“No one will ever hurt you or Nikolai again,” he promised.
My lips twitched in a smile. “Talking about Nikolai—”
“Which one?” He grinned down at me.
“You’re grandfather. He’s been coming to see me and the baby a lot. I don’t think the care homes are very happy about his little trips, so I was thinking I would go and see him.” My eyes searched his face.
A flicker of unease swept across his face. So fast that I almost missed it. My frown deepened. “You don’t want me to?” His look of unease was quickly replaced by a wide smile. “Of course, I want you to have a relationship with him. You are family, but—”
My eyebrows shot up. “But?”
“Sometimes I wonder what you speak about?”
“Worried that he is telling me all of your secrets?”
I meant it jokingly, but again his face closed down.
“He just wants me to know that he will take care of us if this,” I motioned around the bright white, sun-filled room, “doesn’t work out.”
Alexei stepped away. “Why wouldn’t this work out, Amy?” Therewas a note of desperation in his voice. “We are married. We have a son. Why wouldn’t this work out?”
Wearily, I moved around him to fall onto the edge of the white sectional with a sigh. “Can we not do this now, Alexei? I’m tired and away from my baby, and I just want to relax.”
Instantly, he was on his knees in front of me, his hands trapped my cheeks between them, bringing our faces so close together that I was sure he was going to kiss me. The real question was, did I want him to? If Alexei leaned forward and brought our mouths together, would I push him away or kiss him back?
Honestly, I didn’t know. Things in the last ten days had been good, but there was something niggling at me, and I knew exactly what it was. Every single time I brought up Violet, he changed the subject. It wasn’t that I wanted her dead, but I did want to know that Nikolai and I were safe. I didn’t think it was a lot to ask.
“Forgive me,” he moved even closer, but instead of finding my lips with his, he brushed them against my cheek. “I know I shouldn’t push. I know I have a lot of things to make up for. You’ll let me do that, right?”
My eyes swept over his face. He looked ernest. Hopeful. Silently, I nodded.
“How about starting with some dinner? Anything you want?” Straightening, he pulled himself up to his full height and grinned down at me. “How about sushi?”
I shrugged. Sushi sounded good, but it wouldn’t have been my first choice. His smile grew even wider. “Great, I know just the place. It’s new and really exclusive. It only opened two days ago, but I think you will love it.”
Pulling out his phone, his fingers flew over the keys until he passed it to me.” Choose what you want, and I’ll go and get it for us. I am just going to freshen up.”
I scanned the screen. The place had only opened two days ago, so how did he already know about it? Alexei spent every waking minute with me and the baby. My heart lurched as I scrolled down the website.
He didn’t spend the evenings at the hospital. He didn’t spend evenings with us, he spent them at sushi restaurants with—
Using two fingers made the screen bigger. A picture of my husband was proudly displayed. It was him on his own. Looking like a male model. The people on either side of him had been cropped out, but they had forgotten to crop out the hand on his arm.
A feminine hand with a very distinct diamond and sapphire ring.
“Two days ago?” I whispered.
“What?”
“You went to the opening?” Holding the phone with trembling fingers, I lifted my face to his. “Two days ago?”
I wanted to make sure I was correct and not jumping to conclusions.
“Yes, but—”
“I’m suddenly not hungry.” Holding the phone out, I watched his face twist with confusion.
“You need to eat.”
