Chapter Seven
Keira had been under the impression that this was a meeting with several men, so she’d been surprised when it quickly became apparent that Ivan was the only one who showed.
That had to sting, Russian. Apparently, Dmitri wasn’t as all-powerful as he would have liked if he couldn’t compel family members to come to something that should have guaranteed attendance.
Layers within layers there. The O’Malleys didn’t have much interaction beyond their immediate family, but Keira’s father had only ever wanted Boston.
He wasn’t interested in spreading his empire beyond the city, though he would have liked to take the city entirely.
The Romanovs were different. From what she gleaned of Dmitri and Ivan’s—blessedly English—conversation, the Romanovs were the big players back in Russia, and they had representatives of the family in several of the big port cities in the US.
Dmitri in New York, Ivan in Texas, Kirill in LA, and Sasha in Seattle.
Finally, Ivan checked his watch and rose.
“I must be going. My Natasha gets irritated when I’m late.
” He waggled thick brows at Keira, making her laugh.
“She’s far too good with a knife to risk displeasing, no matter how enchanting the company.
” He took her hand and pressed his lips to it, releasing her almost instantly, and then turned to Dmitri.
“I wish you and your bride the best of luck, and a long and healthy marriage.”
Dmitri didn’t appear amused. “You’ll convey that to Kirill and Sasha, of course.”
Ivan’s eyebrows lowered further, almost covering his eyes. “Of course. No need to be so crass as to point it out. The marriage mended some of the issue, but if you don’t control your territory, it won’t make a difference. Fix things, Dima. Fix them fast.”
She half expected Dmitri to threaten him or do something to slap him down for his attitude, but he just nodded.
There was no reason to take it personally.
This man didn’t care about her, no matter how charming he was, any more than Dmitri ultimately cared about her.
She was a pawn in a deeper game they played, and she was slowly coming to realize that the rules she’d grown up with—the O’Malley rules—didn’t apply here.
She had to learn the lay of the land—and fast.
Dmitri’s hand on her arm urged her to stand, and they walked Ivan out.
She tried to pay attention to what they were saying, but they’d switched to Russian, and Keira didn’t know more than a handful of words.
Whatever it was, it didn’t seem particularly serious, because their body language was relaxed and open.
Or they’re better liars than most people you know.
It wasn’t until the front door closed behind Ivan that the reality of her situation sank in.
Dmitri was furious. He might have faked it for his friend, but he stood next to her, a pillar of stone with anger coming off him in waves.
His grip on her elbow didn’t hurt, but if she’d tried to leave, he would have restrained her.
She should be afraid. She should be terrified.
Keira’s heartbeat picked up, adrenaline kicking in.
She swung to face him with a fierce smile on her face.
“You didn’t compliment me on my dress.” It was a work of fucking art.
She smoothed her free hand over her hip and up her side.
“Actually, you called me a high-class sex worker. Is that any way to speak to your beloved wife?”
His gray eyes followed the movement, a muscle ticking in his jaw when she cupped her breast. “I meant it when I said you’re playing with fire.”
That wasn’t just anger on his face now. No, it was rapidly being overtaken by sheer lust. An answering feeling sent a bolt straight to her core.
She stepped back, and he released her instantly.
A strange feeling coursed through her, straightening her spine and making her want to laugh out loud. Power. This is what power feels like.
He wanted her. He wanted her so badly, he had his hands clenched at his sides to keep from touching her again. But he wouldn’t until she gave the green light. Keira took another step back. “I have a hypothetical question.”
“Ask.” His voice was rough. The way he watched her made her feel like prey, and she liked it far more than she should—because she wasn’t prey. Keira had her own teeth and claws, and Dmitri would learn that as time went on.
“Hypothetically, if I said yes tonight… how do you imagine that would go?”
He stared at her a long moment. “Nyet. I’m not playing this game with you.” She blinked and he was on her, one hand snaking around to press against the exposed small of her back, the other tangling in her hair. “We are not children, moya koroleva. These games don’t become us.”
He kissed her. There was no cautious exploration or easing into it.
Dmitri kissed her like a conquering warlord who was sure of his welcome because he owned everything in the room—including her.
There was no fighting this. She didn’t even want to try.
Keira slid her arms around his neck and pressed herself more firmly against him.
His cock was a hard length with too many layers between them.
She rolled her hips, an invitation she wasn’t sure she was ready to follow through on.
Dmitri slid his hand down to cup her ass, guiding her movements.
Long slides up the length of his cock and back down again.
The tight goddamn dress kept her from spreading her legs wider, from getting him exactly where she needed him.
Her nipples rubbed against his shirt, the silk incredibly decadent across her sensitized skin.
“Keira. Moya koroleva.” He kissed down her jawline, tilting her head back until she had to arch her spine to accommodate the position. “Did you enjoy his eyes on you? Ivan’s. The man who owes allegiance to me. Anyone who cared to look.”
It took her desire-drugged brain a beat to catch up, but by then he was already growling out more words against her skin.
“Did it make you feel powerful to know he was imagining stroking the nipples you flashed with such impunity?” He moved his hand from her ass to do exactly that, dragging a finger over her puckered nipple.
“He wanted the body you so proudly put on display.” His voice roughened. “He wanted what’s mine.”
Say something. If you don’t say something right now, you’re going to give in tonight and then it will all be over.
He moved his hand to her back and bent her until she relied solely on his strength to keep her off the ground.
And then Dmitri’s wicked, wicked mouth closed around her nipple.
The weight of the beaded design seemed heavier with his tongue flicking the engorged bud, making his touch that much hotter.
She couldn’t hold back a moan as he moved to her other breast.
Dmitri dragged his mouth up the center of her chest, the only part of her not caged in the dress, stopping at the thick collar. He flicked the hollow of her throat with his tongue. “This is my favorite part of the dress.” He ran his thumb over it. “This, more than anything else, marks you as mine.”
A collar for a kept pet.
It was as if he’d doused her in icy water.
Keira went rigid and shoved Dmitri away.
She almost fell when he released her, but she regained her balance at the last second.
They stood mere feet apart, breathing hard and staring at each other.
I am no one’s pet. She slashed her hand through the air.
“I might be your wife, Russian, but I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours.”
She could actually see him replacing his aloof mask, piece by piece.
It took the space of a heartbeat to hide the desire and rough edges, to cage the beast. Then there was only the icy gentleman-murderer looking out at her.
He smoothed his shirt down. “You may fight it all you want, but you were right before—you sold yourself to me the second you walked down the aisle. You are mine. You will always be mine. There’s no escaping it. ”
Once upon a time, he’d told her that he couldn’t offer her love. She’d accepted that—love was a pipe dream in her world—but a loveless marriage and an… ownership… were two different things. Keira drew herself up straight. “Good night, Russian.”
Nothing flickered in his expression. “I’ve changed my mind.”
Keira froze. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You have a week. After that, you’ll be in my bed.”
The blood rushed out of her head, leaving her swaying despite her best efforts to keep it under control. “I disagree.”
He didn’t give an inch. “I’m not fucking you, Keira. I gave my word and I’ll keep it. But you are my wife, and the current arrangement no longer holds, so you’ll sleep next to me as if you were my wife in truth.”
Another choice, taken from her.
Another man, thinking he knew best.
Another head of a family, expecting her to follow his orders like a good little solider.
Well, fuck that.
She’d forgotten, for a few seconds. Forgotten that he was the enemy, forgotten that she couldn’t let her guard down—not even physically.
Keira had been playing at rebellion before now.
A part of her had still believed that she’d get her happily ever after despite all signs pointing to the contrary, and she’d been hesitant to do anything she couldn’t take back.
But, as Dmitri had told her time and time again, he wasn’t Prince Charming in the guise of a beast. He was the beast.
No one was coming to save her. There was no ending where the princess got out of the tower and exchanged vows with her one true love. It was time to put those childish dreams behind her, once and for all.
It was time for Keira to save herself.