Chapter 15

The guest wing is a two-bedroom living space attached west of the main house. Mom will have her own room, her own living room, and a kitchen. Though it's been ages since she's been able to cook for herself.

Sergei wasn't lying about a full medical team. In the last five hours I've gone over every speck of her medical history with two doctors and three nurses. They will all be taking shifts staying with Mom. She'll never be left alone, and she'll be well cared for.

None of them will be wearing medical clothing so as far as Mom's concerned, she's just made five new friends.

I can't help but feel I'm taking advantage of Sergei. We made a deal, and it had nothing to do with bringing Mom to live in his house. Or all of this medical care.

To say he's being generous is a gross understatement and a part of me wonders why.

While I've been talking to the medical team and making sure Mom was settling in all right, Sergei has been in the main section of the house working.

He mentioned getting married would help him settle business issues, and whatever they are apparently took effect right away. I haven't seen him since Mom was brought into the guest wing.

After leaving Mom to sleep, I have a bowl of cereal for dinner, all right, two bowls, but Mrs. Yugov had Frosted Flakes in the pantry and it's my weak spot.

After a quick call with Krista to bring her up to date on the craziness that was today, I check the time. Nearly ten.

I make one more trip to check in on Mom, then head up to bed. I only pause a moment in front of the guest room door before deciding not to cause any more trouble.

Considering how we spent last night, any chance that he'd not want me in his bed tonight has flown the coop.

I may not know everything about him, but I'm a quick study. And Sergei Petrov is a man who expects to be obeyed.

The bedroom is empty, so I take a long, hot shower and pull on a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before sinking into bed. I glance at the clock on the night table.

Almost eleven now.

I scroll through my social media mindlessly, not really looking at anything.

When it's nearly midnight, I climb out of bed. Maybe he's still working. I'll just pop in and say good night.

We're married now. It seems rude to just go to sleep without at least telling him. Especially on our wedding day.

The house is quiet and dark as I make my way downstairs and through the halls to his office. His door is slightly ajar with a slim beam of light peeking out into the hallway. One of his men stands outside the office, leaning against the wall. He stands to his full height when he sees me approaching.

"Is he still in there?" I ask. A moment later a single Russian word booms from within the office. I don't know what it is, but from the angry way he said it, I know it's not a good sign.

"It's late. Do you need something, Mrs. Petrov?" the guard asks.

"No. I'm fine." I wave him away and step around him, pushing the office door open and letting myself in. "And you can just call me Cora." The formality leaves a heavy weight in my stomach. Like I'm someone I'm not.

Sergei looks up from his computer, a fierce scowl set, ready to go off on the intruder.

"I'm sorry. I can bring her upstairs," the guard says from behind me.

Sergei's eyes find mine and he softens. It's just a fraction, and I don't think the guard even notices it. He's as tense as ever behind me.

"No. It's fine, Yusef. I'm finishing up. You go," Sergei orders.

The door shuts quietly behind me.

His eyes haven't moved from me, and a shiver trails down my spine. I'm still not used to how he looks at me. Beneath this stare, I'm every bit the prey and he the hunter. Except I'm not sure I want to run to get away.

"It's almost midnight," I say when the silence stretches too long. "I just came down to say good night." I swallow around the ball of anxiety that's collected in my throat. Maybe he's regretting having chosen me to fix his problem. "And to thank you, again, for bringing Mom here. The guest wing is beautiful. She was still groggy, but she seemed to like it."

He pushes his chair back from his desk. "Come here, Cora." He beckons me with a crook of his finger.

"You're busy…"

"Now, Coraline." His left eyebrow arches, almost as though he's daring me to disobey him.

I stand at the side of his desk, but he shakes his head. He points to the spot in front of him, the little area between him and his desk.

Slowly, I edge around the desk and slide into the spot, leaning my ass against the edge.

He picks up the hem of my t-shirt, an oversized shirt I bought from Six Flags when I went a few years ago. Perfect to wear over my bathing suit when I hit the waterpark with Krista that afternoon.

"What is this?" He tugs on the material.

"Pajamas." My face heats when he brings his attention up to me.

"You could fit two of you in this," he says.

"That's the point." I smile. "It's comfortable."

"Hmph." He pushes the shirt up to my stomach. "And these pants?"

"They fit fine," I argue.

The left side of his mouth kicks up. It's not a smile, but it's closer.

"Yes, but they're on," he counters.

"Did you want me to walk down here without pants?" His men litter the house during the day, and I'm not sure how many are here overnight.

"My men know better than to let their eyes wander where they don't belong." He hooks his hands into the elastic of my pajama's bottoms. "And if they ever dared touch what is mine, they'll never touch anything again."

The intensity of his vow shakes me a little.

"Yeah, but I'm not yours. I mean, not really. Right?" My voice trembles a little, and I'm sure it has to do with how my body reacts to him. My skin craves his touch, and all he's done is touch my clothing so far.

"What did you say?" He cocks his head.

"I just mean, yeah, we're married, for whatever your business thing is, but it's not real. This thing with us, it's not, it's just business, so I wouldn't think you'd do anything to anyone who you know, if someone took an interest, I'm just saying."

He jumps to his feet, towering over me in an instant and slaps his hand over my mouth.

"You're rambling again." He lowers his face to mine, until his nose brushes against my cheek, and he whispers into my ear, "Do I make you nervous?"

"No." I'm pretty sure the little squeaking sound I make completely obliterates my answer.

"We've been over this. You're mine, Cora." He trails his lips across my cheek in the faintest touch until he's able to look me in the eyes again. "Only mine."

"For a month or two." Why does my voice keep shaking like that?

"For at least a year," he says, dropping his hand from my waist and taking a step back. "We have to remain married for at least a year."

"What?" I grip the desk. A full year. "That's not what you told me."

"It's what I need to do in order for all of the businesses to remain in my possession."

"The ones you inherit from your grandmother?"

"Yes." He nods. "If we are not married in one year, everything reverts back to her family. My cousin, to be exact. She hates him more than me, apparently, since she cut him out completely."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" I'm here for an entire year? It was one thing when this was make believe for a few months, but a full year? It's too much.

"I found out this morning." He shrugs. "The judge was already here, and what's a year?"

"A year is different than a few months." I slide out from between him and the desk. "It's a whole year."

He looks at me with that hardened stare of his. "You'll be taken care of. More than I originally promised."

My mom. He's taken my mom in, and instead of it only being for a few months while I get the paperwork all worked out, it's for a full year.

The expense of that… I'll never be able to repay him.

"That's why you brought Mom here? So, I couldn't say no and leave? Because she's here now." My hands fist at my sides. "I knew if you knew about her, you'd use it against me." Knowledge is power. I knew this!

"Cora." His tone drops. "I should have told you, but it's only a year."

Ten months more than I thought.

And Mom's being taken care of.

"You should have told me." I fold my arms over my chest. "You didn't give me the chance to say no."

He raises his chin. "I wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway. If that makes you feel any better."

My jaw drops a fraction.

"You selfish prick."

He deadpans, "What did you say?"

"I said you're a selfish prick!"

"Don't think that because I need to stay married to you that I'll tolerate bad behavior, Coraline."

"Bad behavior?" How did this entire conversation get so off track?

When I walked in, he looked like he wanted to strip me and throw me on the desk. Now he looks like he wants to strip me and throw me over his knee.

"You want to see bad behavior?" I look around and grab the only thing near me, a whiskey glass sitting on the edge of his desk.

He leans to the left, easily dodging the glass before it hits him. The glass hits the bookcase behind him and falls to the floor with a thud. A drop of whiskey has landed on his shoulder, seeping into the dark gray button-down shirt he's wearing.

"Did…" He looks at the glass on the floor at his feet, then up at me. "Did you just throw that at me?"

A knot of regret threatens to choke me.

I've never thrown anything at anyone in my life. This man is ruining me.

"Pick it up," he orders me.

Not going to happen. Why did I think this man was generous? He was only bringing my mother here out of guilt for having tricked me into this marriage. To use it against me so I wouldn't just up and leave and ruin his inheritance.

"Pick it up yourself." I spin on my heel and make for the door.

When I hear his footsteps behind me, I take off in a run.

If I can get to the guest room, there's a lock on the door. I'll spend the night in there, and he'll be calm in the morning.

It's a great plan.

I sprint up the stairs, not tripping once, and haul myself down the hall.

Just as my hand grabs the knob, his tree trunk of an arm wraps around my middle, easily picking me up off the floor.

"Put me down." I try to shove his arm away from me, but he only tightens it as he carries me to his room. Once inside he kicks the door shut.

"You had your fun." He drops me on the bed. "And now I'm going to have mine."