Yulia had been lined up to marry into not only a political family, but one with royal connections in our country, which would help Oleksandr gain even more power than he already had. Only this time, it would be within the highest branches of the government, making him unstoppable. Back then, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill his only child had she ruined his ambitions. Once she’d returned from studying, she’d gone on to marry the dirty bastard her father had lined up for her. But when she’d been unable to conceive, her husband had divorced her.

  Much to everyone but her father’s relief.

  After that, Yulia had basically become a nun, refusing to help her father in any of his aspirations, especially when marriage was mentioned.

  But then, she’d met a man from her past again. Not just any man—her child’s father. Volodymyr Yanukovych. That was when all the details of her past had come to light.

  Such as that her then-lover had been committed to an arranged marriage just as Yulia had been herself. He currently had two other children, a daughter and a son. His wife had died several years before, and when he’d reconnected with Yulia, their chemistry still burned hot. As the relationship had progressed, and then Volodymyr had proposed to Yulia, her guilt over keeping their child from him, and her parents, had grown until she’d broken down on the eve of her wedding and confessed everything to her parents and groom.

  The wedding had gone forward, but since then, Oleksandr had been obsessed with finding his grandchild.

  Which was where I came in.

  When Yulia had married her bastard first husband, Leonid Morozov, she and her family had gained me—her then brother-in-law. I’d only been a kid back then, barely ten years old when she’d become a part of my family. During her marriage to my brother, she’d taken over the responsibility of being my caregiver since my own mother had died when I was a toddler.

  Their divorce had started out ugly, because everyone who knew my brother blamed Yulia, saying she was useless since she’d been unable to produce an heir. But she was armed with the knowledge that she wasn’t the one with the infertility issues, having already given birth once. And it was with that ace up her sleeve that she…persuaded Leonid to allow her to take me with her and continue her role as my caregiver.

  If he hadn’t, she would have made sure the world knew that he was shooting blanks, which would have destroyed his pride.

  Taking over custody of me, she’d not only given her father the son he’d always wanted, but she had also brought with her the next heir to the Morozov dynasty since only Leonid and I were left. He died five years after his divorce was finalized from Yulia, and Oleksandr took control of everything until I was old enough to do so myself. He’d guided me, taught me everything I needed to know about wielding so much power, both politically…and not so politically.

  With Yulia’s confession of having a child somewhere out there in the world—and a female child, at that—Oleksandr had started making plans. The same ones he’d put into play by having his daughter marry my brother. Now, he wanted me, the last of the Morozovs, to marry his granddaughter.

  At first, I’d been hesitant. From watching Yulia and Leonid, I’d seen firsthand that arranged marriages were disastrous. But then the private detectives had found Sofia Volkov, and my honorary father had shown me her picture.

  Suddenly, marrying a girl I’d never met before hadn’t seemed so terrible after all.

  But by the time I’d gotten to New York to set everything into motion, Sofia had been shipped off to the other side of the country for being a little brat one too many times and ruining her adopted brother’s wedding. Instead of following after her, however, I’d decided to let her be taught whatever lessons her family thought she needed to learn. Meanwhile, I’d integrated myself into Adrian Volkov’s business.

  As fate would have it, Oleksandr and the Volkovs did know one another, but that was something Oleks didn’t want to broadcast. Adrian knew that, and he thought it amusing when he introduced me to others as a friend of a friend. Having gotten to know the man everyone on both the Asian and European continents called “the Wolf,” I was sure that if he knew Oleksandr was his daughter’s biological grandfather, he wouldn’t be nearly as entertained.

  Adrian was lethally protective of his family, but of none more so than his wife and daughter. I had to play my cards right, win over Sofia and make her my wife, before he found out about his old “friend’s” connection to his adopted child. Otherwise, I risked becoming a part of the famous Hudson River in New York City, nothing but liquid human fish food. Everyone knew that Adrian and his brothers-in-law liked to use acid to get rid of their enemies after killing them, dumping the remaining waste into the river and erasing all proof that the person even existed.

  The quicker I won over my bratty princess, the sooner I could get the fuck back to my own territory and away from the insanity of “the Wolf.”

  I caught Sofia around the waist several yards away from her guards and the limo. The men all reached under the coats, but I held up my free hand, and they quickly recognized me. I’d been a regular at the Volkov home, making sure every member of their security team knew my face and that I was more friend than foe. It was for their safety rather than my own.

  My own security were more discreet. I could always feel them nearby, but they never crowded me. Since I wasn’t very well-known outside of my country—something Oleksandr had worked hard to accomplish—I didn’t have to be constantly surrounded by the deadly guards. They always drew unwanted attention whenever I left the sanctuary of the brownstone I’d bought when I’d first arrived in New York.

  Sofia’s huff was sexy as hell, the sound going straight to my cock like an electrical current and making it twitch as if she’d zapped me. “I want to go home,” she hissed, glancing around at all the other drivers and security details waiting for their bosses.

  From the way her jaw was clenched, I could tell she was trying not to cause a scene, but it was definitely costing her. It made me wonder, if we hadn’t had an audience, if she would have screamed and fought me, maybe even lifted my arm and bit me like the beautiful, yet rabid tigress that she was.

  “I will ensure that you safely make it to your home, dragotsennyy,” I promised, brushing my lips over her ear for no other reason than I couldn’t control myself. Her scent filled me, lightly floral and refreshing. Closing my eyes, I took a slower, deeper inhale, trying to figure out the combination. Rose water. Ivy. Maybe a hint of sandalwood.

  The scent planted images in my head of a bathtub, pink rose petals floating on top, and a naked Sofia looking up at me as she was half submerged in the steaming water. The tops of her lush breasts would skim the water, and she would tease me by slowly spreading her legs under the water, showing me the wet wonderland of her tight pussy.

  “I don’t need you to ensure jack shit,” she snapped, jerking away from me. Angrily, she turned to face me. “Look, you’re hot, and I get why my mother would think we would hit it off and possibly even make a compatible couple. My sister-in-law recently announced her pregnancy, so my mom is all grandbaby-crazy and has been excited about setting me up with someone in hopes of giving her more. But I’m not in the market for a boyfriend—or even a hookup, for that matter. I’m working on myself right now, and it’s taken a hell of a long time for me to even make it this far. I actually like this new me, so don’t come around here, fucking with my head, and set back my personal transformation.”

  The flames flashing high in her gorgeous eyes were enthralling. I could have stood there looking at them all night long. But her words knocked me out of my trance. “I don’t want to ruin your personal transformation, babochka.” I liked how her face softened when I called her “butterfly.” She could fight it all she wanted, but she couldn’t hide the fact that she felt the spark between us. “You parents both confided in me that you have progressed far beyond their dreams with this new change. They are very proud of the person you turned into over the summer.”

  Her throat worked for a moment, her only sign of showing emotion, before she crossed her arms over her chest. “Then what was with the necklace and trying to collar me?”

  “You are not a goddamn dog, Sofia,” I growled, not liking that she kept circling back to that particular topic. A man only collared his dog or his submissive, and she was neither. I wasn’t into the whole Dom/sub scene, and even if I were, Sofia didn’t strike me as the type who would willingly surrender to me. “Stop referring to my putting a piece of my family’s history around your neck as ‘collaring’ you.”

  “Your family’s history?” she repeated, her brows pinched together. “Why would you donate an heirloom?”

  “Because I had every intention of winning the auction.”

  Surprise filled her eyes. “That’s insane. Why not just donate something else instead?”

  “It was all I had of any real value here with me in the States. When your mother asked if I would help her by donating something, I found I couldn’t turn her down,” I told her with a shrug. “It sparked a lot of attention, and when those who were bidding saw they wouldn’t win, they began making higher bids for the other pieces of jewelry on display. I consider that an all-around win for the women’s shelters your mother is so passionate about.”

  “But if it’s an heirloom and you intended to buy it back, then why give it to me?”

  I stepped into her personal space and lowered my head until my breath caressed her forehead. “Because I took one look at you and knew it belonged around your neck, dragotsennyy.”

  She stamped her foot, and even though it was childish and bratty, it was still sexy as fuck. “Damn it, Zak. Why do you have to say the perfect things when all I want to do is ignore this, this…whatever this is between us?”

  “Ignoring this thing we have would be wrong,” I murmured, brushing a hand down her side until I reached her hip. “I’m going to be real with you, Sofia. Your mother mentioned to me she thought the two of us would be a good fit months ago. I ignored her and the way she kept trying to get us to meet. But now I’m kicking myself, because I can see what she saw. I feel… Fuck, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

  She seemed to melt into me, and something eased in my chest. I was here to get her to fall for me, marry me, and produce the next Morozov heir. Give Oleksandr the blood connection of our two families and ensure him the power he’d always craved. Me catching feelings for her in return wasn’t part of the plan, but the burning in what I’d thought was my cold, dead heart didn’t seem to have gotten that memo.

  Thankfully, my brain was a hell of a lot smarter than my heart and quickly tried to shut down those emotions.

  I touched my lips to her forehead in a barely there kiss, forcing myself to remain in control, when what I really wanted to do was lift her up and carry her to my own limo. Where I would fuck her until she was screaming my name while I worshiped her goddess-like body and planted my kid in her belly.

  There was no hiding how much I wanted her. The flush to her cheeks and the glaze of need in her eyes told me she was all too aware of how hard I was, my cock pulsing against her abdomen. But I had to take things slow to win her over. The goal was to marry her, not fuck her—yet.

  “You said you aren’t looking for a relationship. I take it that’s because you’re afraid you won’t continue to progress with this personal transformation you are in search of?” After a slight pause, she nodded. “I promise, if you give me a chance, I won’t get in your way of finding the new you that you are discovering.”

  She opened her mouth, but I touched my thumb to her plump lips. “If anything, I would like to help you find her.”

  Sofia

  “I heard you met Zakhar Morozov,” Tavia mumbled around the huge bite of pastry she’d just hungrily stuffed into her mouth.

  Staring at her in fascination, I tried not to think about the night before or the man who had left me dizzy and confused. It was better to watch my sister-in-law and her new love/hate relationship with all things food. One minute, she would be gobbling up anything in sight. The next, throwing up so hard I could hear her sobbing from my bedroom.

  No one ever knew what would happen until they witnessed her either eating or turning green at the smell of whatever might be cooking in the kitchen. Because of her sporadic morning sickness, she and my brother had been staying at our childhood home more often than at their apartment. Especially if Theo had to work. That way, our mother or I was around to assist Tavia if she needed anything or suddenly became ill.

  And it was due to her ongoing morning sickness that the newlyweds had missed the charity event the night before. Theo had called our parents as we were leaving, telling them that Tavia was throwing up so much he was worried. He’d brought her to the mansion, where our doctor had been waiting in their room to hook her up to an IV for some much-needed fluids.

  They must have worked wonders, because Tavia had color in her cheeks, and her appetite was definitely back. At least for the moment.

  “Sofia?” She swallowed the sweet pastry and gave me a concerned look when I didn’t answer her. “You okay?”

  I blinked, still picturing her tearing into the buttery, flaky bread like a wild beast. Pregnancy hunger seemed to me like something that should be filmed as a documentary. Just as scary and yet as incredibly fascinating as watching a pack of lionesses take down and then proceed to devour a gazelle.

  “Yeah, sorry. What did you say?” I lifted my mug of coffee, knowing she was going to say Zak’s name again and trying to prepare myself for my body’s inevitable reaction.

  The ride back to the Volkov compound in his limo had been over too soon for me—not that I was going to admit that aloud. No one needed to know that, especially not Zak. I hadn’t wanted him to go, but at the same time, I needed him to be as far away as humanly possible. Because, obviously, I was still on the path of self-destruction where I completely lost my mind over a damn man.

  “What did you think of Zak?”

  Goose bumps popped up along my entire body at his name, surprising even me with the intense reaction. I knew it was coming, had tried to steady myself for it, but it still caught me off guard. It made me glad I’d chosen to wear a long-sleeved dress that morning instead of coming down to breakfast in my pajamas, so the effect of hearing his name wasn’t broadcast to my sister-in-law or anyone else.

  “He was definitely interesting,” I said after a pause.

  She smirked at me. “You like him, don’t you?” I shot her a glare, and she laughed. “I knew it. Victoria always has a sixth sense when it comes to these things.”

  “Then why didn’t she set you up with my brother?” I snipped, only to instantly regret it. I was not that person anymore. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

  She sighed but shrugged it off. “She did sense we would be good together,” she said after taking a considerably smaller bite of her food this time. “But she worried that Theo was too caught up in seeking revenge for his biological father. She wanted to wait until he was at peace with that before setting us up.”

  “Understandable,” I murmured, still feeling guilty for how I’d cut her with my sharp tongue. It was a reflex I needed to continue to work on.

  “Are you going to see him again?” she asked, reaching for her mug of weak tea.

  “No.” I was quick to answer.

  “Liar,” she laughed, and I released my held breath that she wasn’t upset with me. “I bet he’s just as besotted with you as you are with him.”

  “He asked me to dinner tonight, but I turned him down.” I’d been so tempted to accept, but I needed to hold strong and focus on myself for a little while longer. Obviously, from my reaction to Tavia only moments before, I needed to do that more than I first thought.

  Millie, the youngest of our maids, walked into the dining room with a huge bouquet of flowers and a grin on her face. She was twenty-five, her hair back in the severe bun that all our housekeeping staff wore theirs in, dressed in the simple black slacks and tucked-in white dress shirt our house manager required of those who were under her.

  “Miss Sofia,” she said as she carried the flowers toward me. “These just arrived for you.”

  Instinctively, I knew who they were from. My heart gave a happy leap that quickly had me clenching every muscle in my body to stop. Not returning Millie’s smile, I reluctantly took the bouquet from her. The delicate scent hit my senses without having to lift the flowers to my nose.

  Pink roses. My favorite.

  I clenched my fingers around the wrapping when I felt them begin to tremble at the sight of the little white card tucked into an envelope in the center of the bouquet. Gritting my teeth, I mentally told myself not to get excited. Whatever the card said, I was not going to give in. It wouldn’t be fair to him or anyone in my family if I started something serious with him before I completely got my shit together.

  “It doesn’t look as if they are infested with insects,” Tavia teased over her mug. “I think it’s safe to read the card.”

  “Safe for you, maybe,” I muttered under my breath, but I placed the flowers on the table and finally pulled the envelope free.

  Taking the card from inside, I licked my lips before allowing my gaze to drop to what was written there. I’d expected it to be some typed-out message, but it was handwritten, the scrawl obviously male, yet oddly elegant. I never would have guessed that the way a guy wrote my name would be sexy, yet there I sat, more than a little turned on at the sight of how he’d written the “S” and “F.” The dot over the “I” was chunky, and the tail on the end of the “A” made me smile at how endearing it was.

  I brushed the tip of my index finger over my name before reading further.

  The instant I walked into the flower shop, these beautiful roses caught my attention. Much like you ensnared it last night. Then I caught their scent, and something strange happened in the region of my heart. I think I miss you, and it has only been a matter of hours since I last saw you.