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As we both got ready for bed, moving around each other in the bathroom and bedroom as if we’d already been married for years instead of weeks, she kept up an easy chatter, catching my eye or sliding her hand over my arm. Most of her shyness was completely gone.
I began to half wonder if I was the one being played. “Forgetting” the lunch with her father, getting so pissed off at me—though that was at least partly understandable since I’d crossed a line. I’d expected her to pout for days, but she sure did come downstairs to make peace fast enough.
Had she been ordered to, or was that just her true nature? I sure as hell couldn’t figure her out, and it was a lot easier when I considered her a spoiled ice queen and not the sweet girl who was currently smiling at me in the mirror as she dabbed cream on her face.
Once we were snuggled down in bed together, she asked about Sergei again, and when she’d get to meet him. I rolled away from her, propping myself on my elbow so I could better gauge the look on her face.
“Why are you so interested in my brother?” I asked. I tried to keep a neutral tone, but my hackles were up.
Sergei had no interest in meeting her, because, as far as he was concerned, she wasn’t really my wife. And even though we’d been having an idyllic time, I needed to remember that except for a piece of paper that could be easily nullified, this whole thing was a sham and a means to an end. If she—and her father—kept pushing a meeting and Sergei kept refusing, the whole thing could collapse before I achieved my objective.
She sensed my tension, and her brows furrowed. “What’s wrong with wanting to get to know my new family members? I want to know how you grew up, what kinds of things you used to do when you were kids. That’s all.”
Now, I was definitely suspicious. In the last week she’d never mentioned Sergei, but after a visit with Feliks, she was all over it?
“I can tell you it wasn’t anything like your pampered upbringing,” I snapped. “We didn’t get anything handed to us just for existing.”
She was clearly hurt but I didn’t care, as if it was somehow her fault that I’d never known my father. That she had any say in how her life had been. I was on the verge of being an ass again, but I didn’t care.Couldn’tcare. It was easier to lash out at her than keep feeling that confusing warmth toward her. As if I was starting to like her.
She was my enemy, the same as Feliks, and for all I knew, she’d been told to dig into my past. I got distracted by our good times together, all that brilliant sex, and was losing sight of the fact it was all a ruse to manipulate her feelings. Now that she wanted to get close to me, for true or nefarious reasons, I refused to be manipulated in return and lose sight of the fact it was all fake.
That meant putting some distance between us for a while.
“Damn it,” I said, jumping up and making a big show of checking the time. “I forgot a West Coast call I still need to make. I might still be able to reach him.” I leaned over and kissed her, keeping a smile on my face. “Go on to sleep; I’ll be back as soon as I get this taken care of.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, touching her lip where I’d kissed her a bit too hard.
I turned away from the mild worry in her eyes, pretending to tap on a call as I hurried out of the room and acting like I was speaking to a business associate as I went down the hall toward the stairs.
In the kitchen, I poured myself some ice water and held it up to my brow before taking a few gulps. I needed to relax and keep it together, not pick fights. Since I had to assume the entire property might be bugged, I didn’t dare make a call to Evelina, so I messaged her instead. I ran regular programs on my cell phone to make sure it wasn’t being tracked or, cloned, or spied on in any way, so at least I felt safe doing that.
Is there any reason that Feliks might be suspicious of me?
I gulped down the rest of the cold water, waiting for her reply. It was barely ten o’clock, but she had a baby, so I hoped I wasn’t disturbing her if she was already asleep. It was odd enough having a sister I never knew about. Even more so that she was in the same city, barely a twenty-minute drive away, and I couldn’t visit her or get to know my nephew. Not yet, anyway. The time would come if I could pull this off.
My phone pinged, and I looked at Evelina’s reply.
Not that I know of. Stay on guard, and don’t give him any reasons, though.
I rolled my eyes at that obvious advice and thanked her, then deleted the messages. I remembered Oleg’s advice to schedule some time with Feliks and dialed my father-in-law next. He was a night owl, so he answered right away, sounding as wide awake as if it was only noon and he still had the whole day ahead of him.
“Is anything wrong?” he asked.
“No, not at all,” I assured him. “Just finishing up some work now that Karine’s gone to bed.”
“I’m pleased to hear you’re making her a priority,” he said. “But I know how important work is, too.”
We exchanged a few minutes of small talk, nothing that was useful before I jumped in with my reason for calling.
“I was wondering if you wanted to get together for a game of golf sometime soon?”
“Got a new presentation for me?” he asked.
I frowned. If only all I wanted was to sell him on a new investment. “I could if you’re looking for something, but I really just wanted to catch up.”
Was I laying it on too thick? I was no actor, and to my ears, every word I said sounded like it was from some cheesy script. Feliks laughed and agreed he’d love a game, then said he’d get back to me with a time to meet at the golf club. We ended the call with a dumb joke about tee times and I set my phone next to me and rested my head on the table.
This was exhausting. But I’d done my job and it was clear Feliks wasn’t suspicious. Now I had to keep Karine from getting suspicious as well. She was still awake, propped up against the pillows with a book in her lap, idly twisting a strand of hair while her eyes scanned the pages.
