6. Zara

6

ZARA

“I was kidding about the ridiculously expensive diamond.”

I look down at the huge oval diamond set on a thin rose gold band.

It’s stunning and exactly the sort of ring I always dreamed of having…

“My fiancée deserves to have a diamond.” Dimitri has a huge smile on his face.

I can barely breathe.

Once he slides that ring on my finger, there’s no going back.

“So, is that yes?”

I was the girl who used to daydream about her wedding when she was six years old. And as I got older, I made countless Pinterest boards with flower arrangements, table settings, bridesmaid dresses, and cake recipes so that when my time came, I would know exactly what I wanted.

I used to fantasize about a huge proposal with candles and rose petals and champagne, and a ring that would take my breath away .

But most of all, I used to think about how happy I would feel as my future husband slid that ring onto my finger and called me his.

Can I really put that all aside and marry a man I barely know? A man I haven’t even kissed ?

I don’t really have much of a choice.

“ Yes .”

Time seems to slow as Dimitri pulls the ring out of the box and slides it onto my ring finger before climbing to his feet.

The sound of cheering fills my ears as Dimitri takes my face in his hands and crashes his lips against mine.

For a moment, I freeze, too taken aback by the kiss to push him away.

But then his tongue darts out to trace my lower lip, and my body seems to melt.

I part my lips, and Dimitri groans as his tongue brushes against mine.

It’s the most intoxicating sound that causes heat to pool in my lower belly.

I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Not with Dimitri Koslov of all people.

But I have a part to play, so I might as well make the most of it…

I lift up on my toes and wrap my arms around his neck, pushing my chest flush against his as he continues to devour my mouth.

His hands slide down my body until he’s cupping my ass through the material of my dress, his fingers digging as he pulls my body against him.

I can’t stop the moan that escapes me as I rub against the hardness in his pants.

I need more .

I need him ?—

Danil yells, “All right, we get it!”

We break apart, gasping for air.

I take in Dimitri’s swollen lips, his eyes that are heavy with arousal, and feel a dull ache start to build between my thighs…

“I swear if you start fucking in the living room?—”

“Fuck off,” Dimitri snaps at Mikhail over his shoulder.

I bury my face in his chest to smother my laughter, my cheeks burning as I realized what we just did. Dimitri’s shoulders shake with silent laughter, and he slowly moves his hands up to my waist, squeezing me gently.

“Thank you for saying yes,” he murmurs against my ear.

“N-no problem.”

I force myself to remove my arms from around Dimitri’s neck and step away from the warmth of his body.

My cheeks are burning, and I’m almost panting like a dog.

“Enjoy yourself?” Dimitri chuckles, the sound making my skin prickle.

“No, but you clearly did.” My eyes flick down to the noticeable bulge in his pants.

“It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve had that effect on me, pcholka ,” he mutters under his breath.

My breath catches as I look up into his eyes and desire flashes behind them.

A champagne cork popping makes me jump, snapping me out of my lust-induced haze.

Danil raises his glass. “To the future Mrs. Dimitri Koslov!”

Emily looks at me. “When can we start planning?”

I’m wedged between my sister and Bianca on the cream couch, clutching my half-empty glass of champagne and trying to ignore the foreign weight of my engagement ring on my finger.

The diamond keeps catching the light and every time I look at it, my stomach knots.

I knew lying to everyone would be hard, but the excitement on Emily’s face as I showed her the ring has me close to tears.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“Knowing Zara, it’s already done.” Bianca laughs, nudging me with her shoulder.

Dimitri and his brothers sit opposite us, and I haven’t once been able to look Alexei in the eye because I know the guilt is written all over my face.

He knows .

“She is the queen of Pinterest boards.” Emily laughs. “I swear, she’s had her wedding planned since sixth grade.”

I glance at Dimitri and wince at the deep frown that’s appeared between his eyebrows.

“That was a long time ago…” I mutter.

Alexei nods. “If this is the real deal, then you deserve to have a big wedding. Consider it your present from Bianca and me.”

“What?” I stare at Alexei. Is he being for real?

“You’ve been planning your wedding since you were five.” Bianca shrugs. “You’ve always wanted a huge wedding.”

I look from Alexei to Dimitri, my eyes wide. “No really, I’m perfectly fine with something small?—”

“Nonsense.” Alexei sips his drink. “This is the biggest day of your life, Zara. It should be perfect.”

I know he’s baiting me.

It’s true, this will be the biggest day of my life, and I’m throwing it away for some stupid deal with Dimitri.

But I made a promise, and I don’t break my promises. So, I swallow the lump in my throat and nod. “Thank you.”

“Then it’s settled.” Dimitri flashes me a grin. “A big wedding it is.”

I look at Dimitri and scowl. The asshole is enjoying this.

Emily sets her hand on mine. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”

This is a losing battle. And besides, it’s not like I have any prospects to get married any time soon. Or at all. So, why not have my dream wedding? “Sure.”

“Yay!” Emily squeals, clapping her hands together. “This is going to be so much fun.”

I turn to face Bianca. “You’ll be my maid of honor, right?”

“Of course!” Bianca throws her arms around my neck.

I sigh and smile. “I guess we’ve got a wedding to plan.”

To say I’m freaking out is an understatement. Pretending to be in love with Dimitri and signing a piece of paper is one thing. Throwing a huge wedding in front of two hundred people is an entirely different story.

But it’s clear that Alexei is suspicious of my relationship with his brother, and I don’t want to give him any reason to doubt us.

I need to make this work not only for Dimitri, but for myself too. If I want to finally get Giovanni off my back, I’m going to need to go all in .

So, I agree and let Bianca and Emily take full reins in planning my wedding.

A wedding that I will no longer be able to hide from my parents. So, the next day, Dimitri convinces me to make the trip out to Queens to tell them our happy news.

“We’re really doing this.” I stare at the blue front door of my parents’ house.

I can’t believe I’m about to bring home Dimitri Koslov—a man who has absolutely no business being in my childhood home looking like he’s just stepped off a runway.

He’s wearing a light blue shirt, with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, and dark blue chinos that show off his muscular thighs. Gone is the man who put a bullet through a mafia Don’s head, and in his place is a squeaky clean fiancé who, if my father asks, works in finance.

From the ridiculous BMW that I made him park around the corner, to the solid gold Rolex on his wrist, Dimitri oozes wealth.

I, on the other hand, grew up in a tiny suburban neighborhood where everyone’s cars are older than they are, and our idea of luxury is shopping at the fancy deli on a Sunday.

So, to say I’m apprehensive about revealing more of my life to this man is an understatement.

“That thing is obnoxious.” I eye the Rolex.

“So is your ring.”

“Have I told you recently how irritating you are?”

Dimitri smirks, his dark eyes dancing with amusement.

My eyes flick to his lips, and my breath catches in my throat as I remember what they felt like, tasted like…

“Focus, Mullens.” He grins.

“I am focused.” I shake my head to try and clear all thoughts of kissing Dimitri from my mind.

“We’re really doing this. Everything is going to be fine.” Dimitri chuckles, reaching for my hand, his calluses rubbing against my palm.

“I’m not so sure. Have you ever even met the parents before?”

“No, but I’m ridiculously charming. How hard can it be?”

“Well…” I cringe as I look up at Dimitri.

“Zara,” he warns.

“There’s one very small, very tiny detail that I forgot to mention.”

Dimitri raises his eyebrows as he looks down at me. “Spit it out.”

“My dad is a cop, so I’m pretty sure he’ll know who you are the moment he hears your last name. So, if you want to keep your man parts intact, I’d keep quiet about being a Koslov.”

“Wonderful.” He runs his free hand through his hair. “What if he asks?”

“Tell him it’s Walker or Jones, it doesn’t really matter. Just…don’t tell him the truth. I don’t want to give him a reason for us not to get married.”

“Okay.” He squeezes my hand. “But you can’t guarantee that he won’t recognize me, or Alexei for that matter at the wedding.”

“We’ll cross the bridge when we get to it,” I mutter before lifting my fist to the door. “Oh, and they also think the whole incident with Gilanto last year was a result of a car accident.”

Dimitri Koslov is turning out to be the perfect man to bring home to your parents. He’s the picture of ease as he sits beside me on the couch, his arm draped around my shoulders as my mother fusses with the refreshments.

I stifle a laugh as Dimitri thanks her for his beer, and her cheeks turn the color of beetroots.

“I can see where you get it from.” He reaches down to pinch my cheek.

I scowl, batting away his touch.

He’s not wrong.

Emily and I are the spitting image of our mother, though her blonde hair is slowly turning gray. Except for our eyes. Those were a gift from our father.

“I can’t say I’m surprised to only hear of this relationship now.” Mom settles on the couch opposite Dimitri and me. “Zara has always been a very private person. Even when she was in high school, we didn’t find out who her prom date was until he showed up on the doorstep with a corsage.”

Mom’s eyes light up with amusement as she looks at me.

Dimitri chuckles. “Glad to see she hasn’t changed.”

I elbow him in the ribs.

I glance at my father, but he seems nothing but relaxed as he sits in his favorite armchair, sipping a bottle of beer.

I haven’t been back to my parents’ house in a while. After moving out and attending college in the city, it was hard to come home to the suburbs even just for the holidays. It was too quiet, too suffocating . I love having my freedom, and being in Manhattan makes me feel as if I’m truly living.

I know my parents miss me a lot, but they’re very supportive of my choices, particularly my dad. Which is why I really didn’t want to have to lie to them about this whole wedding business, especially when my mom cried with happiness when we told her the news.

My dad takes a sip of his beer. “Have you set a date? ”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

Mom sighs. “A fall wedding would be just lovely.”

“Maybe…” I keep fiddling with my engagement ring to keep my hands busy, and Dimitri seems to notice as he places a hand over mine.

He smiles at my parents. “We really just want to enjoy the engagement for now.”

Mom nods. “Of course. So tell me, how did you propose?”

I take a moment while they chat to look around the cramped living room. I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia as I take in the photos of Emily and me at every age that are covering the walls, from high school graduations to Halloween costumes and dance recitals. It’s a collage of my life, and I know soon enough a picture of me in a white dress will be at the center of them all.

My eyes start to sting, and I have to look away to stop myself from calling the whole thing off right there and then.

An hour later, I make our excuses, despite my mom trying her best to convince us to stay for dinner.

I can’t bear another moment of having to lie to the people I love. It’s been an emotionally draining few days, and I can’t wait to get back to my apartment where I can take off my ring and just be Zara Mullens for a few hours.

“Don’t work too hard, Dad.” I kiss my father on the cheek.

He huffs, his mustache twitching as he grimaces. “Crime doesn’t sleep, honey,” he grumbles. “But I’ll do my best.”

I step to the side so Dimitri can shake my father’s hand, and my mom pulls me in for one last hug goodbye.

“You seem really happy, Zara. ”

“I am, Mom.” But the knot in my stomach says otherwise.

“Well.” She pulls back, and I cringe at the tears in her eyes. “Don’t be a stranger. That goes for you too, Dimitri. You’re part of the family now.”

“I promise we’ll be back soon.” Dimitri wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against him.

The moment the door closes, I step away from Dimitri and bend over, bracing my hands on my knees. I could puke at any moment from the way my stomach is churning. “Being engaged to you is making me sick.”

Dimitri chuckles, but then his hand is on my back, rubbing in soothing circles.

My eyes flutter closed for a moment as I try to catch my breath.

“Better?”

“I think I’ve had enough of being your fiancée for one day.”