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“My heart,” Mona says, clutching her massive boob. “I thought one day I’d see you with Mr. Lincoln again, but today God blesses this home, bringing you back to us. Hura, hura.”
Hura… whenever Mona was excited, she would say ‘hura’, an old-fashioned way of saying ‘yay’ or ‘hooray’ in Polish.
Well, at least one of us is happy about this situation…
A few steps to the side, Royce clears his throat. “She needs to go to sleep, Mona. Maybe you two can catch up in the morning?”
“Ach, yes, kochanie. You must be so tired. Come. Let us bring you to Mr. Lincoln’s bedroom.”
I gulp. Right. Because I’m his wife, so obviously I’d sleep in his bed.
Mona goes first, stomping her way happily forward in her matching slippers. I tiptoe behind her, my flats scraping against the hard floor. Royce brings up the rear, still carrying my two suitcases with him.
She stops at the first door on the right. It’s closed, but when she pushes it open and flicks the switch just inside of the room, I see that it’s a bedroom three times as big as mine back home.
The massive bed in the middle—a King, at least—is just as intimidating.
He has a dark oak headboard, and a bed frame that matches. All of the furniture is the same shade of brown. His sheets are a dark blue, the only spot of color in the whole space. It’s definitely a man’s bedroom, without any hint of femininity in there.
Maybe that’s why I can’t bring myself to walk in there.
That, or because all I’m thinking about are the countless other women who stood right where I am, knowing that Link might fuck them in there, but they’ll never truly belong…
As if he can sense where my thoughts have gone, Royce sidles up next to me as Mona moves further into the room, patting the pristine sheets of the made-up bed. He’s careful to keep at least a good two-feet between us, but he still tilts his head toward me as he says, “How’s it feel to be the first woman besides Mona to set food in this room?”
My head snaps over at him. “What?”
Royce grins. “Don’t worry. She’s just his housekeeper. She makes the bed, she doesn’t lie in it.”
That’s not what I meant.
Mona looks back at us. “Come in. Set her things down, Mr. Royce. I’ll put them away for you in the morning, Ms. Ava—”
“It’s just Ava, Mama Mona,” I murmur.
She continues as if she hasn’t heard me. “—but you should get some rest. I’ll send Mr. Lincoln to you when he’s home again.”
So I get to rest in his big bed without him, and Mona will wait up to report to him after being interrupted from her own sleep earlier.
“I’ll go to bed, but only if you do, too,” I tell her. “Link can find his own way to bed.”
And when he does, I’m not going to be there.
I… I can’t.
While Mona nods her head, agreeing with whatever I say, I twist the wedding band Link slipped on my ring finger. It’s at least two sizes too big for me, and I can’t help but wonder who the dress and ring were meant for before me. Both Link and Royce made it obvious that he hasn’t been jumping from relationship to relationship—that his empire comes first—but… I don’t know. I can’t believe a man as powerful, rich, andgorgeousas Lincoln Crewes is would stay purposely single, no matter how dangerous and busy he is.
Unless he has another reason why he did. He said that he only wanted to enter into this marriage of convenience—sorry,realmarriage—because his syndicate expected him to take a wife. It didn’t matter what the woman thought so long as he did what he was supposed to as the head of his crew.
I’m not his wife. No matter what he says, or who he tells that I am, I’m just the woman he needs to keep his position as head Sinner.
He’s never let a woman into his bedroom? Why should he start now?
“Mama Mona,” I ask, keeping my flats planted firmly in the hall even as she bustles around, telling Royce where to set down my luggage. “Does Link have any guest rooms in the penthouse?”
She stops, blinks, visibly confused. “Tak. Of course. Sometimes one of the boys stays, like Mr. Royce, and he asks me to keep them ready just in case. But they’re empty tonight.”
Perfect.
