Page 43 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

“I didn’t ask for it,” she says resolutely. She must be coming out of the shock. “I didn’t. He’s a fucking scumbag for attacking me.”

“He is,” I agree, stroking her back. “Let’s rinse your hair.”

“Do you do this for every woman in your life who gets attacked?” she asks quietly, tipping her head back.

“I’ve never done this in my life,” I comment. “To be honest, I don’t even know what to do. I just want to make you feel better.”

She falls silent for a moment before she says, “Were there girls before me? In Russia?”

“I slept with women,” I look into her eyes. “But that was all. I just slept with them. I never felt anything half as intense as I feel for you. There’s something about you that just… intoxicates me.”

She looks away and straightens up as I finish rinsing her hair.

She points to the shower. “There’s a hair mask there. It’s a tub. Can you get it? My hair is going to be dry if I don’t take care of it.”

I get up and find the tub. I bring it back. “What do I do? Just massage it in?”

“Yes,” she says. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I am actually enjoying myself,” I chuckle and she smiles.

That smile warms my heart.

I massage the mask into her hair, and she hugs her legs.

“I’m glad Matvey got to you in time,” I say quietly. “He’s not all bad, really. He has his uses.”

“He was very kind to me,” she says, as though she still doesn’t believe it. “What about Yvonne? She was so worried.”

“I have no doubt she is helping Matvey inflict whatever punishment they deem worthy on that asshole. You don’t have to stress about it.”

She rests her cheek on her knees and looks at me. “You’ve never done that to me. Made me feel… cheap like that.”

“I would hope not,” I say with a frown. “You’re my wife, not some whore.”

“Even if we didn’t have a traditional fall-in-love wedding?” she asks.

“How do you know I haven’t fallen in love with you?” I say quietly, stroking her hair again. “Do I need to rinse this out?”

“Yes,” she tips her head back.

I rinse her hair and get up. “The water is getting cold. I can let in more hot water or get you a towel.”

“Towel, please,” she stands up.

I take in her nakedness, but I don’t do anything about it except hold out a towel. She steps out, and I wrap it around her before I scoop her up, carry her back to the bed, and set her down.

“Now there’s no trace of that asshole left on you,” I say as I sit her down on the edge.

“What does it feel like? To know you can order someone to be killed if they cross you?” she asks. “What do you do with that kind of power?”

“I don’t just have people killed left, right, and center,” I say thoughtfully. “But I wanted to kill that guy. I won’t lie. It’s probably best I left it to Matvey.”

We sit in silence for a moment, and I glance at the clock on the wall. “Are you hungry? You missed lunch, and it’s almost dinner.”

“No, I don’t have an appetite,” she responds. She looks at me. “Thank you for worrying about me so much.”

“It’s my duty,” I smile. I want to kiss her so badly. I want to hold her, kiss her, and be with her in such a way that she forgets that this ever happened.

---