Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Viktor
I had planned the entire day out, but like all things that involved Leah, she had turned them around and made it better.
I hadn’t been joking when I had said the cookies were the best and most thoughtful present I had ever had. The thought she had put into learning to make them on top of all the time she had taken was better than any gift I’d ever had.
Leah was just perfect, and so was this Christmas Day. Right until Ivan had called me, that’s when my mood changed. Anger bubbled up under my skin, white hot and scorching. Of all the things that I thought might spoil our day, this wasn’t it.
This was meant to be over. I had put it to bed months ago.
And I didn’t want to spoil Leah’s day as well. After everything she had been through, she deserved a little happiness, and I didn’t want to stress her out.
Kissing her lips, I headed upstairs to get dressed so I could face this head-on. It wouldn’t do any good to face her even partly undressed. Ivan was hovering at my closed bedroom door. His face closed down .
“Where is she?”
His eyes darted toward the door, and I let out a grumble. Of course, she would be in my room.
“And what are you doing here?” I asked because he was meant to be with his family.
He shrugged. “I was on my way back when I got the call that someone had used their key for the staff entrance. I checked the cameras and this is what—” reaching out, he pushed open the door.
Manda was there, clearly intoxicated, sprawled out in the middle of my bed.
She was naked.
“She refuses to leave before she talks to you,” he said quickly. “I could have dragged her out, but you know she would have made a scene, and I knew you wouldn’t want to put that stress on Leah, under the circumstances.”
He was right about that.
Leah could never know she was here. Things were just getting good between us.
“You’re right.” I stepped into the room. “I’ll deal with Manda.”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t mean—”
I flashed him an angry look. “No, of course I don’t mean that. Who else is in the building? I don’t need help dragging her out of the house, but I want to know Leah is safe and doesn’t come wandering up here.”
“I’ll check.”
“Don’t bother, I can handle this. Just bring the car around so we can get our little unwanted guest out of here as quickly as possible.”
Ivan gave me a mock salute. “You got it, boss.”
Not giving him another thought, I closed the door behind me and turned back to the unwanted blonde on my bed.
“What are you doing here, Manda?”
Somehow, I kept my voice low and even.
“To give you your Christmas present, Viktor.” Like a cat, she arched her back and parted her legs. Her body writhing on the bed as she let her hands roam down her body.
And it was a great body, but when I looked at it, I felt nothing .
“It’s been too long, and I know you have missed me,” she purred. “I know I have missed you.”
I remained silent.
“Do you want me to suck your—”
Seductively, she rolled from the bed. Her hips swaying.
I stepped away a second before her nails scraped down my chest.
I didn’t want her to touch me. She could offer me everything, and I would still say no.
Gathering up her clothes, I thrust them into her hands. “I am a married man, Manda.” I reminded her with a growl.
“You can’t seriously be telling me that little mouse of a girl is fulfilling all of your needs, Viktor.” She ran her hands down my chest. “I know you. I know what you need—” slowly she sank to her knees. Her hands squeezed my thighs.
“Get the fuck up.” Roughly, I caught her by the upper arms and lifted her. Tossing her roughly onto the bed. She bounced twice before she started to laugh.
“Oh, you want it rough tonight.” Her laughter was getting louder and louder. At any minute now, Leah might hear, and there was no way I could explain this away, even if it was innocent.
Pouncing, I covered her mouth with my hand. “Get the fuck out of here. I’m a married man, Manda, and I—” my throat worked as I swallowed. What had I just been about to say?
“Won’t break my vows,” I added in a rush.
Above my hand, Manda’s eyes widened. For a second, she looked shocked, and then she licked my palm, her wet tongue swiping against my skin. Her naked legs wrapped around my waist.
“Come on.”
“No,” roughly, I pushed her away from me.
“I won’t do this. Not with you and not with anyone.
Get your ass dressed, Manda, and I’ll have Ivan take you home, but you will not come back.
” My face grew dark. “You will not break into our home. Is that understood? I won’t have Leah stressed out in her condition. ”
Too late, I realized what I had said.
Manda’s eyes grew saucer round and then narrowed into slits. Her lips thinned. “You have to be kidding me, Viktor?” She said in a whispering hiss. Climbing to her feet, she glared at me. “You’ve knocked her up.”
“Get dressed. Now.” Again, I thrust the clothes into her arms. And this time she didn’t drop them straight away.
“Ivan will take you home.” I headed back to the door.
“You son of a bitch,” she seethed. “You got her pregnant, didn’t you. You fucking got her pregnant.” Lashing out like a snake, she slashed a small switch knife towards me.
I had a second to wonder where the hell she had got a knife from before searing pain lanced through my thigh.
“It was meant to be me.” She advanced again, only this time I was ready for her. Grabbing her wrist, I squeezed it until she dropped the blade to the floor. I kept a tight grip on her.
“Viktor.” She begged, and there were tears in her eyes. I just didn’t know if she was crying because she was upset or because I was hurting her.
And I didn’t really care either way.
“Viktor, it was meant to be you married, me you had a baby with. We were always meant to be together,” she sobbed. “You know I’m better for you than she is. We are more suited. You can’t just—”
“Enough.” Letting go of her wrist, I stepped away. My eyes flashed. “Enough, Manda. I am married to Leah. I would have never married you.”
“Everything ok in here, boss?” Ivan appeared in the doorway. “Shit, did she stab you?”
I glanced down at my blood-soaked pant leg and frowned. “It’s nothing. Can you watch her?” I already knew he would. “I need to clean this up.” The wound was bleeding pretty heavily, and I needed to bandage it. I just hoped I didn’t need stitches.
“Do you just want me to drag her—”
I glanced at Manda. She was crying, all snot and tears running down her face, and I felt sorry for her.
That was all down to Leah as well. Just being around her made me want to be a better man .
“I’ll walk her to the car myself. Just give me a few and don’t let her—” Dimly, I could hear the sound of the Christmas movie from downstairs.
Leah was down there watching my favorite film alone and nibbling on my favorite holiday cookies as well. The ones she had made for me.
“I don’t want to spoil today for Leah. Keep Manda here for a second.”
Ivan looked at me like he could read my thoughts. A knowing smile spread across his face. “Leah will never even know she is here, boss, and boss?”
I turned to him expectantly.
“I’m glad you can finally see it as well.”
The angry-looking slash took longer to clean up than I wanted because the damned thing wouldn’t stop bleeding. In the end, I had to stitch it up myself, gritting my teeth the entire time, and then I had to carefully shower the blood off.
Leah would be worried by now, but she would be even more worried if she saw the blood.
I had just stepped out when I heard a bump like something heavy had hit the floor.
Wrapping the towel around my waist, I flung open the door and came face to face with Leah.
Pale and shaking, she stood in the doorway, and her eyes darted between Manda on the bed and me as her throat worked convulsively.
“Printsessa,” I whispered her name just as she threw a hand over her mouth.
Was she going to be sick? It really looked like it. Either that or she was going to faint.
“It’s not what you think—”
Angrily, she tore her eyes away from Manda and glared at me. She didn’t believe a word I was saying, and I didn’t blame her.
If our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have believed it either. I was naked apart from a towel, and there was an almost naked woman on my bed.
And no sign of Ivan. Where the hell was he? If he had done his job, this wouldn’t be happening, and Leah wouldn’t be looking at me like I had just ruined her whole life.
It was like watching a tragedy happen in slow motion. All the happiness of our perfect day drained from her face, leaving her eyes wide and shining with tears on her too-pale face.
“Leah, Printsessa.” I took a step towards her, almost tripping over the prone body of Ivan, who lay unmoving on the ground. I glanced down, just as he groaned and rolled over.
What the hell had happened here? Had Manda knocked him out somehow?
The momentary lack of concentration cost me seconds. Leah turned and bolted out of the door, and she was much faster than I had expected.
I went after her, holding the towel up as I ran after her.
Below me, the front door opened so roughly that it rebounded from the wall with a bang. Standing on the stairs, I watched her disappear into the night.
“Printsessa,” I screamed, but she didn’t answer me. She just ran.