Page 82 of Scarlet Secrets

“I said no. You’re right. You should get to know him. I can’t take that from him and he’s falling for you.” I grin. “He showed you his scratch. And then you showed him one of yours. I thought he was going to fly at that.” I cast a look at Demyan. “I’m glad you didn’t tell him what it was.”

“Yeah, well.” But he doesn’t explain further.

I take a breath and Olga comes in, offering coffee like she’s a waitress. He accepts, as do I, but I don’t miss the irritation that flashes on his face as she does so, and then I get it when she smiles down at Sasha.

She’s fallen under his spell, too.

“I-if you have time, you could take him out to the garden. He loves the little swing set.” The moment I speak, I clap my free hand over my mouth. Talk about crossing lines.

But Demyan just nods. “He’d like that.”

The girl takes Sasha out, holding his hand, and I glance at Demyan again. It’s weird how alike and different he is from Sasha. I see our son in him, the eyes, hair, the stubborn chin, and the differences. He’s hard, and I suspect it might be a protective shell. And I can’t, no matter how hard I try, see him as carefree and open as Sasha, not even as a small boy.

It’s in that hardness, the way he freezes when Sasha is sweet to him, the way he melts with his sister and the pain from seeing her pain along with the frustration that hints he doesn’t know what to do.

No, not doesn’t know. Is unsure of himself.

Which is ludicrous.

Yet right.

The man oozes confidence, and the comfort he has in his own skin only adds to the sex appeal.

He doesn’t put it on. He just is.

I’m not excusing his behavior of trampling down my life and kicking in the door of the motel. I’m not excusing the heinous act of ripping my baby from me and locking me up, even if my cell was one of luxury. A cell’s a cell.

But Demyan wins some redemption points from the fact he looked after Sasha. Doted on him. That, and he let me out.

If we’re to do this. Be parents, give Sasha everything, then I have to look past the bad. He hasn’t lifted a hand against me or Sasha and it’s clear his staff respects him.

What had Olga said? He’s a good man.

I need to hold on to that. Sasha should have two parents and maybe?—

That line of thought stops here. We had a night of passion and we got Sasha, that’s it. No matter what, my dreams and fantasies might sometimes whisper.

Demyan’s talking about Sasha’s love of sugar and how we need to control it. I laugh. “Try to control it,” I say.

“I’ve tried.”

“Tiny doses. Treats. No sugary cereals.”

His lips press into a thin line, and I know Sasha managed to get some out of him. I change the subject. “I know nothing about you.”

“Your brother didn’t tell you?”

“He said to keep away, you were bad news. But… I’m here now.”

“Against your will.”

My cheeks burn. “If we’re going to do this, then that needs to stop. We both make an effort. I’m here because I want Sasha to know his father.”Now.

“I’ve got my hand in a number of pies. Different business ventures. I took over some of them from my father when he died, and the rest I’m building from strength to strength.”

An empire. I don’t say the words, but that’s what it sounds like. “Were you close to your dad?”

A bitter laugh escapes as Demyan shakes his head. “Far from it. He idolized Alina, though, so that’s one thing in his favor.”

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