A Virgin for His Prize(56)

Madison nodded. “It’s too bad, too.”

“Can you imagine my father and Mrs. K?” Romi asked with still overflowing amusement.

“You believe your father should not consider his domestic staff in a romantic way?” his mother asked with some bite.

Maxwell stifled the urge to roll his eyes.

“Under most circumstances, it would be very bad form,” Romi said with no give in her tone. “Making a pass at one’s employees is not acceptable behavior and my father has too much honor to do such a thing.”

“Does he?” Natalya asked, sounding unconvinced.

Maxwell wondered how long before he could offer to take her home. She did not like to drive and preferred his company over a car and driver.

“Yes,” Romi replied with exaggerated patience. “But in this case, I’m sure Mrs. K would welcome his interest.”

“She’s a law unto herself,” Madison agreed. “Mrs. K would run rings around him and I don’t think she’d give up her job.”

Maxwell’s mother sniffed. “Surely she would be happy to keep home for him as his wife rather than housekeeper.”

Instead of looking even a little offended, Romi’s expression turned thoughtful. “You know, Natalya, I believe you are right. She might just keep him on the straight and narrow, too.”

“Matchmaking thoughts?” Madison teased.

Romi made no effort to deny it. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.”

“You wanted the best for Mrs. K and your dad was too lost in his grief and the bottle to be that.” Madison showed none of Romi’s tendency to ignore the tougher subjects.

Romi considered her friend’s words. “He still could be…lost in his grief.”

“No. He’s going to get better and come out of this treatment stronger. I just know it,” Madison said with certainty. “Right, Vik?”

Viktor nodded. “I am sure you are right.”

He didn’t even sound a little like he was just humoring his wife. The besotted look he gave her however, put anything he said in agreement under the light of suspicion.

The man had succumbed and there was no doubt about it.

“Alcoholism is a genetic trait,” Natalya pointed out with overt significance and a complete lack of tact.

Romi flinched and Maxwell stood without thought. “Mam, I will call for the car. Please gather your things.”

“What, mishka? What do you mean? I am not finished with my dinner.” She pointed to her only half-eaten plate.

He did not care. “You are.”

“I was just pointing out that you might not be choosing from the strongest gene pool for your future progeny,” she said as if that should make her thoughtless words acceptable.

The look he gave his mother was one he could never remember turning on her. “Romi is the woman I am going to marry, the only woman I have ever considered having children with and the only one I ever will.”

“I didn’t say—”

“I know exactly what you said and so does everyone here. If you hope for an invitation to return, you will apologize to Romi before we leave.”

“But, my son—”

“What does mishka mean?” Romi asked, apropos of nothing.

At least in Maxwell’s viewpoint.

“Little bear, though there’s nothing little about my son,” his mother answered, appearing as confused as Maxwell felt. “It is a childhood nickname that stuck.”

Maxwell winced. Only with her had the nickname stuck and she only used it when she was reminding him that he would always be her son.

Romi’s smile was too sweet in the current situation. “I like it.”

Maxwell stared between the two women. His mother was staring at Romi with an unexpected measure of respect. What had just happened?

Maxwell looked around the table to see if the others seemed to have more of a clue than he did. Viktor gave him a commiserating look tinged by clear confusion.

It was good to know Maxwell wasn’t alone in his reaction to Romi.

Madison didn’t look bewildered at all. Romi’s sister-by-choice looked ready to strangle his mother.

And he couldn’t blame her.

“I apologize if what I said offended you,” his mother offered to Romi with the first sign of real warmth that evening.

“It did, but then I consider the source.” Romi’s words took a second to register for both Maxwell and his mother.

She gasped, but instead of getting angry as he expected, she smiled. “Touché. He is my baby, even if he is a business tycoon.”

“Corporate Tsar. It’s more fitting, don’t you think?” Romi asked, no anger in her tone.

“He can be very imperious.” Natalya looked at him with an expression that said maybe he was being that right now.