“Or you could just hit me in the head with a hammer?” Knox asked. “Then I’ll be unconscious.” Problem solved.
Irina crossed her arms. “If I knock you out, then who’s going to knock me out?”
Fair point.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back on this,” Irina said in a way that he actually believed her.
He soaked that in—she had his back. His throat got oddly tight at that thought.
“You’re going to make an excellent wife.” He held her gaze with his, enjoying the feeling of her all wrapped up with him in the moment.
She didn’t look away, just allowed that thin thread of connection to remain. The way they seemed to be communicating without saying a word. The way his whole body felt like he’d come home. All of that with just her gaze.
He dug that.
“I’ll see you in the morning?” he asked.
“Seven?” Neither of them moved. “Meet here?”
He nodded. “And Baby Cakes? I told you my mother’s name when we did the invitation list. Next time you should listen, so I don’t have to repeat myself.”
Irina’s eyelids pressed to slits, but her lips twitched with humor.
“I believe you also owe me a few pies?”
“I’ve been busy.” She tossed her hands to the side. “But I promise I will bake your pies. Pinky swear.”
“I was already promised pie. There has been no pie.”
“How’s my song coming along?” she countered.
“A rain check it’ll have to be.” He shrugged, because he hadn’t started that yet, either.
“Thought so,” she said with a wink.
Chapter Seven
IRINA
Dressed up,rocking her chunky macrame sandals, and ready to kick the day’s ass, Irina paused in the hallway before knocking on the door to Courtney’s—Knox’s—apartment.
“Irina,” her mother’s voice called from the end of the hall.
Irina let out a sigh as her mom flowed toward her. “Hi, Mom.”
Seriously, she practically flowed, ethereal with her red hair tied up at the top of her head, a massive canvas rolled under her arm, and a twenty-something guy wearing a trench coat following behind. “I thought you and Dad were doing a drive to the Grand Canyon?”
Dad had wanted to take photos there for some contest he planned to enter.
“Plans changed.” Mom lifted her hand in a whatcha-gonna-do motion. “Now we’re back. You don’t mind if I use your light today, do you?”
Technically, no. Irina never minded sharing her light, but today was a different kind of day with Knox. Knox, who may not understand the art happening in that light.
“Who’s your friend?” Irina asked.
“This is Brayden.” Mom waved her hand toward the model. “Brayden is an art-student-slash-model and I’m giving him a lesson while he poses for me.”
“Please tell me Brayden has clothes on?” Irina made big eyes at her mom. The one wild card this day didn’t need was a naked guy in her apartment while she met her future husband’s mother.
