“My wife asked you a question.” Dmitri’s voice stopped them.
Ivan came back, and I took a proper look at him. Everything clicked into place at once.
“You’re the lawyer,” I said. “You came to my door with an officer.” I looked at Dmitri, then back to Ivan, and the whole picture rearranged itself. A lawyer who wasn’t a lawyer. Wow! “You know what,” I walked over to Caitlin and wrapped my arm through hers, “Cate and I have somewhere to be,” I said before we left.
“I almost forgot I hate them,” I muttered once we were clear.
“You’ve met my husband before?” Caitlin asked, matching my pace.
“Is he a lawyer?”
Caitlin laughed. “He’s not actually a lawyer. More like Dmitri’s personal bodyguard.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
Chapter Nineteen
Inna Grace
“Let me know if youneed anything else,” Anita, the maid who was assigned to assist me, said.
“Thank you.” I meant it, even though I was still catching up to the fact that she would be serving me. Dmitri also got me a driver to use whenever I wanted to go somewhere.
Moving to the beach mansion happened faster than I was ready for. I spent the drive from the penthouse to the mansion coming up with ideas of how I would act convincingly enough for Madam Regina to believe this marriage. I was certain that she could see through walls. But when we arrived, she welcomed us as if she had been preparing for our arrival all day.
Madam Regina instructed Anita to help me settle in and attend to whatever I needed. I tried to wave it off, but she looked at me as if my opinion in that matter was appreciated but not required.
I now stood by a floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor and looked at the ocean stretching outside. The sun sat low, pulling orange and gold across the water in long, slow strokes. Staring at the sunset, I realized this would be the view I would get as longas I was here.
Memories of my past struggles hit me, the month Cole and I wandered through the night, starving and with stolen money. We had nowhere to go. Cole must have been terrified, but still held on. And here I was, standing in a room I didn’t deserve just because of a lie.
Underneath the fear, there was gratitude. Dmitri could have made me pay double what I stole or thrown me into prison. He could have done a hundred things that would break us completely. Instead, he gave us a roof, a driver, a maid, a tutor for my brother, and food.
Was playing to be his wife even enough in return for all of that? I couldn’t buy him anything because I was broke. My body was also off the table. I tried that and received an obvious answer. I wasn’t his type, and I understood that.
But his grandma was here. She was old, and the maids moved around her with fear. She probably needed someone to be beside her. I could start there.
I pulled myself from the window and looked around the suite properly. The third floor was its own world, Dmitri’s floor. Low cream couches curved around a glass coffee table with a pale rug beneath it. A minibar ran along the far wall, dark-wood shelves holding crystal glasses and bottles arranged by height and color. A built-in fridge sat beneath it. On the west side’s enormous window, a hammock hung, offering an ocean view.
Two doors lined the hallway. I pushed the first one and stopped at the frame. It was a study with a desk, a single chair, and shelves running from floor to ceiling, with files and books arranged without any particular chaos. It was nothing like his office at DK Holdings, just a quiet room that looked like it went mostly unused. With the right book and enough time, a person could comfortably disappear in there.
I closed the door and moved to the next door, which openedinto the bedroom. And Holly Molly, who owns such a massive bedroom?
The enormous bed sat in the center of the room, dressed in crisp white sheets with charcoal pillows stacked against the headboard. It faced sliding doors that opened onto a private balcony. Lying down, the first thing your eyes would find in the morning would be the water and the sunrise.
The walk-in closet was inside the bedroom. I stepped in and found my clothes already arranged on one side, sorted by color and type, and shoes lined up on their own shelf. Dmitri’s side held mostly white and black shirts, each one pressed flat. I reached out and brushed my fingers over the fabric of one. The image of Dmitri in one of these shirts, with the top three buttons open, came to my mind. I wondered if he knew how hot that was.
I pulled one drawer open, and rows of watches greeted me. Each one sat in its own space. I opened the next one, and my hand hovered over neatly folded boxers for exactly one second before I shut it.
Moving to the bathroom, nothing surprised me. The marble floors, a wide mirror running the full length of a double vanity, and a freestanding bathtub positioned near the window. The shower compartment occupied a far corner, with a rainfall head built directly into the ceiling.
Dmitri told me to enjoy it while it lasted, so I decided to. I stripped and stepped into the shower, the warm water coming down over my shoulders. I closed my eyes and let everything dissolve. It was just the water falling over my body, making me relax. I stayed longer than necessary, but that was the point.
Stepping out of the shower, I went to the closet with a towel wrapped around me. I picked out a lingerie set and wore it while humming a tuneless song under my breath. I would wear a simple dress because it was just a simple dinner, at least I hoped so.
Before I wore the dress, I noticed the bra strap was loose. I reached back to tighten it, and the clasp snagged on itself, stuck at an angle I couldn’t quite reach. I moved to the mirror to see what I was dealing with, but I caught a reflection that froze my hands.
Dmitri stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. I spun around, my heart racing. He didn’t move or perform even the minimum courtesy of pretending he hadn’t been looking.
