Page 3 of Unwilling Bratva Bride

He grinned at me, those dark blue-gray eyes of his pulling me in like a well. I was sure he was about to say something, but he just sat there. I wanted to look away because, as far as everyday human interactions went, this was way too long to be staring at someone, but I couldn’t.

Ivan was so damn compelling, this lingering Hollywood charm that had no business being accompanied by such a gruff exterior creating a strong cocktail of its own.

Across the bar, his hand snaked toward mine, and I didn’t pull away. His fingers brushed over my knuckles, and the heat in his touch was alluring, stirring my nerves like a warm bath.

“Adley, it sounds like you work too damn hard. Your folks, too, and you know, my family and I were just looking for a new place to do our business. So, how about I offer you a deal?”

My heart hammered against my ribs, and that nagging feeling that this guy was up to some shady business flared forward.

“What do you mean a deal?” I sat straighter in my chair, not laying across the bar top anymore as I had been, and blinked several times.

“A deal. I help your family pay for the past due rent and bring in some new business in the form of my family. We’re all about supporting local businesses and like to take our work lunches at places we know we can trust.”

My mouth fell open. This guy, this Ivan Ustinov, who just fucking met me, was offering to save the bodega?

“Why? Why would you do that? What’s in it for you?”

He grinned again, a tiny dimple forming on his cheek, and finished his shot. “I’ll hand it to you, Adley. You’re smart. I like that. I like a lot of what I can see about you.”

Ice ran through my veins, mingling with the fire still banked in my core. My body was a mess of apprehension and arousal, making my head spin, and the alcohol did not help.

“Thanks,” I said dryly. “You still haven’t said what you want.”

Nodding, Ivan licked his lips before answering me. “Easy. You.”

“I’m sorry?” I raised my brows and stuck my head out in question.

“You, Adley. I want you to come back home with me. I want you to be mine.” He met my eyes, his intensity blazing through him like an inferno. “As my wife.”

My jaw dropped, and I nearly choked on my own spit. As it was, I lost my grip on the little shot glass I’d been squeezing, and it toppled onto the bar with a loud clattering sound.

“What? You can’t be serious.”

Ivan shook his head before taking the shot glass I’d knocked over and set it back down properly.

“Can’t I?” He uncrossed his legs, turning in his stool to face me head-on. “Look, I’m a very particular kind of guy. I don’t mess around with things I’m not interested in. But I’m interested in you. More than I have been in anyone else. I’m also really fucking busy. I don’t have time to piss around. I see something I want, I take it. And I want you, Adley MacCormack.”

Shaking my head, I got off my seat, shoving the thing back and making that terrible screeching noise on the floor.

“You want me? So what? You just pop the damn question to a stranger at a bar and expect me to go home with you? Are you nuts?”

The corners of his mouth turned down as Ivan chuckled. “I’ve been told that before, so…And yes, I expect you to come home with me. To live with me, fuck me, carry my children, and enjoy every comfort I can offer as your husband. In exchange for the safety of your family’s shop.”

The world tilted on its axis, and I was sure I was about to pass out.

“So, Adley, what’ll it be?”

Chapter 2 - Ivan

From the moment I saw Adley sitting at the bar, I knew. I knew she had to be mine, and there was little that mattered outside of that fact. I’d watched her sit there, chatting with the bartender and feeling sorry for herself. At first, I’d thought I’d be content with just that, finishing up my drink and smirking at how her tight leggings showed off the curves of her ass.

She wore boots, and the thin flannel over her tank was clearly there to make her look a bit more put together. It wasn’t working, really. Adley still looked casual, stripped clean of hair products, makeup, or silly frills.

However, when she’d informed the bartender about her tolerance, I’d noticed the frown. Adley’s brows had been pinched together, the darker blonde slashes framing her soft blue eyes. That face, the way her full, plump lips were turned down at the corners and her honey-blonde hair hung in her eyes. It had knocked me right on my ass.

And the bones still fucking hurt.

I just couldn’t understand why Ineededher so fucking badly. It was like a damn magnetic pull; I was iron and useless to fight it.

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