Rogue Hearts

He opened the door to find her standing in her doorway.

She ended her cell phone call and put it in her pocket. “Like I said, adults can do whatever they want.” She pushed past him with a big smile on her face.

He shut the door and “I suppose you think that’s funny.”

“No. What’s funny is that you think you can command me like some lapdog and I’ll come running whenever. If this relationship is going to work, you have to treat me with more respect than that.”

“I can think about a couple occasions when you didn’t mind my demands.”

She stared at him, and she immediately thought of the way he commanded her whenever they had sex. “That’s not the same thing. Focus.”

“Oh, I’m focused.” He moved over to the kitchen.

She saw the food spread out on his counters. It looked like a pot of broth was boiling on the stove. “Were you seriously coming after me with food cooking like that? Didn’t you think about the apartment burning down?”

“Honestly, when it comes to you, I never think at all. I just act.”

He said it so casually that it shocked her. She didn’t know she affected him that way until he said it. What could she say?

“Are you telling me I make you irrational?”

“I don’t think rational would be the word I’d use, but I don’t regret ever being with you.”

“Even if it means having a baby we weren’t expecting?”

“I admit that having another child scares me, but that doesn’t mean that I’d never want be with you.”

“I’m still considering Chicago.”

She just said it. For some sadistic reason, she was in a mood to test him and his limits. It made no sense why. Maybe she wanted to see what he’d be like angry and if he was bearable to stand. She’d been with a guy who had anger management problems before, and she’d dumped him before he ever got the chance to lay a hand on her.

Deep down, she knew Andrei would never hurt her. She’d seen men who hurt women numerous times as she sent their asses to jail for battering their wives and terrorizing their children. Those weren’t men. Real men would never lay a hand on a woman or child.

Even though Andrei had the ability to get on her last nerve, she knew he’d never lay a hand on her or their child. It was something about the protectiveness in his eyes that always lingered there.

“Chicago? I thought we talked about this already.”

“No, you told me you had children, and we never finished the conversation. There was a lot we didn’t get around to.”

“You can’t go to Chicago, Victoria.”

“There was never a question of whether I could not. You said you couldn’t go.”

“You weren’t having my baby then, but you are now. I think that changes things.”

“I hate to break it to you, but pregnant women are in Chicago, too.” At first, she had only planned to talk about the baby, but now it seemed like the baby and the promotion intermingled. They were two major parts of her future. One was highly likely and the other was optional. If she chose to take the job in Chicago, her life would change dramatically. Although he didn’t say it, she could tell the Andrei still thought it was overwhelming to have a baby right now. She didn’t disagree with that, but she still had to at least consider her future, whether it involved him or not.

“I know pregnant women live in Chicago, but that doesn’t mean you have to go there. Promotions are important. I get that, I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you to find something like that better here. You’re a damn good lawyer, Victoria. That won’t be your only chance.”

Even with his compliment, she only heard one thing: he was shutting down the promotion before she could really consider it. It wasn’t his decision to make. “Maybe working with your father has you a little jaded, but DA positions don’t just come out of thin air. In order for me to even get a position like that here, my boss would have to either retire or die. Are you saying I should sit around and wait for something like that to happen?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I never would suggest something like that. All I’m saying is that you should consider your options. There may be other DA positions in the New York area or even some of the surrounding cities. It’s already stressful enough to move to a new city alone to start over.”

“You think I can’t do it, don’t you?”

“I couldn’t believe that even if I tried to. You are a strong woman. There’s no question about that, but who says you have to

go all the way to Chicago to prove that?”