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Josh glances at me and my heart melts just a little. “Go ahead, sweetheart. Choose whatever you want.”
“A cheeseburger,” he says quietly. “With fries.”
“Excellent choices!” Fyodor proclaims, clapping his hands together. He passes the menus to the pale-faced waiter and dismisses him with a click of his tongue.
I glance towards Ruslan, who’s sitting next to me doing his best not to smile too wide.
Caroline waves at me from across the table. “Auntie Em, can we go see the fish tank?”
“Fish tank” is a bit of a misnomer for the aquarium in the middle of the restaurant big enough to house a pod of dolphins, but I let it slide. “Go ahead. Just don’t be too loud. And don’t get in anyone’s way—” The kids are already out of their seats. “—and don’t break anything!”
Fyodor chuckles and pats me on the back of my hand. “They’re children. If they break anything, I’ll pay for it.”
“I appreciate that, but you really don’t have to do that. Or any of this, in fact,” I say, gesturing to the opulence surrounding us. The sound of champagne being uncorked a few tables over is the perfect complement to mywhere-the-hell–even-are-wesweep of the hands.
Fyodor just waves away my words. “I’ve waited a long time to be a grandfather. I was starting to think I would never get a chance to see one. And now, I have three—no,fourgrandbabies. And I couldn’t be happier.”
“Hooo boy,” I breathe. “Keep this up and I’m gonna be sobbing all over the table.”
He just pats my hand again. “Sob if you need to. I’ll replace the tablecloth, too.”
I snort and everyone joins in the laughter. Everyone exceptVadim, who gives me a tight smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
I’ve been trying to make my mind up about Ruslan’s uncle for the whole of today. We chatted a little on the yacht, shared a drink, swapped a couple of stories, even laughed once or twice. There were moments when I thought I could like him and then there were moments—like this one—when he made me feel like I was being watched.
Maybe it’s just the contrast between the brothers. Fyodor makes me feel like I’m already part of the family. Vadim makes me feel like I’m being interviewed for the role… and he’s not so sure I’m gonna make the cut.
“That reminds me,” Fyodor says, sticking his hand into his jacket pocket. “I have something for you.”
My palms start to sweat. “For me?” I ask, voice rising to a pipsqueak. I glance nervously at Ruslan.What is this?I mouth to him.
He just shrugs. Okay, so he didn’t know about the gift his father was going to give me at the fanciest restaurant known to man?
Oh my God—it’s in a massive Tiffany box.
Oh my God—is he giving me jewelry?
Should I even accept?
Before I’m done with my mental freakout, Fyodor pops the silver clasp and pulls the lid open. Inside, sitting on a plush black cushion, is the most beautiful diamond necklace I’ve ever laid eyes on. A trio of huge teardrop diamonds hanging from the chain, glistening like fresh frost.
“Whoa…” I whisper before my eyes rise to Fyodor’s. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
He smiles. “It belonged to my wife.”
I feel like my head is about to explode. When I glance over at Ruslan, he looks as taken aback as I feel. His eyes are wide and fastened on the necklace as though he’s seeing his mother again.
“It used to have one less diamond, though,” Ruslan adds softly.
Fyodor nods. “The necklace was a gift to my wife when she gave birth to my eldest son, Leonid. When Ruslan was born, I added another diamond. The new diamond, this third one here, is for the new life you’re growing inside you right now.”
“Fyodor…” I still can’t quite find the words. Apart from being an extraordinarily expensive gift, it’s also an amazingly sentimental one. “This is too generous.”
“You’ve made a man out of my son,” Fyodor says firmly. “It’s the least I can do.”
Vadim clears his throat. “Your son was already a man, brother,” he says as he picks up his champagne flute. “He has been a fuckingpakhansince he was twenty-one years old.”
Do I detect a smidgeon of resentment there?
