Chapter 24 #2
Gregor paused as he raised a piece of bread to his mouth. His gaze shifted from my hand to my face.
“You don’t think I’m dumb enough to think you’d let me pursue a degree in art if I agreed to marry you?”
Gregor picked up his own knife. He raised an eyebrow in challenge. “I think the word you’re looking for is when not if . And you’re correct—I don’t want you to pursue an art degree.”
I smirked. I knew it.
He smirked back. “I’d expect you to pursue both an art and business degree so you are better prepared to run your own gallery one day.”
My mouth dropped.
Recovering myself, I raised my chin in defiance. “You’re lying.”
Gregor leaned in close. “Try me, malyshka. I don’t lie. That’s for cowards and the powerless of which I’m neither. How about you and I come to an agreement? Before you say I do , I’ll not only support whatever college you choose in the D.C. area, I’ll pay all four years of tuition in advance.”
I released my grip on the knife. “Why? Why would you do that?”
His gaze moved from my breasts to my lips to my eyes. “Because it’s something my wife wants, and I plan on giving her everything she wants.”
I swallowed. His double meaning was clear. I clenched my thighs under the table.
Jesus, just a look from this man could get me wet.
I shook my head. “No. It would be far too expensive. I couldn’t possibly accept, especially not after you loaned my father money.”
His gaze hardened, and he clenched his jaw.
It seemed my father and him were not on good terms. While I wasn’t surprised, my father often rubbed people the wrong way, it was probably because he hadn’t paid all the money back yet.
Since it was in Gregor’s possession anyway, maybe the money I had in my offshore account would cover the rest?
Yelena’s trick at the racetrack was scary effective, but we were careful not to abuse it and to spread our bets between live racetracks and online betting to reduce our chances of getting caught. Even so, I had about fifty thousand dollars saved.
The silence stretched.
“Speaking of your loan to my father, how much was it for?” I kept my eyes trained on my plate as I forced myself to take another bite.
Gregor put down his utensils and wiped the corner of his mouth with a linen napkin. Rising from the table, he crossed to a long sideboard where there was a silver tray with crystal decanters. Picking up a double old-fashioned glass, he poured himself two fingers of vodka and turned to face me.
“Is this really how you want to spend our first dinner together?”
“I was, after all, put up as collateral. I think it’s a reasonable thing to ask.”
I refused to acknowledge that Gregor still thought he was going to take possession of that collateral. One battle at a time.
Gregor returned to his seat. He took a swallow of vodka, then responded. “Fifteen million.”
My fork made a terrible clatter against the gold-rimmed porcelain plate when I dropped it.
“Fifteen million?” I repeated, incredulous. Fifteen million.
Gregor leaned back in his chair and nodded.
“And… and how much has he paid back so far?”
My stomach twisted. Although I wanted to deny it, I was afraid I already knew the answer.
Gregor inhaled, clearly reluctant to speak about this. “Samara….”
“How much?”
“None of it.”
“None of it?”
He shook his head.
I swallowed, trying to force all the poisonous revelations down my throat. “You keep saying I’m in danger. Is my father why?”
He slowly nodded, his hard gaze watching me, missing nothing.
“Are you going to tell me what kind of danger?”
“No.”
“Why not? I have a right to know!”
“You have a right to know that I am handling it and nothing more.”
“Maybe there isn’t any real danger? Maybe you’re lying and the danger is just you?”
His lips lifted at the corner. “I never said I wasn’t also a danger to you.”
The room spun.
I tried to focus on the plate before me.
Chromium Oxide - the color of the asparagus.
Nickel Yellow - the color of the béarnaise sauce.
Quinacridone Magenta - the color of the wine.
Gregor shook his head as he watched me intently with those mercurial eyes of his.
I reached for my wineglass and drained it.
Gregor picked up the bottle and poured me a second glass, but only halfway.
Dear God.
I had assumed my father had done the honorable thing and returned the money after I fled. No wonder this man pursued me with such a vengeance over the last three years. It was retribution, pure and simple. My father cheated him, and he was making me pay for it one way or another.
Even with Yelena’s racetrack scam, I could never hope to pay him back and buy my freedom from him.
Clawing at the diamond necklace at my throat, I tried to force air into my lungs as I stumbled out of my chair.
Gregor rose and raised his arm toward me. “Samara….”
I shook my head violently as I backed away from him. “No wonder you hate me! My father fucked you over.”
His brows creased. “I never said I hated you, Samara, and watch your language.”
“Fuck my language! You do hate me! Of course, you do! You must!”
I rounded the long dining room table putting distance between me and Gregor.
He followed.
“This isn’t about your father or our families or about the damn money. I don’t give a shit about the money. This is about us,” he yelled as he quickened his pace.
Panicking, I pulled out one of the chairs and thrust it in his way. “There is no us! There is nothing between us. We are only bound by blood money.”
Gregor reached down and flipped the chair on its side, sending it skidding across the hardwood floor.
I screamed and turned to run.
His hand wrapped around my upper arm. I was propelled backwards till I slammed against the wall. Gregor quickly followed, placing his forearms on either side of my head, caging me in.
“I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. Do you understand me, malyshka?”
I was breathing heavily. My breasts brushed against his chest with each inhalation. I could feel my nipples tighten against the silk fabric of my strapless bra.
Still, I dared to challenge him. Why not? The damned have nothing to lose.
“Say what? The truth?” I viciously spit out. “You’re just the monster who's been chasing me. Nothing more.”
Reaching down, he raised the hem of my dress. His hand became a fiery brand on my thigh.
“No! Stop!”
He ignored my protest. Wedging his knee between my thighs, he forced my legs open. His fingers sought out my core, caressing me through the thin fabric of my panties. He leaned down to nuzzle my neck just below my ear.
I bit my lip to stifle a groan.
He shifted his hips so I could feel the hard press of his cock against my inner thigh. “You’re lying to yourself and to me. Does that feel like nothing to you?”
I rolled my head from side to side. “ Lust fueled by hatred and revenge. Every kiss taken by force.”
He raised his arm and slammed his fist against the wall, making me cry out. He then clasped his hands over my jaw to cradle my face. His gaze bore into my own before it traveled to my mouth. It looked as if he were going to say something but instead, he turned away with an animalistic growl.
I stayed plastered against the wall, afraid to move.
Gregor turned back to me, his eyes dark and cold as steel. “So be it, Samara. I’ll show you just what a monster I can be.”
A terrified scream tore through my body as he tossed me over his shoulder and carried me up the dark staircase to his bedroom.