He found her in her hiding place or as she liked to call it—her office. She was standing in front of the new shelves that had been recently installed and staring at them.
She’d already filled the new space up with more books, more crystal fairies—he’d tucked in a pirate PEZ dispenser in the middle to balance things out—and framed pictures. That was his favorite addition. All the photos of Zoe and him. It made him feel like he belonged. This house felt more like home to him than any place he’d ever lived before, but he suspected it had more to do with its owner than the actual structure.
“It’s not like that,” he began, then stopped. It sure as hell was like that and his wife wasn’t an idiot, nor did she deserve to be treated like one. “I know how to say no.” He knew that he could say no a thousand times to any woman, but Zoe.
“I know you do,” she said softly, turning to face him. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
“I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like this, but in all honesty, I didn’t want anything interrupting our time together. Actually, I thought that by ignoring it, I could get out of it.” He leaned against her desk and crossed his arms. “I got a text from Sasha during your dance class and it quickly dispelled any notions of that.”
“Is he going, too?”
“It’s going to be a great big family affair. Even my father’s invited.”
She pulled a face. “Sounds great.”
He laughed. “You’d never make it as an actress.”
“Couldn’t you just say you’re sick?”
“Unfortunately, no. Look, I’m going to have security flown in. Today reminded me of just how persistent the paparazzi can be.” It was true. Being in Holland Springs had lulled him. Another surprise as he’d always been the one looking for the next party. The next adrenaline rush. The next high. He’d never been content to stay in one place. Not until Zoe.
The sound of a car pulling up in the drive way had him walking over to the window and peering out. “What the hell?” He watched his cousin jog up the front porch steps. Turning to his attention back to his wife, he said, “I think Sasha’s here to apologize.”
“I doubt that.”
“He can’t help the position he’s in.”
Her hands fluttered in the air. “I know, but all I can think of is I had to go almost five years without you.”
“You loved me all that time?”
She ducked her head. “I’m not an obsessed fangirl. Just don’t go looking on my hard drive. I might have sneaked a peek at you some time or another.”
He crooked his finger under chin, lifting it. “I might have stared at the pictures of you from that night a time or two myself.”
Her eyes rounded. “Really?”
Sasha knocked on the front door, but he ignored him. “I’m only going to say this once, but the girl that captivated me turned into the woman that captured my heart. However, if you don’t want it, I’ll wear it proudly on my sleeve for all to see.”
She gave him a shy smile. “It’s not your heart you’re wearing, it’s—”
“For the love of God, you two, stop with the talking,” Sasha grumbled, appearing in Zoe’s office without being invited in the house.
“Have I ever told you, Sasha, that your timing sucks?”
“Stealing my line, are you?” Christian asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “I tweaked it a bit.”
“Sorry, dear, but I need your man,” Sasha chimed in.
“Get one of your own.”
Sasha scrubbed his hand across his face, drawing attention to a cut on his swollen bottom lip. Who’d ever popped his cousin in the mouth had a hell of a punch. “I like women. All shapes, sizes and races. Twenty-one and up.”
“I know, you’re like the UN of dating. Must be nice to have a choice or the chance to be with whomever you want,” she said, her hands clenching into fists.
Christian stepped in between them. He was half-tempted to let Zoe throw a punch at Sasha. “Calm down, wildcat. I roughed him up good before I came out here.”
She blinked up at him. “You did?”
“He damned near drowned me-to say nothing of what he did to my hair,” Sasha said with a slight grimace.
Christian eyed him in disbelief. “You’d just woken up.”
“By almost drowning me!”
“Quit being a pus—" Christian remembered that his wife was standing there. “Pansy.”
Sasha laughed at him. “Got you by the short-hairs, eh?”
“No, he has manners. Ever heard of them?” Zoe fisted her hands on her hips.
It was times like this that he couldn’t possibly love her more, but he did. Her defense of him was amazingly sweet. And completely undeserved.
“Why are you here, Alexander?”
“Well, Vlad,” Sasha said and Christian flipped him off, manners be damned. “I texted you the wrong time and date. We have to leave at three. This afternoon.”
“How in the hell am I supposed to give my wife a proper good bye with only,” Christian glanced at his watch, “thirty minutes warning?”
Sasha rubbed his chin. “Well, you could start by not talking so damn much and getting right to it.” Sasha made a motion with his hand and hips.
Christian pointed a finger at him. “Go wait in the car.”
“Yes, your highness. Whatever you say, your highness.” Sasha gave them a proper bow and sauntered off, whistling as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“I think he’s lost his mind,” she said.
“I think his idea has merit,” Christian said and lifted her in his arms. He made it to their room in record time and threw her on the bed, joining her as he worked at the buttons of her shirt, but to his surprise she pushed him away.
“Wait, you’ll make me forget,” she said, scooting out from under him.
He rolled to his side and propped a hand up under his head.
She searched through her top drawer. “I was going to wait to give this to you, but now it seems like the right moment.” She whirled around, her orange pleated skirt flaring out as she did. “Close your eyes.”
He did but not before he saw a small box in her hands.
The bed dipped slightly under her weight and she kneed him in the stomach. “Whoops, I’m sorry!” A swift kiss to his belly had him reaching for her and she tumbled on top of him with a laugh. “Open your eyes.”