Page 60 of Ivory Ashes

Kneeling there next to this mish-mashed little family of mine, I realize that agreeing to marry Mikhail is about more than keeping Dante safe. It’s about making him happy.

It’s about giving him everything he needs… even when what he needs is Mikhail.

“Mama,” Dante mumbles, reaching towards me with grasping little fingers.

I lean in and let him hug my neck. “Do you want me to stay?”

He bites his lip, considering it. Then he puffs out his little chest. “I’m going to be brave.”

Mikhail and I are almost through his door when he sits up again. “Mikhail? What happens if I can’t be brave?”

“That’s why you have me.” Mikhail winks. “I’ll take care of you.”

God, I hope he means that.

“And Mama?” Dante asks.

My stomach drops, but Mikhail just nods. “And your mama.”

Damn that naive little voice inside my head, but I hope he means that, too.

Back in the hallway with Dante’s door firmly closed, I suddenly can’t look away from Mikhail’s bare chest.

The chest I cuddled less than an hour ago.

Or his biceps.

The biceps that just hugged our son after he had a nightmare.

Or his abs.

The abs I would scale like the world’s sexiest climbing wall.

Mikhail says something and I have to rip my eyes up to his face.

The face so perfect the universe pulled a copy/paste and gave it to my son, too.

“What?” I ask, blinking at him like a confused newborn.

“Does that happen a lot?” he repeats. “The nightmares?”

“A few times a month, probably. Some months are worse than others. You handled it well, though.”

Mikhail arches a brow. “But…?”

“You’re good with him,” I admit with no small amount of reluctance. “He likes you.”

“The boy has good taste.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” I groan.

Mikhail steps closer. He smells like cool mint and cedar. It just wafts off of his skin like he’s a walking bottle of pheromones. “Regret what?”

I shrug weakly. “Being nice to you. Trying to… coparent.”

“What happened to ‘You get him for Bratva stuff; I get him for everything else’?”

“I’m trying to put it behind us and start over if you’ll stop being pompous for five seconds.” I huff out a breath. “The only reason I’m here is for Dante. I want what’s best for him. And as much as I hate to admit it?—”

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