“You wouldn’t be an obligation.” I’m sure I should be telling her how pretty she is, how pleased I am to have her as a wife. I’ve never been good with flowery language, unless I’m fucking. “Would you rather marry Dmitri?”
“Oh, my god no!” she says, horrified. “Uh… I mean, I’m sure he’s a good leader and, uh…”
“No, he’s a complete bastard and routinely fucks up,” I say, watching her obvious relief.
“He kind of is,” she agrees, “I’m sorry he’s a sociopath.”
If only she knew…
“Fortunately, he’ll be mainly in Russia and we’ll be here,” I say, “you won’t have to see him much.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“Those men,” her expression twists into grief. “Were they really from my family’s Bratva?”
My fingers tighten on her waist, but she doesn’t flinch. “They were lucky I didn’t have time to draw it out. Your uncle’s men were supposed to be protecting you and Inessa. Yet you were left unsupervised at work and I nearly killed you. I took you home with me and they never knew. The Dubrovin Bratva allows drug use in its ranks. Those stupid fucks were getting high in the parking garage when I killed them. They weren’t the only ones on your uncle’s payroll.”
“Who else?”
“The front desk girl.”
“Maddie?” she asks, horrified, “But she was always so nice, I mean, we went out for drinks a couple of times.”
“She was keeping an eye on you,” I explain. “Two of the security guards as well.”
“My poor mother,” she says sadly, “spending her inheritance to send us here and the whole time, that bastard Rurik was keeping us as a little something to use later when we were useful.”
“Believe me,” I say, “based on all the possibilities that greedy fuck had in mind, I am your best option.”
She puts one cautious hand on my shoulder. “You are the only option I could want. I just…” she’s searching for the words, “I don’t want you to end up resenting me.”
My hands slide back to her little ass, squeezing it as I pull her forward, rubbing her against my painfully hard cock. “Does this feel like I resent you?” Her little intake of breath is fucking killing me. I’m seconds away from ripping off her underwear and cramming my cock into her. One hand settles around her throat, my thumb stroking her fluttering pulse. We’re close enough that our lips almost touch, close enough to feel her warm breath on my face, like sunshine.
She’s a virgin…
The reminder hits me like a bucket of ice water. Her first time can’t be in this greenhouse with her panties ripped off and bouncing up and down on me. Still, I squeeze her throat lightly, watching her pupils flare. It would take so little effort to get her wet and ready for me…
Lifting her to her feet, I stand and take her hand, pulling her out of the greenhouse. Once we’re at her bedroom door, I kiss her hand. “Go inside. Shut the door and don’t come out until morning.”
“Why?” she says breathlessly, clearly disappointed. “Do you turn into a werewolf or something?”
“You’re not ready.” I shut the door and walk away while I still have enough shreds of my self-control to do it.
Chapter Sixteen
In which there is breakfast and happy news.
Alexi…
The wind picks up in the early morning hours, and I watch the shadows of the trees wave violently against the bedroom ceiling.
I’d anticipated my thoughts would be just as unsettled as the waves smashing against the harbor pilings nearby, but Lucya’s head is on my chest and her warm little body is soothing me like an electric blanket. I’ve been running my fingers through the silk of her hair, feeling it catch against my calloused fingertips.
There is nothing wrong about taking her virginity tonight. We are going to be married. Hell, once the arrangement was announced between the two Pakhans, we were considered all but married in our culture.
My phone buzzes softly on the bedside table and I slide out from under Lucya to take it into the hall. Her little hand moves across the sheets, like she’s looking for me, even in her sleep.
