by Belle Aurora
His arms came around me. He pulled me close and I let him. He lifted me onto his lap, wrapped me up tight, and held me close when he stated, “I want you to think on this, okay? Don’t make any rash decisions. Just…just think on it. And if this is what you really want in the morning, I’ll go. I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”
One more night.
Holding onto him, I nodded against his chest.
My heart broke at that very moment.
Come morning, we both knew what my decision would be.
Chapter Fifty
Lev
“Have you decided?” I asked as I approached my mouse from behind, watching her scroll restlessly through charity websites.
With her fist under her chin, she grunted, “No.” Then she sighed. “There’s too many of them. I have no idea how to decide which are worthy enough to donate to.”
I thought about that.
It would be a hard decision to make. I stepped forward, pulled back the desk chair, and lifted her. I sat in her place and lowered her down to my lap. “Even if you only give half of your inheritance, there is a lot of money there. Why not split it up into four or six and donate to multiple causes.”
Mina melted into me, resting her head on my chest, curling up on my lap like a cat. “That’s not a bad idea. I might do that.” She let out a breath of frustration. “But that doesn’t make the decision any easier.”
“You could always draw them out of a hat,” I uttered, just enjoying the feel of this little creature in my arms, not serious in the least.
I held onto her and the world slipped away. She calmed my mind and my soul lifted when close to her. Mina Harris was the better part of me, and I would keep her happy for the rest of my life.
She stilled in my lap and looked up at me with wide eyes, wearing an expression that said ‘Now why didn’t I think of that?’
“That’s a great idea,” she whispered. A small smile graced her beautiful face and she leaned up to kiss me. I took her lips gently, dipping in to taste her, and she sighed softly. “I love you, Lev.”
It was time to explain something to Mina, something about who I was. “I have never belonged, Mina,” I started. “I have always had a feeling of loneliness inside of me, and I never understood it, not when I’m constantly surrounded by people. I do, however, understand I differ from the masses. In a constant state of confusion, misunderstanding plagues me.” My brow furrowed. “I’m always thinking, ‘What did I say to make Nastasia mad?’ or ‘Why did Sasha look at me that way?’ Why doesn’t my brain work the way it should?”
I paused a moment, and Mina listened intently. “I would’ve given anything to be normal. And around you, I feel normal.” I laid my hand against her cheek and ran my thumb over her jawline. “I’ve never had ordinary. You gave me that. I plan on repaying you what I owe you for the rest of my life.”
She leaned into my hand and closed her eyes. “We saved each other.” She opened her eyes and glanced at me lovingly. “I think we can call it even, sweetie.”
Perhaps she was right. Perhaps we were destined to find each other. Either way, I would do everything in my power to make sure Mina had a full and happy life. Just as she’d given to me.
***
My phone chirped and I pulled it out of my pocket to read the message.
Nas: Get over here. We need to talk. PRIVATELY.
I turned to look over at Mina and Lidi, who sat on the floor watching a children’s movie on the television. They were apart but holding hands.
My throat constricted.
I didn’t want to leave, but Nastasia was my sister. She was important to me and when she called on me, I would be there.
Standing, I stilled when Mina turned to look back at me. “Be back soon. Nas needs me.”
Mina blew me a kiss and I took it with me as I walked out the front door and made the short journey to my sister’s house.
She was waiting for me at the front door, holding it open. With a wave of her arm, she said, “Get in here.”
It sounded serious. Nas was rarely short with me and right now, she seemed annoyed. I made my way up the steps and as I crossed the threshold of her home, I stated, “Something’s wrong.”
She puffed out a long breath, walking through to her dining room and taking a seat. “Yeah, something’s wrong, Lev.” She jerked her chin, motioning for me to take a seat, so I did.
“What is it?” I asked carefully.
Nas sat back in her chair and uttered softly, “Do you love Mina?”
My face turned hard. What an idiotic question. “Of course I love Mina.”
What was this about?
My heart pounded. When things came to Mina, I didn’t mess around. “What’s going on, Nas?”
Then she said something I wasn’t expecting. Here eyes sad, she muttered, “I’m a little disappointed in you.”
The pounding in my chest increased. “Why?”
My sister shook her head. “The public proposal was cute, Lev. It was you down to a T.” She shook her head. “But I was hoping you’d step outside your box, get down on one knee and ask Mina in a way that would make her feel special.”
I lowered my face, momentarily lost in thought and when I raised my head to look at her again, I asked, “Do you think Mina would like that? A proposal?”
Nas smiled gently and told me, “Every woman wants a proposal she can tell her kids about.”
Children? With Mina?
I liked that idea.
Yes. A proposal.
I could do that.
My mind made up, I leaned forward slightly and queried, “What do I need to do?”
Nas grinned then. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Mina
Something was up.
I wasn’t sure what exactly but Lev was acting distracted and kind of off, even for him.
When I asked him what was wrong, he shook his head and muttered something about having too much on his mind. I told him he could talk to me and when he turned to me and smiled, he stated that he would talk when it was needed.
I trusted Lev with every piece of me and if he told me not to worry, I would try my hardest not to. But I loved him, which meant I would go ahead and worry anyways.
It was Sunday and after having a predictably late Saturday night at the club, Lev woke to get his workout in and although part of me wanted to be the early bird, the other part of me didn’t give a flipping flip if I got the worm or not.
I was tired and because of that, I slept my way through to eleven thirty, and Lev would be arriving back from his run at anytime now.
Walking my sleepy ass down the stairs, I shuffled into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I’d taken the first sip when Lidiya came into the kitchen, an empty Sippy cup hanging from her hang while the other one rubbed her tired little eyes, and she whined. “No nap. No nap.” Then she stomped one little foot.
Mirella followed her in. “Lidi, sweetheart, you’re tired. And when you’re tired, you need a nap.” Mirella rolled her eyes slightly and smiled in a way that read ‘kids, huh?’
Lidi was already at my side, holding up her arms and without hesitation, I picked her up, rocking her from side-to-side and kissing her forehead lovingly. Her eyes were already starting to close when Lev walked in from the back door. And when he spotted me, holding Lidi, rocking her grumpy self to sleep, his eyes went warm.
He made his way forward and kissed her chubby cheek before turning to me and kissing my lips, feather soft. A now sleeping Lidiya dropped her sippy cup to the kitchen floor with a clang and clap and she jolted but didn’t wake.
Lev pulled her out of my arms, held her close and walked her to her bedroom where she could nap in comfort. I followed him upstairs so I could watch him undress and when I arrived back to our bedroom, he already had his tee off.
“We have the night off,” he threw out into the silence.
My nose bunched. “What? Why?”
&nbs
p; Lev looked over at me, his hands on the waistband of his sweat pants. “Because you deserve it.”
I liked the club. It was my home away from home. I enjoyed it there.
With a light shrug, I uttered a sincere, “That’s okay. I don’t need a night off. I love club nights, besides, it’s only three days a week.”
He blinked over at me, seeming surprised that I wouldn’t want a night to myself. “I thought we could go to dinner. To that Russian place you like.”
Ooh.
Blini and Pelmeni. I didn’t think I could pass that up but it was a work night. We could go anytime.
The he added something that would have me giving up my fight. “Like on our first date.”
My smile was slow to form and catlike. “You want to have a date night?”
He nodded. “Yes. Just the two of us.”
Shit, that was sweet.
How can I say no to that?
“Okay.” I smiled harder. “But, just so you know, for you, I’m a sure thing, baby. Always.”
His lip twitched and he threw down his sweats, leaving him in the nude. I let out a low whistle of appreciation and his body shook in silent laughter. Then I followed him into the bathroom to watch him bathe because… well… I could.
Arriving at our dinner destination, Lev talked to the woman at the counter, speaking in rapid fire Russian, getting more and more frustrated with every additional word, he slapped his hand down on the counter and turned to me, his face hard, his lips thin, “They’re booked for a private function.”
It didn’t bother me that the short journey was wasted. I was just happy to be there with Lev. “That’s okay, sweetie. We’ll go eat somewhere else.”
He looked down at me, his voice clinical. “No, it had to be here.”
I blinked at his unlikely tantrum. “Well, here isn’t available. So we’ll go somewhere else.” I took his hand and led him out of the restaurant, running my thumb along his knuckles. “It’s no big deal, Lev. We’ll come back another time.”
His jaw tight, he nodded but I could tell he was upset, and I didn’t understand why. I couldn’t believe I was saying it but, it was just food.
When we got into the car and Lev asked me where we should dine, I was brutally honest with him. “Honey, all I want to do is go home, watch movies and eat pizza with you. Follow that with getting naked for playtime and that would be the best date night ever.”
He looked over at me a long moment before he took my hand, lifted it to his mouth, pressed a soft kiss to the back of it and sighed, “If that is what you wish, mouse.”
We came home to an empty house and I kicked off my shoes, holding them and walking them up the stairs with me. Halfway up, I squeaked as Lev hefted me up into his arms and walked me the rest of the way and into the bedroom.
Someone had cleaned up the mess I’d left in the form of a pile of clothes by the sofa, the bed was made immaculately and the bathroom light was on, a wonderfully sweet smell coming from inside.
Lev took my hands in his and looked down at me, his eyes warm. “I wanted tonight to be special. So far, it hasn’t been but I’ll make it up to you.” He walked me over to the bathroom, opening the door all the way, revealing what the sweet smell had been.
A bubble bath had been run, smelling of vanilla with rose petals scattered throughout it.
My breath caught. “Oh, sweetie. It’s beautiful.”
His hands came down on my shoulders from behind and he rested his chin on my head. “Why don’t you soak for a while? I’ll call for pizza and when you’re done we can find a movie to watch.”
I turned, forcing his arms to dislodge. I looked up at him and stated fiercely. “This is the best date night ever. I know this and it’s barely even begun, but I know this.” I reached out to squeeze his hand. “This is special.”
His eyes softened even more and he reached for the bathroom door handle. “Go. Soak. Relax,” he uttered, closing the door behind him.
I did as I was told and, undressing and slipping into the tub, I soaked in the warm water in the tub for a long while, until the water started to take on a slight chill to it.
Where had all this romance come from?
It sounded like Lev was feeling the need to prove himself or something of the like. I would need to set him straight. I didn’t need romance, not like this. I just needed Lev to be himself and I’d be forever happy.
I let the water out, wiped myself down then dressed in my white robe. When I made my way out of the bathroom to tell Lev to cut it out, my breath left me in a whoosh.
Why, you ask?
Because standing in the middle of the bedroom was Lev, with the lights off, hundreds of tea candles lit all over, the room glittering in the soft illumination. The bed turned down, he swallowed hard, taking in my expression of shock as my gaze flittered across the room. Still dressed in his three-piece, Lev shifted his weight on his feet and held out his hand.
I hesitated only a moment before I came to him, reaching out to place my hand in his. “What is this?” I asked quietly, awestruck.
He took a step back, away from me and reached into his breast pocket. When he pulled back, he looked down at what he’s just pulled out of his pocket and when my eyes settled on the cue cards he held, my brow rose.
Lev cleared his throat, once, twice, a third time. “Mina,” he read. “The way we met was highly unusual and I admit I was most relived when I found out you were not a thief.”
My brows rose higher but he didn’t see, so he continued.
“And I”—he looked around the room, down on the bed, over at the sofa before he got distracted and announced—“I forgot the flowers. Hold on.”
He whizzed past me and out of the room, leaving me in the middle of the bedroom, mouth gaping. He returned in under a minute and held a beautiful bunch of flowers in his hand. Clearing his throat again, he went on. “And I am grateful for having met you.” He thrust out the flowers and read robotically, “Here in this bouquet you will find vines of Ivy, Lilac and Camillia.”
He switched to another cue card and went on. “Ivy symbolizes fidelity. Lilac symbolizes first love. And Camellia symbolizes thankfulness and appreciation.” He pushed the flowers out farther into me and I took them. He looked relieved when his shoulders drooped. In the candlelight, I saw a sheen of sweat beading his forehead. Reaching up to loosen his tie, he swallowed hard and read on, “With this bouquet, I give you a promise. A promise that I will always be faithful to you, adore you and never take you for granted.”
Waving the cue cards across his face, he lifted his gaze to me and asked, “Is it hot in here?”
I shrugged, holding my flowers but he didn’t see it. He was in presentation mode. Switching cue cards, he spoke clinically but his voice croaked, “They say penguins mate for life.” He reached up again and jerked hard at his tie. “And I want to be your penguin.” He jerked the tie harder until it came undone, hanging from his neck. He quickly undid the top button of his shirt and glanced across the room, glaring at the nightstand and muttering, “Damn candle went out.”
Wait? He wanted to be my penguin?
Huh?
He moved to relight the tea candle but I stopped him.
It was obvious. He was distressed.
Holding onto his arm, I pulled him back in front of me and asked, “Honey, what is all this?”
Lev closed his eyes and he shut them tight. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he let out a long sigh, using his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead and reached into his pants pocket.
He pulled out a black velvet box and set it on his knee.
Breathing deeply, he opened the box, brought his eyes to mine and shook his head, “Can’t you see I’m trying to ruin a proposal here?”
I looked down and blinked down at the ring sitting inside its beautiful box. “But we’re already engaged. Sort of.”
He held the box, running a hand down his face and he uttered a hushed, “I just wanted this to be romantic.”
Getting on my knees in front of him, I crawled between his open legs and looked up at him tenderly. “Oh, sweetie. I don’t need romance,” I told him. “I just need you exactly how you are.”
His jaw tight, he couldn’t even look at me. This meant something to him. So I tried something else.
I spoke softly, “Lev, it’s just me and you right now. Although your presentation was very informative, I was never one for flowery words. Just give me words from the heart, baby.”
He looked down at me, a sad frown etched on his features. He took a deep breath and when he opened his mouth, beauty came out. He started on a whispered sigh, “You’re everything to me.”
My eyes were already watering.
“I would give my life rather than disappoint you and I would hurt anyone who tried to remove you from my side. I have never met a kinder woman. You’re wonderful with Lidiya. I want to have children with you, as many as you’ll allow, so we can experience parenthood together.”
I bit my lip but it didn’t stop the tears from coming. They blurred my eyes and trailed my cheeks.
“I’ll be a good father to them. I pray that our babies will be like you but if they are like me, I don’t want you to worry, because I’ll guide them and show them they are loved even if they don’t understand what that means. I will teach them.”
My eyes closed as broken sobs escaped me. I held onto Lev’s knee for support.
“I will spend my life loving you and you will spend your happy life making me a better person, as you already have, from your mere presence.” He held out the box and whispered a nervous. “I will be the man you deserve. I’m not quite there, mouse, but I’m working on it. Marry me and my sole purpose in life will be to take every action so you don’t ever regret it.” He took my hand and with shaking fingers, slipped the ring in place. It fit perfectly. “Will you marry me, Mina?”
I stared at the ring, gleaming in the light, blinking away tears as a broken laugh escaped me. “Yes.” I laughed again, reaching up to throw my arms around Lev’s neck, kissing his stubbled cheek. “A thousand times yes.”
