“Bullshit. You look like you’re about to be sick.” He stepped closer, studying her face. “What did Adrian say to you?”
“Nothing important.” But her voice was strained, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Anka—”
“Viktor, please. Just drop it.”
Before he could press further, Adrian was back, sliding up to them with that predatory smile Viktor was beginning to hate. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
The change in Anka was immediate. Her entire body tensed, her breathing became shallow, and Viktor could see her hands trembling slightly as she reached for her wine glass. Whatever hold Adrian had over her, it ran deep.
Viktor’s protective instincts flared to life, the same primal urge that had driven him to kill those kidnappers yesterday. This bastard was threatening his wife, making her afraid in what should have been a safe space, and every fiber of his being wanted to put a bullet between his eyes.
But they were at his brother’s birthday party, surrounded by family and allies, and starting a war in the middle of the festivities would be beyond poor form. So instead, he did something that came naturally but surprised even him.
He moved closer to Anka, close enough that their bodies were almost touching, and slipped his arm around her waist.
“Sorry for abandoning you, sweetheart,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “My siblings wanted to interrogate me about our honeymoon plans.”
Anka’s surprise was quickly masked, but he felt the way she melted slightly into his touch, the way her body automatically sought the comfort and protection he was offering. She played along perfectly, tilting her head to smile up at him with an expression that looked genuinely adoring.
“It’s fine,” she said, her voice warm and affectionate. “I was just telling Adrian how wonderful your family has been to me.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly recognizing the performance for what it was but unable to call them out on it without looking like an ass. “Yes, they seem very... welcoming.”
Viktor tightened his grip on Anka’s waist, a clear claiming gesture that Adrian couldn’t miss. “We take care of our own.”
The message was unmistakable: Anka was his now, under his protection, and anyone who threatened her would answer to him. Adrian’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he maintained his pleasant facade.
“Of course,” he said smoothly. “Family is everything, after all.”
“Exactly.” Viktor turned to Anka, letting his thumb stroke along her hip in a gesture that was both possessive and intimate. “Ready for dinner, baby? I think they’re about to seat us.”
“Absolutely.” She leaned into him, her hand coming up to rest on his chest in a move that looked perfectly natural. “I’m starving.”
As they walked toward the dining room, Viktor kept his arm around her, hyperaware of every point where their bodies touched. She was soft and warm against his side, fitting perfectly under his arm like she’d been made for that exact spot. Her perfume filled his senses, something light and floral that made him want to bury his face in her neck and breathe her in.
He caught Adrian watching them from across the room, his dark eyes tracking their every move with an intensity that set Viktor’s teeth on edge. Adrian was looking for weakness, for cracks in the facade, for any sign that their marriage was the business arrangement they both knew it to be.
Well, fuck him. If he wanted to play games, Viktor was more than ready to oblige.
Throughout dinner, Viktor made sure to touch Anka constantly. His hand on her thigh under the table, fingers trailing along her arm as he reached for his wine glass, casualkisses pressed to her cheek when she said something particularly charming. Each touch was a statement of ownership, a message to Adrian and anyone else watching that Anka Nikolai was thoroughly claimed.
But somewhere along the way, the performance stopped feeling like an act and began to feel real. Her soft gasps when his fingers skimmed along sensitive skin, the way she leaned into his touch instead of pulling away, the heat in her eyes when she thought no one else was looking—it was all genuine.
And it was driving him fucking insane.
By the time they said their goodbyes and climbed into the car for the drive home, the tension between them was thick enough to choke on. Anka sat rigidly in her seat, staring out the window like the passing streetlights held the secrets of the universe. But Viktor could see her reflection in the glass, could see the way her teeth worried her bottom lip, the way her hands twisted in her lap.
“You want to tell me what that was about?” he asked as they pulled through the gates of their compound.
“What what was about?”
“Don’t play dumb. Adrian. Whatever he said to you that made you look like you were about to throw up.”
She was quiet until they reached the house, until they were standing in the foyer with the weight of the evening settling around them like smoke.
“It’s none of your business,” she said finally.
