“Let’s be fair,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck and wishing I’d never come in here, “they both look like they want to stab each other whenever they’re within a one-meter radius. So, it seems like something she and Konstantin should discuss.”
I try to change the subject before the person getting stabbed is me. “So, are you trying out the same look for the Christmas Eve party, baby?”
She raises a haughty brow. “I don’t know. No one has asked me to be their date.”
Oh, shit.
“My beautifulpiccolo bacio,I ask you to forgive my thoughtless assumptions and I would like to formally request the honor of your presence at the party as my date?”
“Man, he’s smooth,” Mariya compliments me, nudging Tati, “you should definitely reinforce that kind of boyfriend behavior.”
“Very well,” Tatiana examines her fingernails, “since no one else has asked me and Iamfree…”
“Excellent,” I kiss her hand, deeply relieved this isn’t going to cost me a kidney or something.
“Let’s go over to your suite,” Mariya says to Tatiana, “we can go through your closet and find something that’ll make you look insanely hot.”
“It wouldn’t matter what she wore, she will always be beautiful,” I said, kissing her goodbye.
“Lucca should really give lessons on how to talk to women,” Mariya says as they leave.
I just smile, glad they’re leaving before I open my mouth and fuck it up somehow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
In which Lucca wins the title of Best Boyfriend Ever.
Tatiana…
“So, what are the formal dances like in Vancouver?” Mariya asks, applying some eyeliner with a dramatic swoop on my eyelids.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “This is the first dance I’ve ever been to.”
“You’re kidding.” Her hand is still up, gripping the eyeliner wand as she stares at me.
“There were a couple of formal affairs that I went to with my parents,” I shrugged, “but I never danced with anyone. Don’t give me that look, I know I was raised as a professional shut-in. No need to make me feel any more pathetic than I do.”
“Sorry,” she finishes her magic on my eyes. “I thought no one could be more oppressive than my mother, and even I got to go to a few dances, though never with a date. Being promised in marriage at the age of fourteen will do that.”
“Were you angry when Maksim told you about the arrangement with the Turgenevs?” I watch her expression, but she keeps her eyes on the makeup bag.
“Honestly? No. My sister-in-law Ella lost her fucking mind. I heard she trashed Maksim’s office when she found out. She made him promise to ask me, instead of telling me. And he did. At the time, I thought Konstantin was cute, can you believe it?” she snorted.
“Well…” I shrug awkwardly.
“Of course, I didn’t know what a dick he was at the time,” she said sourly. “But it could be worse. Maksim could have promised me to some eighty-year-old.”
“I can’t see him ever doing that,” I said, hiding a smile.
“Probably not,” she admits, chuckling a little. “It may not be so bad. Look at Ekaterina! She’s really happy with her arranged marriage. As a matter of fact, since my sister is married to Lucca’s brother, we could really be family if you two…” she wiggles her eyebrows at me meaningfully.
My smile fades as I think about it. Would Roman let me marry someone of my own choosing? “Lucca’s estranged from his family and frankly, they sound like assholes to me,” I said, standing up to step into my dark green silk dress.
“Did he ever tell you what the hell happened?”
“Yes,” I said, struggling to get at the zipper. “It’s not my story to tell, though it’s hard to want to be a member of a family that could throw away their own brother like that, especially after losing their parents.”
She bats my hands away from the zipper and pulls it up for me. “Lucca’s a good man,” she agreed, “though falling in love with you has brought it out of him. Hopefully, they’ll have a chance to see that.”
