Page 11 of The Bratva's Forced Innocent Bride

“That’s not what I was worried about,” she said, then let it drop, showing me to my room.

It was the same one I got to spend the night in at Christmas time, and I sank into the plush bedding and stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about that wild kiss with Max.

We’d just… gone for it, thrown ourselves together with complete and utter abandon. It kept me from getting any sleep, even though my eyelids felt like lead. I had danced with my favorite movie star, so why was that kiss still plaguing my thoughts?

I woke up the next morning with only a slight headache that went away as soon as I chugged some water and took a long, stinging, hot shower. It was a little embarrassing to see it was almost lunchtime when I went down and found everyone outside, already enjoying a fun family day around the pool.

Since Katie’s backyard pool area could have rivaled a five-star Hawaiian resort, with all sorts of alcoves and shaded spots, it was easy to get Jenna aside for a private word or two.

“So, is there one more secret you’ve been keeping from me?” I asked when she was settled next to me on a wooden swing surrounded by palms and plumeria flowers.

She rubbed her small baby bump and looked confused until I told her I knew how the Fokin family had built their empire. She coughed, coming up red-faced and apologetic.

“I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret so much as trying to keep you… you know, safe,” she said, blushing bright red. “Not that you’d be in danger, but you might be. I mean, not from any of Lev’s family. Oh, I know it’s hard to understand.”

She was so flustered I put her out of her misery. “It’s fine. Really. I get that some people might freak out. I think Max expected me to when he told me. But I know what kind of person you are, and you’d never marry someone who wasn’t a good man at his core. You certainly wouldn’t have a baby with him.” And I’d witnessed the way they acted with each other. No family that was that loving and close-knit could truly be bad, could they?

“Thanks,” Jenna said, relaxing. “I’m surprised Max told you anything. They’re normally pretty tight-lipped about it.”

Yeah, what could that mean? Did it mean anything? As much as I wanted to grill Jenna about Max, I didn’t want her to get suspicious of me having a crush on him. Which I didn’t. Jenna started to change the subject, but then Max himself appeared in our little spot in the garden, looking like a Greek god with low-slung swim trunks and no shirt. He was tan and trim-waisted, with rippling abs I had to force my eyes away from or else start drooling.

“Why are you two still dry?” he boomed.

“Oh, Lordy, you’re about to be bombarded now,” Jenna said, heaving herself up. “Don’t even think about it,” she told Max. “I just ate half a watermelon so I’d sink to the bottom, and I’m so huge no one could drag me out.”

I gave her a playful shove because she was barely showing, and as soon as she waddled away to find Lev, saying it was past time for her daily foot rub, Max was on me. With a fierce gleam in his eyes, he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. I barely had time to shriek out a demand to be put down, and we were at the edge of the pool.

“No, not in there,” I said. “Don’t you—”

My next words were drowned out by the clear, cool water surrounding me. He’d actually tossed me in. When my head popped up, he was in the pool beside me, circling like a shark. I swept a wave of water his way, but it barely hit him in the chest.

“Now, who’s still dry?” I said, ruthlessly splashing him until he was soaked and his dark hair clung to his forehead in dripping waves.

We swam around, ducking under the little waterfall feature and resting our eyes from the bright sun. Suddenly, it was too close, too dim, and he was way too big and handsome. Jenna and her sister and Max’s brothers were all on the other side of the waterfall, and they’d already been teasing us about our antics in the pool. Feeling much too hot, I dove under the falls and emerged on the other side. Even with the sun blazing, it was cooler without his much too tempting proximity.

Katie got in with Alina in a duckie pool float. Aleks smoothly dove in to emerge next to his infant daughter, making her shout with surprise and then crack up with infectious baby laughter.

“Okay, we get it, family time,” Max said, heading for the nearest ladder.

I followed, shocked that my fingers and toes were shriveled since it seemed like we’d only been in for ten minutes. A lunch was spread out under the veranda, and we made a beeline, sitting down with Lev and Jenna half asleep with iced teas in their hands.

The whole rest of the afternoon, Max hogged my attention, telling me there was going to be dinner and a movie later on in the mansion’s theater. My cheeks were sore from smiling and burning from his constant compliments that brought on the teasing from his brothers and Katie and Jenna. An outsider would have thought we were the third couple in the equation, not people who barely knew each other.

He couldn’t possibly be serious with his flirtations, but I loved the attention, something I wasn’t used to at all. As the sun started getting lower and everyone was talking about taking naps or getting changed for the dinner and movie night, I headed up when Jenna did to get a shower. I refused to think too much about what I was going to wear, not wanting Max’s attention to get me off kilter. Or more off-kilter, because I was tilting fast.

In my room, my forgotten phone had several messages from an unknown number.

Where are you?

We have unfinished business.

Call me!

What the heck? It was obviously a mistake, and common sense told me to delete them and block the number, but I hadspent the last two days in a glorious fantasy of acting out of character, so just shot off a quick message back.

Who is this?

My boldness paid off, and I’d barely put the phone down on the bed when an answer pinged.

---