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A sliver of doubt enters Mel’s eyes, and her smile starts to fall, despite the fact that she’s the one who was trying to tease me.
But before she can tumble down a deep, dark hole and abandon me in our blissful moment, I quickly explain, “We had no time to invite our friends or family. I failed to carry you across the threshold when we got home. I mean, you didn’t even get to pick out a dress.”
This makes Mel laugh, and relief washes through me.
“In that case, rather than getting our fake marriage annulled, why don’t we plan a real wedding to renew our vows and fix all those horrible mistakes?”
“Done,” I agree, pulling her in for another scintillating kiss.
And Mel hums appreciatively against my lips.
God, this woman is intoxicating. Her soft, warm body presses against mine. The thin fabric of her T-shirt alerts me to the fact that she’s not wearing a bra. Everything about her lures me in, and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her.
If I don’t stop myself soon, I might not have the discipline to stop at all.
So, with painstaking deliberation, I pull back until our lips part. “Maybe we should go collect Gabby and head home,” I suggest. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a day of normalcy with my wife and daughter.” The thrill that ripples through me at saying those words might never get old.
And the heat in Mel’s gaze would tell me she likes the sound of them just as much as I do.
“I don’t know,” she says doubtfully, though her smile tells me she’s joking. “I think we’re about as far from normal as a family can get.”
That startles a laugh from me, and Mel quickly joins in. Her laughter is so light and melodic, it warms my chest. And the happiness that follows is something so rare and rich, I know this moment will forever stay locked in my memory.
“Let’s go home,” she agrees, and she brushes her lips across mine before I release her.
I take her hand as we walk the block and a half back to Pyotr’s house. It might be the first time I’ve ever done that in my life—certainly, it’s the first I remember. And it makes my pulse thrum with anticipation. Her hand fits so perfectly in mine, and she glances up at me with a shy smile as she interlaces our fingers.
They’re the first thing Silvia’s eyes land on as we enter the kitchen, and the radiant smile that follows lights the entire room. But she quickly turns her gaze back to Baby Nicolai, whose face she’s trying to clean with a damp rag. “Everything alright?” she asks with a false note of casualness infused into her tone.
“Yes,” Mel says, and that one word is filled with such confidence it would convince even the most skeptical of doubters. “Next time, Silvia, remind me never to doubt you.”
Silvia laughs at that, and she and Mel share a warm, knowing look that makes me quirk an eyebrow. Pyotr’s eyes meet mine briefly, and he flashes me a smile before turning his attention back to Isla.
“Thank you again for watching Gabby,” Mel says, and this time, Silvia straightens to face us. “Anytime. She’s a pleasure. Does that mean you’re heading out?” Her eyes flick back to our hands, reading the situation but still wanting us to vocalize the outcome.
“I was going to take Mel and Gabby home,” I say.
“Good, and feel free to stay there,” Pyotr says. “I won’t need you today. But it’s going to be a long one tomorrow, so take some time to get settled back in and rest.”
“Thank you, gospodin,” I say, grateful that he offered it up without me even having to ask.
“You ready to go, keiki?” Mel asks, ruffling Gabby’s dark locks.
“Yeah!” she shouts with her signature level of enthusiasm, and she wiggles down from her chair. As willfully independent as her mother, it would seem.
And I love to see that natural strength shining through in her.
“And Geb comes too?” she asks as she toddles over.
“Yeah, rybka, I’m coming too,” I confirm.
“Yay!” she squeals, doing that cute bounce of excitement that melts my heart.
Without releasing Mel’s hand, I stoop to scoop Gabby up with my free arm. The little girl wraps her legs around my hip, one arm around my shoulder, and with light prompting from Mel, she waves goodbye to Isla and the rest of the Veles family.
Then, as a unit, we head back out the front door.
I have a car seat waiting for Gabby in the back of Lev’s Tacoma. I’m still deciding what to do with his truck in the long run, but on the off chance that Mel decided to forgive me, I wanted to be prepared to take them home. And his ride gives us enough seating that I can get them both there safely.
