After all, my husband was The Boss. He was King. And I was His Queen.
I smiled up at him, trying to ease the tension in his eyes. His shoulders were stiff, but at my smile, his muscles loosened.
“I’ll see you later then,” I murmured. He nodded as I walked to the door.
My legs froze in the entrance. Looking over my shoulders, I sent him a teasing smile. “Only three more weeks, Mr. Alessio Ivanshov. And then I’m all yours…to do whatever you want with.”
His eyes flared dangerously, the look of desire and pure unadulterated lust had me biting on my lips.
Alessio growled low in his chest, and I quickly stepped out of the room.
But not before I heard his warning voice. “You will regret those words, kitten.”
I laughed, my heart thumping wildly with excitement. My cheeks heated as I impatiently waited for those three weeks to be over.
Chapter 37
I came downstairs to find Maddie, Nina, and Evaline in the living room. Nina was bouncing her knees with Princess sitting on her lap, trying to keep her entertained.
A smile crept its way to my face at the sight. Who would have thought?
Aunt Nina.
It was hard to believe, but Nina was a doting aunt. She didn’t always show it, but it was clear as day that she cared for Maila.
She wasn’t sweet and gentle like Evaline or Maddie. No, her face was always cold. Her stares emotionless. Her smiles empty and dark.
But there were a few times when I noticed a slip in her hard character. A small genuine smile on her face when she played with Maila. A soft look in her eyes. It wasn’t always there…but I noticed. I saw, and I knew Maila was loved by Nina too.
To top it off, Nina spoiled her rotten.
Evaline enveloped me in a hug as I stopped beside her. “Welcome back home. When did you get here?” I asked, after pulling away.
“A few minutes ago. We’ve got the wedding to plan. I’m here just for a few days though. My boss is being an asshole. We have a project to sign with another company, so I have to go. But I’ll be back a day before the wedding,” she explained with a sad pout.
Smiling, I hugged her again. “Okay. That’s good enough. As long as you’re here for the wedding. After all, you are my bridesmaid.”
Maila’s cooing snapped me away from Evaline. When I saw her chin covered with spit, I took a step forward. But Nina already got it.
Taking a small baby towel in her hand, she wiped Maila’s chin clean. “I got her,” she muttered.
“Who dressed her up this morning? The dress is so cute!” Evaline crooned, waving her finger in front of Maila.
“Alessio did,” I replied, trying to hide my own laughter.
Maddie laughed. “Oh Lord. She has them all wrapped around her fingers. It’s too cute!”
I nodded because of how true it was. Viktor, Nikolay, and Phoenix were her godfathers. It was hard to choose between them. And they threatened each other too. A big fight broke out on who was the godfather. In the end, I decided on all three. The more the better, right?
After all, they all loved her the same.
My eyes went to Maddie. I saw her gazing at Maila, smiling at her. My own smile widened. From the very beginning, there was no second thought that she would be the godmother.
My heart still ached for her loss. But every time she smiled at Maila, her love pure, I would slowly forget about the past. I knew she was still hurting, her loss still fresh, but her wounds were healing, slowly but surely.
We sat down and discussed the wedding. It must have been hours when we finally came to a decision. Maddie and Evaline eventually left to call the designers and take care of everything else.
My gaze went to Nina. She was strangely quiet. Over the months, we became close. Not as close as I was with Maddie or Evaline, but I could say we were friends.
Nina wasn’t who I thought she was.
Yes, she was rude, mean, and sometimes outright cold.
But after putting our differences away, we got along. Against her wishes, Maddie and Evaline pulled her into the group. She had no choice but to accept us.
“I can hold her, if you want,” I said, pointing at the sleeping Maila in her arms.
Nina shook her head. “It’s okay. I got her.”
We were silent for a few seconds before I cleared my throat. I moved beside Nina and softly rubbed my fingers over Maila’s head. She loved it when I did that.
“I want you to be my bridesmaid, with Evaline.”
Nina froze beside me, and then there was utter silence. I licked my lips nervously before finally facing her.
“You want me to be your bridesmaid?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, we’re friends. I want you to be part of this wedding,” I replied quietly.