Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Leah
His house came into view ten minutes later, half hidden through thick pine trees.
I couldn’t help it. A gasp left my lips.
Leaning forward, I tried to take it all in and failed.
Even from a distance, it was huge, the kind of house that had tours of it.
I had never in a million years thought actual people lived in these houses.
“Wow.” Over and over again, I let my eyes rove across itaki, tng in the white walls and towering columns.
“I take it, you approve?” Viktor chuckled. His earlier mood still pinched at his features, but there was more of a lightness to his voice at least.
“I—” god I was starting to sound like an uneducated fool, but I couldn’t help it.
I’d never seen anything like this in person.
“I just didn’t expect you to live somewhere so beautiful.
” I finished lamely and forced myself to sit back.
Not that I took my eyes away from the place as we pulled further along the narrow road and stopped at a tall wrought iron gate.
A tall, sandy-stoned wall spread through the trees on either side, at least ten feet tall .
“Good to see you again, sir.” A man stepped out of the trees on Viktor’s side, ducking down to talk to him in quick-fire Russian.
I knew a little of the language, but not enough to keep up with their rapid conversation. Instead, I looked at that wall again and frowned.
Everything here was beautiful, but that wall and the guard posted outside the gates screamed to stay away. It was a wall to keep people out. Or maybe to keep people in? The thought made my frown deepen as I realized the truth. For all the beauty of this place, it was a prison.
My prison. I gasped. This was what I had promised, just minutes ago. I had agreed to this, to be a prisoner.
Silence filled the air, and I shook the thought away. Both men were staring at me now, like they expected me to say something.
“Oh, Hi.” I gave the guard a forced smile.
The guard stood back with a small shake of his head, and the gates opened. Pulling through them, Viktor remained silent.
And angry. It rolled from him in waves.
Pursing my lips, I blew out a breath. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong,” I whispered. I knew what happened when I displeased him, and my ass was still stinging. So I didn’t want a repeat spanking so soon.
Not that I minded the other part. The other part was great, so great that I still had a wet patch soaking the crotch of my yoga pants.
“It’s fine,” Viktor said in a clipped voice, which meant it wasn’t fine at all.
Sighing, I went back to looking at the house as we got closer and closer, and it got bigger and bigger. It was even more grand close-up.
“Your home really is beautiful.” I tried to break the silence.
“It’s not my home.”
I sighed. Ok, he wasn’t just mad, he was mad-mad, and I had no real idea of why .
“I am really sorry if I was rude back there, Viktor.” My hand trembled as I reached out and touched the back of the hand he had wrapped around the steering wheel. It was the smallest of touches, but he went rigid.
Fuck.
I drew my hand back sharply, and he caught it and entwined our fingers. Bringing my hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it softly, and I watched as the tension ran out of him.
“You weren’t. That’s not why I am on edge. Don’t worry about things, Leah. This is one of my homes, but not the one I usually live in. I have two places in the city. A penthouse.”
I nodded. I figured that.
“And a townhouse. This place,” he chin jerked ahead, “isn’t usually used, and I was told that things haven’t been prepared exactly like I asked them to be.” He side-eyed me, still holding my hand. “For your arrival.”
“Was there much to arrange?”
“Yes. The staff needed to be moved, certain belongings, and I wanted,” he dropped our entwined hands into his lap, “well, there should be enough there to make you comfortable.”
The car pulled up outside a wide set of double doors with columns on either side, and he killed the engine.
“I don’t need a staff to make me comfortable, Viktor,” I mumbled but didn’t look at him. I was too busy taking in all that grandeur. Because women like me didn’t live in houses like this. I was just a girl who lived paycheck to paycheck.
“I’m more than capable of looking after myself, cooking, and cleaning.” My eyes narrowed. “Although I’m guessing cleaning takes all day.”
“I wouldn’t know. That’s why I have a staff, and you won’t be lifting a finger. As my wife, there are certain appearances that need to be met, and you will behave. Is that understood?”
I turned to him in shock, but in reality, it shouldn’t have been a shock at all. Of course, the beautiful man in front of me had never cleaned anything in his life. He had a staff. I fought the urge to roll my eyes but bit back the retort about behaving and acting my part.
Arguing with him just wasn’t going to work. Better to be the docile fiancée until I got the lay of the land. Our lives were so different. Worlds apart, actually, and it made me wonder if we had anything in common at all.
“I want to talk to you quickly before we go inside.” The warmth of his fingers slipped away from mine, and his fist clenched. Just like that, he was back to being cold and aloof. It happened so fast that I couldn’t keep up with it. His mood swings were already giving me whiplash.
“There are certain rules I want you to follow under my roof. As my fiancée and, very soon to be, my wife, things will be expected of you.” This time, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
With a snarl, he gripped my chin. Yanking my face towards his. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned. But there was something in his voice that made me pause, a glint of hunger. “Or maybe you should do it again, my hand is itching to paint your backside red again, Printsessa.”
I swallowed hard. “What are the rules?” My eyes stayed on my lap. Demure and submissive. Wasn’t that what he wanted?
“The house is yours to explore, apart from my room, my office, and library. The gardens as well as long as you take your guard with you.”
“I have a guard?” I blurted out before I could help myself.
He looked at me like I was stupid. “You will always dress before you come down for breakfast or leave your room. I won’t have my wife looking disheveled. And you will wear what I lay out for you. Your hair and makeup will always be done.”
“So I am a doll you want to dress up.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
So much for being submissive. His fingers on my chin tightened. “You’re my doll that I want to dress up and fuck, Printsessa. This is a business arrangement and nothing more. Remember that. Now let’s get this over with.” Swinging open the door, he stepped out.
“Are there any more rules?” I called out to him, and for a second, he paused and glanced over his shoulder with a rueful smile.
“Plenty. They have been placed with another copy of your contract, which is in your room. I suggest you study it in your free time today so that you are comfortable with it by tomorrow.”
Hurriedly, I climbed out of the car and rushed to stand next to him. “What happens tomorrow?”
His hand found mine, but instead of holding it like he had done in the car, he tucked it into the crook of his arm and led me up the wide stairs just as the front door opened with a flourish.
“We get married.”
I tugged on his arm, and begrudgingly, he paused long enough to look at me.
“We haven’t even had a date, Viktor. How can we be getting married in twenty-four hours?
I don’t know you.” I didn’t know why it came as a shock, but it did.
Maybe in some small part of my brain, I expected a more “traditional” engagement.
One where he wooed me before we stood in front of a minister.
One look at him and I knew that wasn’t going to happen, and I felt myself shrivel a little inside. Until that moment, I hadn’t really thought about my wedding and marriage, but I knew this wasn’t what I had dreamed of.
I wanted romance. I wanted love. I wanted everything he couldn’t give me, and I couldn’t even tell him no because, now, it was too late.
He was on me in a second. His hand clamped around my throat as he forced me backward against the door frame with so much force that the air left my lungs in a whoosh.
“You weren’t so prudish when I was making you cum, Leah.” Roughly, he reached between my legs and rubbed at the wet patch. “You forgot about the date and romance then, didn’t you, or do I need to remind you?”
I swallowed hard but couldn’t talk because of the hand around my throat .
“This is an arrangement, nothing more, Leah.” He dropped his face to mine.
Leaning his forehead against mine and sighing, but his fingers kept brushing against the wet patch.
“I own you. No romance, no feelings. I’ll take what is mine whenever and however I want because that is the deal you made.
And if you behave, you will enjoy it.” His lips twitched. “But if you don’t—”
A cough sounded behind us.
It happened in an instant. One second, he was on me, all brooding and dangerous, and the next, his face broke into a grin that was truly beautiful. And genuine.
“Mrs. Colper,” he turned to greet the small, squat woman behind us with a hug. “Cathy.”
“Viktor.” She hugged him back. “And this must be Leah.” Stepping away from him, she gave me the once-over.
“She’s very beautiful, Viktor.” Playfully, she swatted his arm.
“But much too young for you. Come on, lovey, let’s get you settled in upstairs.
” She reached out to loop her arm around mine, but her eyes were firmly set on Viktor. “The others are in your study.”
He nodded and, without another word, walked away.
That was it. No goodbye, no seeing me to my room. He just left me. My heart sank.
This really was it. The weight of my situation pulled my shoulders down.
“Leah, are you coming?”