I wait for him to open my door, half because I am loving the chivalry and half because I am in shock.
“You live here?” I ask, my jaw still dragging on the ground.
“Youlive here,” he tells me, taking my hand and tugging me along. It’s like my feet don’t want to move. Because holy fucking blank check.
We make our way inside through doors that have to be fifteen feet tall. The foyer alone is as big as the living area at my house back in Montana. All the floors are marble, along with the countertops and the bathrooms. A staircase winds up to thesecond floor, where I count five bedroom doors. There’s also a gym, a theatre room, a pool, and a patio with a bar and a garden.
“Ransome…” I sit down on the giant leather sectional, which nearly swallows me whole. “This is wild.”
“Do you think you’ll be comfortable here?” he asks, bringing me a glass of water.
“Are you kidding?” I smile as he sits down next to me. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s like a castle.”
“I’m glad you’ll be happy.” He sees me jump a little and his eyes narrow. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing’s wrong. The baby just moved.”
“He did?” His eyes dart around my belly.
“Yes! Here, give me your hand.”
I grab Ransome’s hand and place it on my belly, moving it around until he feels it too. A tiny foot presses against the skin and into his hand, and Ransome’s jaw pops. And I swear it’s the first time I’ve seen him at a loss.
“What—” he asks.
“That was a foot,” I tell him.
“Does it hurt?”
“Sometimes. Like when he kicks me in the ribs.” Ransome’s lips tug upward in the corners. I find myself staring at his smile—a real smile!—until he can feel it. His eyes drag back up to mine, his hands still on my belly.
Then I tip my chin up and at the same time, he tips his down and our mouths connect.
Ransome’s jaw works to part my lips and his tongue finds mine. My eyes close and my back arches as I press my body into his. Then I reach up and with our lips still together, I undo the first button on his charcoal gray button down.
But before I can move onto the next, he pulls back and stands up. Then he takes his phone from his pocket, which is buzzing with a phone call.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“I have to go,” he mutters.
“Work?” I ask but he doesn’t answer. Which means yes. And not the Apex kind.
“That’s okay,” I tell him, hugging my knees. “Will you be back for dinner?”
Ransome pulls another phone out and hands it to me. The burner. “The fridge is stocked with healthy snacks and meals. And if you don’t see anything you want, you can use that phone to order something. Ivan will pick it up for you, he has access to the gates.”
“Okay…” I trail off. I don’t know why I am surprised. This is his life. I remember this life. I don’t know why I was naive enough to think that it would be different. “Do you know when you’ll be home?” I ask as he tugs a jacket on. Then he rebuttons his top button.
“I won’t be back tonight. I actually stay at the other estate most of the time.”
“The other estate?” I echo. “But I thought this was your home.”
“My father’s estate. That I inherited when I becamepakhan.”
He’s pakhan?
I mean, obviously he is. He turned thirty. Still, I guess I didn’t think about all of it. I was too busy swooning at the idea of us being a family. Which is honestly kind of ridiculous.
