Eileen
The worst part is I can’t drink these troubles away.
I play my part out of respect and love for my father. I smile and clink glasses, telling people I’m drinking mimosas and not plain orange juice in a champagne glass when asked. I laugh and trade jokes, pretending I’m happy to be here, supporting Ciara in her big moment. But halfway through the evening, and despite genuinely enjoying Laura’s company, in particular, I feel drained.
“The Bratva men can be complicated,” Laura says at one point as she casually describes her marriage to Andrei. “It was a bit of a culture shock for me, to be honest. There I was, this blonde Ivy League princess who spent most of her weekends at Daddy’s country club, saying yes to a man I’d only met a few times before. I used to pity the royals and their arranged weddings.”
“But you were always free to marry whoever you wanted,” I point out, nursing my juice, sip after sip as I let my gaze wander across the ballroom.
“Of course,” Laura says. “But I was financially dependent on my parents, and they really wanted this marriage to happen. I told myself I’d divorce the man after a year if I didn’t like it. That way, my dad would get his business deals, Andrei would get his pretty American bride, and everybody would be fine if I just slipped out of the picture, you know?”
“And you’ve been married for how long now?”
“Ten years,” she laughs. “As I was saying, there’s something about these Bratva men. Andrei actually told me the night we met that he was going to make me the happiest woman alive.”
I can’t help but chuckle softly. “I’m guessing by a decade later that he nailed it?”
“Oh, yeah. I can’t imagine my life without him. And let me tell you something else—Ciara’s lucky. We weren’t sure that Anton would ever get married. Any woman would be the most fortunate on earth to land that man. If Andrei is fierce and powerful, strong and determined, a protector and a provider through and through, as much as I adore my husband, I have to admit Anton is even more so.”
“Is he?” I mumble, watching him as he dances with Ciara beneath the crystal chandelier.
They’re the stars of the show. Their engagement has been announced, and they were met with cheers and applause, while I’ve been carrying a knot in my chest, trying to make it through the evening.
“Sometimes, I jokingly tell Andrei that if something should ever happen to him, I’d gladly marry his brother,” Laura blurts out with a laugh. “It’s just a way to tease him. I can’t threaten him with Anton anymore, though. He belongs to Ciara now.”
“I think Andrei knows he’s got one hell of a woman on his hands,” I reply with a warm smile, yet I can’t look away from Anton.
The black suit that he’s wearing fits him perfectly, drawing sharp, dramatic lines against his muscular frame. The red pocket square adds a touch of elegance to the man with a perfectly chiseled jawline and piercing gaze that keeps finding me wherever I try to hide in the crowd. And every time he looks at me, it’s as if time stops.
“You’ll have to excuse me, Laura, I need a breath of fresh air.”
I leave her by the champagne bar and snake my way through the crowd. A smile here, a nod there, a shake of the hand, and I manage to slip past my father before he turns his head and sees me. Outside on the terrace, the cold night awaits with a starry sky and a silent garden.
“Deep breath,” I whisper. “It’s almost over.”
Tears prick my eyes.
This is so unfair. The only man to ever make me feel beautiful and desired, and he’s marrying the one woman who can always find a way to insult me. Their wedding will be unbearable to watch. Two months later, and I still can’t get Anton out of my head, my body still responding to his mere presence. Even worse, I’m carrying his child.
“Not much of a party gal, eh?” His voice startles me.
“I didn’t hear you come out,” I gasp, quick to turn around and take a couple of steps back as I face him. “What are you doing out here?”
“Figured you could use some company.”
“You figured wrong. I came out here because I wanted to be alone. Your fiancée is waiting for you.”
Anton stares at me for what feels like forever. “Perhaps I should apologize.”
“Oh?”
“It wasn’t right. What I did that night.”
“Answer me this: Ciara knew you were going to be her husband. We were celebrating that night. Did you know she’d be your wife?” I ask with a quivering voice.
“Yes.”
The air between us thickens. Rage and hurt swirl through me, further confusing me as I carefully choose my words. “And did you know who I was when you abducted me, Anton?”
“When I saved you, you mean.”
“Whatever. Did you know?”
“Yes.”
“Yet you went ahead with it anyway,” I say, crossing my arms. “Those were your brother’s goons. His name kept popping up. You two had a beef with Tommy Benedetto. What did you do to that poor sap, anyway?”
Anton smiles, lighting a fire in my belly. “Yes, I went ahead with it anyway. And yes, those were my brother’s men. We did have a beef with Tommy. Well, my brother did, but that’s been resolved.”
“You killed him, didn’t you? I hear his family is still looking for him.”
He shrugs. “If that’s what you choose to think about us, who am I to contradict you?”
“You’re my future brother-in-law, for fuck’s sake,” I snap. “It is beyond egregious. Everything you did is irredeemable!”
“Are you done?”
I huff and head for the stone steps leading into the garden. Anton follows me, the shadows growing heavier while the noise of the party fades behind us.
“I want to be alone,” I tell him.
“Not before you hear what I have to say.”
“You’re marrying my stepsister. There is nothing left to say.”
He grabs my arms and pulls me back. I whirl around, ready to slap him, but my knees turn to jelly instead, and I crash into him. He holds me close. Too close. His cologne is inebriating. His hot breath tickles my face. It’s his penthouse living room all over again, and I have no control over my body.
“Eileen, I apologize for not telling you who I was that night. I did it to protect you and your stepsister. I needed to make sure my brother didn’t make the biggest mistake of his life. Fortunately, that issue was resolved,” he says. His voice makes my skin tingle all over. “I will not apologize for what happened, though. We were both willing participants. From what I remember, you were more than eager well into the morning.”
“You knew you were marrying my stepsister,” I say.
“I was still technically a free man. No official announcement had been made.”
“It was made tonight, so what are you doing?” I reply, feeling his touch on the small of my back. It makes my core tighten and liquid heat seep into my panties.
Anton lowers his head as if he’s about to kiss me.
“You’re incredible, you know that?” he says, his lips brushing against the tip of my nose. “You have no idea. No clue about the power you hold.”
“Please stop.”
“That’s not what you really want. Certainly not what your body is saying.”
“It’s not right,” I manage, moaning softly as both his hands settle on my buttocks. He squeezes firmly, pulling me into him, and I melt against his chest, my knees soft and my senses shattered. “We can’t.”
“No, we can’t. It’s something I’ll have to live with for the sake of my but remember this, Eileen. I do not regret that night we spent together, nor do I wish to ever forget it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Maybe someday you will,” he says, then takes a step back.
I’m left feeling cold and alone as he looks at me and takes a deep breath. A door opens on the terrace and music from the ballroom fills the air.
“Anton, where are you?” Ciara calls out.
I freeze, my eyes wide with horror, but Anton gives me a smile and a reassuring wink. “Give me five minutes, then come back inside,” he whispers before raising his voice so Ciara can hear him. “Right here, darling, hold on.”
He dashes back to the terrace steps, while I remain sheltered under the sycamore tree with its thick, heavy crown. I count my breaths as I listen to Anton and Ciara chatting before they go back into the ballroom.
As soon as I’m alone again, I burst into tears.
