Switching the baby to her other hip, Rose wished for a hole to open up in the floor and swallow her. Of course he wasn’t in a bad way. Not that she expected him to be walking around, wringing his hands and looking like hell. But she wasn’t prepared for the bone-deep pain it caused her to view him like this. And she couldn’t hide out in the corner until he left. Heck, she was surprised Ivy hadn’t given them away by now.

Before Rose’s courage could fail, she took a deep breath and stepped into the light. “He means us.”

Ivy babbled and extended her arms, reaching for the man Rose knew without a doubt the baby loved.

The coat fell from Sasha’s hand, missing Pemberly’s outstretched fingers and hit the floor. Along with his heart, his stomach and every other internal organ as pure astonishment replaced them.

He turned to face her and swallowed. “Rosebud…and Ivy? But I thought Summer had her.” She had to be a mirage. There was no way in hell Rose would be standing in the middle of his foyer, looking achingly beautiful and holding his sweet Ivy.

He’d honestly thought the baby had been lost to Rose. There had been a time, after his mother died, that he considered going to Summer and persuading her to give Ivy back. But Rose wouldn’t have appreciated his interference.

“Summer signed adoption papers.” Blue eyes regarded him warily. “Ivy’s my daughter now.”

“I’m happy for you,” he said simply. However, the aching spot she occupied in his heart reminded him of just how unhappy he’d been. Until now. Joy threatened to consume him, but the woman he loved didn’t look quite so smitten with him. “When…how…why are you here?”

She glanced away. “Christian flew us here.”

“Christian’s in Fiji. Apparently they haven’t outgrown the whole twin switcheroo bit.”

“That was his brother?”

“Apparently, Scrooge, er, Sebastian, got a bit of the Christmas spirit in him.” He narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t flirt with you, did he?”

Rose shook her head. “No, he slept most of the time and played a game on his phone. The plane ride was a little bouncy but nice. Ivy and I had a little nap. There was a big bed. It was soft and I drank hot chocolate in the limo.”

Sasha bit back a smile at her nervous ramblings. “Did you come to spend Christmas with me?”

Pemberly sailed away, Sasha’s coat in his hand.

“I came to help you.” She still wouldn’t look at him. “Your cousin said you weren’t doing too good since your momma died.”

His heart sank a little. “That’s the only reason?”

Ivy wiggled and squirmed until Rose knelt down and placed her on the floor. “Should there be another?”

Well, he had hoped for more. As soon as he’d seen her, he’d thought she’d come to tell him she wanted to be with him. He didn’t need anything else but that.

Rose kissed Ivy’s head. The baby got on all fours, rocking back and forth.

Who was he kidding? He wanted everything from Rose, especially her love and trust. But those things took time. Lucky for them both, he had plenty of time. Of freedom to do whatever he wanted. Be with whomever he wanted.

The baby did some sort of army crawl, inching Sasha’s way. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. “Ivy’s crawling!”

“Kinda.”

He knelt on the floor, torn between the fascination of watching her show off her new skills and wanting to hold her in his arms. Her mother, too. “She’s gotten so big.”

“Could you call a cab for me, please?” Rose asked and he jerked his head up.

“Why?”

“I need a ride to Heathrow. I think your cousin pulled a fast one on me.”

Panicking, he mentally raced through a plethora of ideas and blurted out the first one that sounded sane. “At least stay until lunch. Let Ivy get her morning nap, and you get one too.”

“I’m not tired.”

Sasha searched her face. No, she didn’t look tired. She looked exhausted and slightly scared. Not that he could blame her. He was terrified that she’d leave. “It’s Christmas Eve, love. You’ll be lucky to find a place to sit for the next twenty-four hours, much less a plane ticket.”

“I’ll get a hotel room.”

Undeterred he said, “You can stay in one of the fifteen—”

“Twenty-two.” Pemberly brought in a tray of snacks, set it between Sasha and Rose and disappeared to only he knew where, acting like two adults kneeling in the middle of the foyer with a baby crawling around was a regular occurrence. Bless him.

“What he said.” He scooped up Ivy and kissed her forehead. She tried to bite his nose with her one tooth. “It’s been awhile, but does the tooth fairy leave money for when a tooth comes in?” He’d missed so much, but for damn sure he wouldn’t miss anything else.

Rose bit her lip. “I don’t know.”

“I’m sure we can look it up online and check,” he said with a shrug.

“I meant about staying here.” Rose closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Tea?”

Her eyes popped open. “No, thank you.”

“Pemberly can charge you twice what’d you pay at Claridge’s, if it’d make you feel better.”

One of her rare smiles pushed at the corners of her lips, then to his eternal gratitude she sat down on the floor, crisscrossing her legs in front of her. “How are things?”

The breath he’d been holding in rushed out. “I’m not working for my uncle anymore. I quit, before my mum died.”

“That’s…good. And sad about your mom.”

“It surprised Vladimir so much that he had a stroke.”

“Is he okay?”

An image of Childers’ stark hospital rooms sprang to mind. “He’s not dead.” Yet.

“Your house is pretty.”

“Thank you.”

She looked up at the ceiling, then the walls and back at him. “Every building on Broad Street could fit in here with room to spare.”

“I thought it was rather Wayne Manor-like.” At her questioning look, “You know, from the movie Batman.”

“I never saw that one.”

This was not how he envisioned a reunion with Rose. Stilted questions and abbreviated answers. Sighing, he placed Ivy back on the floor, sitting up. She grabbed his thumbs and bit down on one, her sharp tooth pinching. “Holy—” He clamped his mouth shut and gently pried his thumb out.

“Give Ivy her bunny to gnaw on.” Rose threw the stuffed animal at him.

He caught it easily, then gestured to the snacks and tea. “Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” But she didn’t move from her spot on the floor.

The silence grew, heavy and awkward.

“You doing okay with your mom passing?” she finally asked.

“I’d been preparing for it for a really long time, or I thought I had,” he confessed and sat down, stretching his legs out on either side of Ivy. “But every day it gets easier. And I did have three weeks with her. No one lording anything over my head.”

She gave him a sympathetic smile as Ivy crawled over his leg. He grabbed the baby and set her back between them.

“I heard you’re partnering with Barbara’s Bugs,” he said.

Rose nodded and traced a pattern on the marble floor. “Barbara is Azalea, my mother. She has a whole new life with kids and a husband. My sisters and I…and Ivy aren’t going to be a part of it.” She looked up at him. “Did you know?”

“No.” The temptation to take her in his arms nearly overwhelmed him. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted.”

She shrugged lightly. “It is what it is.”

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly and her eyes flew to his.

A heartbeat later she replied, “I missed you, too.” Her black lashes lowered, hiding her thoughts from him.

His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that Rose had to be able to hear it. He would tell her now. Confess his soul. It was what he should have done months ago. “Rosebud, I—”

Ivy began to fuss, throwing her rabbit on the floor.

Bloody perfect timing, he thought wryly.

Rose jumped to feet. “She needs a nap.”

“Follow me,” Pemberly said, moving to the stairs. “We’ve set up a nursery of sorts.”

“Don’t forget to charge Ms. Holland extra for that,” Sasha said and Rose rolled her eyes.

Pemberly continued his trek.

“I don’t think he thinks you’re funny.” Rose grabbed her bag.

“He’s laughing on the inside, love. Where it counts.” Sasha picked up Ivy. She snuggled against him, her familiar baby scent making his heart turn over. He followed the butler, Rose close behind him.

After they’d gotten Ivy tucked in and Pemberly went on his way, Rose softly closed the door and stood in front of it. Not moving. Not saying anything, actually. He couldn’t stop staring at her. At her lovely face, her beautiful eyes and the rise and fall of her breasts beneath her sweater.

He stepped closer. Lights flickered in the hallway and he gave her a slow smile. “I had this house inspected from top to bottom before I bought it, and there’s no faulty wiring.” He braced his hands against the door on either side of her head.

She licked her perfect lips. “It’s not me.”

“So you say.” Lowering his head, their mouths became dangerously close. “But I believe otherwise.”

“I-I thought you didn’t believe in my hocus-pocus.”.

“Everything you to do me is magic.” He pulled one of his hands away and traced her jaw. “Spend Christmas night…with me.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rose breathed him in, luxuriating in his nearness. She knew exactly where Sasha wanted her to spend the night—in his bed. “Just one night—that’s all?”

“If that’s what you want.” His hand drifted lower, dipping beneath the collar of her sweater and turning her flesh hot.

What she wanted was more. She wanted forever, but maybe he didn’t. Maybe she was a fool for even coming here. “Because you still owe me?”

His heated gaze followed the path of her tongue as she licked her lips again. “Poor choice of words.”

“Are you seeing anyone else?”

Giving her an annoyed look, he stepped away. “Do you actually think I’d invite you to spend the night with me if I were?”

Hope blossomed in her heart. “I think…I…” She tried to get out the words, but they wouldn’t come.

He rubbed the back of his neck and she saw a glimmer of a gold chain as it rose with his movements. He still wore the cross. She smiled and tears flooded her eyes, but he’d turned and walked away.

“Stay as long as you like, love,” he called out. “I’m going…somewhere.”

“I love you,” Rose cried out and he froze. “I love you, Sasha. And I want to be with you. Every minute of every day. ”

He turned around, his eyes narrowed and his stride purposeful. His long legs ate up the distance between them. “You can’t take it back. I won’t let you.”

“I don’t want to take it back.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. “I love you. Come home with me and Ivy. Be with me. Marry me.” Rose didn’t care if she sounded ridiculous. She had to get the words out, even if it meant she scared the crap out of him while doing it. Forget scaring him; she’d never been so petrified in her life.

But Sasha didn’t run away. He stayed firmly planted in front of her, his sexy green eyes full of emotions that she hoped to God were ones that mirrored hers.

He lifted a golden brow. “Marry you?”

“You don’t have to take my last name,” she said quickly.

“Am I to be Ivy’s dad?”

“I’d like for you to be.”

“I have to warn you that I’m the jealous sort,” he said, his voice gruff. “And I insist on staying home with the baby while you work.”

She couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out. “Is that a yes?”

“I love you, Rosebud.”

A thrill of joy ran through her entire body. “That’s not an answer.”

“Yes, a million times, yes.” He kissed her long and hard, until she was breathless. “How’s that?”

“I think we need to quit asking each other so many questions.” She rose on her toes and kissed him again, trailing her lips along his jaw and chin. His arms came around her, pulling her flush against him. “Where’s your room?”

Sasha half-drug, half-carried her to a room three doors down from Ivy’s, the baby monitor clipped to her back pocket bumping against her.

He set her down on her feet and just looked at her, as if trying to memorize her face, then he claimed her mouth in a kiss so searing that her clothes should have been on fire. Her lashes fluttered and his hands were on her, pulling and tugging. Turning her one way, then another. When she finally opened her eyes, she looked down to find that neither of them had on any clothing.

He held out his hand. It visibly shook. “Do you see what you do to me?” He produced a condom, flashing her a grin and wiggling his brows. “Sleight of hand.”

Her own body trembled in response as he rolled it over his erection, then his mouth was on hers. She touched him everywhere, caressing and smoothing her palms over his chest, his back.