Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sasha
I wake in the morning to the smell of fresh espresso.
I sit up, realizing that Ryker’s side of the bed is empty. I nip at my lip, hiding a smile, thinking of last night.
Not only was sex unbelievable, but after the shower, Ryker curled me into the hollow of his body where I stayed all night.
Despite buying clothes, I ended up sleeping in his T-shirt, the one he’d worn the day before. I bring it to my nose, drawing in his spicy scent before I push out of the bed and head for the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, I step into the kitchen, still in his T-shirt to find him at the espresso maker, shirtless. Of course.
I stare at the dancing tattoos on his broad back as he pours the espresso through the foamed milk. He turns around with two mugs in hand.
“Good morning, baby,” he gives me an easy smile, his face relaxed and my breath catches.
He looks so… He didn’t like it when I used the word beautiful to describe him, but that’s what he is.
I don’t know how I ever thought his features were rough. They’re not.
He’s the most handsome and stunning… I dip my chin, realizing that I might be waxing a bit poetic.
And that my feelings have painted him in an increasingly bright palette. I shy away from what my feelings are exactly. Naming them scares me.
But if I were being honest with myself, I might call this—
“Coffee?” His smile broadens as he hands me the mug.
I take a mug and, cupping it with both hands, take a sip, my eyes closing. “Delicious.”
“Mm,” he answers, taking a sip from his own mug. “After we’re caffeinated, I’ll make you some breakfast.”
I take another sip to hide my wince. Cooking is probably a wifely duty, but I have no clue how. We had staff, and I wasn’t allowed anywhere near the kitchen. Probably because of the knives.
But that doesn’t change that I’m a wife now. Coupled with the fact he already agreed to clean up after me, I have this feeling like maybe I’m not bringing much to the marriage.
“You could teach me,” I say as I lower my mug. “I don’t know much about cooking, but I could learn.”
He chuckles before he takes another sip. “Maybe someday. This morning, we have an appointment with your brother.”
“My brother? Why?”
“Well, if you remember, he wants check-ins. But today, he more particularly wishes to discuss Sver. His knowledge of the man is far more limited than yours.”
That’s right. Dimitri is sixteen years older than me and Sver wasn’t in my father’s employ for most of his childhood. “Is Dimitri worried?”
I’m sure he is. But probably not about me. Still, I’ll tell him whatever he needs to know. Because it’s not just about Dimitri. Ava and Anna need protection, and if I can help with that, I’ll do whatever I can.
“We just want to make sure everyone is protected,” Ryker answers, running a hand down my back. “Want to take your shower while I make breakfast?”
“Sure,” I answer, with a nod, setting down my mug. “But I think I’ll need the fortification of another espresso when I’m done.”
He laughs and then winks. “Are you a little caffeine fiend?”
“Maybe,” I say with a small giggle, before I start for the bathroom.
Stepping into the shower, I take my time this morning, applying makeup when I’m done and blowing out my hair.
Then I put on another of the cute dresses that Ryker bought yesterday. This one is closer to knee length, but I feel pretty in it, and I give a little twist in the mirror as I watch the skirt dance.
“Breakfast,” Ryker calls and I leave the closet to head back out to the kitchen.
My feet are still bare, my legs exposed, as I slip into the large room, breathing in the smell of bacon and eggs. “Wow.”
He looks over at me, his gaze growing dark as he looks me up and down. “Wow, yourself.”
I feel the heat climbing up my cheeks as I smooth the soft fabric over my hips. “I don’t know about that.”
He crosses the kitchen, pulling me close. “By the time we’re done, you’re going to understand how powerful you are.”
The words are like a splash of cold water. He’s here for me now, but we’ve already agreed, this thing has an expiration. And I need to remember that.
We eat in relative silence. I have no right to be upset by what he said, but I can’t shake the bit of melancholy.
This is what I want. Freedom. Independence. But looking at his profile, I realize that maybe I don’t.
Maybe what I wanted all along was to hold a place of value with a man who thinks I’m more than just a commodity.
Shaking my head. I finish eating and then set myself to clearing the plates and washing the pans. Even I know how to do that.
“I’m going to shower,” he says, kissing the back of my neck. “Do you want to wait for me to head down?”
I don’t. I’m feeling a bit raw. “I can find my way to Dimitri’s apartment.”
“To discuss Sver?” he asks, and I see him straighten, tense.
Is he worried? About what? “No. To visit my niece.”
I see him relax. “I’ve got to be honest, she’s the cutest little thing.”
My eyes widen, and thoughts I should not be thinking start to push to the front. Me with a child of my own. Me and Ryker and a… “She is. And so sweet.” I turn back to the sink, scrubbing the pan he used to cook the bacon.
“I bet,” he replies before he disappears into the bedroom. I finish up the kitchen, wiping the counters and putting all the dishes away.
I enter the bedroom just as the shower turns off. Heading to the closet, I slip on a pair of flats, and head for the door. I know that Ryker will be ready in a few minutes, but I’d like a bit more time to myself. To sort out my thoughts.
With that in mind, I press the elevator button, the doors slide open.
Stepping inside, I hit Dimitri’s floor, losing myself in my thoughts as the doors close. I wasn’t really built for a casual, temporary relationship, unlike Ryker. I can feel how much trouble I’m already in.
It only takes a few seconds to move down the two floors then the doors slide open again. Stepping out, I enter the hall, still deep in thought. My old apartment is just to the right. Dimitri’s to the left.
At the end of the hall is a window. I start toward Dimitri’s door, but instead of knocking, I step up to the bulletproof glass.
I can see the cameras swing, making their ninety second turn. Beyond, Vegas sits quietly in the sun. Or it looks quiet from here.
I touch the glass, marveling that in just a day, this building stopped feeling like a prison and started to feel like the one place in the world I was safe.
It’s starting to feel…like a home. What am I going to do when this is all over—
“Hey,” a strange male voice calls from the other end of the hall. “What are you doing down here?”
I turn, confused by the words and the noise.
I’ve done it again, gotten lost in my head, but still, I can’t make sense of the words. He’s charging toward me, his face set in angry lines. Am I not allowed to move floors? “I’m visiting my brother—”
He grabs my arm, yanking me away from the window. “You need—”
I cry out, not hearing the rest of what he has to say. That’s when the elevator door dings.
Ryker steps out, the guard dragging me toward him. “Sir—”
Ryker stops, his nostrils flaring. “You’ve got one second to take your hands off my wife.”
“But sir, she’s not—”
He doesn’t even pull back. Instead, he just pops the guard in the nose with his fist.
The man instantly lets me go, doubling over as he covers his face with his hands. “You hit me.”
“I warned you first,” Ryker snarls as he grabs my hand and pulls me, not to his side, but tucks me behind him.
His stance is wide, his fists clenched.
Is it any wonder this place feels different? I skate my fingertips down his spine as I step deeper into his shadow.
Maybe I never wanted freedom. Maybe I always just wanted to be safe.