Maxim looked down his nose at her. He took a step, and then another.
Kira tightened her back and raised her head. He stayed on the last stair, towering over her. Kira rightly sidestepped him and climbed two, so now he was staring up at her. The twitch on his lip was purely aggravation.
“There is no trusting a Morozov. It is a test to see if your expensive school was worth the money.”
Kira watched him go back up the steps, but she wanted to hurt him, the way he was constantly hurting her. “Your brother made a pass at me.”
Maxim snickered, glancing back at her. “Oh? My happily married brother made apassat you, did he? He complimented you, as any well-mannered gentleman would, and you took it as if he was hitting on you? Your ego is astounding, Morozov. As insane as it sounds, you do not fit everyone’s taste. You certainly do not appeal to my brother.” He approached her again, anger now prominent on his brow. “How dare you make such accusations when it could destroy a man’s career. It does not matter to you, I know. You have never sacrificed for your family, you have never sweated blood and tears for anything. You cannot appreciate one iota of the effort my brother put into our lives. But you will respect him from now on and think twice before speaking. Do you understand?”
Kira couldn’t take it. She wasn’t meant to be anyone’s punching bag. She had watched Luerna wither away under a man who despised her. How could Kira stand here and not try to stop turning into a sister she didn’t respect? “Why are you so mean to me? I have done nothing wrong.” Her shoulders shook and she trembled as tears dripped down her cheeks. She hugged herself, staring at her feet, unwilling to see the look in his eyes. “I thought you wanted to marry me. I thought you wantedme–”
“Stop.”
She snapped her head up to find his dark gaze narrowed and the twist of disgust on his lip. “Your games will not work–”
“I’m not–”
“Shut your mouth!” Maxim fastened upon her, grabbing her arms. He squeezed harder than he meant to. “I have never hit a woman, but you test my patience. I will not be moved, Morozov. Everything you are is everything I cannot stand. To make this marriage work, you will stay away from me, and I will stay away from you. You will do what is ordered and nothing more.” He pushed her back and observed how she rubbed her arms in such a pathetic manner; he wished he had squeezed harder. She can’tbe that fragile. “Do your garden. It bothers me none. As long as it keeps you from conspiring behind my back.”
Kira waited until he was gone to collapse on the stairs and bury her head in her legs. She was defeated, having never met a more stubborn man. Her father and brothers always gave in to her tears. Any guard would freak out if she looked even a little upset. Why was Maxim so dead set on hating her that he couldn’t see the truth?
There had to be a way to earn his trust. Once he realized this was all just a misunderstanding, he’d cave. Right? He’d love her then?
But by then, would she even want it?
Chapter seven
Lies
The way Kira sat pressed against the door of the limo was enough to make Maxim’s blood boil. How dare she act like he’s dangerous when she’s the one playing a game? Did Kira believe that he had done zero research into who he was marrying? None of them mentioned the business-like woman who accessorized and walked like a runway model. No, everyone who had ever met Kira exposed how odd she was. How she carried three different books in a big hand-knitted bag that read ‘Knitting Helps.’ They made fun of her outfits, which typically didn’t match and looked like pajamas. And the final nail in the coffin was her physical appearance. Rumor had it that she dyed her hair every two weeks in odd colors and was forty to fifty pounds overweight.
The woman who sat beside him,shiveringin fear, was nothing like what was described. She wanted to act like he was making shit up or mistreating her, but every day she woke up and chose to lie to him.
Maxim was never the angry brother, and to have Lazar, of all people, chastise him for his attitude toward his new wife was a kick in the balls. But all his reasons for having a temper were legit. Getting married to a stranger wasn’t a pleasant thing. Getting married to someone who lied about who they were was even worse. How was he ever to trust her, if she pretended to be someone she wasn’t?
And to add insult to injury, her father was offhandedly responsible for the death of their parents. Was she to blame? No, of course not, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have her father’s blood coursing through her veins, making her capable of the unknown.
The car opened, and Maxim got out, buttoning up his maroon jacket before he reached a hand for Kira. She stepped out in high-heeled boots with a tight business suit. Her hair was in a braid wrapped in a tight bun on the back of her head. She was a beautiful woman, but what did that mean to him? He had been around beautiful women all his life, and the way they used their looks to get whatever they wanted wasn’t a new concept to him. It was why he didn’t give in to her whims. She was just angry that she couldn’t manipulate him like she had manipulated everyone else in her life.
Maxim didn’t want her to make any assumptions to this ‘date’ and quietly whispered, “Only speak when spoken to.”
“Shall I sit on my knees?”
Maxim smirked.
The moment she noticed his expression, her face turned a deep shade of red, and she bowed her head. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
With a hand on her back, he pushed them forward. “It’s not like it’s anything new for you.”
Kira scoffed with an open mouth. “Are you–”
“Shh.”
The staff greeted them and took his coat. Maxim looked around the theatre entrance, less than impressed. He had never been very interested in musicals and plays, but he knew the man he was meeting was familiar with them, and so he had scheduled this particular place to please him. They had tables in front of the small stage. It wasn’t on Broadway, or even a well-known location. It was shabby at best, but with the limited amount of money he was willing to spend, it was the only option. The staff knew his importance, and, though slightly nervous, they fumbled about, hoping to make a good impression.
When the attendant moved through the tables to guide them, Kira gripped onto his arm, and like he knew she would, she pretended to be a perfect wife.
Her nails dug into his arm, and she whispered, “Are you insinuating that I’m experienced in the bedroom?”
