Page 8 of The Bratva's Forced Innocent Bride

“Put it on my tab, Ori,” Max said, taking my arm to guide me out.

She winked at him infuriatingly from her side of the counter, gushing about how much she owed him. Oh my God, was I really jealous of an ex-supermodel? There was no way. Max was basically nothing more than a tour guide and a coerced one at that. I was about to make one last ditch effort to refuse the outfit and demand we go back to Katie’s for dinner, but Max hauled me out of there with the damn outfit on, my old clothes tucked into one of the shop’s signature bags looped over his wrist.

We bypassed the line outside the diner and went in through a back entrance. Max was warmly greeted by staff, and he called and waved at the cooks as we went by the huge, bustling kitchen. A hostess intercepted us and led us to a special table with a bit of privacy from the rest of the crowd, and I slid into my seat, barely able to catch my breath.

The place was half restaurant, decked out like the 1950s diner I imagined, but as if that diner had inherited a fortune and also taken steroids. Just pure fun and flash. The other half had a dance floor, a long, neon-lit bar that took up one whole wall of the massive place, and a low stage. The bar side was already jam-packed with people having a great time dancing and laughing and jostling for a spot at the bar, and the restaurant side was already filled to capacity with hungry diners.

I recognized more famous people, my eyes darting back and forth between a television actress from a teen show, another influencer, and a pop star who’d just gone through a terrible breakup if my coworker’s gossip was to be believed.

“So, are you finally impressed?” Max laughed.

I was getting used to his teasing bravado and found I liked giving it back. As grateful as I was for the new dress and this experience, I already knew he wouldn’t want me to carry on about the generous gift.

“I’m getting there,” I said, faking a begrudging tone. “I feel like I’m in a fantasy world,” I admitted when a server came with colorful drinks and the biggest, juiciest burgers I ever saw. “Oh my God, how can I get this in my mouth?”

He gave me a wolfish smile that had me shivering again, and wanting to be a bit naughty. “Do your best, and enjoy,” he said, grabbing a fry off my plate and holding it up for me.

I snapped it up and grinned, then let myself drift into the background while I tackled the giant burger. A constant stream of people came over to greet Max and schmooze, including so many of the ones I recognized. A couple of the women actually gave me glares, as if they were jealous of me. It was blowing my mind, and, in all honesty, I loved every minute of it. All my real-life worries and stresses had all fallen away in this wonderful fantasy world Max had introduced me to.

We finally got a few minutes of calm when there was a hubbub by the entrance. Looking up from my fresh peach ice cream, my worn-out jaw once again almost hit the table.

“That’s Luca Ross,” I hissed, half standing to get a better look at him surrounded by his entourage. “I’ve seen all his movies.” A dozen times or more, but I didn’t tell Max that.

He got an odd look on his face but waved Luca over. “I’ll introduce you to him since you’re such a fan,” he said, his voice a bit flat all of a sudden.

Okay, I did get a bit fangirly, just about jumping out of my seat when Luca arrived, but he was the biggest action star in the world. Gorgeous, charismatic, he did all his own stunts, and had been a shining light in my pitiful childhood. There were always dollar matinees or reruns on TV, which meant a chance to escape to a better place for a few hours, and Luca had been a big part of many of those escapist hours.

I couldn’t believe it when Luca easily slid into the booth beside me for a picture, almost getting dizzy by his familiar, yet surreal smile. He was as friendly and casual as he always was in interviews. After listening to me gabble on about which of his movies were my favorites—all of them—he struck up a conversation with Max. I would have thought by the way they chatted that they were old friends if it weren’t for the strange tension on Max’s face the entire time.

The look disappeared when Luca returned to his entourage and I got the lightning bolt realization that Max might have been jealous. Ha, that was ridiculous and wishful thinking, since I’d been quietly stewing every time a new model or starlet came over to kiss-kiss with him. Still, I was in fantasyland atthe moment, so what was wrong with believing Max was a little jealous about me being such a fan of one of his friends?

With our meal finished, I was afraid it was time to go, but Max turned to me with a smile that quickened my already fast-beating heart. “Shall we head to the bar?”

“Definitely,” I said, already on my way to being tipsy from the delicious signature drink we’d had with dinner.

“We’ve got live music tonight,” he said, his hand lightly resting on my lower back as he guided me through the crowd. “I hope you like the band that’s playing.”

“Oh, no way,” I squealed as the band was announced. I jumped up and down with everyone else, holding tight to Max’s hand so I didn’t get swept away. For about the tenth time today, I was like a kid in a candy store. “They’re my favorite indie group,” I told him.

“I called them in just for you,” he joked, pulling me out of the crowd to a cordoned-off area near the bar where I wouldn’t get jostled so much while we had a perfect view of the band.

There was no way he could have known to do that, but the way he’d been making this the best day of my life, I could have believed it. We laughed and danced to the rollicking beats, and I was disappointed when one of the staff members called him away. At first, he refused to go, but I insisted I was fine, had a fresh drink in hand, and the band was just getting to their best songs.

“You’re sure?” he said with a furrowed brow.

“Go,” I told him, all but shoving him away to set him free of his responsibility. “You have a business to run.”

I had to admit I liked that Max was so attentive, not wanting to leave me alone for a second, but I was confident inthe VIP area in my new, stunning dress that made me feel like I belonged, and yes, I was on the way to being a little bit drunk.

I wasn’t alone for long, because as soon as Max disappeared into the back, Luca Ross sidled up to the velvet rope, deftly unhooking it and coming into my space. He sat beside me on the barstool, leaning close to ask how I knew Max.

I tried to explain the somewhat convoluted relationship, shouting over the music to be heard. With an eye roll, Luca took my arm and led me over to the restaurant side, where it was much more conducive to talking.

“Now tell me everything,” he said, looking at me with those eyes that stared out at me from so many screens throughout my life.

Stunned that he was interested in whatever I had to say, reeling from the potent drinks, I simply couldn’t believe my favorite action star was paying so much attention to me even when his buddy Max wasn’t around.

Wait a minute. Was he flirting with me now? It really sounded like he complimented my eyes, but everything since the band started playing was a bit of a blur.

---