Owned by the Badman (Russian Bratva #1) by Hayley Faiman Page A

and pile it all into a baking dish. I'm finished by five forty-five in the evening. Setting the timer for one hour, I decide to rest on the sofa until Maxim comes home. My eyelids grow heavy the second I sit down.
    “ Angel moy ,” I hear Maxim mutter above me. I slowly open my eyes to find him crouched down beside the sofa; his eyes look tired but soft.
    “Maxim,” I whisper just as I hear the timer go off.
    “Whatever you are cooking smells delicious. Are you too tired to eat at the table? I can bring it in here for you.” Maxim’s finger trails the side of my cheek as his blue eyes roam over my face, searching for my answer.
    “I’m all right. Let’s eat and then we can go to bed. I’m sure you’ve had a long day,” I offer.
    Maxim eyes me warily like there is something he is trying to figure out about me. I grin and walk into the kitchen to take the ziti out so we can eat. Suddenly, as if it all clicks, he snaps his fingers and points at me while I’m removing the ziti from the oven.
    “Your hair, angel moy. It is beautiful,” he says with a wide smile.
    I turn around and look at him, my smile beaming at the simple compliment. He noticed . I didn’t think he would truly notice something as simple as my change of hair color, but he did, and it fills me with warmth and butterflies.
    Our dinner is quiet, as Maxim is busy composing e-mails and answering text messages on his phone. I don’t mind. Even if he is working, at least he came home to do so with me and he isn’t gone . Just being in the house with me makes me feel like he cares.
    I gather all of the plates to clean up. I haven’t found a housekeeper yet, so I am trying my hardest to keep the whole place as picked up as possible until I do. As I rinse the plates, I silently decide that I will call Sonia tomorrow and ask her to help me find somebody.
    I feel Maxim’s presence just as I am beginning to wash the last dish. I don’t even have to see him to know he is in this space. The air crackles and my body lights up whenever he is anywhere near me. I hear his expensive leather shoes lightly click behind me and then his heat is at my back.
    I take a deep breath and let it out as I wash the cheese and pasta sauce that is stuck to the dish. Maxim’s hands slowly slide around my waist as his head dips and his chin rests on my shoulder. I take a deep breath, enjoying not only his touch but also the simple way he is holding me.
    “How was your day, my beautiful wife?” His voice is so soft.
    I feel my heart swell with pride. I am proud that he thinks I am beautiful, that he chose me to be his, and that he cares for me. Also, that he cares enough to inquire about my day.
    “Long. Sonia introduced me to a group of women who are married to men you work with,” I admit, drying the now clean dish.
    I turn around in his arms and face my handsome husband. His brows are furrowed, and he looks confused. It is a lovely look for him; he looks so young.
    “Were they nice to you, angel moy ? They better have been. I will not tolerate anybody being mean to you anymore,” he almost growls. I smile, though, inside , I am grinning like a fool.
    “They were leery of me at first, but once Sonia told them how Catia has been dismissed, they all rallied together and discussed their distaste for her. Just like that, I was accepted.” I slide my hands up his chest to wrap around his neck, my fingers toying with the soft, thick hair at his nape.
    Maxim’s head dips down and he kisses the corner of my lips, my cheek, and then my collarbone as his hands travel down to my ass, gripping me tightly.
    “Never again, angel moy . Catia is no longer a worry. I hope you realize this?” he asks, his breath tickling my skin. I sigh, arching my body even closer to his—craving the contact of his steel body against me.
    “I am trying, Maxim. I truly am,” I whisper, my insecurity raw and out in the open.
    Maxim slowly slides the zipper of my dress down my back and lets the