Page 40 of Mafia Christmas Vows

“Okay. But it was a nice hug.”

His thumb moves over my face.

“I’m sorry, Maggie,” he says abruptly.

I open my eyes. “Why?”

“You didn’t ask for this. For me.”

My eyes pop open, and I study him.

Alexei is looking at me with… something that looks like sadness. Sincerity.

It tugs at my chest.

I sigh. “Look. We’re honest with each other. That’s what we’re doing. Right?”

“Yes,” he says softly. “I would like that.”

I nod. “Good. You’re right. I didn’t ask for this. But there are lots of things in life people don’t ask for. I wanted to go to school and be a therapist. I wanted to help people. I might still be able to do that, someday, but this came up, and I’m fine with it. Life throws things at you, Alexei. You can either fight them or roll with the punches, and as long as you’re not awful to me, I’m fine here. My mom is safe. I’m safe. For now, that’s all I need. If you want to give me more, if you want to actually build a life together, then I could do that. But for now, we’re married. I’m safe. My mom is safe. And I’m pretty content to live with it.”

His lips tug into a small frown. “But you would not have chosen me.”

“No,” I say honestly.

Alexei seems to shrink.

God. Whatever his dad did to him…“But I would like to.”

He glances at me.

I take Alexei’s hand and pull him close. “We’re stuck together. We could make that go a lot of ways. But if you want, Alexei, I could still choose you. To be with you. To…”

I stop.

I can’t promise to love him. Because if I promise it, then it isn’t really a choice.

Keeping my promises is important to me. I won’t make a promise I can’t keep.

“What does that mean, Maggie?”

“Let’s get to know each other. Let’s take some time to choose each other,” I whisper.

He looks at where our hands are joined. “But we are already married.”

“And? We can’t… date?”

He chuckles. “Date? We are stuck in a Russian mansion. I do not know when the snow will give up.”

“Then I guess we better get creative,” I wink.

Alexei’s eyes sparkle.

“I’ve got the first date planned already,” I announce.

“Oh?”

“Yes. In about two hours, get ready, because you’re going to decorate these cookies,” I wink.

---