Chapter 36
Nora
“W ow! You look breathtaking,” Leo says as I walk down the stairs to meet him a couple of hours later.
For once I don’t try to brush his compliment away.
I can tell from the way he’s looking at me that he’s being honest, and quite frankly, I know I look good.
The deep floor-length emerald green dress we chose hugs my body, highlighting curves I didn’t even know I had, while the color stands out in perfect contrast with my pale skin and auburn hair.
The gold accessories and heels are understated yet classic, and more importantly, despite their height, I can actually walk in the heels.
“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself,” I reply with a smile.
In truth, he looks drop-dead smoke show crazy hot in his tuxedo. It’s hard to remember that I’m supposed to hate him, that he was part of my father’s plan and betrayed my trust.
“I have half a mind to take you upstairs and tear that dress off you,” he says with a groan as I near him.
“What happened to this event being too important for us to miss? I thought not attending wasn’t an option?” I reply sweetly, enjoying the power I have over him as I sashay past him toward the door.
He grumbles to himself but doesn’t protest. Perhaps as a way to distract himself from the sexual tension between us, Leo spends the car ride helping me get up to speed with the family dynamics and how I ought to behave around his uncle.
“I grew up in this world, Leo, I’ll be fine, you don’t need to worry,” I reassure him.
“Chances are this whole evening is some sort of elaborate ruse to set you up in some way, to test your loyalty to your new family,” Leo insists.
“Or it could be for me. There’s something I should tell you, that I’ve been wanting to tell you, about why I was there pretending to be your neighbor,” he adds, his gaze glancing toward the dark barrier that separates us from the driver.
He briefly pauses to check that the driver can’t hear us before continuing.
“My uncle sent me to spy on you, to check that you were really Quinn’s daughter, and to report back on your suitability to be his wife.
I was never meant to get close but the first time I saw you in the library I was addicted.
He doesn’t know that we knew each other.
If he found out that the real reason I convinced him not to marry you was because I wanted you for myself and I wanted to save you from him, he’d kill us both. ”
My breath catches at that admission. Before I can respond, the car pulls up outside a grand-looking casino and the driver walks to the door.
“Promise me you won’t let my uncle know you’d ever seen my face before our wedding, Nora,” Leo insists hurriedly.
“I promise,” I reply, still reeling from his revelation.
Some bell inside my mind rings and I struggle to grasp what Leo’s words have made me think of.
There’s a connection forming but it’s whipped away from me before I can grasp it as Leo takes my hand and helps me out of the car.
I have so many questions, but they’re going to have to wait.
It’s time for us to enter the dragon’s lair.
All eyes are on us as we enter, the sea of people parting as we make our way through. Various people come up to congratulate Leo and survey me with naked curiosity. I’m grateful for the feel of Leo’s strong arm that I cling to like a life raft.
He continues to lead us through the busy casino floor toward the VIP section where his uncle and the other more important members of the family are seated.
As we near it, a man and a woman approach us.
Both of them have the sort of model good looks that make them stand out in a crowd.
The man stands almost as tall as Leo, though he appears to be a little older.
The flecks of gray in his hair and the neatly trimmed beard that frames his chiseled jawline only serve to give him a distinguished look.
The woman is breathtakingly beautiful. In her heels, she towers over me at almost six feet.
Her long legs and slim yet curvaceous figure are highlighted by the skimpy gold dress she wears that leaves little to the imagination.
Her ice-blonde hair hangs down her back to her waist and she has the perfect Slavic features that most influencers can only dream of replicating.
“Leonid, so good to see you,” she purrs with a heavy Russian accent, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, placing her hand on his arm and leaving it there.
“You too, Tatiana,” he replies before turning his attention to the man. “And you, Nikolai,” he says with a genuine smile, shaking the man’s hand. “Allow me to introduce my wife, Norelle,” he says pointedly, trying to extract himself from Tatiana’s grip.
“Ah yes, we heard you had finally agreed to marry, and to a Quinn no less. We were very curious about the match… very curious indeed,” the man says, surveying me. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Norelle.” He takes my hand in his and kisses it, holding his lips there.
I try not to recoil. It seems I’m not over my aversion to being touched, only feeling safe with Leo.
Leo makes a sound that’s akin to a growl, low and warning. “ Ostorozhno ,” he says in Russian.
I’m surprised to hear him speak it. Although I know he’s Russian, I’ve never heard him speak the language and assumed perhaps he couldn’t. His voice sounds even more masculine and gruff in Russian, and strangely familiar.
Nikolai drops my hand and chuckles at Leo. “Still not the sharing type, I see, brother. Tatiana will be most disappointed, she was especially hoping you might be up for some fun tonight.”
“Maybe Norelle doesn’t mind sharing,” Tatiana purrs, stroking Leo’s arm suggestively, her blue eyes laser-focused on him.
“Norelle does mind,” I say bluntly.
“Ow, such a shame.” She pouts, not taking her hand off of Leo while Nikolai’s hand trails along the exposed skin of her back, watching curiously.
I’m about to tell Tatiana to remove her hand before I remove it for her, jealousy raging through me, but Leo politely but firmly does it for me. “A pleasure as always to see you both,” he says with only a trace of sarcasm. “But we must get going, the Pakhan is expecting us.”
“Of course. We expect a dance later, though. Can’t have you hogging the delectable Norelle all evening,” Nikolai replies with a wink, bowing slightly as he and Tatiana move so we can pass.
Leo nods in agreement, a slight grimace on his face at the prospect. He places his hand on my waist and gently steers me away.
“Who are they? We don’t really have to dance with them later, do we?” I ask as we walk away.
“Unfortunately, we do. They’re from the Russian contingency of the family and rather important.
If Nikolai and his wife request a dance, it would be unwise to refuse.
Just be grateful that we’re senior enough that we can refuse their other requests,” he whispers back.
“Thankfully, Nikolai is a loyal friend, and I trust that he would not overstep. He simply enjoys winding me up.”
“They’re married? Why on earth were they coming on to us, then?” I reply in surprise.
Leo chuckles lightly. “Happily so. They just happen to enjoy sharing their marital bed with others.” I make a look of distaste and Leo adds, “Hopefully, they’ll find some more willing participants before they ask for that dance.
I’m not sure I can watch Nikolai touch you without ripping his head off, friend or not,” he says lightly, though I can tell he’s deadly serious.
Strangely enough, I feel the same way about Tatiana. I remind myself that although Leo is technically my husband, we’re not a couple.
“So you’re not tempted to take Tatiana up on the offer? She’s a very beautiful woman,” I say casually, trying to hide the jealousy I feel thinking about how she was toward Leo.
“I happen to take the wedding vows I made to you very seriously. I am yours, no one else’s, and you are mine ,” he says possessively, making it clear that in no uncertain terms would he tolerate me being with anyone else.
“You don’t need to worry about me wanting to be with anyone. I have… intimacy issues. It’s why I pushed you away before,” I try to explain.
“Yet you seem to tolerate my touch, perhaps even enjoy it,” he points out.
Leo must be a more astute observer than I’d realized as I’ve never told him about my issues with being touched before.
“What did you say to him when you spoke in Russian?” I ask curiously.
“I told him to be careful,” he explains. “I don’t care who he is or how good a friend, if he kept touching what isn’t his, I’d have to retaliate.”
His words give me a shiver of excitement knowing he’s deadly serious, and I wonder exactly how he would retaliate.
It shouldn’t turn me on. this aggressive possessiveness.
and yet I find myself aroused by it. I saw the lengths Leo would go to protect me when he beat up Mike, but somehow there’s a danger to him that was mostly concealed as Max.
As we’re nearing the table, I can see my father and Dimitri next to him. My father is sitting with his wife-to-be held close to him and Dimitri has his arm around a woman I can’t see as she’s blocked by a bouncer standing in front of them.
My father looks up and sees us approaching, a small triumphant smile dances across his face, and I know he has some sort of torture in mind for me. We walk over and the bouncer moves out of the way. When I see the woman Dimitri has his arm around, my blood runs cold.