Without any hesitation, Dad nods. “I’m sure of it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t set foot outside this house.”
Dad’s never wrong.
I stare into my father’s eyes, and like always, I draw strength from him.
This is a chance to get the man you want, Mariya. Don’t let fear and uncertainty get in the way.
“Okay.”
The corner of Dad’s mouth lifts. “Besides, I taught you how to fight, and you have your mother’s temper. I pity Luca if he gives you trouble.”
A smile spreads over my face. “I’ll kick his ass.”
“That’s my girl.” Dad gestures toward the walk-in closet. “I’ll have your things taken to Luca’s apartment.
Nodding, I inhale deeply.
This is it. For six months, I’ll have to live with Luca, sleep next to him, and be a wife to him.
Dear God.
It’s fifty-fifty whether we’ll kill each other or give in to the lust. At least on my part, because I have no idea how Luca will handle being married to me, seeing as this is probably only another business deal for him.
Chapter 10
Luca
Not wanting to drag Mariya away from her parents like a damn caveman so I can have her all to myself, we stay for brunch with our parents.
The atmosphere is still a bit tense from the bomb that was dropped, but I have to admit it went a hell of a lot better than I expected.
Uncle Alexei didn’t kill me, and I have a chance to make things work between Mariya and me.
That’s all I wanted. Just a chance.
I know the woman is stubborn, but still, I’m disappointed by the strong reaction she had when our parents said we have to give it six months.
My eyes rest on Mariya, who’s hardly touched the plate of food in front of her. I notice she’s not wearing her wedding ring, and it has a frown darkening my forehead.
Time to go home so we can talk without any interference from our families.
“Thanks for brunch,” I say as I rise to my feet. “It’s time for us to head home.”
Mariya keeps sitting as if she didn’t hear what I said.
“Mariya.” Her eyes dart to mine. “It’s time to go.”
There’s a flicker of an emotion I can’t place, she inhales deeply, then finally gets up. “Right.”
Our parents walk us to the front door, where her overnight bag is the only item waiting for us.
“Where’s the rest of your belongings?” I ask while picking up the bag.
“I’ll have everything sent over,” Uncle Alexei answers. He pulls Mariya into a hug and whispers something to her.
I take a moment to say goodbye to my parents, then place my hand on Mariya’s lower back. As we step out of the mansion, she moves away from me and glances back to wave at her parents before climbing into the passenger seat of my G-Wagon. I shut the door and place her overnight bag on the backseat.
I smile at our parents crowding the porch, then slide behind the steering wheel. Noticing Mariya hasn’t put on her safety belt, I lean into her and pull the strap over her chest. Her scent fills my lungs as I push in the clip. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, she looks flushed before she adjusts the strap. “I can do it myself.”
“I know.” I settle back in my seat and start the engine.
Finally, I don’t have to share her attention with anyone.
Lev and Ivan follow behind us in an SUV as I steer the vehicle toward the iron gates. Just as I turn the nose of the G-Wagon onto the street, Mariya asks, “Why didn’t you put up a fight?”
“There was nothing to fight about.”
Everything worked out in my favor.
“So you’re just going to go along with this charade?”
“It’s not a charade.”
Not by a long shot, baby.
I hear her huff but keep my eyes on the road ahead.
Another huff fills the air, then she mutters, “I didn’t take you for a coward.”
My eyebrow lifts as I slowly turn my gaze to her. “Careful.”
I might love the woman, but I won’t have her disrespecting me.
She throws a glare my way. “You let our parents decide your future. For the head of the mafia, that’s weak.”
Anger starts to simmer in my chest. “I didn’t let them decide shit.”
“Oh please,” she scoffs, glancing out the window. She crosses her arms over her chest, then aims a mocking expression at me. “Are you going to sit there and tell me you’re happy being stuck with me for six months?”
Christ!
I yank the steering wheel to the side of the road and bring the G-Wagon to a stop. Unbuckling myself, I turn to face Mariya, leaning dangerously close to her. “It won’t be for six months.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A bitter-sounding chuckle escapes her, her eyes darkening. “How long are you planning to keep up the pretense before calling it quits?”