To Have and to Master (Masters Unleashed 3)

However, if Everly turned his sweet Varushka into a brat, he was seriously going to kick Ambrose’s ass.

Chapter Three

“I’m here,” a girl sang from the foyer of Konstantin’s house.

Varushka was supposed to think of this as her house as well, but it was just too strange. The modern feel made it seem cold and harsh and nothing like the warmth of home. He clearly didn’t get his style from his Babushka either.

“Be right there,” Konstantin called down the stairs. He looked at Varushka and smiled slightly. “Don’t be afraid. Everly is a sweet girl. Loud, but sweet.”

Varushka nodded and tried to calm her nerves. This was what she wanted. A “make over,” she’d heard Everly say over the phone. Kon had protested the term, saying she was perfect the way she was, only needing her hair styled to look older. Her heart still fluttered when she thought about it. Nobody had ever called her perfect before. Or pretty or sexy, but those were all things he’d muttered earlier while they’d sho

pped and she’d tried on the foreign clothing.

She felt a little like a project, but if this was what her prospective husband wanted, she wouldn’t complain. Much. The undergarments store had caused her to finally put her foot down. The way Konstantin had taken command had surprised her—but more surprising had been the way it’d made her do what he wanted. That he felt no shame in the revealing displays made her a little less self-conscious.

He took her hand in his big one, making her feel tiny. Despite her size, the calluses she had proved she was a hard worker. Would she get soft in a place like this? Her brothers would tease her ruthlessly if she did.

“Come,” he said in English.

She followed him down the staircase, which overlooked the foyer. Below, a girl stood in the center, staring up at them and smiling. As she got closer, it became apparent why Konstantin was good friends with her. She was gorgeous. Lively eyes, a wide smile, and her hair had streaks of different colors, giving her the appearance of a cartoon character. She looked edgier than even most American girls—cooler—and Varushka had a hard time not feeling inadequate. Was this the type of girl Konstantin wanted?

“Thank you for coming today, Everly.”

She shrugged. “You caught me on my day off. And I couldn’t resist being the first one to meet your new, um, girlfriend?” Everly’s gaze swept over her from head to toe, then back up and lingered on her hair. “She’s a pretty little thing,” she told Kon.

He arched a brow. “And she can hear you.”

Everly turned to her in surprise. “You speak English?”

“A little.”

“Awww.” She tilted her head. “She has an accent like yours, Kon.” Her grin widened. “You two are so cute together.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Everly.” His phone dinged and he pulled it out of his pocket, stared at it a moment, then cursed in Russian.

Varushka giggled, realizing there was no one to cuff him and tell him not to be rude. His gaze flew to hers and he smirked, sending a tingle through her. Cocky expressions were annoying on most men but Konstantin wore them well.

“So you think you can do something,” he gestured to her, “so people stop thinking I’m her father?”

Everly burst out laughing. “Her father? Oh, that’s gotta hurt. Of course I can do it. I’ll have her looking like your type in no time.”

“Absolutely not,” he commanded, surprising Varushka with the sternness. Did he talk to all women that way?

Everly’s brow furrowed. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

Softer, he explained, “No. I like her the way she is. Just a little more grown up. Not like my usual type, please. I don’t think the club-girl look would suit her.”

Varushka didn’t recognize the term “club girl” so she turned to Kon and asked in Russian what it meant.

“An American term,” he answered. “Don’t worry about it.” With a smile, he pushed the hair back from her face. His tenderness made her feel safe and protected.

Everly sighed loudly, then looked back and forth between them. “You know, when you have secret conversations in Russian, you’re going to make people think you’re talking about them.”

He chuckled. “She asked what ‘club girl’ meant.”

“Oh. That means—”

“Everly,” he interrupted sharply.