Page 40 of Sweet Deception

Every day, I fail.

I crave his presence. My body longs for his touch. And at night, when I close my eyes, I dream of him... of us.

How can I be falling for a man who hates me?

The sound of his phone ringing pulled me from my thoughts. He answered briefly. “Let her in.”

A moment later, the door opened, and a woman in a crisp nurse’s uniform entered.

“I want my wife fully recovered as soon as possible,” Gleb said.

“Understood, sir.” The nurse stepped in, her gaze landing on me, and instantly, her smile faltered. “God, you’re bruised all over,” she murmured, kneeling beside me. “I’ll be gentle.”

The nurse pressed gently on my legs, watching my reaction carefully. A sharp pain shot up my thigh, making me wince.

“Your muscles are in shock from the trauma,” she said, standing back up. “With treatment, you should regain some movement in a week or two. But you’ll need physical therapy. it won’t be instant.”

My stomach dropped. A week or two. The idea of being completely immobile for that long made my throat tighten.

She scribbled something on a piece of paper and held it out. Without a word, Gleb reached out and took the paper from her hands, tucking it into his suit pocket.

I blushed but quickly looked away.

“Mr. Gleb, I’ll take my leave now.”

Gleb didn’t even glance at her as she walked out.

I looked at him, my heart full of unspoken emotions. “Thank you, Gleb.”

His head turned sharply. “Mr. Gleb.”

I clenched my fists. “I’m your wife. How can you expect me to address you as Mr. Gleb?”

His expression hardened, but something flickered in his eyes, hesitation? Doubt? “Because this marriage is not real. It never will be.”

My chest ached, but I refused to let him see how much his words stung. “So why did you go to Mexico for me?”

He stiffened. A long silence stretched between us. Then, with a voice lower than before, he muttered, “Because I wanted to.”

His expression hardened. “We are not a real couple, Anna.” His voice was like steel. “Don’t forget that.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

If he had said this weeks ago, I wouldn’t have cared. But now?

Now, it hurts.

I forced a tight smile, ignoring the sting in my chest. “Right. Wouldn’t want to get too comfortable, would we?” I shoved the cheese aside, suddenly sick of the taste.

Gleb stood and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the gun holstered at his back.

“What did you do while I was gone?” he asked, pulling off his shirt.

“Read novels. Watched TV. What else am I supposed to do? You’ve locked me in here like a caged bird.”

“You don’t want to continue your dance classes?”

“No. I’ll resume after this marriage is over.”