11
Home, sweet home
I‘m very tired.
That”s how I arrived at my new home.
It was ten at night and my eyes kept closing. This whole getting married thing was not made for me.
I yawned all the way until we reached the huge mansion my husband had in La Zagaleta.
And I thought he would be more of a penthouse guy in Puerto Banús.
But of course, considering the world we moved in, it was not surprising that he had chosen that place.
The urbanization was known as ”The Millionaires” Park,” an ultra-luxurious gated community with armed security.
It contained some of the most luxurious properties in all of Spain. Celebrities or superstars, like Hugh Grant, Rod Stewart, and my beloved Putin, owned properties in La Zagaleta. My parents had been there with him, my mother told me.
The house was secluded, high in the hills of Benahavís.
I admired that beautiful property. It had plenty of land, a huge wall that isolated it from prying eyes but blended perfectly with the surroundings.
The house itself was a sculpture, sharp-edged, elegant, in stark white contrasting with the green of the surroundings.
Adriano had fallen asleep on his father”s thighs, who held him lovingly.
My husband and I were sitting in the back seat of the Bentley that brought us from the hotel. It was driven by one of Romeo”s men, and the co-pilot was the tall guy who had sat behind one of my sisters during the ceremony, the same one from the bar.
My husband and I had not spoken since we got in the car. ”Husband,” what a strange thing to call him when he was almost a stranger and now I had to think of him as family. A word too big for him, under the circumstances.
I thought about my sisters and my mother. They stayed behind. They would be staying for several days at the hotel, sunbathing and enjoying Marbella, courtesy of Massimo Capuleto, who insisted on showing them the city and acting as their guide.
I left my men with them. I had a little argument with Romeo before he told me we wouldn”t be spending the night there, as was supposed to happen. He preferred to spend it at home. That wasn”t what ticked me off, I didn”t care which bed it was, what annoyed me was that he said my men couldn”t come with us, or live with us. According to him, there was no room at his house, but given the enormity unfolding before my eyes, I doubted that.
The car entered the garage, which was at least two hundred square meters, completely filled with motorcycles and some sports cars.
”Lack of space, huh?” I asked sharply, looking him in the eye. He just shrugged.
”I don”t like to be cramped,” he replied. I snorted.
Romeo Capuleto had no idea what it was like to live cramped, at most his biceps did within that damned white shirt that made me salivate. It looked like the sleeves were going to burst at any moment.
His men came out and opened the door for us.
”I”m going to put Adriano to bed. Aleksa will show you around the house,” he said, looking at the brunette. Had he called him like the Amazon Echo? I laughed inwardly and turned my gaze to the brunette by my side.
”Your name is Aleksa?” He nodded. ”And if I ask, do you also turn off the lights and tell me a joke? Let”s try... Aleksa, turn off the light.” I thought I heard a chuckle from my husband, which he masked with a cough. ”The one at my house works better, your Aleksa”s battery is running low.”
”My Aleksa doesn”t fail at anything, keep your harpy tongue for those who deserve it.”
Romeo stood in front of an elevator that opened its doors.
He turned around, and I couldn”t help but keep my eyes on the image he presented. My husband was carefully holding the little demon”s body, who rested completely relaxed and trusting. His tie had been removed hours ago, and two buttons were undone, showing part of his tanned skin covered in tattoos that I wanted to lick.
I swallowed hard as I saw that smug smile that dawned on the corners of his lips when he saw how I blatantly checked him out. His mouth had kissed me too many times that day for me to remain sane. The doors closed, and I could finally take my eyes off the elevator.
”This way,” Aleksa said, prompting me to follow.
He did not reference my jabs; he reminded me of Andrey, so serious, so stiff, so in his place. That was good for Romeo; loyal employees were better known for what they kept silent than what they revealed. I would tell my man to try and befriend Aleksa, to see if he could extract some relevant information.
For that, I needed them together, so I would press Romeo about the living arrangements for my men. I wanted them close to his.
We used the stairs to reach the first floor.
The first thing that surprised me was a gigantic spiral staircase with black, suspended steps that made me think of piano keys. It was wrapped in a huge white spiral that made you look up to see its end.
It was so wide that at least four people could fit on the same step.
The staircase divided the first floor into two very distinct areas. To the right was the living-dining room with a large library lining the back wall. And another adjacent area to comfortably watch TV on a large leather corner sofa.
Almost everything was white; floors, sofas, furniture, with some decorative elements breaking the monochrome. Like the library, which was made of dark wood, or the paintings, cushions, and small sculptures strategically placed.
The front of the house featured a large glass wall overlooking the garden. Aleksa mentioned that it opened completely to become a sort of all-in-one.
From the living room, we headed to the kitchen. It occupied the other half of the floor, was very spacious, with top-notch appliances, and featured a table for sixteen diners in dark wood, plus mustard-colored chairs.
The glass wall led to an outdoor summer dining area on the left side next to a barbecue.
The garden featured a very large illuminated pool. There were comfortable loungers on one side where I could see myself sunbathing, although the best part was the spectacular sea views. That truly took your breath away.
Aleksa had his colleague bring up my suitcases, and I took the opportunity to take off my shoes, leave them aside, and position myself at the foot of the staircase, facing the glass wall.
”I needed to feel something cold on the soles of my feet.” I sighed in relief as soon as I took off my shoes. ”How many rooms does the house have?” I asked.
”Eight. On the second floor are the two master suites with terraces and the spa. On the third floor, there are four double bedrooms, all with independent bathrooms and an office. One of the rooms is Adriano”s.”
”And the other two?”
”There”s an annex wing next to the garage. It contains a multimedia game area, gym, laundry, and a room for the service.”
”And where do you sleep?” I asked curiously. My interest was to see if I could place Andrey close to him.
”If you”re trying to fuck my man, I”ll tell you he”s not for sale,” my husband muttered, coming down the stairs. Aleksa looked at me displeased, and I didn”t move. I was watching him through the glass reflection, as imposing as he was an asshole.
”A shame, they say variety is the spice of life,” I commented, clicking my tongue. I said it just to irritate him, annoyed that he could insinuate that I slept with just anyone. I was very selective with my lovers. Aleksa was attractive, but not my type, maybe in another era, now I was more into erasing tattoos with my tongue.
I turned around to face Romeo. ”You and Piero can go rest,” he said to his man without looking at me.
”Thanks, boss.” I wrinkled my nose. Where were they going? Didn”t they live here? Our men lived with us.
”Your men aren”t staying?”
”No,” he replied sharply. He was unbuttoning some cufflinks with the initial C of his last name. I always found it a sexy object. He put them in his trouser pocket while rolling up his shirt sleeves. ”Sorry, the only ones staying are us, so if you were planning something with my men, it”s going to be tough.”
”Mmm, I love it raw,” I flirted, licking my lips.
Piero came down behind Romeo, and both he and Aleksa wished us good night and left through the door leading to the garage.
”Why don”t they live with you?” I wanted to know. His despotic comments weren”t going to affect me.
”The neighborhood is very secure. They don”t live very far, I have another property nearby, plus some have their own families.”
”Well, I demand that my men be single, families tend to be a hassle for their work.”
”Is that the only reason you want them single?” Was that jealousy? I smiled and approached him to run a nail along the side of the buttons.
”Relax, I never fuck with work,” he stopped the movement of my finger by grabbing my wrist and snorted. I might not like him, and the feeling was mutual, but the sexual tension was undeniable. Where is it written that one cannot indulge the body, even if it means sleeping with the enemy? Attraction and hatred were not mutually exclusive, at least not for me. ”And isn”t there room for my boys at that property of yours?” I insisted, pressing against his body. The word was not erased from my vocabulary, I was ready to do whatever it took to achieve my goal.
”Maybe I can make some space for them,” his fingers released my wrist and I took the opportunity to run my finger along the waistband of his pants.
Without my heels, his height was threatening; I always liked to walk barefoot at home and men who were taller than me, especially if they were well-dressed.
He stepped away from me and went to the kitchen. I followed him. Observing the wide back that ended in a wonderful round butt. Romeo reached for a couple of glasses.
”Want a drink?” he asked, pulling out a bottle of Grappamiel.
”Sure, my father used to say there”s always room for alcohol, I took after him.”
I reached the countertop, took a jump, and sat on it to let myself fall. I stretched out feeling immediate relief in my back. My muscles were shattered, too many hours standing and a lot of tension accumulated. I occupied it completely, bending my knees so the soles of my feet touched the marble.
I let out a sigh feeling each of my vertebrae on the polished surface.
”I don”t know what you use this for in Russia, but it”s no good for lying down, we have beds for that,” his voice was liquid velvet. Husky and suggestive.
His dark eyes climbed up my bare thighs, thanks to the snips I had given the dress. Romeo took a seat on one of the stools with both glasses in hand.
He placed mine on the countertop. I turned sideways, letting my left leg hang out through the slit of the dress.
”In Russia we use them for fucking,” I said, regaining my posture to sit spreading my thighs. The shiny fabric fell between my legs.
”Beds?” he countered.
”And countertops, any surface is good, even an empty bottle box in the back of a bar,” I took the glass and raised it without taking my hot gaze off his eyes. ”To our future married life.”
We clinked glasses and drank, savoring the fiery sweet liquid.
I was exhausted. Still, I had a pending matter with Romeo that I wanted to resolve.
”Shall we go upstairs?” I nodded, running my tongue over the inside of the glass.
”I”ll be up in a while, your room is on the second floor, to the right.”
”My room?” I couldn”t help being surprised. He smirked.
”You didn”t think that, after last night, you and I were going to fuck?” The question felt like a kick. He stood up with his hands placed on either side of my hips. ”If I want sex, I”ll do it with someone who didn”t try to betray me the night before I marry her. In fact, I was about to stop by the hotel to pick up Irene to relieve me, I suggest if you don”t want to watch, you get into your room.”
I raised my hand and slapped him unceremoniously.
”Don”t you dare fuck that slut in our house,” his fingers violently gripped my chin.
”Should have thought about that before trying to screw one of mine,” I was sure that if he didn”t have the beard, a reddish mark would be visible on his cheek.
”We weren”t married! And it was you!” I reproached him.
”Do you think that matters? I don”t like being betrayed and you did it yesterday. If I gave you pleasure, it was only so you would understand what you”re never going to have again. Neither you love me, nor do I love you. You can fuck whoever you want as long as you don”t set your sights on my men and keep it discreet. Ours is a business transaction. My family wanted your company and you, with our alliance, to dominate the Costa del Sol, and now you have it. Just make sure you behave and take care of Adriano, if you do that, you and I will get along fine.”
I was boiling with anger. I wasn”t sure if it was because of his disdain, what he expected me to become, or because that slut was going to screw him right under my nose.
”Fine. Go fuck that classless whore if you like, but not here. I demand the same respect you want from me,” he narrowed his eyes. ”And looking after that brat of yours wasn”t in the contract, I told you before, I”m not a nanny.” He tightened his grip.
”Watch your words and how you treat my son, he”s suffered enough without having to endure the scorn of a harpy like you. If you don”t behave with him, I won”t hesitate to divorce you, not before sinking your beloved company instead of saving it. You have no fucking idea who I am or how I do things, so let me warn you, don”t piss me off, darling.” He spat out the last word venomously.
He really had no idea who I was or what I was capable of if scorned like he did.
He stepped back from me and offered a lascivious smile.
”Don”t wait up for me, it would be a waste of time.”
After dropping that line, he stormed off through the garage.