Shit. What if he never wanted this? What if this will ruin everything we’ve rebuilt?
Then suddenly, he grins, slow at first and then fully. Beautifully. And the sight knocks the air out of me.
He lets out a quiet, disbelieving laugh and shakes his head before lifting me clean off my feet, spinning me around. “You have just given me the best news of my life.”
“Aleksei,” I whisper through tears as he kisses me.
He pulls back just enough to see my face, his thumb sweeping along my jaw with a softness that makes my chest tighten. “I love you. You and this little one…you are everything to me.”
“I love you too, Aleksei.”
A low growl rumbles out of him before he lifts me off the floor in one smooth motion, spinning me as I laugh. “We have to tell the family.”
“Okay,” I manage between giggles as he sets me down, his hands firm at my hips.
Suddenly, he drops to his knees and rests his cheek against my stomach, whispering something in Russian I can’t decipher, but feel everywhere. His fingers curl around the backs of my thighs, holding me there before he presses a kiss to my stomach.
My own emotions hit me, and when he rises, his stare is filled with affection he doesn’t bother hiding.
The moment we reenter the dining room, conversation stops cold.
Kirill’s attention moves to me, then to Aleksei with a flicker of curiosity. “Are you okay? You are smiling too much, brother. It is scaring me.”
Aleksei ignores him entirely, his hand still firm on my waist. “I’m going to be a father.”
For one long second, silence reigns. Then the room erupts all at once—shouts, laughter, congratulations.
Emilia reaches me first, wrapping me up so tightly I stumble back a step. “I can’t believe we’re pregnant together.”
“I know,” I laugh, the joy bubbling up in my chest.
My parents sweep in, both of them pulling me into a hug, my mom already tearing up. Across the table, Aleksei’s brothers congratulate him too.
As I look around the room at what we’ve created, my heart feels too full for my body. Whatever came before, whatever darkness we walked through to get here, it led us to this.
Our future. Our family.
And for the first time, I truly believe we’ll have it all.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
ALEKSEI
I never thoughtI would have children.
It was never something I pictured for myself. Not because I didn’t want it, but because I didn’t believe I was capable of being any kind of father. Not after the one I had.
But then there’s Fiona. When I look into her eyes, I start to believe maybe I could be more. Better than what I had.
She makes me want that. She makes me want everything.
The dining room is still loud, the table littered with empty plates and wineglasses, dessert only half eaten.
I lean toward her, mouth brushing her ear. “I’m done sharing you tonight.”
She turns to me with a teasing smile. “Oh? And what do you have in mind?”
My palm grasps the side of her face. “Everything.”
