"You're moving to New Hampshire?"
I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Only if you come with me."
She sits up and gazes out the window, gnawing on her lip.
"This won't be a glamorous law office," I tell her. "It's a quiet little town full of good people who need legal advice but can't pay top dollar for it. Garth Leonard does have a few wealthy clients, but most are average people. If you want a high-powered career, you'll be better off staying in New York. But I'm hoping you might want what I want---a good life, regardless of prestige or social position."
I've known her for not quite a month, but I feel like I understand what she really wants deep down. If I'm wrong, I'll lose her. If I'm right...
"You don't like New York, do you?" she asks, still gazing out the window.
I swallow a mouthful of brandy before I answer. "I don't dislike it. But being with you has made me realize I want a quieter life, like I had with my family before I moved to America and got involved with Raisa."
"If I say no, you'll go to New Hampshire anyway."
"No, of course not. I'll stay with you either way."
She swerves her head to look at me. "You would give up what you want to be with me?"
"Yes, of course." I clasp her hands between mine. "I love you, Elena."
"How can you be sure after such a short time?"
"I trust what I feel." Lifting her hands, I kiss her fingertips. "I needed fourteen months to decide I loved Raisa. After a week with you, I knew what we have is real, more real than anything I found with her. I trust you, I want you, and I love you."
Her lips twitch upward at the corners twice, then she lets the smile take over, lighting her up from the inside out. "I love you too, Chance."
Something like euphoria sweeps through me, and I can't stop myself from dragging her in for a deep, passionate kiss. She tastes like brandy, but she feels like heaven.
When we separate our mouths, I ask, "So which is it, New York or New Hampshire?"
Elena smiles, and the sweetness of it stabs a wonderful pain into my chest. "I grew up in a small town, and I'd love to go to New Hampshire with you."
I grin, and then I carry her into the bedroom and make love to her. We don't leave her bed for two hours. That's when I receive a text message from Raisa asking me to meet her at her apartment. Elena tells me to go and get it over with.
After kissing Elena goodbye for five minutes, I head for Raisa's.
She answers the door still dressed for court, in her favorite black skirt and jacket. "Come in, Chance."
No "darling" this time. And her entire demeanor, from her facial expression to her posture, is somber.
We go into the living room. She sits in the armchair, while I take the sofa.
Raisa stares down at her hands, wringing them like she has something stuck on her skin and can't get it off. "You and Elena must hate me. I've been horrible to you both. I'm sorry."
I can't speak. Raisa Volkov never apologizes. When I open my mouth, about to try to speak, she holds up a hand to silence me.
"Let me talk first," she says, with no trace of her usual haughtiness. "Ever since you filed for divorce, I've convinced myself you would come back to me eventually, that the separation was a phase you needed to go through. When the final decree came through, it was like a sucker punch. I still refused to accept you didn't want me anymore."
"I know."
She rubs her neck, wincing. "When I introduced you to Elena, I knew you were attracted to her. How could you not be? She's very pretty and very intelligent. Still, I didn't think you would actually get involved with her. I've been in denial for weeks, until I couldn't ignore the truth anymore. Paying the hotel desk clerk to spy on you was unforgivable."
"What are you getting at, Raisa? I know all of this already."
She squeezes her eyes shut, sucks in a breath, and looks at me. "You can both have your jobs back, if you want them. I haven't blacklisted Elena, and I never will. In fact, I'll give her a glowing recommendation if she'd rather find a position at another firm."
I watch her for several seconds, unsure whether to trust her change in attitude. "Are you saying you've accepted that I don't love you anymore?"