Page 184 of Stolen Empire
She bites her lower lip, a nervous habit.
But it doesn’t diminish how adorable that smile is.
"I was going to do a test tomorrow, but I wanted you to know first."
My mind reels over the information.
If she's pregnant it means family, a stronger family tie than I ever hoped possible.
And it means I'm a father.
My body pulses with energy.
I want to run and shout and scream at the top of my lungs, but I force myself to remain calm so as not to scare her.
"How do you feel about it?" I ask her.
"Scared… excited. Confused sometimes."
She looks away, back toward the empty track.
"I'm not going to just sit around barefoot and pregnant, you know."
I step closer to her, closing the distance between us.
I take both of her hands, forcing her to look at me.
"I don't want you as decoration, Katya. I never have. From the moment you spat in my face that night at the stables, I have wanted you. That won't change if you carry my child. It'll only deepen."
"How can I do both?" she asks, and there is real pain in her voice.
"How can I be pregnant and fight? How can I be a mother and part of this world?"
"The same way my mother did it. The same way Anzhela did it. The same way countless women have done it throughout history."
I pull her against me, my arms wrapping around her.
"You'll do it because you are strong enough. Because you are stubborn enough to refuse to be diminished by circumstance."
She leans into me, her forehead resting against my chest.
I can feel her breathing settle.
"Now can I tell you my news?" I ask her, and I know just how to get her riled up.
She groans, then pulls away, planting the heels of her hands on the railing behind her.
"What now? More trouble?"
"Well, yes. You'll have your hands full. You're going to marry me so we'll need a wedding venue, a florist, a caterer and?—"
Katya lands a jab to my gut, and I grunt and smile at her.
"What?"
"Dimitri Vetrov, this is not how you propose to a lady. Now do it right or don't do it at all."
Her arms fold over her chest as tears brim in her eyes, and I see how much she loves me.
