Page 23 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
“Not everyone. My sisters, for instance, are relatively normal,” he says at last, having caught his breath.
“Normal by whose standards? Yours or mine?”
“You can judge for yourself.” He steered me toward a small group near the windows. “They’ve been dying to meet you.”
Two women detached themselves from the group and headed straight for us. The first had the sweetest smile, while the other had dark brown eyes and a beautiful, curvy figure.
“Finally!” the sweet-smiling one exclaimed while she nearly bounced with excitement. “We thought Federico was going to keep you hidden forever.”
“Beatrice,” Federico warned, but his tone was affectionate.
“Oh, hush.” She waved him off and grabbed my hands. “I’m Beatrice, the youngest and clearly the most charming. And this is Elena.”
Elena stepped forward with a warm smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Autumn. Welcome to the family.”
I’d expected cold politeness at best, suspicion at worst.
These women had every reason to question why their brother had suddenly married a complete stranger.
Instead, they were looking at me with genuine warmth.
“Thank you,” I managed, slightly overwhelmed. “It’s... nice to meet you both.”
“Is Federico being good to you?” Beatrice asked, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “He can be a grump sometimes.”
“I’m standing right here,” Federico pointed out.
“Exactly why I’m asking,” Beatrice grinned. “So?”
I found myself smiling back, a real smile this time. “He’s been... surprisingly tolerable.”
Elena laughed. “Tolerable is his best behaviour.”
“For Autumn, I’m more than tolerable,” Federico protested, his hand finding the small of my back again. “Autumn sets a very high bar.”
Something in his tone made my cheeks warm.
Wait. No. What?
What was I thinking? Getting swept up by his words? Had I forgotten we were putting on a show? He was only convincing his sisters that he was in love with me. Nothing more.
“Well, we’re thrilled to finally have another woman in the family,” Elena said. “You must come for lunch sometime. Just us girls.”
“Oh.” I was caught off guard by the invitation. “That would be... nice.”
“Wonderful!” Beatrice grinned. “And don’t worry, we’ll tell you all the embarrassing childhood stories Federico doesn’t want you to know.”
Federico groaned. “And that’s my cue to steal my wife away.”
As he guided me to the next group of guests, I leaned closer so only he could hear.
“They’re nothing like you,” I observed.
“Thank God for small mercies,” he said dryly.
“I meant that as a compliment to them.”
He laughed again, that rich sound that did something funny to my insides. “I know exactly what you meant, Mrs. Lebedev.”
