Chapter 18
Alexsey
As I stood in the doorway of Emily’s room, I marveled at how entirely different Halle was with her daughter.
At least in reference to her feisty personality when dealing with me.
She was so calm, collected, and loving that her actions and the tone of her voice reminded me of so many times spent with my mother.
At least my childhood had been mostly typical of a big loving family.
Of course, I’d never had to endure spending even a day living in Moscow, having been born and raised in the United States.
That didn’t mean the heritage or legacy of my father and uncle hadn’t been honored.
I’d been required to learn to read and write Russian at an early age.
While I rarely spoke the language, understanding the words my father had spouted off had been necessary since he refused to set aside the old ways. He’d been a tough man, enough so I’d hated him until I’d reached my twenties.
But at least I’d grown up with and still had him around for advice. Even though I might not like to hear what he had to say.
Halle had the burden of being both Emily’s mother and father. The breadwinner. The provider. The security blanket. Who did she have to take care of her? Yes, at least she had her sister, but that was different.
Maybe I was a bit old-fashioned in the sense I believed women should be protected and cherished. That was something I valued from the love shared between my parents.
“It’s time to go to sleep, baby girl,” Halle said as she closed the book she’d been reading and lovingly brushed her fingertips across her daughter’s face.
“Can’t Mr. Boyfriend read me a story too, Mommy?” Emily’s voice was hopeful.
I stifled a laugh, doing my best to remain in the shadows. The little girl had decided calling me her mother’s boyfriend was easier than using Alex, which is what I’d introduced myself as.
“Nice try, little snort. But no. You need your rest. You had a big night.”
A big night of making perhaps the best pizza I’d had in my life and watching a movie that had delighted Emily. Her squeals when watching Dumbo would remain with me for a long time.
Emily huffed in the exaggerated way she’d done several times. “Okay. Maybe tomorrow?”
Another hopeful question.
“We’ll see. Now, dream about princes and big white horses.”
“Dogs. Can I dream about a dog?”
I adored hearing Halle laughing, letting go when I sensed she remained tense all the time. “Of course you can.”
“I want Santa to bring me a puppy. That’s all I want for Christmas.”
“We’re a long way away from Christmas, my child.” Halle stood, tucking in the covers around her daughter and placing the book in the bookshelf.
“I know.” Emily rolled over, snatching a cute purple teddy bear.
Halle hadn’t realized I’d been watching their interaction, her look when she turned around one of surprise. I immediately felt as if I’d invaded their privacy.
Until Halle smiled and slowly headed to the door, placing her index finger against her lips before turning out the main light. There was still a warm glow of a nightlight that created an intricate pattern of fireflies on the ceiling.
She half closed the door while pushing her hand against my chest, driving me into the hallway.
We both remained quiet as we headed for the living room. At least the kitchen was clean, the dishwasher running and the night was still early.
And I had no intentions of leaving just yet.
Halle immediately went to the couch, flopping down and curling her legs under her. The way she peered up at me while grabbing her glass of wine was telling. The connection we shared was stronger than we’d realized, even more electric than the night before.
I sat down, smiling from seeing the fluffy slippers.
How had I not realized women in pajamas were the sexiest thing in the world?
I remained on the edge of the couch, my elbows on my knees.
All the things I’d wanted to say to her, some gruffly enough to keep her on what I’d called a leash now meant nothing.
I’d come here not only to warn her, but also to remind her that talking to anyone about what she’d seen the night before wouldn’t be a good idea.
Now the thought of what my intentions had been seemed Neanderthal. Barbaric in the same way my father had been.
“Tell me about your family.” Her request out of the blue caught me off guard.
Although my family was constantly in the news, I rarely talked about them to anyone.
Sure, I had a couple of buddies I regularly had a beer with or went to an occasional basketball game with, but the last thing we talked about was family or obligations.
Even our jobs. They were just topics we didn’t want to discuss. What the hell was I supposed to say?
“Two brothers and a sister. Three cousins. We’re close.”
“Are you parents still alive?”
“They are. My mother still fusses over us as if we were kids. Dad, well, he’s even rougher on us in his retirement. But they love us and we love them.”
She seemed thoughtful about what I’d told her. “Your fondest memory from growing up?”
Wow. Now that was a question that threw me for a loop.
I had no clue what that might be. Then it hit me.
“When I graduated from college.” I was immediately taken back to the day.
“My dad had wanted me to go into the family business, but I wanted nothing to do with resorts or anything else. Before you ask, my dad was still Pakhan at the time. He preferred the old ways and I don’t think I need to tell you what that means. ”
“Illegal activities including using extortion, violence, and blackmail as necessary.”
I tipped my head toward her, noticing amusement on her face.
“Yeah. I guess so. Which is nothing I wanted anything to do with. So, my father never mentioned my days away at college. When I came home to see them, half the time he didn’t even join us for dinner.
He was just so angry with me as if I’d betrayed him.
So when I found out I was the Valedictorian, I didn’t bother telling him. ”
“That’s so sad.”
“You’d need to know my dad. He was not easy to live with.
” Laughing, I scratched my head, finally reaching for the glass of wine.
“Anyway, I honestly didn’t expect to see any of my family at graduation.
Maybe with the exception of my brother, Mikhail.
My uncle was also angry with me. He called my education a waste.
Meanwhile, I’d been forced to take on two jobs to try and pay for my room and board.
That was to teach me a lesson about family loyalty. ”
“Did it work?”
“You know what? I think what it did teach me is that if you want something, you must work hard and I did. I proved it to myself.”
“But you were trying to prove something to your father.”
Nodding, I took a sip of wine. “Of course I said at the time it didn’t matter, maybe to keep from being disappointed when I gave the speech to the class.
But on that day as I stood on stage, gripping the podium with white knuckles, I remember feeling so sad that my family didn’t feel as if my accomplishment was worth celebrating. ”
“But he showed up.”
I kept my eyes locked on her. My God, she was just so beautiful. “Every member of my family did and guess what? My father was cheering the loudest. It was the proudest moment of my life.”
“That’s amazing and wonderful. I’m curious. What was your speech about?”
A lump formed in my throat. The memory was one I hadn’t thought about in years. “It was about my father and the importance of family loyalty and what a solid base meant for your future.”
“Did your father react?” Her voice was quivering and she’d scooted closer to me.
“He did. He cried.” I briefly glanced away, huffing slightly. And here I thought I wasn’t an emotional kind of guy. “Family truly is important.”
“Yes, it is. Even if it’s a found family.”
There was a quiet moment shared between us, a sweet hint of peace and a connection that I’d never felt before.
She placed her wine on the table, taking mine from me and putting it beside hers.
So many things about this lovely woman were unexpected, including when she shifted even closer, tossing her long legs across mine.
The look she gave me was even more soulful than any I’d seen so far. I could also tell she had something on her mind. “You’re not like what I thought you were.”
“Hmmm. What does that mean exactly?”
Very slowly she lowered her gaze as she leaned forward so she could tug on my tie, loosening it further.
“Don’t get me wrong. You’re still arrogant as hell and very dangerous.
You admitted to that. I thought you were one-sided.
Plastic.” Her gaze continued to travel down my chest to my belt, her breath quickening.
She continued loosening my tie until she pulled the knot free.
“What else?” My voice was low, husky, and dripping with the increasing desire I’d felt from the moment I’d walked into her house.
“You’re much more complex than I thought. You have a soft side. My daughter would have called you out for being fake in a heartbeat.”
“Just like her mom.”
“Maybe.” Halle lifted her gaze briefly, licking her bottom lip in the most provocative way.
“She has learned a few things from her mother.” Very slowly she tugged the tie from around my neck, purposely draping it around the glasses of wine.
Every move practiced, she began to unfasten the buttons on my stained shirt.
“In fact,” she continued, “I’d almost call you a teddy bear hiding behind the facade of a tough guy.”
“A teddy bear, huh?” My cock was throbbing more than normal. She had a way of making me crazy, longing to do very bad things to her luscious body.
“Uh-huh.” She concentrated on her task, yanking my shirt from my trousers so she could finish unbuttoning it. “If you aren’t careful, people might mistake you for being a nice guy.”