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Rowan, a pastry chef herself, perks up at Dad’s comment. “Count me in. I’d love to makepastilafor Yulian. It’s his favorite, right?”
Yulian smiles indulgently at his wife. “Anything you make is my favorite,” he says, leaning in for a lingering kiss.
Natalia sighs. “I never thought I’d live to see the day. A Kozlov man in the kitchen.”
“Hey.” Andrei grins. “I made scrambled eggs and toast once.”
“Yeah,” Natalia rolls her eyes. “Nearly burned down the kitchen, if I recall.”
“I never said I was successful.”
Beside me, Kira digs into her steak, humming happily. “Luckily, you employ the best Russian chef this side of the Atlantic. I could certainly get used to life under this roof.”
The air is sucked out of the room for a moment, all three brothers shifting their attention to their younger sister.
“I hope so,” Andrei says gently. “You are our family. You belong here, if you can stand us.”
Kira dabs her mouth with her napkin and sits back, a smirk playing on her lips. “I’m sorry. Was I not clear enough when I said I could get used to living here? As in, I have no plans to leave for the foreseeable future.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Well, until I meet a man that sweeps me off my feet.”
Leo puts his hands over his ears. “Please, no mention of boyfriends just yet. I’m still adjusting to this whole little sister thing.” His comment garners chuckles from around the table.
“Damn right,” Daniil leans over and rubs her head playfully. “We have a lot of time to make up for, sis.”
“Uh, watch the hair, D,” she says, in her best bratty voice, smoothing down her short blonde locks.
The rest of the night is pretty raucous. We eat like kings and drink like frat boys, but the whole time I am aware of a volatile energy rolling off of Andrei, one that dances around me and threatens to consume me. And damn, I want him to consume me. Judging by the need pulsing deep in my core, I will not make it much longer without Andrei Kozlov’s hands all over me.
I’m ready to tell him how I feel, but he beats me to the punch.
“I propose a toast,” Andrei says, rising to his feet and raising a glass of champagne. Composed as ever, despite the round of vodka shots that Daniil just insisted we all do. “To Georgia, and her amazing recovery. Za zd?rovie.”
We all take a sip as Andrei stays standing. He clears his throat, the smallest of nervous gestures. He’s about to say more, but I stop him by standing up beside him. It’s my turn to say something.
“I’d like to offer my own toast,” I say, glass in hand. I’ve thought long and hard about what I want to tell this group of people. The people who have somehow come to mean more to me than anyone else in the world. “To all of you. My friends and family. The day Oleg took me was the worst day of my life, second to the day my mother died.” My father looks down in his lap, and I know my words have touched a chord. “But I wouldn't change any of it because it led me here—to all of you. But especially to you.” My eyes land on Andrei, and I turn to face him. He’s still as a statue, not moving, maybe not even breathing. “I know you want to keep me safe, and shelter me from this world—your world—but there is no place I am safer than in your arms. You’ve given me time and space to make my decision, and I still choose you.”
Andrei nearly slumps with relief, and it feels like everyone at the table releases a breath along with him. “You’re too precious for this world, but I’m not strong enough to deny you. I can’t. I’ll move heaven and earth for you, and anywhere in between. But I need to know something, krasotka.”
Before I can register what’s happening, he’s down on one knee and pulling a small black velvet case out of his pocket. Oh boy. The realization of what he is about to do hits me right in the solar plexus and I can barely hold myself together, my hands shaking in anticipation. The pleased look on my father’s face tells me that Andrei has his blessing.
“I never thought love was in my future, and I was fine with that. A loveless marriage seemed preferable. It was clean, no messy emotion to get in the way. But I found you, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Every day and always. Forever.”
My heart lurches into my throat. Marriage was not top of mind, but looking up at Andrei after everything we’ve shared, after everything we’ve been through together, there’s no question in my mind that he’s my soulmate. My every day, always and forever, wrapped in one delicious package.
“So what do you say, krasotka? Do you want me as your husband?”
“Hell yes!” He stands and kisses me hard on the mouth while the room breaks into raucous cheers and congrats. I pull his face close to mine. “You know there is no one else for me, don’t you? You’re my everything.”
And as our lips touch and my mouth opens for him, I know that I’m his everything too. And no one in the world could make me happier.
Epilogue
FOUR MONTHS LATER
ANDREI
Georgia’s body shudders, and she releases a final moan before collapsing on my bare chest. Her hot pussy still spasms around me with the aftershocks of orgasm. As I look up into her gray eyes, hazy with pleasure, I wonder how I got so lucky. The gentle waves of the Indian Ocean play like a lullaby in the background, while the warm Maldives breeze dances over our naked, sweaty bodies, tangled together on a beachside chaise bed. It was more than worth the cost of renting a private island for the week of our wedding and honeymoon.
We were married yesterday on white powder sand, surrounded by our closest family and friends. Today, the island is all ours, everyone else having boarded the private charter back to the mainland this morning.
