Page 37 of Cruel Russian King
She drifted forward, fingers trailing over the cold metal, asking Mike questions with a curiosity that made her glow. I lingered back, watching her with quiet satisfaction, becausethis was mine. I made her feel this way. Her excitement, her laughter, the way she forgot everything else as her wonder took over.
When she stopped before the unfinished piece, Mike asked, “Would you like to help me with this?”
I fucking loved the fact that she looked at me for approval. For that, she'd get a new shipment of clothes, shoes and handbags.
I gave a single nod.
A grin spread across her face. “Hell, yes.”
Mike handed over protective gear, and I watched as he guided her through welding, sparks flying in the dim warehouse, her small frame swallowed by gloves and mask. I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of the moment.
Thirty minutes later, the sun was sinking, painting the sky in bruised colors as we thanked Mike and walked back to the car.
Her hand slid into mine again, and I held it tighter. Whether Ninel was willing to admit it or not she was slowly submitting to me. And fuck if it wasn't a damn turn-on.
“Thank you, Artyom. Today was a day well spent.”
“The day isn't over yet. I'm taking you to dinner.”
During dinner our conversation flowed easily as we recapped the day, but then Ninel asked a question I wasn’t prepared to answer, at least not tonight.
“When can I see my siblings? I know you said you wanted us to have this honeymoon phase but when does it end?”
“It doesn’t.”
Her fork stilled. Her voice was quieter this time, laced with that thread of fear she tried to mask. “Are you saying you’ll keep me away from them forever?”
“No. Not forever. But until our business is settled.”
A single tear slid down her cheek before she brushed it away, trying to hide the crack in her composure. I had given her a day free of shadows, and with one answer I stained it.
I reached across the table, caught her hand, forcing her eyes to mine.
“When the negotiations are finished, I will take you to them. When the signatures are on paper and the brotherhood accepts you as my wife, there will be no barrier between you and your family.”
She gave a small nod, though I could see the sadness lingering in her eyes.
I shifted the conversation back to ponies, and just like that her face brightened again, her laugh rising soft and sweet, as if the words spoken had never been said. I was relieved.
After dinner, on our way home, Ninel had curled into me in the back seat as she slept. My hand rested on her hip. When we pulled into the garage, Ruslan hopped out. I kissed Ninel on her forehead and stroked the side of her cheek.
“Printsessa, we're home.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched like a cat making a soft purring sound that went straight to my damn cock.
Using the last thread of restraint I had left after holding her all the way home, I stepped out of the car and pulled her with me. We had hardly taken a few steps into the house when three sets of eyes met us.
Fucking hell.
“Yegor. Zahkar. Kira. Why are you here?”
“You’ve been distant lately,” Yegor said, his gaze sliding from me to Ninel and back again. “We were worried, so we came to check on you.”
“Ninel,” I ordered. “Go with Kira to the library.”
She hesitated, her eyes flicking between me and my brothers, but she obeyed, walking away with Kira without another word.
The moment the women disappeared, Yegor’s composure cracked. “Artyom, are you insane?” he hissed.
