Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Leah
“Good morning.”
Still half asleep, I stared at him, completely confused.
He had stayed.
HE HAD STAYED.
Just like he promised he would.
Wiping the sleep out of my eyes, I beamed up at him.
“Good morning. What are you doing?” I eyed the phone in his hand suspiciously.
In answer, he dropped the phone into his lap, and reaching down, he kissed my lips. Just one small kiss. I blinked up at him. What the hell had gotten into him? It wasn’t that I was questioning it, but it felt out of character,
Viktor was always so hot and cold, and after last night, I was expecting to be alone when I woke up and for him to be back to his grumpy self.
Only he wasn’t.
I didn’t want to believe it, but Viktor seemed happy.
“It’s time to get up.”
Frowning, I glanced at the clock. It was only a little past six. “Is breakfast being served early this morning?”
His smile grew. “We aren’t eating here. We have somewhere we need to be, so I am going to need you to be up and dressed in thirty minutes.” He eyed me, and even though I knew I had sleep gunk in my eyes and my hair was sticking up everywhere like a crow’s nest, his smile didn’t falter.
“You can do that, right?”
Mutely, I nodded. “Where are we going so early?” A sinking pit opened in my stomach. “Not another family party, right?”
Surely, he wouldn’t do that to me so soon? I was already humiliated.
Reaching for my cheeks, he drew our faces together. “No, you won’t have to deal with my father’s games for a long time. Apart from the party, I don’t usually see my family over the holidays. Today we are doing something for you.”
I did a double-take. “For me?”
I couldn’t help the shock in my voice.
“Yes, for you. I’ve been thinking a lot, and I’ve realized that apart from last night, we haven’t really spent a great deal of time together, Printsessa.”
I couldn’t help it, I sighed happily. It was a strange thing, but I had missed his pet name for me.
“I would like to change that. After we spoke last night, I was up thinking and planning,” he rubbed his nose against mine. “But if you don’t get out of bed soon and dress, then all my planning will be for nothing. So out, and get that sweet ass in the shower.”
Like an excited kid, I swung my legs from the bed and stretched. “Can you tell me where we are going?”
He shook his head. His grin turned mischievous.
Jesus, he was handsome when he smiled. I mean, he was handsome all the time, but when he grinned, his whole face came alive.
“That would spoil the surprise now, wouldn’t it? Wear something comfortable. I’ve already arranged for clothes to be waiting for us when we get there. ”
My heart skipped a beat. “Ok.” Heading towards the bathroom door, I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Thank you, Viktor.”
He didn’t say anything. He just smiled.
Little things made me happy, things that meant people had listened to what I said and paid attention. It was one of the reasons I never knew what to do with random gifts.
What Viktor arranged wasn’t little, by any means, but it proved that he had listened last night, and I don’t think I had ever been so happy or so emotional.
“Viktor.” Looking out the limo’s window, I felt tears prickle behind my eyes as the huge grey stone building slid into view, and I realized where we were. “Viktor, this is too much.”
From the leather seat next to me, he chuckled. “So the private jet and designer dress were fine, but tickets to the ballet are too much?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t hope to explain it, but it was. The private jet and the sleek black dress were great, but I wasn’t the type of woman who liked the grander things in life. I liked simplicity and beauty.
It was just that in my life, up until recently, there hadn’t been time for them because I’d always had to work to survive.
“Are you crying because you are sad or because—”
Twisting in my seat, I surged forward, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that I hoped showed him exactly what I was feeling.
After a second, he curled his hand under my hair and opened my lips with his. His tongue invaded my mouth, lapping at me. Drawing a needy little moan from my lips.
“Happy,” I whispered as he pulled away slightly.
“Good.” One curt nod, and he straightened. “I have one more thing to give you. Now I know you don’t usually like jewelry, but this isn’t some random piece.” From a pocket of his suit jacket, he produced a blue velvet box.
I eyed it suspiciously. “I don’t need—”
He opened it, and the air left my lungs in a whoosh. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. There was beauty in its simplicity.
“It belongs to my wife, and I should have given it to you before now.” Gently, he slid the single teardrop diamond necklace around my throat.
“It’s beautiful, Viktor.” Nervously, I pressed my fingers to it.
Back in my old life, before I had met him, I’d had some costume jewelry, but even that had been a push for my finances.
Never in a million years did I ever think I would have something so exquisite.
“It was my mom’s.” Bending, he pressed his lips to the hollow of my throat, and my heart sped up. “And her mom’s before her. If she’d had a daughter, it would have been hers, but she only had me, and I want my wife to have it.”
“Oh, Viktor.” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him again.
It was my turn to be hungry for him.
And it was his turn to untangle me when I tried to climb into his lap. Holding me by the shoulders, he pushed me away slightly.
“Leah,” he said my name like a prayer. “You either keep kissing me like that or we go and watch this ballet. It’s the Nutcracker. That’s your favorite, right?”
It was my favorite, but I’d only mentioned it briefly last night.
I nodded but didn’t get to say anything because the driver opened the door, and a hand reached in to help me out. Viktor followed close behind. I stared at the driver and frowned.
I didn’t know him. Usually, when we were out in public, we had security with us. At least, I did. But I had never seen this man before.
Then again, we were in a new city. Our usual security would be waiting for us back home.
Our usual security, when had I started thinking all of this was normal for us?
Without thinking, I touched the necklace again. The diamond felt cool against my skin. I would never get used to this.
“How did you manage to get tickets so quickly?” I asked as I slipped my hand into the crook of Viktor’s arm.
“It’s Christmas, Leah. There are lots of ballet performances going on.” He began to lead me forward, and I followed close to him, leaning against his arm to steady myself on my heels.
“But none at home?”
He glanced at me. “They weren’t your favorites. Now let’s get inside before you catch your death.”
Five minutes later, I was sitting on one of the plush red velvet chairs in our box, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe. This was all like a dream. Something between Pretty Woman and a period drama.
And then, the music swelled, the lights went down, the curtain rose, and I forgot everything else.
I forgot that I was out of place here, and that my marriage wasn’t real. I lost myself in the beauty of the piece playing out in front of me and the warm, comforting feeling of Viktor’s hand holding mine.
Time stood still, but at the same time, it sped up, and before I knew it, the curtain went down and a weirdly loud silence swirled around me.
“You’re crying again?” Viktor turned me to face him, even as the people below us began to file out. Reaching up, he swiped his thumb under both my eyes. “Why are you crying, Leah? I didn’t bring you here to make you sad.”
I couldn’t answer around the lump that had formed in my throat. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I hiccuped and forced myself to smile.
“I’m not unhappy, Viktor,” I whispered in a broken voice. “I’m crying because I have never been so happy. I’m crying because that was magical and beautiful, and I have never witnessed anything like it before.” Another hiccup.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy,” I repeated.
For several long seconds, he stared at me with an unreadable expression. “God, you are beautiful, Leah. Even with your mascara running down your cheeks, you are stunning. I sometimes wish I could get inside your mind.”
I frowned. What a weird thing to say.
Catching my look, he chuckled. “I just mean I wish I could see the world through your eyes. You look at things and see magic and beauty,” he shook his head.
“I don’t see the world like you do. To me, it’s pain and darkness.
Well, it was.” He leaned his forehead against mine and sighed happily.
“I see beauty and magic in you, Leah. I always have. Now, can I get you home so we can start our marriage fresh?”
I searched his face. Looking for some hint that he was going to become cold, distant Viktor again, but there was nothing but softness in his eyes.
“Do you mean that?” I whispered.
“I’m never going to be a soft man, and I’m not used to compromise.”
I sent him a look that said I knew that, and he chuckled.
“But I’m going to try. I think we could make each other happy in the time we are together, at least.”
He said all the right things, but at the same time, he spoiled it by reminding me that this had an expiry date. But I couldn’t be mad at him for reminding me. I’d known what I was signing up for.
“I’d like that.” He held my hand tightly in his as he led me down to the street and toward our waiting car.
“I hope I can make you as happy as you’ve made me the last few days,” stepping back from the open car door, Viktor motioned for me to get in.
Heat hit me, my eardrums burst, and a white light seemed to light the night sky, blinding me.
“Leah.”
Dimly, I heard Viktor screaming my name, but it sounded like it was coming from far away.
Weird.
Blinking, I stared up at the night sky. Stars were twinkling between fast-moving clouds.
Which was even more weird, because hadn’t I just been getting into the car? So what was I doing on the sidewalk?
Had I fainted?
Pain lanced through me. A cleaving sort of pain that threatened to cut me in half. I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t do anything but blink up at the clouds, and even that was getting harder and harder to do.
“It’s ok, Leah,” Viktor’s face filled my vision, blurry and bathed in shadows.
Was he bleeding? It looked like he was bleeding, but I couldn’t open my mouth to form the words to ask why. I tried to move my hand, and that didn’t work either. It was like I was glued to the pavement.
“You’re doing great, just great. Just hold on, ok, hold on.”
His face was overtaken with shadows.
“Keep your eyes open, Leah.” There was a note of command in his voice, and my lashes fluttered as I tried to do what he asked.
“I mean it, Leah. Don’t you dare close your eyes.”
I wanted to do what he ordered because that would make him happy, and after last night and today, he deserved that, but I couldn’t.
I just needed to rest my eyes for a few seconds, just a second.
“Leah.” I heard him yell my name as the darkness swallowed me whole.