Page 38 of Valentine's Miracle

“This is a long-term job,” I comment plainly.

Sebastian sighs, Fyodor cocks an eyebrow, and Victoria looks between us with a clueless expression. She’s so beautiful that my eyes linger on her for way too long until it’s interrupted by a deliberate throat clearing from Fyodor.

“Victoria will be going to do a business deal for me, but she needs you to protect her. Also, she will be the silent partner in our company and naturally, would draw in enemy flies.”

I shouldn’t be surprised that Fyodor would want her to be his silent partner. She’s a smart woman with the ability to separate business and pleasure. I would trust her with everything, and Fyodor does too.

“The permanent place beside her is open if you are interested, but of course, you will be paid generously.”

“I don’t care about the money, but I will take that place.” As if I’ll let another man be near her. I have heard many stories from fellow workers that attractions can be sparked on first look and second touch, but nothing fuels the passion like secrecy and anonymity of one night before they return to their lives.

“Good and Happy Valentine’s day. This is my present to you lovely couple.”

Victoria blushes and leans towards me as the door opens. The lobby is filled with people checking out and coming in, the convention is still happening, and we have at least three more days of business to work through.

I wanted the convention to end quickly before, but I don’t want that right now. I want to be able to look to my side and see that sunshine smile on her face.

I have the rest of our lives to bask in her love.

Epilogue

Victoria

Three Years Later.

“Fuck me, fuck this, and fuck you all!”

I bring my eyes up from my book, the other hand rubbing my six-month pregnant belly; it’s our second child. We want to leave the sex of the baby up in the air until it is time for me to be in labor. The guessing and the neutral gifts that everyone got us keeps us on the edge as Sebastian bets the baby is going to be a girl because our son likes to bully him.

He wants a little niece to dress up and play house with. Everyone knows he wants to put on a flowery apron and go to town on the kitchen stove.

Sadly, he has no talent in culinary skills, and he tends to risk the lives of everyone in the vicinity because he gets heated and competitive with himself.

Sebastian lays on the bed, head facing the window where he gets the most sunshine for being locked in a hospital room for so long.

It’s not the most pleasant thing to say, but he had to get surgery on his hemorrhoid. It is absolutely horrendous hearing those disgusting details of him telling me what had happened for the fifth time since he had come out of surgery.

He is confined to bed rest, and in the hospital for best recovery; the doctor’s orders are more frightening than anything I have ever heard.

Not even Fyodor’s suggestion of letting him rest in his multimillion-dollar home can move the doctor nor did she appreciate being disrespected by his insulation that she can’t do her job because she is not a doctor that has much money or went to the best medical school.

I haven’t seen Fyodor shut up that fast ever since a strict professor laid down a verbal beating about his arrogant behavior and disrupting class by coming in with loud voices and hideously bright clothing.

I didn’t feel sorry for him despite being his friend. It’s his fault for being an annoying man with a ring of Hawaiian flowers around his neck.

“Read to me, Tori!” Sebastian whines, kicking his feet and regretting it promptly as he takes in a sharp breath.

“Ow! I need more meds!” he screams, but no one in the room pays any attention to him. “Oh shit!”

Pain means nothing when he puts his hand on top of his butt, eyes filled with horror and utter defeat. “I have to poop.”

“Then go,” I say, returning to my book.

I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t sounded so miserable on the phone. I was going to visit him the next day when he isn’t in too much pain, but I couldn’t leave Sebastian in the hands of Fyodor of all people.

Silas is okay, but Fyodor will probably inadvertently feed him something that the doctor specifically said to avoid just because he has no self-control when Sebastian is screaming.

Silas came with me to the hospital, not because he wants to know about the hemorrhoid experience but I’m six-months pregnant, and he is an overprotective dad.

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