Page 88 of Seduction (Wicked Vows)

“You pretended to only speak Russian to keep your distance, didn’t you?”

“Mmm.”

“And that didn’t work. So then you pretended to be my bodyguard, but even that wasn’t a very good ruse because you did, indeed, function as my bodyguard.”

“Yes.”

“And then you pretended to be my husband. . .”

“Which also didn’t work because I could not pretend to be something of such great significance without actually embracing the role.”

Of course he couldn’t. It would contradict everything in him.

We sit in the quiet for long moments, half shrouded in bushes that flank the walk with vibrant green, the evening sky darkening with every second that passes. Clouds pass by overhead, gray wisps barely visible in the dark blue of an evening sky. The scent of roses in full bloom, late summer’s farewell, linger in the air, a gentle breeze stirring the petals around us. Amidst the fading sun and chirping crickets, I grant forgiveness. It seems fitting to be in a garden, a place that promises new life.

“I didn’t want you to say that you loved me, even though I already knew I loved you. I feared you’d be hurt even worse than I knew you were going to be. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything hurting you anymore.”

I nod against his chest. “I know that now. I know. It hurt at first, but we couldn’t state our love for one another when we were still so tied to those lies.”

“Yes. But I don’t ever want you to doubt my love for you.”

“If ever I do,” I say with a smile. “I’ll remember the way you threw your whole body in front of me. Instinctively. As if it were the only option.”

He smiles sadly.

“I love roses,” I whisper, as our fingers entwine. “They’re so classy and sturdy. They have a timeless beauty and are rich in meaning. I love that they’re around your family estate.”

“Our friends planted them years ago. My mother loved them for similar reasons.”

“I love your mother, too,” I whisper, earning me a fervent kiss on my forehead.

“She doesn’t know you yet, but when she does, she will love you, too.”

I look at our hands touching: his, bigger and rougher and etched with ink, and mine paler, smaller, with a few ink stains from a recent run-in with a defiant pen during a lab.

“It’s bad luck for us to make love before our wedding night,” he repeats seriously. It seems he adheres to Russian traditions more than I do but at the same time, I want to respect that. “You will stay with your mother, as is tradition, and I will stay with my brothers. And tomorrow, my love? Tomorrow, Vera, we wed.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Vera

“Alright,” Polina says. She stands in front of me in a pale pink dress that somehow magnifies the brilliant blue of her eyes. “Let’s see how I did.”

I turn around to face the mirror and my mother. Mom covers her mouth with her hand and stares.

“Vera,” she breathes. “You look like you should’ve modeled for one of those magazines yourself.”

I blush and stare at my reflection. Harper, adjusting the flowers in my hair, smiles brightly. “I definitely understood the assignment,” she says cheerfully in a singsong voice. “Didn’t I? Thank you, thank you very much. She can do more than shoot a pretty gun, eh?”

Polina grins. “I helped, girlfriend. It wasn’t all on you.”

Harper rolls her eyes. “I did her hair and makeup! But yes, you got the dress, so we can go halfsies on the credit.”

“Absolutely,” I say with a playful smile. “You both deserve a medal.”

Polina winks. “I’ll take a cash bonus instead.”

Harper chuckles. “Deal. Just remember that it was me who spent hours perfecting those waves.”

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