Chapter Twenty-Three
April
Kelsie walked into the mansion with wide brown eyes and her red painted lips formed the perfect ‘O’ as she spun around in circle after circle as I led her to the kitchen. “Damn girl this place is amazing!”
I shrugged off her awe because while the place was beautiful it wasn’t mine. “It is.” There was nothing else to say at least from my perspective.
Kelsie, however, disagreed. “Oh come on girl, this place is stunning. High ceilings, fabulous countertops, and flooring. This is the stuff of dreams.” Her smile was wide and I wished I could give her the response she wanted but I just couldn’t.
“Your dreams, maybe.” I caught movement over Kelsie’s shoulder and smiled at Maxim. “Thank you for bringing her, Maxim.”
He nodded. “No problem. Just text me when she is ready to leave.”
“Will do.”
Kelsie’s eyes are wide and her brows wiggle. “Great house, specially prepared meals and man candy, seriously you must be depressed if you can’t appreciate all of this.” She laughed but it quickly faded. “Is it really so horrible?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that it’s horrible,” I began but I didn’t really know how to explain it because I barely understood it myself. “It’s just stressful and complicated.” That about summed it up perfectly.
She set two big bags on the countertop and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing tight. “That’s understandable. The whole cloak and dagger pickup was a trip. I thought Maxim was going to throw a black hood over my head just to be on the safe side.”
I pulled back with a laugh, so happy to have some time with my best friend. “I’m glad you’re here, Kels.”
“You’ll be even happier when you see what’s in the bags!” She opened one and pulled out tacos, nachos, fresh salsa, and a vat of guacamole. “Al Fresco’s!” Her smile was so big and wide, so proud that it was contagious.
“You are the absolute best, Kels.”
She flicked her red hair from her shoulders in a dramatic fashion. “Of course I am darling. Where are we gonna set up?”
“The terrace,” I answered automatically, helping her repack the bag so we could set up on the table outside. “It’s nice out and I don’t get outside nearly enough.”
She stopped and frowned. “Is he keeping you locked up?” her gaze darted around the backyard to make sure we were alone. “Like in a sex cave? Or an actual prison cell?”
I rolled my eyes. “Dramatic, much? It’s nothing like that, more like a self-imposed imprisonment which isn’t even really a prison because it’s an entire suite of rooms. With a reading nook.”
“Sounds swanky,” she wiggled her brows. “But I hate that this is so hard for you.”
I shrugged because what else was there to do or to say? “I’m adjusting.” It was the truth, at least as much as I could. “Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about you.”
Kelsie perked up. “My favorite topic,” she joked and launched into a whole tale of a middle aged bridezilla who demanded a princess wedding with a horse drawn carriage.
“She literally said she wants her princess moment like that was an age appropriate thing to say!” Kelsie tossed her head back and laughed.
“But I’m going to come through and she’s going to recommend to all her friends planning third, fourth and even fifth weddings. ”
We ate and we laughed about anything and everything and, for a little while, I could pretend as if my life was normal.
I could pretend this was any other weeknight dinner between me and my bestie.
And that’s just what I did, laughed and sipped my limeade sparkling water while she told me about Jacob making fried rice. And lasagna.
“Basically he’s playing out some hot chef fantasy I didn’t even know I had,” her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glowing.
“You like him,” I accused. “Like for real.”
Her brows dipped into a frown. “Of course I like Jacob. He is a likable guy.” She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal, but I didn’t miss the blush that crept up her cheeks when she looked away.
“I don’t mind,” I rushed to assure her. “I just thought you guys said that mostly to torture me, but I guess not.”
She rolled her eyes and then they widened when she looked over my shoulder. “Who do we have here?”
And just like that I was no longer able to pretend that this was a normal night with Mexican food and my best friend.
I turned and there was Ivan and Mikhail, two of Igor’s men who I didn’t know all that well and didn’t care to.
“Is something wrong,” I asked automatically even though neither of them would tell me anything.
“Not at all,” Ivan flashed a friendly smile. “There was so much laughter from here we thought we’d come and see what was so funny.”
I stiffened at his scrutiny, but I let it go and tried to cover it with a coolness I didn’t feel. “Just inside jokes with me and my bestie.”
Mikhail turned a predatory gaze to Kelsie. “And this beauty is your best friend?”
“I am,” Kelsie supplied with a bright smile. “And you are the muscles? The brawn?”
“You could say that,” Ivan replied with a flirty smile. “The brawn who protects the beauty.”
“Not that she needs it,” Mikhail added with a gleam I didn’t appreciate in his eyes. “She has the ultimate protection.”
I didn’t like his insinuation even if it was technically true. “Thanks for checking in but we’re good,” I said in a terse voice that barely concealed my annoyance. Who the fuck did he think he was, bringing up something he shouldn’t have seen never mind spoken about?
Ivan flashed surprised but he nodded. “Of course, April. Let us know if you need anything.” As quickly as they arrived, they left.
It was just too damn bad that my frustration didn’t leave with them.
“More man candy,” Kelsie sighed with a brilliant smile. “But the brown-eyed one gives me bad vibes.”
“Ivan? He’s the nice one.”
Kelsie lifted her brows. “The nice ones are the ones you have to worry about.”
I shrugged. “I’m more worried that Mikhail thought it was okay to bring up seeing Igor in my room than anything. I don’t care if they’re nice, they’re paid to do a job.”
“Whoa!” Kelsie fell back in her chair, her big brown eyes focused on me as if she was seeing me for the first time.
“What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, it’s just that for a second there you went all mob wife on me. He’s being paid to keep me safe, not be nice and focus on my sex life. Damn baby mama.”
“Stop,” I groaned but I couldn’t stop smiling at her teasing.
“Okay fine, no more teasing. What about baby daddy, how are things going with him?”
I shrugged off her question even though I knew she wouldn’t leave without answers. “What do you want me to say?”
Kelsie sighed. “I want you tell me why you look like shit. I want you tell me that he’s treating you right.”
“He is,” I admitted easily.
“And the rest?”
It was my turn to sigh. “I haven’t been sleeping well for the past week or so because of the nightmares.”
“Nightmares?” her eyes widened and she leaned in. “What the fuck is going on around here?”
I inhaled deeply and when I exhaled, the story of the shooting rushed out with it. “And I haven’t been sleeping well, unless Igor is in bed with me which is ridiculous because we aren’t a couple. I’m an employee which means I’m sleeping with my boss.”
“Then keep him in your bed if that’s what helps you sleep. There’s a baby growing inside of you, siphoning your energy and your nutrients which means you need to double up on all of it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I shot back. “We’re not sharing a bed like that.
He comes to my room for sex and that’s when he stays the night.
Otherwise I don’t really see him except for the occasional dinner.
” And I refused to admit just how much I looked forward to those dinners, to those nights when Igor knocked on my door and spent the night ravishing me, making me feel like something other than tired and haggard.
“Sounds like a relationship to me.”
“It’s not,” I answered quickly.
“Um, excuse me?” Kelsie held up a finger. “You live together.” Another finger. “And you sleep together.” Another finger shot up. “And you share meals together when you can. Yep, that’s a relationship.”
“Yeah, a professional relationship that includes the occasional night of sex.”
“Of incredible sex,” she corrected me with a knowing grin. “Hey, your words not mine.”
“And?”
Her expression was far more sympathetic when she leveled me with a gaze. “Honey, men don’t give incredible dick to just any woman. They save that shit for women who matter, so they can unleash the freaky demon within which I’m guessing he has.”
I don’t deny or confirm her unasked question.
“That’s what I thought. Lie to yourself if you want to but I can already see it. You’re falling for him.”
I shook my head. “Even if I am, that’s a me problem. Igor has enough to worry about and he’s not looking for that. Keeping me and therefore his baby alive is his top priority. The rest is just chemistry.”
“Bullshit,” she said through a fake cough. “I’ll be here when you’re ready to be honest about it.”
“You first,” I shot back, one brow arched, daring her to deny nothing was going on with my brother. “Just what I thought.”
Kelsie’s face flamed bright red. “What’s a girl gotta do to get a margarita around here,” she asked loudly to no one in particular.
I stood and pushed away from the table. “I’ll get you a margarita and when I come back, maybe you’ll be ready to be honest about it,” I offered, tossing her words back at her.
“Well that bit me in the ass a lot quicker than I expected,” she shouted to my retreating back, pulling another laugh from deep in my belly.
This night with Kelsie was just what I needed. I could get through the rest of this pregnancy without losing my head or my heart to Igor.
I hoped.