Page 31 of Mafia King's Bride

Yelena clicks her tongue. “Nope. Nothing. I just wanted to see where your mind was at. Ana and I were having a wonderful conversation.”

Ana turns to me just then, and her tongue darts out to lick the salad dressing from the corner of her lips. The simple gesture sends a jolt of desire down my throat, and it makes its way quickly to my chest.

Her lips look so soft. I wonder what it would feel like to kiss them.

Just once.

No. No. No.

I push my chair back, standing up. “Since you two are having fun in each other’s company, I’ll go up and get the sleep I need.”

“You should loosen up and have fun, brother! Life’s not going to go kaput if you do!”

No, it’s not. But it will force me to spend more time with Ana, and my resolve, which is slowly chipping away, will end up breaking down completely.

The emotions I feel make me weak. And I promised myself, years ago, after my father died, that I would not let myself be used or tricked by anyone.

Anastasia is still Nikolai Petrov’s daughter. I can’t forget that.

Ever.

ELEVEN

ANA

“I hope you don’t mind me stopping by. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d pop in to see my favorite sister-in-law.”

I look up from my desk, and my face instantly brightens at the sound of Yelena’s voice. She’s like a breath of fresh air, completely opposite to her stone-cold brother, Dmitri.

My husband.

“No, no,” I wave her in, shaking my head. “You’re always welcome. What brings you to the city?”

Yelena strolls in, dropping onto the chair opposite me with a dramatic sigh, a bag clutched in her hand. I can see the neck of a bottle peeking out, and judging by the size of the bag, there’s more than just champagne in there. This is Yelena, after all.

It’s been a week since she moved in with us, and the house has never been livelier. Every time she goes out, she returns with some kind of gift. Dresses, shoes, even random trinkets she thought I’d like. It’s sweet, in a way. A little overwhelming, sure, but sweet.

She flashes a mischievous grin. “Okay, so I lied about being in the neighborhood. I was bored at home. Didn’t feel likeshopping, didn’t want to deal with my friends. So, I figured, why not hang out with you?”

“Oh.” I nod, smiling. “That’s fine. I’m working on a closing statement—it’ll take me a couple of hours. But if you want to stick around, I’d love the company.”

She pulls out the champagne bottle and two glasses from her bag like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “Say no more.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “As much as I’d love to join you, I can’t. Work rules.”

Yelena waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry. One glass is for me, and the other is for me after I finish the first one.”

Her grin is infectious, and despite myself, I chuckle. She’s a force of nature, but one I can handle. I mean, give me Yelena over her brother any day. At least she doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out every time she walks into the room.

“You don’t have to entertain me,” Yelena says, settling in comfortably. “I’m just here to keep you company. I’ll quietly send you good vibes.”

Nodding, I turn back to my screen, trying to focus on the case in front of me. The closing statement I’m drafting should be airtight, but I can’t shake the feeling that the plaintiff’s attorney might have a trick up her sleeve. I just need to go over it one more time to be sure.

But then, Yelena’s face pops up in my peripheral vision. “I still don’t know why you married my grumpy brother.”

I freeze for a second, my hands pausing over the keyboard. Here it comes.

“You’re fun, smart, beautiful,” she continues, leaning in like we’re sharing a secret. “No offense, but I always thought if Dmitri was going to get married, it would be to someone...well, like him.”

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