Tempted by Deception (Deception Trilogy #2) by Rina Kent

The door of the elevator shuts and we head to the parking lot as he makes two more calls, speaking in Russian.

By the time he’s finished, I’m breathing so harshly, I can barely focus on what’s going on around me. “What are you doing, Adrian?”

“We’re getting married.”

The words leave him with utter ease, as if they’re the most normal occurrence, as if he didn’t just suggest that we take vows when we barely know each other.

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

He stares down on me. “I told you I don’t do that.”

I’m about to wiggle free, but he pins me in place, his eyes darkening with a warning. “Stay still and stop aggravating your injury.”

“I won’t marry you! That’s for devoted couples, not for…for…us!”

“You’re pregnant with my child. There doesn’t need to be any other reason.”

“Of course there does.”

“Not for me.”

“I need more, Adrian.”

“Too bad you don’t get to decide, Lenochka.”

Frustrated tears well in my eyes and I suck in a deep breath. “We didn’t even discuss the child, and now you’re talking about a wedding?”

“Why?” He tilts his head to the side. “Were you considering not keeping it?”

Was I? No, not really. But I didn’t even get to think properly about how I will go about this. Ideally, I want Adrian away from me and the child until I clear my head. Marriage is the last thing I want right now.

“People have kids outside of marriage,” I try to bargain.

His eyes flash with menace more terrifying than I’ve ever witnessed before. His jaw clenches when he speaks in a low tone, “My child will not be born outside of marriage. Is that fucking clear?”

My spine snaps upright at the change in his demeanor. This is the first time the calm façade has cracked and I’ve actually seen him this angry, this callous, and without any semblance of light in his gray eyes.

That’s when I recall what he said. Adrian was a mistress’s son. Shit. No wonder he doesn’t want to put his offspring in the same position.

But that doesn’t give him the right to force me into this marriage.

“At least give me time to think about it.” I sigh with resolution.

“And then what? You think you get to say no?”

Of course he won’t allow me such an option. So I try to appeal to any sliver of humanity inside him. “I’m barely surviving the end of my career, Adrian.”

If I expected any sympathy, I find nothing in his closed off face. “You’ll survive it better when you have something to occupy your time.”

“Wow, great. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“Drop the sarcasm, Lia. It doesn’t suit you.”

“So now you know everything about me?”

“Not everything, no, but I know this is happening tonight.”

I try to free myself from him, but that only manages to tighten his hold around me. “Just give me time. Let me process this.”

“You’ll have all the time you need to process it afterward.”

The elevator door opens before I can utter a word and Adrian carries me to the awaiting car.

Kolya and Yan are in the front, and the latter gives me a sympathetic look as his colleague drives away.

The news of the pregnancy has become the least of my problems now that he’s using it to make me marry him.

“Adrian…”

He faces me with an exasperated look. “What, Lia? What is it?”

“Don’t make me do this.”

“Would you rather I go back to Kristina and marry her?”

“W-what? What does she have to do with anything?”

“It’s either you or her, and if you play stubborn and say I should go to her, I’m going to make you watch me marry her, then fuck her to put an heir inside her.”

I gasp, the image forming in my head as if it’s indeed a reality. I can clearly imagine Adrian’s glorious naked body powering into the beautiful tall blonde, and bile rises to my throat, threatening to empty my stomach again.

He…wouldn’t be so cruel as to do that, right?

The question must be written all over my face, because Adrian grabs my hand and leans over to whisper in harsh words, “Go ahead, Lia. Make the foolish choice if you’re ready to bear the consequences. But understand this, I’m never letting you go. I’ll make you watch me with Kristina every night before I fuck you. She’ll have to adopt your child as hers, too, because I will not allow my offspring to be treated as a bastard. So what’s it going to be? A wife or a mistress?”

A tear rolls down my cheeks, clinging to my lips as I taste salt. I have no doubt that he’ll make true of his word, that he’d torment me in such a way so I’d regret going against him.

“You’re a monster,” I breathe out.

“And you’re marrying this monster.” He releases me with a shove and I glue myself to the back seat, my heart nearly hammering out of my chest.

He’s really left me no choice. He knows I would never be the mistress, no matter what. That I would rather go through any craziness he’s planning instead of being his side piece while another woman is his wife.