Alexei, Her Russian Billionaire

“Maya Featherstone, will you marry me?”

Maya didn’t even need to think. She knew exactly what she wanted. She nodded.

“Yes.”

There was no question about it.

*****

Alexei settled back in his seat and stretched his arms and legs out in front of him with a relieved sigh.

“I’m so glad that’s over. It felt like that took forever.”

“I’m not surprised.” Ivan chuckled. “We were there all day.”

Alexei and Ivan had been in Connecticut for the day doing an exchange with a fellow gallery owner who had expressed interest in some of Alexei’s paintings. Alexei had suggested coming up to his gallery to discuss a price for the ones he was interested in. They had arrived at the other man’s gallery at eleven and it was nearly four.

Some things weren’t meant to last five hours and that meeting had been one of them. Unfortunately their fellow owner hadn’t got the message and had drawn it all out. Now Alexei was hungry and wanted to head home for dinner and an evening in bed with Maya. Now her sickness had eased up she was more active than ever. Plus her appetite for s*x had gone up and Alexei was enjoying it, even if it was wearing him out.

“That man was such a stinker over those prices we were giving him, wasn’t he?” Ivan spoke as he overtook a truck and moved back into the lane. “He was asking far too much for just one painting, never mind three.”

“He just didn’t know when to stop.” Alexei grinned at his friend. “By the way, where did you learn that word?”

“What word?”

“Stinker. I’ve never heard you say that before.”

Actually, Alexei realized, Ivan had been using a lot more American words in the past six months. Alexei had been meaning to ask Ivan about it but the situation never arose. Now they had an hour’s drive back to New York and plenty of time.

Ivan shrugged, never taking his eyes off the road.

“I guess a few words are rubbing off on me.”

“Who’s been teaching you them, though?” Alexei grinned. “Is a woman helping you with extra English words?”

From the way Ivan was blushing, Alexei had guessed correctly. He laughed and sat back.

“Well, you bas*ard. When were you going to tell me about this?”

“It wasn’t intentional learning.” Ivan said hurriedly. “Caz has been known to curse even worse than that. You’re lucky those are the tamer words I’ve been using.”

“Caz? As in Caroline Stanton, Maya’s friend?” Alexei blinked in surprise. “When did this happen?”

“I met her six months ago to speak about Widecombe. We’ve been seeing each other for the last four months. It’s harmless right now, just casual.” Ivan said hurriedly. “We’re too busy for anything serious.”

Alexei didn’t doubt that. But he had been seeing Maya for six months and he was just as busy, as was Maya, and they made it work. He deduced the only reason Ivan wasn’t making it serious was because he was too afraid. A casual relationship he could do but not serious; that scared him and he often went running.

Plus Caroline Stanton was a stunning woman. She was the type of woman you had to get serious about. Ivan had to know that.

“Wow.” Alexei shook his head. “I never thought you’d have a woman like Caz Stanton on your arm. She’s way out of your league.”

“Oh, really? Well, you’re punching well above your weight with Maya.”

Alexei couldn’t help but preen.

“I know.”

“How are the plans going?”

“Good. Maya wants to wait until the baby’s born before we tie the knot. Said she doesn’t want to look like a balloon exchanging her vows.”

Ivan chuckled.

“She’ll look fine.”

“Try telling her that.”

They had set the wedding for Valentine’s Day. Maya was due in December near Christmas and she said she wanted a few weeks to get herself back into shape so she would look good walking down the aisle. Alexei didn’t care but Maya did and Alexei was willing to pander to that.

Ivan glanced at him before turning back to focusing on the freeway.

“Aren’t you concerned the baby will be born out of wedlock?”

“In a sense he won’t be. He’ll still have my name. I’m the biological father.” Alexei shrugged. “Nothing to it.”

And there wasn’t. Their son, Nikolai, was going to be born as a Petrov. It was just timing that had them doing things the wrong way around. Alexei had been brought up believing in marriage before children but that couldn’t be helped; he was happy with what he had.

Ivan grunted.

“Well, good luck with the sleepless nights.”

“Since when have I had a good night’s sleep in this job?”

“Good point.” Ivan smirked. “Not when you’ve got something more interesting to do.”

“Very funny.” Alexei looked out the window and sighed. “Oh, I forgot to mention. Hans called me this morning before you got in. Katya found out that I’m getting married again and she’s saying that we were never legally divorced.”

“What?” Ivan stared at him. “Are you serious?”

“Keep your eyes on the road, Ivan!”

“Sorry.” Ivan looked back at the road but kept glancing at him. “Are you serious?”

“Very.” Alexei couldn’t believe the gall of his ex-wife. It was almost laughable. “Hans told her the divorce was completely legal and that I’m not giving her any more money. She would have better luck trying to get money out of my penniless brother for child support than getting it off me.”

“She has a nerve.” Ivan’s hands tightened on the wheel. “What is her motivation for all this?”

“If I can’t have him nobody else can, I suppose.”

Alexei shifted and fished out his cell phone as it buzzed against his thigh. A glance at the number told him it was Maya. Alexei couldn’t help but smile. Anything involving Maya made him smile.

“Sorry, Ivan, I’ve got to take this.”

Ivan grunted. He had stopped teasing her about Maya a while back. Alexei answered the call and put his cell phone to his ear.

“Hi, Printsessa.”

There was a sound at the other end and then a moan. Alexei was confused. Had Maya turned her cell phone on by accident?

“Maya, are you there?”

Then he heard another moan. There was no mistaking it for anything else.

It was the sound of a woman close to cli*axing.

“What the…?”

Alexei stared at his cell phone. What was going on? Then dread began to fill him. Was Maya having s*x with somebody else?

“What’s wrong?” Ivan was flitting his gaze between him and the road. “Alexei?”

Alexei didn’t want to hear any more but he put his phone on loudspeakder.

“Listen to this.”

The sounds of two people in the throes of passionate s*x filled the car. A woman’s voice quietly urged her lover on, telling him to fu*k her hard. A man’s voice, too muffled to be heard well, said something back and the slapping of bodies picked up speed.

Alexei didn’t want to hear anymore. He felt sick. He hung up and stared out the window, gripping the phone in his hand.

Maya was cheating on him.

“You don’t need to be a genius to know what that was.” Ivan said grimly.

Alexei shook his head. The anger was building up. Maya knew how much his past was hurting him even now. She would never do that to him, surely?

“Maya? I can’t believe it. She would never…”

“Does that sound like her?”

Alexei blinked.

“What?”

“To me that didn’t sound like her voice but you’ve been intimate with her for six months. Does that sound like her?”

“It must be. It’s her number.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ivan shook her head. “Does that sound like your fiancé in throes of passion?”

Alexei tried to focus. But everything was all jumbled up in his head. What he had heard had thrown him off-kilter and he didn’t know what was going on. He pressed his fist to his head.

“I don’t know.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Because, if I’m right, her stalker’s come back again.”

“Widecombe?” Alexei frowned at his friend. “How do you know this is his doing?”

“Something Caz told me about Widecombe. He’s done it before.” Ivan pressed his foot on the gas. “We need to find Maya. She could be in danger.”

Alexei didn’t know what to think. He just sat there staring into space.