Page 11 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride
Even while surrounded by paperwork and screens demanding my attention in the warehouse, I couldn’t think about anyone or anything else.
I could still see her fiery yet vaguely hesitant gaze and the way she rolled with the punches during our conversation. Despite my teasing, she seemed more annoyed than anything else, almost like it didn’t affect her. But, of course, I still managed to catch glimpses of her fluster.
As much as she wanted to pretend like my words didn’t ruffle her at all, I knew that wasn’t the case. In a way, she almost seemed surprised by my attention, which only made me want to give her more of it.
Tia was beautiful…there was no doubting that. And I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
I felt like I was losing my mind in a way, and every part of me wanted to stop. Or at least, that was what I should’ve done. I should’ve been able to show some sort of restraint.
She was just a woman—just another woman who didn’t need my full concentration. And one I didn’t need at all.
Those were easy things for me to tell myself, and yet, they carried no weight or meaning. Instead, I couldn’t even convince my own mind of it.
Not when she had been so perfectly enticing.
As much as I tried to shut her out of my mind, I couldn’t ignore the way she stood her ground against me, not crumbling like most others would.
Despite seeming more reserved and timid at first, there was an undeniable independence about her, and confidence in not only herself, but her self-expression. The way she wouldn’t conform even when Andrey told her to.
While something as grand as a charity gala seemed a bit out of her usual depth, she held herself with an elegance that pulled me in.
Tia seemed indifferent, like she couldn’t care less about who she was talking to, and while that could’ve been true, she still looked at me like I was the only man in the room with her. Almost like she couldn’t resist it, just like I didn’t want to resist her.
She was intriguing, and a small part of me wished I could be back there again…back in that moment when nobody around us mattered.
After our conversation, and after I could hardly keep my eyes off her during the auction, she seemed to stain my mind; ever since, I could only think about her.
I didn’t understand how she managed to have that kind of power over me, but it was undeniable.
“Val?”
Blinking past what felt like a glaze over my eyes, I looked up at Yuri as he entered the office with a folder in his hand. A hint of amusement and the faintest concern danced through his gaze while he placed the neatly stacked papers on my desk. “Here’s a breakdown of last month’s cash flow and our expenses from the big man himself. Apparently, Alex thought I’d make a good errand boy today...and he said to make it clean, by the way.”
Rubbing my eyes, I sighed and nodded. “Got it…I’m assuming our legitimate expenses hardly even made a dent in our earnings. This will take a while.”
Yuri chuckled and nodded. “That’s right. You better get creative.”
Creative was the last thing I felt at the moment, but of course, someone had to stash our surplus somewhere. I just needed to concentrate.
He tilted his head slightly, arms crossed, while evaluating me. “You good? I watched you space out for like five minutes before I came in here.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, annoyed that he not only watched me but also brought it up, I tried to shake off his curiosity and the lingering thoughts of Tia.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
Yuri lifted a brow while he watched me push the papers around without much thought. “Ah, you’re just tired…right. You’ve certainly been daydreaming about something. I can see it in your face. Have anything specific on your mind?”
“No,” I muttered, trying my hardest to keep everything under wraps. I didn’t need him digging his nose where it didn’t belong. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh, now I know you’re lying for sure,” Yuri teased while sliding into the chair across from me, looking far too intrigued for his own good. “It’s not often I get to see you caught up somewhere else. So tell me, what has you so distracted?”
Closing my eyes and leaning back in my chair, I tried to maintain my patience. To not completely lose it due to his usual shit-eating grin.
My stomach tightened faintly, and a small part of me wanted to tell him everything. He was my brother, after all, and it felt like Tia was plaguing my mind.
In theory, it seemed like a good opportunity to get those pressing thoughts off my chest, but at the same time, I didn’t want to admit just how easily she got under my skin. Not to myself, and much less to Yuri.
So I took on an air of nonchalance and shrugged. “I’m fine. Really.”
