Page 7 of Under Control

“You will be my wife.” He studies my reaction. It’s so ludicrous, I don’t have one. “It will be a temporary arrangement. You will stand in for Natalya. You will smile and attend functions as needed. You will live in my house?—”

“I’m sorry, hold on a second. This is insane. You’re seriously talking about getting married?”

He leans forward again, jaw working. “What did I say about interrupting me?”

“I know, it’s just?—”

“If you do it again, I will hold you down against this table and spank your ass raw. Do you understand me?”

Oh, holy shit.

I go completely still. His terrifying blue eyes continue to keep me pinned in place. I squirm, thinking about his rough hand slapping against my naked ass, his hard mouth against my ear, calling me all sorts of degrading, nasty names.

Because I am a broken freak, that is wildly appealing.

Fuck and murder vibes.

He sits back as if nothing just happened.

“Natalya’s disappearance is an embarrassment both for me and for her father. Marrying you will help soften some of that blow. You will be our excuse for why this deal fell through. We will stay together for two years, and you will be compensated commensurate with your time and your effort. I will treat you well, provided you obey my rules and do not embarrass me, and I will grant you a lucrative and easy divorce when the time comes. This is a business deal, and nothing more.”

My core throbs with an eager intensity. I’m still a little stuck on the whole spanking thing. But I force the image of him roughly taking me from my head and try to focus on what he’s saying.

Marriage. Two years. Saving face.

Lucrative.

Compensation.

I look at the bills. I glance into the kitchen and the empty refrigerator. I think of Mom’s puffy eyes, her faraway and lonely stare, her aching hips as she shuffles over to the church once a week just to have some time away from her misery and grief.

I look back at Valentin.

“There’s absolutely no way I’m ever going to marry you,” I tell him.

His eyebrows raise as if he’s surprised, but how could this psychopath have actually thought this would work? People don’t just get married like this. Much less to total freaking strangers, who just might be legitimately unhinged.

The guy pulled a gun on me last time.

How can I ever marry a man like that? How could I ever be safe with him?

I’m not safe, not at all, especially not right now.

I push back from the table and stand. I put some distance between us, afraid of what he might do, but he doesn’t seem particularly upset by my response.

“I’m offering to take care of you,malishka. All of your debts will be gone. Any extra money you wish will be yours. Anything your mother might need?—”

I hold up a hand. “How do you know about my debts?”

His eyebrows arch as he looks down at the stack of bills. “I guessed.”

“My financial situation is not your business, okay? You’re talking aboutmarriage. You’re not asking me to the prom. You’re not requesting a weekend of my time. This is marriage for two freaking years to a guy that pulled a gun on me and also threatened tospank melike I’m a child.”

“I find spankings are very effective.” His lips curl slightly in a devilish smirk.

I hate myself for finding that attractive. I could scream right now with frustration, but I bottle it up and shove it all down inside.

“No, thank you. I’m not for sale. I’m not going to marry myself off to some rich man just to take care of my family. I have a job. We’ll figure this out on our own.” I gesture at the door. “Please leave. And don’t come back.”

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