Page 81 of The Sinner's Touch

“What’s ababushka?”

“It means grandmother, and I’m pretty sure when mine lays eyes on me, she’s going to grab my ear and give me a thrashing.”

Angel giggled at the image. She could imagine this little old lady giving him what for.

“It’s not funny,milka. I have a serious fear for my life.”

“Stop. You have a wonderful family. If your brothers are any indication, they love you and will do just about anything for you.”

“They’re not just my family, Angel.” He tipped her head up so she was looking him in the eyes. “They’re your family now too. All you have to do is let them in. I know they can never replace Peter, but your new brothers will love and protect you just as fiercely. He’d be happy for you to have found a new family. All you have to do is let us in.”

Angel felt her breath catch at the mention of Peter. The pain was there, harsh and quick, but it wasn’t as terrible as before. Kade healed some of the holes he’d torn into her heart and some of the ones Peter had left as well. Nikoli, Viktor, and Dimitri treated her like their own sister. It had confused her at first, until she’d seen them with Kade. Family was important to the Kincaids, and as soon as they’d learned she was Kade’s wife, they became her family. He was right. All she had to do was stop holding on to the past and let them love her.

One thing did bother her, though. She hadn’t broached it because there’d been no time. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” Kade started rubbing lazy circles along her back, and she almost forgot what she wanted to say at the sensation. His hands were magical.

“You said earlier that you used to drink a lot, that it was so bad your boss made you get help. Do you still have a problem?” He’d shown up that first night with whiskey on his breath. It bothered her quite a bit.

“No. I was never a true alcoholic. When I decided to stop, I stopped. I was drowning memories, and instead of drinking myself into liver disease, I focused on my work. I still drink sometimes, especially when I’m on a bad case and I need to wash away the mutilated images, but it’s not a problem.”

“You’re sure?” Her grandfather had been an alcoholic. It wasn’t something she wanted to live through again.

“I’m sure, baby. If you want, I won’t touch another drink again.”

Liquor seemed to be something the Kincaid men did together, and she wouldn’t take that away from him as long as it wasn’t a problem. “Just promise me if it ever becomes a problem, you’ll get help.”

“I promise.” Kade rolled and leaned over the side of the bed, pulling his jeans back up with him. He fished out a little black box from the pocket and placed it on her palm. “I had Mama send this to me. It belonged to my great-grandmother. She gave it toBabushkato give to me when I found the person I wanted to share my life with. That’s you, Angelique Renae Lemoraux Kincaid.”

Angel opened the ring box and gasped. A beautiful emerald ring sat blinking at her. Small diamonds clustered around it, sparkling in the light from the bedside lamp.

“I never got you a proper engagement ring.” He took the ring and slipped it on her finger. “Then again, we never really had a proper engagement, did we?”

She smiled. “No, I guess we didn’t.”

“Or a proper wedding.” His eyes twinkled.

What was he up to?

“I think, Mrs. Kincaid, that you deserve a proper wedding with all the bells and whistles and the dress. So, what do you say? Will you marry me…again?”

“Well, I don’t know, Kincaid. I think you can’t skip dinner and go straight to dessert. Youdidforget you were married.”

“Back to that, are we?”

“Mmmhmmm.” She grinned. “I think I deserve a proper courtship before I say yes to this engagement of yours.”

“Courtship?”

“Dates, flowers, candy, the whole nine yards. I think you need to do some proper wooing.”

“Is that a fact?”

“That’s a fact.” She grinned, remembering Lily’s idea.

“So, you won’t marry me?”

“No, Kincaid, I won’t marry you.”

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