Page 43 of Sinful Union

I roll my eyes but can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Not exactly.”

His smirk deepens. “Liar.”

He gives me a once-over, and I realize that I’m in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and a pair of panties. Judging by the wolfish look on his face, he’s enjoying the view. I cross my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m going to ignore the size of your ego. The truth of the matter is that I woke up starving.”

He lifts a brow. “Starving? For what?”

I hesitate for half a second, feeling absurd for even saying it out loud, and sigh dramatically. “Fried potatoes with onions from Belov’s.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s quite specific.”

“I know.”

“Want me to have them delivered?”

I blink. That was unexpected, thoughtful. Something a real husband would do. For a second, I almost say yes, but then I shake my head.“No need to spend a hundred dollars having a guy on a bike bring them to me. Though, I appreciate the effort. I can make them myself.” Then, tilting my head playfully, I add, “You want me to make extra for you?”

He glances at his watch and sighs. “Tempting, but I have too much shit to deal with today. And I already ate.”

Something about the way he says it gives me pause. There’s tension in his jaw, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression, like he’s trying to hide something. “Everything okay?” I ask.

There’s a brief hesitation before he says, “It will be.”

He’s deflecting. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed; it’s been happening often lately. Whatever’s going on, it’s weighing heavily on him. I open my mouth, about to press the issue, but he smoothly changes the subject.

“What’s on your agenda today?”

I hesitate for half a beat, then force a smile. “Thinking about going to see Vlad. Maybe doing a little shopping.”

He studies me for a long moment, and I wonder if he knows I’m lying. I shift my weight, watching Pavel as he smooths the front of his suit jacket, looking effortlessly put together, even though I know his mind is miles away, tangled in whatever Bratva disaster he’s about to walk into.

Still, when he looks at me, he’s focused and present. Like I’m the only thing that matters in the moment.

"That’s all you’re going to do today?" he asks.

I hesitate. I don’t know how much I should tell him. The truth is, I’m going to see Ana, but I’m not ready to share her with him yet. Maybe someday, but not now. All the same, I need to throw him off the trail. For some reason, he seems extra skeptical today.

“That’s all,” I confirm. “I was planning on keeping it pretty low-key.”

“You don’t have to keep it low-key if you don’t want to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Go have a girls’ day out. Spend some time with your friends.”

I pause, blink in mild confusion, then chuckle lightly, shaking my head. “Friends? I don’t really have any.”

His brow furrows. “You don’t have any? Why not? You used to.”

I shrug. “We just drifted apart after high school, I guess. Some went to college, others got married and moved on.”

And some had secret babies, then stayed away for six years.

Pavel leans against his desk, arms crossed over his chest as he watches me. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

I exhale, considering his words. It never used to. “Not really,” I lie. “I have Vlad; we’ve always been close.” My voice trails off as I roll my water glass between my hands, the condensation cool and grounding.

Just then a realization settles in, one I can’t ignore.

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