“I hardly think making sure I come to visit my nephews soon was worth you leaving Emma and a warm bed for this phone call.”
The expression on Kon’s face said he agreed. So what was going on?
Dimitri waited in silence to find out.
Kon frowned and rubbed his face. “Growing up does not mean cutting yourself off from the joy of relationships, friendship or otherwise.”
Dimitri’s inner radar blipped. “You’ve been talking to Dad.”
“He just wants to see you happy.”
Their father had too much time on his hands since his health had forced him to abdicate the throne to Nikolai.
“I am happy as I am.”
“Are you?” Only family could put so much meaning into two simple words.
However, Dimitri refused to be drawn into that discussion. Moments of loneliness were to be expected and not something he would ever discuss with his father or brothers. Though royalty, they were a close family. That did not mean he wanted to have some emotion-laden conversation with his older brother.
Sarcasm and business were their language currency, and he was pleased to keep it that way. “I am.”
“You could be happier.”
Seriously? Dimitri gave his brother a disbelieving stare. “Says you.”
“But this is not actually why I dragged myself from my wife’s bed so freaking early and snuck off to make a phone call.”
Could have fooled him.
“Snuck off? That sounds serious.” Even more serious was the fact his brother had been putting off the real reason for his call.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t something Kon wanted to talk about, and that put Dimitri’s instincts on alert.
Nevertheless, he joked, “I don’t see Emma monitoring your calls.”
“No, but I don’t want her to hear this.” Kon grimaced. “She’s practically as close to Jenna as Nataliya is at this point. They’re like three sisters by different mothers.”
“And?” What did the sexy best friend to his sister-in-law, the Queen of Mirrus, have to do with anything?
“Nataliya is all right?” His brain automatically went there.
His sister-in-law had had a life-risking miscarriage a month after Dimitri’s return from deployment.
He hadn’t even known she was pregnant. Still in their first trimester, Nataliya and Nikolai had shared the news with no one.
Except perhaps Jenna, the fashion journalist that was like a sister to Nataliya, and now apparently Kon’s wife, Emma. Dimitri hadn’t noticed the three women growing that close, but then, with his office on the other side of the continent from his brothers’ as well as their island country of Mirrus, he did not spend as much time with his family as his father would have liked.
Work kept Dimitri busy, though. He was determined to ensure the future stability of the company Mirrus Global, and by extension the country to which he had been born prince. It was his honor and his duty.
“She’s pregnant again,” Konstantin answered, his expression anything but pleased.
“Surely that is good news.”
Konstantin nodded. “Of course it is, but after the last time, it is imperative she be exposed to nothing stressful.”
While Dimitri agreed, he did not know how realistic a goal that was for the Queen of Mirrus. “And there is something you think I can do to minimize her stress?”
“Yes.”