Page 25 of Mafia Christmas Vows

And now we’re right back where we started. “Tell me about the decorations, Alexei.”

He pauses.

I shut my eyes and pull out the big guns. “Please.”

I swear I can hear the snow falling outside.

Alexei takes a deep breath. “My mother… she loved to decorate for the holiday.”

“Your mother?”

“She passed when I was a teenager,” he whispers.

My eyes widen.

I wondered where all the decorations came from. Elena just pointed me to them and said that they belonged to the lady of the house…

Who I totally assumed meant me.

I shut my eyes. “And I dragged all of the decorations out, and it reminded you of your mom.”

“This was her room,” he murmurs.

Shoot.

“Alexei… I’m so sorry.”

He’s dead silent.

Opening my eyes, I look at where he’s standing, so close to me, but so far away. “Sorry. I guess that I just got caught up in the moment. Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just… I’m sorry,” I whisper.

Alexei is quiet.

Finally, his head bobs and he looks down at me.

“You didn’t know.”

“But now I do. I can take them down…”

“No.”

I freeze.

Alexei clears his throat. “No. They brought you and Elena joy, did they not?”

“Yes. My mom and I always decorate a lot for the holiday.”

“Then keep them. Please,” he murmurs. “I… I will return to Novgorod. I will stay there through the new year.”

“Oh…”

“I do want you to be my wife, Magdalena. And I don’t wish to treat you as a broodmare. I wish to have a… I wish to make sure it is not bad.”

I snort. “Oh, I don’t think it’s going to be bad if that’s how you kiss.”

Oh.

Shit.

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