“No, that’s fine. Mamma told me I was chaos, and you were control, we need to come to a middle ground.”
I raised a brow. “She did, did she?”
“Come on, let’s see what she’s doing before she turns our home into a showroom.”
Our home.
I liked the sound of that.
Lottie stayed for dinner. She did most of the talking and tamed the confetti room to a manageable brightness. The orange and yellow furniture were more pleasing with the cream throw pillows, and she moved my two-million-dollar painting in there.
“I took measurements for drapes,” Lottie said. “You want to keep them neutral too.”
“It’s not too bright, is it?” Lucy asked me. “I thought it would be the perfect foil to your frosty presence.”
“Lucy!” Lottie was aghast.
But I laughed. A deep-chested laugh that startled Sorcha into dropping the utensils. I caught myself, but that didn’t stop a wide grin from forming. I sipped my wine. “That’s fine. I love my spunky wife.”
Did I just say that?
It wasn’t that I loved her. It meant I loved her spunk. I refused to clarify my words because I didn’t want to draw more attention to them.
Lucy dropped her eyes to her plate as her mother made another swooning sound.
I could be quite the Prince Charming, apparently.
“Dom and Sloane arrived last night. How about family dinner at our house tomorrow?”
“They might be jet-lagged,” Lucy pointed out. “But I don’t mind catching up.”
“I’ll check with them,” Lottie said.
“That’s not possible,” I cut in. “I’m taking Lucy for a mini vacation to the Caribbean islands tomorrow. To escape the cold of November.” I picked up my wife’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a honeymoon, but I promise once I’ve settled into my position, we can take a longer vacation.”
Lucy narrowed her eyes. Ever since we talked about her brother’s honeymoon, there was a surge of competitiveness inside me. But with the demands as pakhan, it’d been impossible to find a block of time we could go on vacation. With Kolya back, I could breathe easier.
My wife didn’t say anything, but Lottie vocalized her approval. “Aw, that’s so sweet. Of course, get working on those grandbabies, hmm.”
“Mamma,” Lucy grumbled.
I was still clasping her hand, and I was glad she didn’t pull away. “We’re working on it, Lottie.”
When her mother finally left, Lucy turned to me. “You didn’t have to go that far if you didn’t want to have dinner with my family.”
I hooked her around the waist and kept her pinned to me. “I don’t mind having dinner with your family.”
She raised a brow. “You don’t?”
“I have a problem with mine, not yours. Your family is more tolerable.” Except her brother.
Lucy pulled away in confusion. “I love your family. Believe me, I’m more relaxed around Irina than my mother.”
Hmm, I noticed Lucy tightening her jaw more, her lips forming a thin line when Lottie was speaking. At my penetrating stare, my wife squirmed out of my arms. I let her stalk off for a total of two seconds before following her.
“Lucy.” She was making a beeline for the TV room.
She paused, sighed, and then faced me. “What, Kirill?”
