Page 22 of Finding Alexei
“You sure?” he asks.
“Positive.” I pat one hand against his firm abs, and this time I succeed in escaping his arms.
“Okay,” he says sleepily as he rolls over to doze back off.
I tiptoe from the room, grab my pajamas, and quickly dress before I reach Ella. She smiles when she sees me, and my heart melts at the sight of her gummy baby smile.
“Hi, pretty girl,” I say as I lift her out.
We head to the kitchen and I make her a bottle. As I sit on the couch and begin feeding her, I stroke her hair and watch her drink. Her bright blue eyes latch onto mine as she takes greedy pulls from the bottle. For some reason, standing here in the kitchen with her, both of us in our pajamas, it makes me feel oddly emotional.
“I’m going to find your mom. I promise.”
Ella blinks up at me, and I lift her to my face, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. Carrying her through the apartment, I settle on the couch, holding her close as she makes progress on the bottle.
It strikes me again what a mess my life is. I’m sitting here with a baby, part of me still reeling about that, the other part of me feeling like I’m on cloud nine because of how sweet and sexy Alexei is, and how good he is with his tongue—but the truth is, things are far from okay. I was evicted from my apartment, Andi is still dodging my calls, I have to work today, and I’m worried about how Alexei will act when I tell him I have to go to work.
He strolls out of the bedroom a short time later, freshly showered, and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His long feet are bare, and his hair is still damp. He looks good enough to eat.
Focus, Ryleigh.
He starts a pot of coffee and then joins us in the living room, leaning down to touch Ella’s foot. “Good morning, princess,” he coos.
I lift Ella to my shoulder and pat her back to burp her. Like the good little baby she is, she makes a loud burping sound almost instantly, and Alexei chuckles. I take a deep breath, hoping on the fact that he’s in a good mood. “I’ll need a ride to pick up my car today,” I say, testing the waters.
“Sure. We can go after breakfast, if you like.”
Wow. That was easier than I thought.
“And, um, I’ll need to drop off Ella with my neighbor so I can go to work.”
“You have to work today?” he asks, his voice tight.
“Yes. From noon to six.” I hold my breath, waiting for him to make some comment forbidding me from going. Ella lets out one more small burp, and I place her on her special pillow on the couch beside me.
Alexei heads into the kitchen and pours himself a cup of coffee. “I can watch her. There’s no need to get a babysitter.”
I go back to folding the pile of freshly washed baby blankets, but there’s shock written all over my face. He surprises me at almost every turn. “You would do that?”
“Sure,” he says offhandedly. “Why not?”
“You don’t have work today?”
“When we win a game, there’s no practice the following day. It’s a little perk they give us. I’m supposed to go in for an hour later for a team meeting, and we watch some of the highlight reel from the game. That’s it.”
“But what about Ella?”
He shrugs, heading back to the living room with his coffee mug in hand. “I can take her with me. It’s no big deal.”
No big deal? “What will your teammates say?”
“I don’t give a fuck what they say.”
I smirk to myself. They’ll probably think she’s his.
Why does the idea of that make my lips curl up in a smile?
I realize if people saw all three of us out together, they would think we were Ella’s parents, and I can’t help but wonder what that would be like. To be part of a couple, part of a family again. Dreams like that are dangerous.
“This is too generous, Alexei. As per usual with you.”
He turns to face me, frowning as he sets his mug on the coffee table. “I’m far from being generous right now, Ryleigh. I don’t want you working there at all. But it’s a subject I’m guessing you’re not ready to discuss.”
“I can’t quit, Alexei. What would I do for money? And don’t you dare suggest that I continue relying on you. You know I hate it. It makes me feel cheap and useless, and I won’t do it. You hardly know me. You have no obligation toward us.”
He stalks closer with his eyes locked on mine, like he’s a predator and I’m his prey, and rubs his large hands up and down over my shoulders. “I know enough. I know that you’re self-reliant and independent. And I love that about you. Ninety-nine percent of the women I meet are happy to let me pay their way. You want to stand on your own two feet, and I respect that. I respect you.”
