The Marriage Ultimatum (City of Dreams Series) by Charlotte O'Shay Page A

ship.
    “My housekeeper brought in some food and other supplies so you should find anything you or Alex might want in the kitchen or your rooms. Your bedrooms are at the far end of that hall.”
    He waved his hand at the corridor encased in a thick linen wallpaper then disappeared down another long hall of the penthouse that had more square footage than most houses, giving every appearance that he was escaping a nightmare.
    Trying not to make Alex pick up on her own discomfort at the opulence of their surroundings, Sabrina gave him a quick bath because it always soothed him. He ate a banana and then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and washed it all down with milk. He fussed at the concept of a separate room so soon after spending two nights with just Mrs. Egan. She settled him in the ginormous bed in her room, and in minutes, he was asleep.
    She took her own shower then and marveled that even from the bathroom there was a stunning water view out the window into the harbor. High above the noise and chaos of the city, she tried to enjoy the magnificent serenity of the water, the play of the sun on the swell of the river, but she was too keyed up. It was way too early for her to sleep, and she wouldn’t have been able to close her eyes anyway with the thoughts running through her mind.
    Vlad was deadly serious in his belief that she had somehow been instrumental in putting out the media fiction that he had fathered Alex. And she had yet to figure out how to make him believe otherwise. Now she could either help him resolve the situation, or he would make sure that she never worked in New York again.
    So, she had, in actuality, no choice. She couldn’t divulge the story of Alex’s parentage without revealing that he was not her son. If she did that, she would be pulled through the child welfare system where she was certain to be found lacking as Alex’s parental figure. She wouldn’t be able to provide the authorities with any information about Alex’s father. He would be placed into foster care. And since she would do absolutely anything to avoid that scenario, she was out of options.
    ****
    “Yes, I’m hearing everything you’re saying, Yuri. How should I respond? What can I possibly say? This goes from bad to ridiculous.”
    He paused. He paced. He ran his hand through his short black hair till it stood on end.
    “No. She has no choice but to agree. Yes, send the paperwork.”
    When he turned away from his stance by the window of his library, she was standing in the doorway. Freshly showered. He knew the look now. And so did his defiant body. The slightly pinkened cheeks and the damp hair that had escaped the loose braid and curled around her temples. The damp hair was a darker, burnished sable compared to the rest of the gleaming strands of copper.
    He absorbed her, the jasmine scent that perfumed the air around them, the fresh faced, innocent look she presented in her loose jeans and T-shirt. For God’s sake, she even had bare feet. And unpainted toes. When was the last time he had been turned on by a woman who was barefoot?
    What the hell was wrong with him?
    She looked him in the eye, her chin tilted up in a challenge.
    “So what do I have to do to help you fix this?”
    He nodded, satisfied. She was going to cooperate. That was good at least. He rubbed his fingers along his temples trying to concentrate on the problem, not her.
    “Okay, so you might as well sit down.” He gestured toward the leather chesterfield along the wall.
    She shook her head, kept her arms crossed under her chest and remained standing.
    “We’re going to present to the world the façade of a reunited couple. I found out about the child and we reconciled. We keep it simple and we move forward.”
    Sabrina nodded. “So we pretend to be a couple.”
    “Yes.” He inclined his head slowly.
    “Okay.” Sabrina backed to the door again.
    “Tomorrow we begin,” he said.
    “Begin?”
    “It’s no good doing this if people can’t