Russian Mafia Billionaire’s Secretary (15 page)

“Um, excuse me.” Jumping up, Alanna ran inside just as Roman and Alyssa stepped onto the porch.

Rushing into the bathroom, she flipped up the toilet seat and emptied the contents of her breakfast into the toilet. With a groan, she leaned against the wall while she waited for the nausea to stop.

Finding some mouthwash, she rinsed her mouth and listened to them talking outside.

“Where did my mommy go?” Roman asked in his best big boy voice.

“She had to go to the bathroom,” Alexander responded, as Alyssa stomped across the porch and sat down in one of the chairs.

“I hear that she’s been doing that a lot lately,” she commented in a dour tone.

“Doing a lot of what?” From his tone, Alexander had no idea what was going on.

“Being sick,” Roman informed him. “My mommy has an upset tummy a lot,” he added, pleased to participate in the conversation.

“Gee, I wonder what could cause that,” Alyssa continued in the same tone.

Looking from one to the other, “I don’t understand. Is something wrong with Alanna?”

“Nothing that can’t be fixed in seven and a half months,” Alanna told him as she stepped out from where she was standing. At Alexander’s confused look, “What my sister has picked up on is that I’m pregnant.”

 Alexander continued to shake his head as he stared at her. “But how? When? We’ve always used condoms.”

“Not every time,” Alanna interrupted. “In the shower, in Miami?”

As Alexander continued to frown in concentration, suddenly a slow smile spread across his face. “Really?” he asked.

Nodding her head, “Very.”

“So, I’m going to be a father?” At Alanna’s nod, he picked her up and swung her around in circles giving her a big kiss before doing the same to Alyssa and Roman, who complained loudly and demanded to be put down. Setting him back down, Alexander staggered on his feet and landed on a chair with a loud thump. “I’m going to be a father?” he asked again.

“Well, I’ll leave you two to talk. Come on, nephew, let’s go unpack the car and see what there is to eat.” As Alyssa walked off with Roman, Alanna took Alexander by the hand and led him down the back steps to the small dock in back.

Kicking off her shoes, she sat down and put her feet in the water, wincing at the sudden cold.

Sitting down next to her, he wrapped his arm around her. “How long have you known?”

“About twenty-four hours,” she confessed as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I was planning to tell you this weekend, but my sister figured it out in the car from something Roman said about me being sick.”

“We’ve never talked about children. We really haven’t talked about much of anything personal since before all this started…I had no idea how you would take the news,” Alanna finished, worried that she sounded as ridiculous as she felt.

Hugging her to him, he kissed the top of her head. “I’ve never thought about having children. At least, not with the women I dated. I was always so careful about making sure I used a condom, I don’t even remember not bringing one in there.”

Alanna yelped, as he picked her up and dragged her onto his lap. Kissing her, he placed his hand on her belly, as he stared at her, “We made a child.”

His tone conveyed the wonderment he was feeling as she began to cry. Throwing her arms around him, she buried her head in his neck, mumbling.”

Stroking her back, he held her close, “Alanna, sweetheart, I didn’t hear what you said.” Alanna continued to cry and he chuckled as she continued to mumble. Lifting her up, he wiped at her tears with his thumb.

“Say it again?” he coaxed as she smiled at her.

“I luh-ove you, you oaf,” she finally blurted out as she collapsed against him again, crying.

Alexander tightened his hold on her, as he rubbed her head.

“I love you, too, Alanna. I knew that I was falling for you and was going to bring it up the night of my arrest. These last few weeks have been wonderful with you in my life and I don’t ever want to be separated from you again.”

“But, but what about Roman aannnnd my sis-ter,” she blubbered.

“My home is more than big enough for all of us with room to grow. Plus she will be walking distance to the campus.

“Oh, Alexander, I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, I haven’t asked you anything yet.” Shifting her back onto the dock, he helped her to her feet before kneeling in front of her. “But I’m asking you now, would you, Alanna Vella, consent to be my wife?” he asked her as she covered her mouth and began bouncing up and down.

Turning to look at her sister and son who heard all the commotion and were now watching all of this, “Do you think that’s good enough?” he asked Alyssa.

Shaking her head, she grinned widely. “Oh no, make her say it.”

Turning back to her, Alexander smiled, “You heard your sister, I need an actual answer.”

With a squeal, Alanna yelled out, “Yes, yes, I will marry you,” before she jumped into his arms, causing him to rock back and land heavily on the dock. With an excited laugh, she hugged and kissed him.

“I love you, Alexander!” she cried out as he hugged her tight.

“And I you, Alanna.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Alanna stared at herself in the full-length mirror lost in thought. This was it. This was really it. She hugged herself lightly.

“Hurry up, mommy. We’re going to be late,” Roman scolded her, as she turned to look at him dressed in his toddler suit.

“Oh my goodness, you look so handsome,” she crooned at him as she blinked at the tears threatening to fall. She smiled at her sister who stood behind her son, dressed in a black cocktail dress.

“You look beautiful, sis. I only wish gran were here to see you in her wedding gown. It looks perfect on you.”

Turning back to look in the mirror, she smiled at her soon to be sister-in-law, as she adjusted her headpiece and veil.

“Your sister is right. You are every inch the blushing bride,” Amelia told her while she fussed with the veil.

“I’m just glad that gran was bigger than me. There was enough fabric to modernize the dress some and still leave room for my growing baby bump.”

“Mommy…” Roman called out, impatiently as everyone laughed.

“I’m coming, sweetheart. This is mommy’s big day. Be patient.”

“Oh, fine,” he snapped back as he stomped his foot. The women laughed, as her sister stood next to her in the mirror with Amelia.

“Now, do you have everything you need?” she asked her. “Something old?”

“Gran’s dress.”

“Something new?”

“Um…wait. My engagement present from Alexander.”

Turning, she went to rush to her bag but Amelia beat her to it. Holding the box up for her, Alanna nodded her head as she smiled. Opening the box, Alyssa looked over her shoulder and whistled at the lavish emerald and diamond ensemble. Picking up the earrings, she put the large emerald studs in her ears. Helping to lift her hair, she smiled as her sister placed the emerald and diamond necklace around her neck as Amelia placed the heavy matching band on her wrist.

“Wow! Those look fantastic with your red hair,” her sister told her appreciatively.

“Mommy…” Roman whined, reminding them of the time.

“Where were we?” Alyssa asked. “Oh yea, something borrowed.”

“The veil,” Amelia called out as she adjusted it again. “I only wish our mother was here to see you in it,” she told her with a smile.

“That leaves something blue. Something blue! You don’t have anything!” her sister called out frantically.

“It’s okay, sis. I’ve got it.” Slipping off one of her shoes, she pointed down at her foot as Alyssa and Amelia looked at what she was pointing to.

Laughing, “Well, I guess blue nail polish is something blue,” her sister said aloud as Alanna laughed with her.

“Well, I thought I was being clever.”

At that moment, a soft bell rang, as Roman made impatient noises.

Giving herself one last look, Alanna turned around. “I’m ready.”

“Oh, finally,” Roman chimed in as the women laughed.

Leaving the room, they walked over to the chapel entrance, where they lined up, ready to walk in. As the music began to play, Amelia took her cue and began the slow walk up the aisle. Before Alyssa took her first step, she turned to look at her sister and nephew, giving them both the thumbs up. Turning back, she made her way up the aisle.

Taking the wedding bouquet from the attendant, she held it in her left hand as she looked down at her son. “Ready to walk mommy up the aisle?”

Nodding his head, “I’ve been practicing,” he told her solemnly. Stretching his arm up, she took his hand as they made their way up the aisle of the small church toward the beaming Alexander.

As they walked, she smiled at her soon to be husband who looked fantastic in his black Armani suit and green tie, which matched the emeralds he gave her. As she made her way toward him, she thanked her lucky stars that brought her to him.

If someone had asked her a year ago if she envisioned herself falling in love with her boss, getting pregnant and getting married in Russia, she would have laughed at how preposterous it all sounded. Yet, here she was, walking down the aisle of the tiny little Russian church in a suburb of Moscow ready to say, “I do” to the second love of her life. 

Smiling down at the first love of her life, she squeezed his hand lightly when he stumbled and watched as he bit his lip concentrating as he walked.

After the fiasco with the FBI and the subsequent witch-hunt, Alanna was relieved that was all over with, as thanks to an unknowing Amelia, the FBI had switched their efforts over to Maksim and had hit pay dirt.

As they reached the front of the church, the priest smiled at them as he began to speak in Russian while Amelia quietly translated. “Being assured that your love and your choice of each other as lifelong companions are in God’s will and that you have your families’ blessings, I now ask: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

After Amelia translated, “I do,” Roman piped up in his best official voice. Nodding at him, the priest waited for Roman to present Alanna to Alexander. “Good luck, mommy,” he whispered loudly before stepping back and joining Alyssa.

The ceremony was short even with the translation. Since both of their parents had passed away that left only Alyssa and Roman from her side of the family in attendance. The remaining couple dozen or so attendees were cousins and an uncle on Alexander’s side along with his house staff and several clients who were local to the area.

When the priest pronounced them husband and wife, everyone cheered as Alexander swept her up in his arms and kissed her so soundly, he left her breathless. When he set her back on her feet, she laughed as she rested her head against his shoulder. Turning, they held hands as they led the small procession out of the church and across the street to the restaurant for dinner.

Dinner was a lavish affair and Alanna watched the Champagne flow as she wistfully wished for a taste, but the frowns she received from her sister and new husband had her sticking to sparkling water. Alexander was attentive to her and she smiled as she watched him with Roman. After dinner, they said goodbye to their guests. Roman who had long ago curled up on one of the chairs and fallen asleep was easily scooped up by Alexander. Alanna could no longer hold back her tears when Roman sleepily asked him if he could call him daddy now. But it was the unshed tears in Alexander’s eyes that finally did her in, as he hugged her son and whispered to him about his future role as a big brother.

When the driver brought them back to their Moscow residence, Alyssa took Roman as she and Amelia bid them good night and headed off to their rooms, leaving the two of them alone.

Chapter Twenty-Three

This was their wedding night and Alanna found herself unsure what to say or do, as they stood in the entryway. Suddenly, Alexander’s phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

“Now? It’s late.”

Answering the phone, he told the caller to wait before tapping the mute button.

“It’s my lawyer in New York. This won’t take long, I hope. Why don’t you go upstairs to our room and I’ll meet you up there shortly.”

Nodding her head, Alanna wasn’t sure what to say but he’d already turned away and began speaking in rapid Russian. She knew she needed to be supportive of everything that was going on and deep down, she was, but this was their wedding night. Maybe he could take one night off?

Sighing audibly, she began the slow walk up the steps to their suite. Part way up the stairs, she reached down to take her shoes off, shivering slightly when her stockinged feet stepped on the cold marble of the stairs.

Pushing the double doors to their suite open, she smiled at the surprise Alyssa and Amelia had left for them. A fire was burning brightly in the room’s fireplace and candles were positioned all around the room, waiting to be lit. They had gone so far as to scatter rose petals along the floor and on the bed.

Dropping her shoes, Alanna went to their walk-in closet and reached behind her to pull the zipper down on her dress. As she stepped out of her dress, she caught sight of the bathroom in the mirror and had an idea. Slipping a robe on, she went to the bathroom and began filling the tub with hot water. Going back to the bedroom, she scooped up two handfuls of the rose petals and brought them back to the bathroom to scatter them in the bathtub. Reaching for the bath supplies, she opened the bottle of rose-scented bubble bath and added it to the rapidly filling tub.

Satisfied with the water, she turned off the taps and removed her robe. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt bad that her husband wouldn’t see her new lingerie as she had anticipated him being the one to take them off her. Getting an idea, she went back to the bedroom and put her shoes back on. Grabbing her phone, she went to the full-length mirror and took a picture of herself in her newlywed lingerie. Moving to the bathroom, she took a picture of the bubble bath.

Texting the picture of herself to Alexander, she added the message, “Sorry you missed this.” And when she sent him the picture of the bath, she added, “Better hurry, the water is perfect.” Satisfied, she set her phone aside and shed the remainder of her clothes before stepping into the tub with a satisfied groan.