Chapter 12 - Aleksandr

The second I heard her say what I'd been waiting for, I pulled her close, crushing her body to mine. Her soft curves fit against me to perfection. We were truly made for each other. An odd twist of fate brought us together, and I wasn't letting her go again. My lips found hers, and her mouth opened to me with a sigh.

A shudder wracked through us both, and her hands tightened in the fabric of my shirt. I had a meeting soon, but I didn't care if anything got wrinkled. Now that Katie had agreed to my wishes, business was the last thing on my mind. She would make the most beautiful bride, and it was a shame she wouldn't get to wear the dress of her dreams. But that wasn't important either. The only thing that mattered was that she was in my arms.

It had been a long, restless night, coming to terms with her revelation. For the life of me, I couldn't remember her, though the pictures were hard proof that she'd been at my house with Nataliye. Pinpricks struck my heart whenever I thought of my daughter, the same age as this woman I wanted to make my bride. Needed and craved to see her grow round with a baby we created together.

It wasn't for lack of love for my daughter. She was the light of my existence. But she was also grown, and I wasn't the sort of man who'd shrivel up and forgo my own life because I'd spoiled her a little bit. Her temper was fierce, but she adored me, and I believed she'd want me to be happy, just as I wanted her to be. Hence the reason I was allowing her to shun the family business and chase after her artistic dreams, despite my father's constant complaints about it.

Katie's quiet moan into my mouth shook away any lingering doubts. She was the one for me, and I wasn't letting go. She wasn't either, with her hands clutching at my shoulders before her fingers tangled in my hair until it was probably standing straight up. Her heart pounded against my chest, and her sides were warm under my palms. I gave her one last squeeze and pulled away.

She had to want me as much as she'd made me want her these last few days.

With a disgruntled sound that had me weak, Katie flopped back onto the pillows, furrowing her brow at me for cutting our fun short. I merely gave her a small smirk, took the tablet I placed on the breakfast tray, and handed it to her.

"Order anything you need to start your new life. We'll leave here and go to the house as soon as I'm finished with some business on this side of town."

When she made no move to start shopping, I swiped to some online shops and waved the screen in front of her nose. "Consider it part of the bargain," I told her. This woman certainly had no avarice, and it was getting annoying. For the first time, I wasn't being cajoled to buy something; now it was all I wanted to do.

She started scrolling, at least, and then looked up at me with interest. "What are you doing today? What kind of meeting?"

In my line of work, it was natural to be suspicious whenever someone asked me about what I had done. But it was clear she was only genuinely curious. As much as I wanted to share every facet of my life with her, I couldn't.

It was much too fresh in my memory how she'd made it abundantly clear how she felt about people who operate on the other side of the law. When she shared the story of her father's betrayal, she had been shaking with anger and disgust. He had only been a petty embezzler, maybe swindled a few retirees.

I ran the biggest criminal organization in California. How could I explain the Bratva and how deep my family ties ran? I couldn't unless I wanted her to despise me.

"I own the club we met in," I said. That mainly was a legitimate business. I paid taxes on it anyway, at least on the money we counted going through the place. "Lots of other, smaller places, too. A bit of investing. It's pretty dull."

She nodded and shrugged, happily adding things to her cart. It made my chest ache how much she already trusted me, and I was already stepping on that trust. Maybe not outright lying, but it was basically the same. The bottom line was that she'd run if she knew the truth or thought I was anything like her father. Hell, I was worse than her father by a thousandfold, but I wasn't stupid and careless. The Bratva didn't get caught, and my activities outside our home would never harm her. There and then, I vowed to protect Katie to my dying day.

I sat beside her and looked at her screen, frowning to see she'd only put essential items into the shopping cart. I switched over to a couture site that displayed sumptuous gowns I would have loved to see on her curvy body, and sparkling jewels that she deserved to be dripping in.

"Think bigger," I said. "Add it all if you want."

She turned to me with a huff. "And when would I wear it? My next shift at the restaurant?"

"You're going to be my wife," I reminded her, thrilled at the sound of it. "You'll wear it for me."

She blushed and gave the site a more serious look. "You think I'd look good in one of these dresses?"

"I know you'd look amazing," I told her. "Now stop fishing for compliments, and at least pick your favorite."

"What do you think of this?" she asked, showing me a picture of a pale yellow dress with subtly sparkling beads going down the front of it. "I don't think redheads are supposed to wear yellow, though."

"Says who?" I growled. "Bring them to me."

She laughed delightedly and switched the screen to another sapphire blue, silky dress, and about to make me drool thinking about taking it off of her. Was I actually enjoying shopping for dresses online? It seemed Katie made anything possible.

"That's the one," she purred. "It's my absolute dream dress."

Her finger hovered over her size and I pressed it down. "Good. Now get some jewelry to match and plenty of other outfits, too. I don't know when I'll have time to get back to your place to retrieve your things."

She gave me a look as if to ask why she couldn't go on her own, then shrugged it off, engrossed in her chore now. I didn't want to leave her, not even for a moment, but I had some things to tie up. Possibly literally if the people I was meeting didn't cooperate.

And I still couldn't get up from my place beside her. Watching her idly nibbling on her breakfast as she scrolled on the tablet was mesmerizing.

"Do you really have to work today?" she asked. "Shouldn't we celebrate or something? I mean, we're engaged, I guess?"

I gave her a quick kiss on her temple. "We are definitely engaged. Perhaps we can celebrate later. And I'll have my lawyers work on getting everything you asked for taken care of by this evening."

She dropped the tablet into her lap and stared up at me. I reveled in seeing the awe in her eyes and couldn't hold back from kissing her again. She turned her face, and our mouths met, lingering for a long, heated moment. As her body began to turn toward me, I pulled away.

I had things to do, and she should simmer for a while.

"You're coming back for me?" she asked as I rose to leave her room. Much too slowly, I pulled myself away.

"I'll have a driver take you and meet you later on."

"When?" she asked, leaning across the bed.

"Later on."

"Aleks!"

I left the apartment, chuckling as she called out more questions. "I'll see you later," I called.

My laughter faded in the elevator as I straightened my shirt and black suit jacket. The time for smiles was over. It was time to be intimidating, and in order to quickly take care of this unsavory business, I definitely couldn't tell Katie anything about it. As much as I would have liked to keep her bright voice and eager questions rattling around in my mind, I had to put her aside for the moment and get my head in the game. It was imperative that this business with the Armenian crew be taken care of swiftly.

For all of us, but especially Katie, now that I'd promised she'd never come to harm because of my life in the Bratva.