By the time we started for the brunch place Adrian had picked, we were already five minutes late. It seemed like everything around us was etched in a happy glow. Last night seemed like some kind of fairytale. Had it been that good?
"Listen," Pierce said. "About last night…"
I glanced at him. Was that worry I was reading on his face? Not that I could blame him.
"You know that we have to go through with this, right? The fake marriage. That nothing can-"
"Nothing real can happen, got it," I interrupted in a cold voice.
I turned to look out the window. That was the situation we were in. So why had Pierce had to say something about it? Unless he worried that I was such a lovestruck idiot that I would ruin everything just because of our great night?
And yet, the way he had held onto me this morning, almost felt like he was the one who needed reminding.
I pulled my hair into a high ponytail — no point in thinking about it now. Clearly, Pierce had shown himself to be just what Adrian had warned me about. A heartless player.
At Essex a few minutes later, Adrian had gotten a corner booth and already had a platter of food on the table.
"If you want anything else, just tell me," he said. "They just delivered this too, so it's fresh."
We sat down, while Adrian eyed us carefully. "Looks like you two haven't slept at all."
"What can I say, big day today," Pierce said dryly.
Adrian laughed and put a hand to his heart. "My two most favorite people in the world, finding true love. Who would've thought?"
I grabbed a muffin and tore off a bite, flashing him a look of death.
"Seriously though," Adrian said. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, guys, but really, thank you, Pierce."
"Don't mention it," Pierce said, avoiding his gaze.
I focused on chewing. Although I couldn’t help but wonder if Pierce felt guilty about what he’d done, screwing his best friend’s sister. Was he regretting it already?
There was no point in getting upset about it, I reminded myself. We had an amazing night of passion, that was all. Had I really expected anything more, despite how Pierce had held me afterward?
Seeing the boys joke easily over the meal just made me feel worse. Finally, I rose.
"Leaving so soon?" Adrian asked.
I nodded. "Didn't sleep well, but maybe I'll take a nap now."
"Okay, but remember," Adrian said, waggling a finger.
"I'm getting married at seven PM sharp," I intoned. "Got it."
"See you soon," Adrian called after me.
21
Pierce
Adrian talked about God knows what for the rest of the meal, while I stuffed my face. It felt like there was a bottomless pit in my stomach.
Maybe it was because of what I’d said to Sasha and how she’d reacted. The hurt had been obvious, but what hadn't been was my own reaction. Even saying the words to her, I felt like I was lying.
The thing was, I didn't want to just be fake with Sasha. I wanted to see her again, be with her again. But it didn't matter. I was doing this for Adrian – and her. Sasha might hate me now, but one day she'd see it was for the best. I wasn’t a relationship kind of guy anyway. I straight up sucked at it.
Later that day, stuffed full of food and a weird foreboding, I went climbing. I felt like an oversized gorilla, but I clambered up a few holds before I realized that my you-ate-too-much cramps were not gonna let me go anywhere.
Back in the locker room, I found it was only three PM. Four hours to go.
At home wasn’t much better, parked in front of some movie I'd chosen at random, the time passing like I was in purgatory.
Finally, it was six PM and, just as Adrian was calling me, I set off for City Hall.
"You heading out?" he asked.
"Just got in my car," I said.
"Great," he said. "Sasha said she’d get here herself, but she's always terrible for that. See you at seven."
It was a quarter to when we both arrived there and waited on the steps for Sasha. Adrian had already begun pacing anxiously.
"She knows that today's an important day, why leave us hanging?" he turned to level his bushy brows at me imploringly. "You don't think they could've gotten to her, do you?"
I didn't know what to say. I had no clue what was up. Sasha hadn’t been in good spirits today, to begin with, but then again, running from your entire life from the Russian mob wouldn’t make anyone very cheery I supposed.
We waited another twenty minutes until Adrian finally broke.
"That's it; she told me she was shopping at Bloomingdale’s. I'm gonna go and see if she's there."
His phone rang, he picked it up, and his face fell.
Looking to me with wide eyes, he said, "We have a problem."
22
Sasha
I walked over to see Adrian cracking up. "Got you!"
Pierce had his hands shoved in his pockets, although a glance at me lightened his face slightly.
"What is it?" I asked them.
"Adrian told me that you weren't coming. That Aleksi had come for you."
I tilted my head at Adrian. "You thought that was funny?"
"I don't know," he said airily. "Is coming late to your own wedding funny?"
"It's not like this is a real marriage anyway," I retorted.
"Ah, shhhhh," Adrian admonished me, indicating to a man walking by. "You never know who’s listening."
I rolled my eyes. "Let's just get this over with."
The sooner we did, the sooner I could forget all about last night and Aleksi and everything bad that had happened lately.
As we walked inside and Adrian got us to the right room, he said, "Psst, it wouldn't kill you to hold hands. Something tells me they don’t pay this guy enough for him to turn a blind eye."
Mechanically, Pierce's hand slipped around mine.
I ignored the budding tingles at the renewed contact.
It's all for show for him; I reminded myself. He got what he wanted.
Even Pierce's face was tensed with something that had to be dislike.
As we walked into the room, the man waiting for us gave us a slight smile. He had a beard and tired eyes that clearly no longer believed in love — a fitting guy for Adrian to choose to marry us.
He began saying a bunch of stuff, and I said what was needed when prompted.
Part of me wanted to ask how long we could wait until getting divorced, but something told me that asking now wasn't the time. Definitely not.
But Pierce was subconsciously massaging his thumb over my palm, forcing shivers through my system.
Surprised, I glanced at him. He seemed to be deep in thought, so I balled my hand in his, and he stopped.
"I stand before this couple today to join them in the bonds of matrimony," said the man.
“Pierce, do you take Sasha as your wife?”
“Yes,” he said, and my heart thumped against my chest.
“Sasha, do you take Pierce as your husband?”
This was it. Everyone was looking at me, waiting for it, what I had to do.
“Yes,” I said.
There. It was done.
It was only when Adrian elbowed me that I realized I was probably supposed to kiss Pierce.
This chaste, quick kiss had nothing on what we’d done together already. It was a fake kiss perfect for the whole farce.
When we broke away, I found my breath.
"Glorious," Adrian said, as we filled out the paperwork, "Thank you so much, you lovely, talented man. Lovely couple. Destined for eternal happiness."
We were a few feet out of the door when he said, "I'm talking to my lawyer about the whole divorce business. We'll have it figured out soon."
"Good," I said, turning to go.
Adrian caught me by the arm. "Not so fast little sister. I'm not letting you out of my sight until we get you a place. A good place with a good lock and a security guard too."
I groaned
. "Can we start looking today?"
"It's eight o'clock at night," Adrian said, "So, no. Although you can join me at my favorite bar to celebrate."
"What's there to celebrate?" I said.
"You being able to stay in the United States instead of getting murdered or kidnapped back to Russia," Adrian said in the patronizing tone one would use to talk to a child. He ushered me along toward his car. "Now come on."
Pierce had said nothing the whole time, although once we were all piled in the car and Adrian was driving, Adrian turned to him. "So, you think Gaslight Lounge will do the trick?"
"I think I might turn in early tonight," Pierce said.
"Early?" Adrian said in a scandalized tone. "Your own wedding night and you’re turning in early?"
When he got no response, he said, "Come on, you two. You can stay for an hour. Humor me."
"Fine," Pierce said.
I said nothing. Adrian might've had a point about the whole safety thing. I knew nothing about New York, and it wasn't like I wanted to stay in some cheap motel tonight.
Anyway, how long would it take to find my own place? Hopefully just a few days. And then I could get to work, get settled in, start making a life for myself the way I’d always wanted to.
The bar Adrian had picked out for us was all subdued red lights and black furniture. It made me feel like I was in some kind of strange boudoir or more aptly, the seventh ring of hell.
When Adrian got us some drinks, I drank mine fast. After the past few days, I needed to dull the errant thoughts rampaging through my brain.
Soon enough, Adrian had escaped to the dance floor, and was doing his usual signature insane moves, which were not limited to ‘vogueing or ‘the lawnmower’ but also shaking his hips, and overall acting like a crazy person. It surprisingly had the effect of getting him two girls within ten minutes.
Pierce had been mostly keeping to himself a bit further down the bar, which was fine with me. But after a while, he came over and leaned close to my ear. "There's something I want to say."
23
Pierce
"Don't bother," Sasha said. "I get it. We did what we were supposed to; now we’re finished. Last night was a mistake."
"That wasn’t what I was going to say," I said.
She turned to look at me head-on, her eyes daring me to disagree.
Fuck. How was I supposed to apologize when I wasn’t sorry? I’d enjoyed last night, and I wanted more; even if I knew I couldn't have it.
I called to the bartender and got another drink. When I slid it over, she didn't even look at it.
"I don't want a pity drink," she said.
"It's not a pity drink," I said. "It's a we-just-got-married-so-drink-up drink."
She smiled a little at that, although when she spoke her voice was forced. "It's fine. We signed the papers; you don't have to pretend anymore. Go have fun with Adrian."
I stood up and walked over a few paces. In the center of the dance floor, as always, Adrian was doing the Russian move where you crouch down and shoot out a leg, with two girls on either side. Normally, I'd be right there beside him, laughing my head off, doing the same old routine, seeing what girls fell into our nets. But right now, I didn't feel like it.
I sat back down. Without one look back at me, Sasha walked past, straight for the dance floor.
At the edge, as a techno song came on, she began to move.
It wasn't like any dancing I'd ever seen. The beat seemed to go directly through her, almost as if her side to side bopping hips were conducting it. As the disco lights spilled over her curves, I had to force myself to tear my gaze away.
You heard her. It’s over now. It has to be.
I still couldn’t help but be transfixed by the sway of her hips.
My gaze snuck back. Sasha’s back was turned to me, and already she'd gathered a group of admirers trying to chat with her as she continued to dance. She barely looked at them. Throwing her head back, she sashayed, twirled, moved in a way I wouldn't have thought her capable.
Except in the bedroom. I scowled. I already knew she was just as good as that in bed. Better.
My hands clenched as I walked to the edge of the dance floor.
The guys still hadn't backed off, although Sasha was pointedly ignoring them.
I stalked over and raised my voice to be heard above the music. "Screw off,” I told them.
Scowling at me, they sauntered off.
My sheer size and deep voice were often enough to intimidate people into doing what I wanted. It wasn’t often that anyone squared up to me when I told them to take a hike. I liked the power, maybe a little too much. If the way Sasha’s hips were shaking wasn’t an invitation, then her head over her shoulders, her gaze holding mine, definitely was.
She danced, and I danced, and our bodies eased together. My hands settled on her hips, and her hips pounded the beat into my groin.
It took everything I had in me not to bend her over right there on the floor and show everyone there that she was mine. Adrian had disappeared into the other room with the girls he'd attracted, luckily. But still, it wasn't right.
Only our bodies were saying it was.
Sasha had spun around, and her eyes caught mine again. I paused.
She stepped back, took a breath, and then strode off.
I followed her for a few seconds then paused. What the hell had I been thinking? Why did I keep losing my head with this woman?
The best thing to do was just to leave her alone. I got another drink at the bar and sipped it. The best thing would be to plan out what I was going to do tomorrow. I had some contractors to meet up with, talk gym expansion plans with. Maybe I should jot some questions down now.
I got a napkin and a pen and began writing them down.
I heard a familiar laugh that made my shoulders stiffen. Further down the bar, Sasha was there with another man, laughing and smiling at what he'd said.
I ripped my gaze away. Not my business. Not my place.
Adrian’s sister was free to do what she wanted, with who she wanted. And if it was anyone's place to protect her, it wasn't mine; she’d made that abundantly clear. I’d done my part.
I jotted down a few more questions, trying to ignore what was going on a few feet away. When I looked up again, Sasha’s smile was gone, although the guy was still there. He was leaning in, far too close. Sasha was scowling, saying something angrily, stepping back. His hand caught her wrist and in a split second, I was there.
"Everything good?" I asked.
Sasha swallowed. "Yeah. Jeremy was just leaving."
The guy was pretty built himself, bald, and had a mean mouth. He scowled darkly but didn't move.
"I think she just said you were leaving, buddy," I said, staring at him hard.
He stared him back. "Oh yeah? What's it to you?"
My arm went around Sasha. "What's it to me, is that this is my wife."
As he gaped on, I added. "Just married today. And if you so much as lay another hand on her, I'll fucking break it," I growled.
The man's little piggy eyes widened, and he backed away. "Whoa, sorry. She never told me she was married."
He staggered off, muttering angrily to himself.
24
Sasha
"What the hell was that?" I demanded.
Pierce gazed at me stupefied as if he was wondering the exact same thing.
"The guy was bothering you," he said, regaining composure. "I just helped out."
I glared at him, my hand going to my hip. "By telling him that we were married?"
"I'm sorry, would you rather I just punched him in the face?"
"You can't go around telling people that," I hissed. "It isn't true."
"Hate to break it to you, Sasha, but we are married. For right now, at least."
"You know it's all bullshit."
"Yeah, I do know. And I do know that Adrian would want me to look out for you."
I laughed derisively. "Is that what you call fuc
king me senseless all night then telling me it didn’t mean anything?"
His face fell. "I'm sorry, okay?"
"I don't want your apology or your pity. And I don't want your protection. Just leave me alone."
I turned on my heel and stalked off. Luckily, at the beginning of the night, Adrian had given me an extra key and the address of his place. I called a cab and tried to convince myself not to go back into the bar and smooth things over with Pierce.
The next morning, I woke to a pounding headache and uncertainty. I stubbornly refused to check my phone until I had finished a decent sized breakfast. Adrian hadn't come home, although I was pretty sure I'd heard a buzzing text last night that was probably him telling me he'd see me in the morning. That wasn't the reason I wasn't checking my phone though.
On the way home last night, Pierce had sent me an apology text. But I didn't want to reply to it. Not yet.
I just wanted to focus on getting my life back on track. Pierce didn't owe me anything anymore. And though I probably owed him an apology for my outburst, I didn’t feel up to giving him one.
Just as I was about to go out the door, Adrian sauntered in, wearing a painful smile.
"What a night!" he declared, throwing himself on his leather sofa.
"Good morning to you too," I said.
He squinted blearily at me." Started job hunting yet?"
"It's eight AM," I said. "And no. I have a business, remember?"
Adrian yawned, then threw me a lazy, dubious look. "Seriously Sasha, if you don't want to work at a restaurant or anything, we could probably get you a job at the gym. Pierce's been saying how we could use a hot chick at the front desk."
"No," I snapped immediately.
Adrian gazed at me surprised. "Whoa, trouble in fake marriage paradise already?"
"No," I said. "I don’t know why you refuse to acknowledge my business. I actually did pretty well for myself back home, and there’s going to be a much bigger market here. In fact, I'm going to call some stores that might want to carry my clothes right now."
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 78