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“I managed to unpack everything, thank you,” Tori says awkwardly. “I’ll change in the bathroom for bed then. I don’t need anything else.”
“I’ll change here and freshen up once you’re done,” I say, waiting for her to grab her things and leave the room.
I strip down to my boxers and put my clothes in the hamper. My mother always ran an immaculate house, and I like to run the same. Everything is in its place, and everything is in order. An ordered mind is a clear mind.
Tori comes out dressed in long pajamas, and I smirk. “You might want to consider putting on something more light. The duvet is thick.”
“I’ll be fine,” she insists, looking around. I point to the hamper. “You can put your dirty clothes in there. We have a maid who will wash everything and pack it away.”
As she does that, I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and trim my beard. I like to keep it short and neat.
After I finish washing up, I come into the bedroom to find her beside the bed. “Well, get in.”
She slides the duvet back and slips into bed. She pulls the duvet right up to her chin, turning her back to where I would be.
I turn the main lights off, slide into the bed, and turn the bedside lamp off.
We aren’t touching, but there’s a heat between us that I can sense, and it has nothing to do with the room temperature or the thickness of the duvet. She is a remarkably attractive woman. There’s no reason I shouldn’t be attracted to her after all.
Those blue-gray eyes are legendary in her family, and I can see why. They are a gateway into another world. A part of me wants to turn on my side and spoon her, feel her body against mine. I promised I’d wait to consummate the marriage, though, and I am a man of my word.
She needs to get settled, I don’t know what kind of experience she has, and quite frankly, I don’t trust her mouth near my dick just yet. However, the thought makes me turn my back to her as my dick gets semi-hard at the idea.
I try to think of other things before drifting off.
Chapter 6 - Vittoria
The days have passed slowly, and I have spent most of them trying to figure out a way to establish myself in a position to get information for my family on the Volkovs.
Ivan is like a brick wall regarding information, and it’s clear he doesn’t trust me. He gave me my own debit card and said I could move the apartment around to suit my own needs. Wanting to appear appreciative, I’ve done my best to invent a space where we all can cohabit together, although Anastasia is less than pleased about this.
The penthouse apartment is bigger than any apartment I’ve ever been to, and that’s saying something. I’ve discovered many different rooms, from the gym to the home theater, but my favorite is the library. Ivan clearly is an avid reader, and I don’t think I’ve found one untouched book in his library.
I spend most of my time there pouring over stories in-between napping on the sofa since there isn’t much for me to do. I don’t even see Anastasia that much because she’s always going out, which I’m thankful for. I’ve never been really good at social interaction, and I wouldn’t know what to say to her, even though she’s my age.
Even if I wanted to get to know her, she’s useless to me. My family trusts me to get the information they need to destroy Ivan and his family, and I need to focus on that.
The only problem is that I haven’t found an in, and I feel the pressure to do it soon.
It’s been five days, and after a particularly long nap on the sofa, I decide to order some pizza from my favorite pizzeria for lunch. As I walk through the apartment, I pause when I see Leonid and Ivan talking. They don’t seem to notice me at first, so I just stand there.
“We need to negotiate decent territories with the Sorvinos, or this would have been for nothing,” Leonid insists. “I’m more than capable of choosing what is best for our family.”
“Contracts will be drawn up, and Evgeni’s father will look at them and confirm they’re the best possible thing for us,” Ivan says. He finally notices me and frowns. “What?”
“I can help,” I say suddenly, unsure where that came from. “I am a lawyer, top of my class. I could review the contracts and make notes before your uncle looks over them. He can have the final say. It would give me something to do.” I’m rather proud of my explanation, but I still wait with bated breath.
“That’s ridiculous. You would side in favor of your family,” Leonid snarls. “You have no loyalty to us. Ivan, tell her.”
Ivan’s eyes meet my own, and I try to keep my face neutral. He’s hesitating, which is a good sign, but I don’t want to seem overeager.
“Okay,” he says at long last.
“What?” Leonid roars.
Ivan turns and grabs Leonid’s throat in his hand, giving me a fright. He glares at him. “Remember who you are speaking to.” He doesn’t look at me, but he addresses me. “This is an opportunity to prove that you are loyal to your new family. Don’t screw us over, or you will regret it. The Volkovs are your family now. You must do what is in our best interests.”
I nod and turn to leave, but he speaks again, still holding Leonid’s face in his hands, his eyes glaring at his second-in-command. “Also, you need to go get dressed. There are a few events that we are going to soon, and I need you properly dressed. You are going to go shopping now for appropriate clothes.”
