AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What will I be responsible for? How much bloodshed, because a war is started without a marriage to smooth things over?
Marika
I’m thirty minutes late when I get to my brother’s estate, and I can almostfeelthe tension emanating throughout the house as I step inside. It might just be my imagination—but when I hand the maid my coat and turn to see Nikolai striding towards me, his face set in stern, glowering lines, I know it’s not.
“I’ve never known you to be late in your life.” His voice is terse, not at all the way I’m used to him speaking to me. “What the fuck are you thinking, Marika? If you were going to screw this up for us, you could have just said no. Not left me dancing attendance on the only man in Chicago richer and more powerful than me, while you keep him—both of us—waiting.”
“I’m sorry.” I look at my brother, trying to keep my expression as contrite as possible. I don’t have to force myself to look unsettled or nervous—Iam. Nikolai is right that I’ve always been punctual. I don’t want him to get any ideas about why I wasn’t—and I don’t really want to incur Theo’s anger, either. I don’t think this one misstep is going to be enough to make him call off the marriage, but it certainly might be enough to make that marriage a lot more miserable for me.
“I had a migraine,” I tell him, and I’m pretty sure I look pale and tired enough to be convincing, even with the makeup I put on for tonight. “I set an alarm, but I slept through it. I’m really sorry. I’ll apologize to Theo myself.”
“You certainly will.” Nikolai looks more tense than I’ve ever seen him. “Lilliana is talking to him in the dining room. We’ve already been seated for dinner. Hurry up.”
A part of me rebels at hearing my brother talk to me like that, but I don’t say anything. I know it’s worry—for himself, his family, and me—making him behave this way.He cares about you,I remind myself.He loves you, and he loves Lilliana and the baby that’s on the way. All of that is at risk right now, if Theo isn’t mollified. That’s all that’s going on.
It’s just another reason not to come clean about Adrik. If he knew what I’ve done, how I’ve given away the thing that all of this rests on, he’d be more than furious. I’m not even sure he’d forgive me any longer, after seeing how upset my tardiness made him.
I can feel the dampness left from Adrik, every step of the way as I walk to the dining room. I’m terrified that it’s soaked through my panties and left a spot on the back of my skirt, but I don’t have time to excuse myself to go to the bathroom and check.
Lilliana is seated to the right of the head of the table, and I see her as I step into the dining room. I see someone else, too—a man sitting with his back to me on the left side, and as Nikolai clears his throat, Lilliana smiles. It looks genuine, but I suspect it’s as forced as mine feels.
“Marika!” she exclaims. “You’ve made it.”
As soon as she says my name, the man facing away from me pushes back his chair and stands, turning towards me—and I suck in a breath with surprise.
I’m not sure what I expected. I’d caught glimpses of Theo McNeil a few times in the past—not enough to know what he really looked like, but enough to know he wasn’t fat and balding. Still, the man that turns towards me is nothing like the picture I’d had in my head, knowing he was over twenty years older than me.
Theo McNeil is gorgeous.
Not just in an older man, silver fox kind of way—but objectivelygorgeous. He’s tall, over six feet, and clearly keeps in shape. His navy blue suit is obviously bespoke, tailored to every inch of his body, and I can see that he’s slim and fit—and tattooed. I’m no stranger to tattooed men; my brother is covered in ink, and so is just about every man in the Bratva—but for some reason, I hadn’t expected it of him. I can see it extending over the backs of his hands, a bit showing at his collar, though it doesn’t extend all the way up his neck like my brother’s do. He has thick, auburn-brown hair that’s silvered slightly at the temples and stubble that’s a bit more reddish-auburn, with flecks of silver through it, too. His eyes are green, the color of ferns, and they fix on me instantly. I notice that, unlike so many other men, his gaze doesn’t sweep over me appraisingly or lewdly. He looks at my face, still taking the measure of me, but not in a way that makes me feel as if he’s undressing me with his eyes.
I take in the sight of his handsomely chiseled face, that strong body poured into the tailored suit, and I feel an instant attraction that I hadn’t expected. I hadn’t thought I woulddesirehim, that there would be any chemistry between us at all.
What are you doing?I can hear the screaming voice in my head, telling me not to lose it just because he looks better than I thought he would.You don’t want him. And Nikolai is using you to set him up. Don’t get fucking distracted just because you didn’t know he would be this handsome.
I swallow hard as Theo steps forward, taking my hand in his and raising it to his lips. They’re cool and dry, and my heart skips a beat in my chest as they touch the back of his hand.
“A pleasure, Ms. Vasilev,” he says, a thick burr of an accent lacing his words, and something else twists in my stomach. I’ve never heard him speak before, and it makes me wonder what my actual name would sound like on his lips.
What it would sound like if he groaned it in my ear, while he thrust inside of me in bed.
What the fuck, Marika. I can feel Adrik inside of me still, and this man is making me wonder what he would sound like moaning my name. Either losing my virginity has turned me into a nymphomaniac, or I’m losing my mind.
Surely, the situation I’m in warrants a little of the latter.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” I keep my voice as cool and poised as I can, ignoring the shivering feeling prickling across my skin. “I wasn’t feeling well. But that’s no excuse, of course. I hope you won’t hold it against my brother.”
“Not at all.” He smiles at me, a perfect, charming smile. “I hope you’re feeling better now.”
“I am.” I stand there for a second longer, until he lets go of my hand, and then I join Lilliana on the other side of the table. Nikolai sits at the head, and a moment later, one of the staff appears with the first course, setting two trays of carefully plated appetizers in front of us before she starts to pour the already-decanted wine.
“I’m sure you know why I’m here, Ms. Vasilev,” Theo says. He doesn’t reach for the food. I know my brother will probably be annoyed at me for not waiting on our guest, but I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I don’t really care. If he wants to marry me, he’s not going to change his mind because I reached for a prosciutto-wrapped scallop before he did.
I can feel Nikolai’s eyes on me, but I fill up my small plate anyway.
“Of course.” I give him a polite smile as I reach for my wine. “You and my brother have an arrangement.”
“One that I hope you’re amenable to.” He gives me a slight smile, and I’m startled by how sincere the words actually sound. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that he actually does care whether or not I’m happy about the situation.
