Page 109 of Maxim

“When you’re finished, malyshka, we have somewhere to be.”

“Oh? Where?”

He drops a kiss on my lips and smirks. “It’s a surprise.”

***

The car pulls up alongside a small jet and I gape out of the window in surprise. This is not what I was expecting. I figured we were going out for lunch or something, to celebrate my article.

“Err why are we at the airport, Max?”

He doesn’t reply. The door opens and Artem helps me out, grinning at me like he’s in on the secret. Which he probably is. I’ve learned over time that Artem is a man of few words, but he knows everything.

“Hurry, malyshka, we have a long flight.” Max pulls me up the steps and into the plane, where a steward in a smart uniform waits with drinks. Champagne for Max and sparkling water for me.

He shows me to a plush leather seat and makes sure I’m belted in before taking a seat next to me.

“Are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?” I huff loudly but Max is immune to my bad temper. He carries on smirking as the plane takes off, and no matter how much I threaten him, he refuses to tell me where we’re going.

Eventually, I give up asking. The plane has a bedroom and it isn’t hard to distract me because my hormones are rioting and I want sex all the time. Luckily for me, Max is more than happy to accommodate my needs.

***

The sun is setting over the horizon when I wake up from a snooze. I look out of the small window adjacent to my seat and see miles of turquoise ocean and white beaches surrounding a green, lush island. We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.

My mouth falls open and I gasp.

“Where are we?”

“Remember the silent auction at the charity gala in honor of the Mayor’s pet projects?”

I think back. That was the night I met Max and interviewed the mayor. I shudder a little at the memory of Kolanski perving over my body. Thank fuck he’s dead.

“Um yes?”

“One of the lots was a beach vacation in Bermuda.”

Ah yes. “I told you I’d be bored on a beach vacation.” His eyes light up with amusement and I know he’s looking forward to proving me wrong.

“I won that one, so here we are, malyshka. Bermuda, where I guarantee you will not be bored.”

We disembark from the plane and a car takes us to a private resort where the only other people there are hand-picked staff and a few of Max’s guys. It’s gorgeous. Our villa is right on the beach and I can literally step out of the bedroom and hop into the ocean.

“It’s so beautiful!” Tears stream down my face. Fucking hormones. I’m an emotional wreck since falling pregnant.

“You deserve all this and more,” Max says, holding me in his arms so tightly I can hardly breathe. “And I plan to make you the happiest woman on the planet for as long as I live.”

“I love you.” It’s not enough given everything he’s done for me, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Instead of telling me he loves me too, he drops to one knee in the sand and pulls a massive diamond ring from his picket. The damn thing is so large NASA can probably see it from space.

“Natalya Rossi, you mean everything to me, so please make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife. Will you marry me?”

I can hardly speak I’m crying so hard, and for a moment, Max looks a bit panicky, but finally, I manage to reply,

“Yes!”

He jumps back up and kisses me hard before asking whether I like the ring.

---