Page 43 of Innocent Bratva Twins

Dammit, I don’t know.

I stand in front of the mirror, turning left and right to try and see myself from all angles. My hair is pinned up in a cute, messy bun that actually took me an hour to create, and while it looks like I did it completely by accident, it was hard to make that casual mess of curls look right.

I kept my make-up light and clean, choosing a fresh look, mostly focusing on dramatic thick lashes and the soft touch of caramel gloss on my lips.

The black dress is tight and short with long sleeves; it’s elegant and understated. I spin again, getting another look at myself.

“Mm,” I say in surprise. “I actually look really good. I think this is the one.” Thank goodness, because the thought of changing again was going to make me crazy.

I choose to wear my over-the-knee boots because they make me smile when I remember how much Nico liked them. Flashes of that night tease my memory, and my body begins to tingle with desire.

No, I need to focus. It’s a big deal to meet his family. This is an important night, and I can’t be off daydreaming about that type of thing.

I decide to break up the monotony of the black dress with a small blue clutch, and to accent the touch of color, I slip tiny blue diamanté earrings into my ears so that they dangle and catch the light when I move. It is the weekend, after all. A little sparkle goes a long way.

This is perfect.

Yes.

I’m finally ready. Oh my word. What a relief.

Again, my stomach churns with nerves. It’s okay. I’m good with people. I’ll treat it like a business meeting, and as long as I keep my professional nature up, I’ll ace this dinner.

***

“Wow,” Nico says when I open the front door. “You look incredible. As always.” His eyes wander up and down my body with desire.

He looks so damn sexy in his dark jeans, thick sweater and black coat. His dark hair is a little wilder than usual, ruffled on top as though he’s run his hand through it one too many times. And he didn’t shave for the last two days. I find his shadowed beard so sexy.

“The blue really suits you,” he smiles, reaching out to brush his hand over my blue coat that perfectly matches my purse and earrings. His touch causes a ripple of excitement to run through me.

“Will you be warm enough?” he asks with care.

“I’m sure I will,” I say, looking down at my outfit.

“Lukalikesthe colder weather, so he never turns the heating up high even when it’s snowing outside.” Nico rolls his eyes. “But I think with my sisters being there tonight, he’ll be forced to.” He laughs. “They don’t let him get away with anything.”

I lock my front door, and Nico slips his arm around my waist as we walk towards his car. He holds the door open for me while I climb inside.

Arriving at Nico’s brother’s house, I quickly realize that they arenotthe intimidating businesspeople that I had envisioned.

I thought they were going to look at me and judge me based on my success, or lack thereof. My wealth, my status, what I’m wearing, that sort of thing. But in actuality, they are warm, welcoming, and incredibly friendly.

When I step into the house, the first person to greet me is Arkady. He’s tall with dark hair like Nico, sharp eyes, and a cheeky smile.

“This is Arkady, my youngest brother,” Nico says.

“Hey, girl in the black dress,” he grins.

“Uh,” I stammer. I mean, Iamwearing a black dress—it’s just a weird way to greet someone.

I hold out my hand to shake his. “I’m Serafina,” I say confident and bold. Ark throws a look towards Nico as though he’s about to stir up some trouble.

He pulls me into a hug and laughs. “It’s good to meet you. I’ve already warned Nico that if he doesn’t keep an eye on you, I’m going to steal you. I’m more fun than he, anyway. It would be an upgrade.”

His eyes are shining with mischief when he releases me from the hug.

My cheeks are heated with surprise, but I can’t help smiling at his playfulness.

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