Page 11 of A Surprise Baby for the Russian

“I’m sorry, he what? I—” She splutters. When she speaks again, her voice is controlled. “I am going to call him.”

“Selene—”

“I am going to call my brother, and I am going to—”

“I know. I know, and I’m angry too, believe me. But hear me out first.” I explain it the way Yakov explained it to me. His father’s plan, what Yaroslav had been sent to do, and why the certificate was in Yakov’s name and not Yaroslav’s makes it worthless to Alek. I hear her breathing on the other end, taking it in.

“Raya, I know Yakov, and he wouldn’t have made you do that unless he felt it was the only option. Our father is a dangerous man. Thank god Yaroslav didn’t take you. Are you actually safe? Is he being decent?”

“Yes, he hasn’t given me any reason to be afraid of him,” I say, which is accurate, if nothing else.

“He’s not like the rest of them. I know that’s a strange thing to say, given the circumstances. But he’s not.”

“Well, I’m just going to have to trust you on that.”

“It’s true. Look at how he stood up to my father for me. If he hadn’t been there for me god knows what would have happened. I’m still going to call him and give him hell about the certificate, though.”

“Good,” I say. “He deserves it, but Selene, please don’t mention the marriage to Simon. I know it’s putting you in an awkward position, but I think all hell really will break loose then, and I don’t need that right now on top of everything else.”

“That’s a massive ask, Raya, but I think I clearly owe you that,” she says, “and I will deny ever having this conversation. Now, have you spoken to any of your brothers? You’re going to have to.”

“I know, Yakov told me to call Simon, but I just don’t think I can handle the amount of grief that’s going to come with it right now. Can you tell him I called, that I’m fine and well, and I’ll call in a couple of days?”

“Of course I will, but you do know they will only take my word for it for so long. You need to speak to them yourself, okay? A couple of days, that’s it.”

When I come back out, Yakov is sat at the table. He looks up when I appear, reads my face the way he reads everything, and says nothing. Which could mean he heard none of it, or all of it, or he’s waiting to see what I do next.

“Selene’s going to call you,” I tell him.

“I know, I’ve already had multiple texts.”

“I told her. She’s not impressed, but she’s not going to tell my brothers.”

He doesn’t look worried about it as he leans back in his chair and places his hands behind his head, his biceps straining against the T-shirt material. “Did you speak to your sister Sofie?”

I look at him. “She wanted to know if you’re fit.”

“Did she now?” He looks genuinely amused, a grin spreading across his face. “What did you say?”

“I hung up.”

“That’s a shame, I think we’d have both liked to have known the answer to that.” I consider telling the smug muscley idiot to shut it as he stands, tidying up his stuff. “And how would you like me to give it to you?” He drops his voice as he says it, low and deliberately suggestive.

“I beg your pardon!” Frigging men who know they’re good-looking using it to discombobulate you, ugh. “Give me what, exactly?”

“Your coffee, Raya.” His face is the picture of innocence. I could slap it. “Was there something else you wanted from me?” He walks off toward the kitchen, so I swipe a piece of paper off the table—I don’t give a damn if it’s important—I screw it into a ball, and throw it at the back of his head. Dumbass.

The days that follow settle into something of a rhythm, which is a strange thing to feel about a house and a man I didn’t choose.

“What’s the Wi-Fi password?” I ask, my thumb scrolling through the locked network settings.

“That’s on a need-to-know basis, and you don’t need to know,” he says, a tiny, infuriating glimmer of amusement lighting up his eyes as he watches my frustration.

“Type it in for me.” I push the phone back toward his side of the table. “Please.”

“No.”

“No?” I bark, my eyebrows snapping together. “You give me the phone but block the data? What is the point of the hospitality if I can’t use the internet, Yakov? I’ll die from boredom before your father ever gets to me.”