you were looking for a wife so soon after—”
“Don’t feel sorry,” he cuts in. “I know the optics look unfavorable. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me because of the decisions I make. My kids are my first priority and everything else, the chatter and the rumors, they’re meaningless.”
“Humans jump to conclusions,” I muse sadly. “It’s one of our less than favorable tendencies. I didn’t want to come here today, honestly. I didn’t want to feel like I was pushing Chloe on you, even though she’s great. I—she really is a good person. I don’t want to make her upset.”
“But?” he asks, sensing it.
“But something is telling me that coming here today altered the course of my life. It sounds crazy, and maybe it is. Still, I’m glad I came. I’m glad I got to meet you, and your boys. Rayna and Apollo too, even though they were testing me.”
Leon chuckles. “You caught that, did you?”
Lips twitching, I nod. “It wasn’t very subtle.”
“And did meeting me and my boys sway you in our direction, Katya? Could you see yourself here, being the person that we need?”
My breath catches, the seriousness of the conversation settling in once again.
“Because we do,” he continues. “Need you, that is. I’m willing to do, say, or pay just about anything to get you to say yes.
You didn’t sound crazy when you said that you think coming here altered the course of your life, because I understand.
Something about you is telling me that you’re exactly who I’m looking for, and anyone else will be second best.”
His earnest words make me stutter. “I-I…I don’t want to hurt Chloe, but I can’t deny wanting to say yes to you. You really wouldn’t choose her either way?”
Leon dips his head. “My father spoke to her while Rayna and Apollo spoke with you. Her Italian is rusty at best, and he got the impression that she’s interested in a lavish mafia wife’s life.
I can’t fault her for that, but our goals don’t align.
I’m sure your friend will find a good match eventually, but it’s not going to be me. ”
Dante Moretti read her like a book, and I couldn’t blame him for being honest with his son about what he thought of my friend. Neither man seemed to judge Chloe, but they weren’t going to alter their needs for her either.
“Okay,” I finally relent, exhaling shortly. “Send a contract to Linus and I’ll tell him that I approve. Make it basic, and we’ll agree to terms together. Honor system, no need to have it all written down.”
“Thank you,” Leon says, his genuine gratitude almost knocking me off of my feet. “We’ll sort the paperwork and get you moved here as soon as possible. Do you want a big wedding?”
“I—”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The sound of Chloe’s outrage makes me wince, and I turn to the side to find her looking between Leon and I with an expression of betrayal.
“Chloe, I—”
She doesn’t give me a chance to explain before she starts storming out.
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. “I—I’ll be right—”
“Go ahead,” Leon encourages, nodding.
He doesn’t need to tell me twice.