I meet his gaze. “It is. But I’m managing.”
Maxim stays mostly quiet, but I feel his eyes on me the entire time. Every time our arms brush or he passes me something, that same electric tension sparks between us.
By the end of dinner, I can’t take it anymore. “Excuse me,” I say, standing up. “I’m tired. Goodnight.”
I escape upstairs to my bedroom as quickly as I can. Once I’m alone, I brush my teeth and change into one of the ridiculously sexy sheer black babydolls Maxim bought me. I’m about to climb into bed when a firm knock sounds on the door.
Before I can answer, it opens, and Maxim walks in. I roll my eyes. “What is it this time? More rules? Or did I do something wrong at dinner?”
Maxim ignores my sarcastic question completely, closes the door behind him and leans against it, his dark eyes going over my body in the barely-there lingerie.
“What do you want?”
He walks deeper into the room and stops right in front of me. Without a word, he reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a small velvet box. He opens it, revealing a stunning engagement ring.
The center stone is a large, flawless diamond that catches the light and throws it back in brilliant sparks. Smaller diamonds encrust the band in an elegant, timeless design. It’s breathtaking.
Before I can say anything, he takes my left hand in his. The moment his fingers touch mine, that familiar electric current shoots up my arm and spreads through my entire body. He slides the ring onto my finger slowly, as if marking me.
It fits perfectly.
I stare down at the ring on my hand, the diamond glittering even in the soft bedroom light. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen.
“What is this?” I whisper.
Maxim raises an eyebrow. “What does it look like?”
I blink, still stunned by how gorgeous it is. “You might lack basic civilization, but don’t you know you’re supposed to get down on one knee and actually ask me?”
A dark chuckle escapes him. “Doing that would imply you had a choice. You’re marrying me. This is your engagement ring.”
He doesn’t wait for my reply. He simply turns around, heading for the door.
“Goodnight, Calina.”
The door clicks shut behind him. I stand there for a long moment, staring at the ring on my finger. Even though he’s crude, rude, and completely impossible… he has excellent taste. The ring is stunning. It feels heavy on my hand—a beautiful shackle.
I climb into bed, unable to stop admiring how the diamond catches the light every time I move my fingers. I should hate it. I should rip it off and throw it across the room.
Instead, I fall asleep with my hand resting on my chest, the ring sparkling softly in the moonlight, wondering why something so wrong feels strangely right on my finger.
Morning light filters through the heavy curtains as I slowly wake up. I wipe a hand across my face, and the diamond on my finger catches the sunlight, throwing bright sparks across the ceiling.
The ring.
Last night comes rushing back. This is really happening. I’m getting married to Maxim Orlov. I lie there for a long moment, staring at the sparkling stone. A soft knock sounds on the door.
“Come in,” I call, sitting up.
Anya walks in carrying a tray, smiling politely. “Good morning, Miss Calina. I brought your breakfast.”
I blink, still a little disoriented. “Why isn’t it downstairs at the dining table?”
“Mr. Orlov asked me to bring it to your room this morning,” she replies, setting the tray on the bedside table. “He’s having a meeting with his men downstairs.”
“Is that so?” I ask, tilting my head.
“Yes, miss,” Anya replies politely. “When the boss is having a meeting with his men, he doesn’t like to be interrupted. At all. We all limit our movements around the house.”
