33
Johanna and I are sitting together in our last class, listening quietly to Professor Sawyer’s fascinating lecture. My brain is back to functioning normal and nothing can distract it as it soaks up the studying material. As soon as class is dismissed, I feel how exhausted I am from last night. The pain of missing my man, and my fear of his reaction when he learns of my involvement in last night’s events.
I hear Professor Sawyer calling me, and ask Johanna to wait for me on the lawn. She looks oddly calm and peaceful, and I know that she is once again under the influence of the white powder.
“How are you feeling today?” he asks, and I manage a genuine smile.
“I always feel better during your lectures.”
“I think I’d better tell you something.” He scratches his goatee and looks disturbed. “I received a very good offer from the University of California.” My smile vanishes. “I didn’t want to say anything until it was finalized, but I’ve received confirmation by email, and I’ve handed in my letter of resignation. I’m going there this weekend for a small conference and to formally sign my contract.”
I can’t believe it! Professor Sawyer is leaving? “But what about our research?” I ask the first question that enters my head.
“I thought I could finish out the semester here and continue the research, but they want me to start right away. And you have to understand…” He takes a step towards me. “You have to understand that they’re giving me a serious research budget and benefits that I won’t get at any other university. Especially not here.” he smirks.
“When are you planning to leave?” I choke.
“Next week.” He strokes my shoulder. “But I have an excellent substitute.”
“What about me?” I feel the tears coming and I lower my head. “I thought you’d be my advisor for my thesis and then my doctorate.”
“Elena, come to the conference with me this weekend.” He raises my chin and looks into my eyes. “We can talk about everything there and decide on a plan of action for you.”
“I don’t know.” I flinch backward and nearly fall off the stage. “I have to think about it.” I run out of the lecture hall and look for Johanna on the lawn. She’s leaning against a tree trunk, eating an apple. I sit down beside her and burst into tears.
“What's wrong?” she asks anxiously. “The Russians? The French? The Italians?”
“No.” I bury my head in my hands, still crying. “Professor Sawyer.”
“You are crying over him?” she looks at me in surprise. “What did that perfect man do to make you cry?”
“He’s leaving me,” I say sadly and dry my tears.
Johanna's eyes widen in surprise.
“He’s moving to a different university,” I whimper. “He won’t be here for me anymore.”
“He is leaving?” she asks, surprised. “Why? When? Where to?”
“I’m really sad,” I sniff my nose and lay my head on her skinny shoulder. “He’s my knight in shining armor, and now he’s abandoning me.”
“That's terrible,” she empathizes.
“He asked me to join him this weekend for a conference.” I sniff again. “He wants to talk about my studies.”
“You have to go,” she takes another bite of her apple, “maybe the two of you can find a solution.”
“I don’t know,” I mumble and we both get up and walk towards the exit.
Ralph’s silver Hummer is waiting for me in the parking lot. The bodyguard opens the door and we both get in. Ralph grins at me and gives Johanna a small packet of white powder. She snatches it excitedly. “This is a reward for your cooperation last night.”
I shake my head in despair and he narrows his eyes at me. “What's wrong, Duchess? Do you want some too? I will give you a big packet.”
“Don’t call me that again. And you know I don’t touch that shit.” I say angrily and Johanna elbows me in the ribs and whispers, “Take it, take it for me.”
“No way.” I shake her off and turn to face Ralph. “Drop us off at our apartment, please.”
“You’d better come to the bar today,” he says as he leans back in his seat. “We need to show stability. Especially now, with all the rumors of Liam’s crazy woman who is so fond of knives.” He laughs and I shrug in despair.
“I didn’t have a choice. The Russian tried to choke me, and the Italian tried to rape me. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“shoot them in the head.” He puts his arm on my shoulder. “You know that neither of them would work with me because they think I'm crazy.” He strokes my arm and laughs. “I really don’t know how they got the wrong impression.”
“You killed three people yesterday without even blinking,” I note dryly.
“That was self-defense.” He fakes an offended tone and a big grin spreads over my face. “Anyway, it would be better for you to be at the bar until our friends return and business goes back to usual.”
“I’m not staying there alone,” I shiver, and he pulls me close.
“I'll be with you the whole time,” he soothes me.
The jeep stops at the entrance to the bar. We go inside and the girls greet me. They’ve never done that before, and I find it comforting. I stand and stare at the round table, praying to see the odd man who has stolen my heart, but the only man sitting there is Ralph. Suddenly, he seems helpless.
“What’s bothering you?” I ask as I sit opposite him. “Didn’t you get to kill anyone today?”
“You are funny,” he chuckles. “I'm supposed to send my people to collect money, and I have no idea where Liam hid the list of people who owe us money.”
“I see,” I murmur and wave at Charlie who just walked in. He winks at me and goes behind the counter. “That’s not a problem,” I go upstairs to the office and come back with a piece of paper and a pen. Ralph watches me quietly as I sketch a table and fill in the columns with the names of debtors and the amounts they owe. “Here you go,” I give him the paper and he looks at me in astonishment.
“Where did you get this?” he asks suspiciously.
“I just wrote it down, right here in front of you.” I laugh.
“I mean how do you know this?” He corrects himself angrily and asks Johanna for a drink.
“It’s all in here,” I point at my head. “For better, or for worse, I remember everything I see.”
Victor and Leo walk in and look at me in shock. “Elena, you can’t walk around like that,” they remark, shocked at the sight of my tank-top and jeans. “The show must go on until the curtain goes down and the entire audience are on their feet, applauding.” Victor says, gesturing dramatically to illustrate his words. “Leo, go upstairs with her.” He orders and runs off to the club. I yawn and rub my eyes, but I go upstairs. A minute later Victor enters, out of breath, holding some bags.
As we make our way back downstairs, I look like I’ve just walked off the set of an old TV show. This time, I’m wearing a long black dress with a high collar and a long train. My loose hair is greased, and my eyes are heavy with makeup. The pocketknives are clean and in place.
“It's as if The Bride of Dracula and Princess Diana merged into one,” Leo says in excitement. He gives me my fan and pushes me in front of Ralph, who looks astonished.
“Don’t say anything,” I roll my eyes and sit down opposite him.
“Thirty thousand dollars,” he slams the table.
“What?” I yawn, careful not to rub my eyes.
“Thirty thousand dollars for one hour with you.” He looks agitated.
“You’re sweet,” I smile, “and very flattering.” I get up and stretch. “And by the way, we’ve already been over that,” I smirk. “But never mind. You better stop offering me money for sex.” I pull the pocketknife out of my belt and stick it in the table, next to his hand holding the glass. His eyes lock onto the sharp blade and I burst into laughter.
He draws the knife out of the table, examines it and laughs loudly with me. “You are crazy.” He hands me my knife back and I fold it and put it back in my belt. “And I am increasing my offer. Fifty thousand dollars,” he says, looking at me expectantly.
“Oh, come on,” I rearrange my collar and straighten up. “Stop annoying me.” I lean towards him to take his glass and drink from it. “And do me a favor, don’t tell Liam about everything that happened here last night.” A large body presses against me from behind and I stand up in a panic, quickly removing my knife from my belt. Strong arms are hugging my hips and I look at Ralph in distress. He starts to smile. My hair is pushed aside gently, and the knife shakes in my hand. Lips flutter softly over the back of my neck and the scars rub against my skin. A pleasant shiver travels down my spine, as the knife drops from my hand and I stand up straight, throw my head back and sigh in total relaxation. The girls’ cries of joy cut off this intimate moment, and I turn around to see his electrifying, angelic face.
“Why the hell are you dressed like a black widow?” he asks angrily and examines me intently. “I thought I told you not to go near the bar.
“I missed you too,” I fake a smile and feel my heart shrinking painfully.
“Elena?” Tommy comes up behind him. “You look like—”
“Like dynamite.” Mike arrives too and scratches his head. “That’s what we called ‘the dance’, when a stripper wore that outfit and brought the place down,” he laughs, and Liam’s scars stretch over his face.
“Sit by the bar,” he orders, still in an angry tone of voice. I feel like picking up my knife off the floor and stabbing him in the leg. “We’ll get out of here in a few minutes,” he says as he sits down opposite Ralph.
I take a deep breath and decide that this isn’t the time to start punching him. I stand up straight, walk to the counter, sit and arrange my dress. “Charlie, get me a bottle of water, please,” I ask in a whisper, as I feel my body hardening and turning to stone. Now that he’s back, I can stop playing my game. The curtain has come down, but the audience isn’t applauding – it’s booing. The pressure and stress paralyze my brain and all I want is to burst into tears.
“Here you go, Duchess,” Charlie smiles at me and I wipe away a stray tear. I drink some water and watch the men at the round table. Ralph is talking and they're looking at him tensely. Liam calls the brunette over. It looks like he is interrogating her and then all the girls go over the table one by one. He asks them questions and they answer, looking upset and nervous. He shouts for Charlie to join them and he doesn’t even look at me once. When Charlie’s interrogation is over, Liam stands up, pats him on the shoulder and turns his head to me.
The expression I prayed to see when I turned to him the first time an hour ago is penetrating my veins now. I bite my lips and my heart expands to hold the intense emotions he is showing me. He walks towards me quickly, grabs my hips and holds me close. He doesn’t say anything, just kisses me wildly as I melt into him.
“We’re leaving.” He pulls my hand and I run beside him in my narrow high heels. He sits me on the motorcycle, and I lift up my dress. He kisses me again and sits down in front of me, I hold on to him tight and the motorcycle starts moving. The Volvo is nowhere to be seen, but he still drives through red lights, as if we are being chased by the devil himself. By the time we get to the garage door, my arms are sore from holding onto him so tightly. As soon as the door closes behind us, he helps me off the motorcycle and pulls me quickly into the house. He doesn’t stop in the living room, but runs up the stairs, dragging me behind him. He takes me into the bedroom, presses me against the window and takes a step back as he looks at me from head to toe.
“All I asked you to do was find Ralph.” He looks annoyed, but he doesn’t sound angry anymore.
“I tried,” I swallow and lean on the window.
“And I specifically asked you not to go near the bar.” He exhales and pulls his shirt off. I stare at his muscular chest and stomach and pull myself up.
“I thought I could find him there and go back to the apartment,” I start to explain, as he undoes his belt buckle and removes his pants. “But he wasn’t there, and then…”
“Shhh…” he hushes me and comes closer. He undoes my belt and turns me around gently, unzips my dress slowly and slips it over my shoulders. The dress falls to the floor and I kick it aside and turn back to him, wearing only a black bra and panties and high-heeled shoes.
He looks at me intently as he licks his bottom lip and then he pulls me towards the bed, sits down on the edge of it and places me between his legs. He leans forward and kisses my stomach as his hands caress my hips and his tongue wanders along and across my stomach. He stops at my bra and goes down again, stops again at my panties and then goes up again. I throw my head back in pleasure, my desire for him takes control of my entire body. Suddenly he stands back, throws me on the mattress, and rips off my bra and panties. He spreads my legs, puts on a condom, and penetrates me hard. I cry out as he enters me again and again like a man possessed.
“Liam…” I hit his back, but he continues. He turns me over on my stomach, and raises my pelvis, his thrusting is so hard that my head slams into the mattress.
“Get off of me!” I yell, and his thrusting stops immediately. He pulls out of me and pants aloud. I turn over my back again and look at him in horror. “What’s wrong with you?” I ask and pull the blanket to me. He is still panting, rubbing his forehead. “Liam, what’s going on?” I scream.
“You’re going on!” he shouts back. “I have a precious jewel in my hand. And I don’t deserve it.” He rubs his forehead again in frustration. “I’m madly in love with that jewel, I’ll go crazy if I lose it.” He runs his fingers through his hair and closes his eyes. “But suddenly I felt I had to prove that you’re too good for me. That I’m exactly the type of scum you tried to escape.”
He opens his eyes and I look at him, my mouth wide open, and I stop breathing for a moment.
He gets up from the bed, walks to the window and looks outside. “Now that I have you, I’m going crazy. I can’t even imagine what would happen if someone took you away from me.”
My heart shrinks and expands again and again, and I place my hand on my chest in pain. I get up and stand behind him, hugging his hips and kissing him along his spine. He turns around and lifts me up, I wrap my legs around him and kiss him softly. My tongue breaks away from his lips and moves to the scars that decorate his cheek. I lick the first and the second and continue licking each scar in time. When I reach the chaotic bottom part, I put my lips to his again and his deep kiss shoots pleasure through my body. He carries me to bed, this time laying me down gently on my back as he kneels. He pulls backwards, puts his head between my legs and gives me pure pleasure, until a series of explosions wrack my body. I don’t wait for my body to cool down. I sit on him, push his erection inside me and start moving above him slowly. He grabs my breasts, bites my nipples gently and then licks them, bites them and licks them over and over and I'm on fire. I turn around and sit with my back to him as I continue raising and lowering my hips in circular movements.
“I’m going to touch your hair,” he whispers, and I nod.
He strokes my hair all the way down and I shiver in pleasure. He pushes my back forward gently until I'm leaning on my elbows, as he kneels behind me. He enters me and his hands pull my hair each time he thrusts. He pulls my hair harder, and I groan as pain and pleasure mix together. He starts to moan loudly, thrusting over and over until I'm panting loudly, as I feel my powerful explosion and he shudders inside me. I lie on my stomach, exhausted, and he pulls out and lies on top of me. His elbows are beside my head and he kisses my hair softly.
“Let’s take a shower together,” he suggests, and without waiting for an answer he scoops me up and carries me to the bathroom.
We stand under the stream of hot water and I lean back against him. “How did you get out so fast?” I ask, and moan in pleasure as he massages my soapy shoulder.
“Money buys everything,” he laughs.
“Not everything.”
“Well, a great lawyer then,” he laughs.
“Ralph increased his offer to fifty thousand dollars,” I turn my neck, enjoying his gentle touch.
“I’m not surprised, after what I heard you did,” he says mildly. “He'll offer more money,” he sounds amused as he soaps my stomach.
“Let’s get out.” I move away from him and rinse the soap off. “All this talk about money and my body are driving me crazy.”
“Good,” he says as he turns the water off. I dry myself in front of the large rectangular mirror above the sink and he stands behind me, wiping the steam off the mirror and looks at my reflection. “I thought your breasts were the sexiest thing in the world, but your hair gives it a good fight…” he pulls my hair back behind my back and strokes it. “Look at yourself,” he says in his deep masculine voice, and I shiver. He pulls a stool and stands me on it. I look at myself. My skin is flushed and shiny from the hot water. I glide my hands over my hair and tilt my head sideways. “Maybe your breasts are sexier after all,” he places his hands on my breasts and fondles them without taking his eyes off my reflection in the mirror. “No,” he groans, “it’s the hair.” He pulls my hair and my head tilts backwards and leans against him. “Or maybe it’s this ass,” he lets go of my hair, caresses my ass, and as he presses against me, I feel his erection between my legs. He touches my back, bends my body forward and places my hands on the mirror. He holds my waist, twists his hips and enters me slowly. “No, it’s the whole package.” He thrusts into me and I moan in pleasure. His hands are on my breasts again, and each time he thrusts, he kneads them hard. “I would offer you a hundred thousand dollars.” He thrusts again, and when he sees my furious expression he laughs and pulls my hair back.
“You’re not wearing a condom!” I cry when he explodes inside me. He shudders once and withdraws quickly. He groans and twist his face as he comes over my body. It’s the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen. He kisses my neck and pulls me back into the shower.
I take a wide T-shirt out of his neat closet and look at the pool through the window.
“Aren’t you tired?” he asks as he pulls on a pair of black boxers. I stare at his athletic body admiringly, focusing on the sexy triangle that starts at his waist and tapers down to his crotch, and I groan.
“Not really. I do feel relieved that you came back, but I’m still pretty tense.”
“Let’s sit outside for a while.” He takes the bottle of alcohol from the dresser and we go downstairs, out to the yard together. He lies down on a lawn chair and I seat myself between his legs and rest my head on his chest.
“There’s something very soothing about the stars,” he caresses my hair and drinks from the bottle. “Maybe it’s the contrast between the black sky and their flickering lights,” he kisses my head and smirks. “Don’t tell me I can’t talk romantic crap.”
“There’s nothing romantic about stars,” I shrug and take the bottle from him. “There’s a difference between stars, which are astronomical bodies that are made of boiling gas and emit light, and planets, like Mars or Earth, which do not emit light, just reflect it.” I take a sip from the bottle. “When you look at a star, what you’re actually seeing is what it looked like in the past.” I take another sip and smile to myself at the simplicity of my explanation. “Each star has a lifespan. Its core compresses hydrogen molecules into helium atoms. When there’s no more hydrogen and too much helium, the star’s life ends, and it explodes. So, it’s possible that a star that people can see and get excited about actually exploded years ago and doesn’t even exist anymore. By the way, if the exploding star is large enough, it can collapse back. And that’s how black holes are made.” I giggle, turn around and lie on top of him on my stomach.
He looks at me, hypnotized. “I’ll never look at stars the same again.”
“Did you understand what I explained?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“I understood that you can ruin even the simplest pleasure like looking at the stars,” he laughs, and when I hit his chest, he becomes serious. “But I also understood that you love it.” He caresses my cheek.
“It’s my life,” I say emotionally and kiss his lips. “And I think there’s a chance I’m starting to fall in love with you.” I stroke his scars and groan.
“Starting?” he teases. “You’re crazy in love with me.”
“You can’t decide that for me.” I try to get up, but he grabs my hips and pulls me back.
“I’m not deciding for you, that’s what I feel.” He bites my lower lip. “And every part of your perfect body feels it.” Now he bites my upper lip. “You’re just afraid to deal with the fact that your life belongs to me now.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say!” I exclaim and squirm, but I can’t get free of his grasp. “My life belongs to me and I am the only one who will decide what happens.”
He bursts out laughing and I look at him in shock. “It’s so easy to shake you up. It doesn’t matter how courageous you look on the outside, deep down inside you, you’re a scared little girl.”
“No, I’m not,” I reply angrily.
“Then admit that you’re madly in love with me. Admit that you can’t imagine your life without me. And admit that your whole body is burning with passion for me right now.”
“I don’t want to.” I stop squirming and lay my head on his chest. “You know that this can’t continue for much longer. It will have to end soon.”
“Fine, keep telling yourself that,” he says coldly. “You might end up believing it, but I’ll never let you go.”
“I really am just a scared little girl.” I kiss his chest. “All I want is to make my dream come true, and anything that could get in the way of that scares me.”
“Let’s change the subject, because this conversation isn’t going in a direction that will make you any less scared.” He cresses my chest through the T-shirt.
“Tell me who cut you.” I pull myself up and trail my fingers over his scars.
“Ilan,” he answers and closes his eyes.
“Ilan?” I ask in shock. “The same Ilan whose wedding we danced at?”
“Yes,” he says with a small smile.
“But how… why?” I can’t find the right words.
“Years ago, when we just started the business, I was impulsive and arrogant. I didn’t know the rules of the game and I thought that I could set my own rules.” He opens his eyes. “Ilan explained it, in that cultured way of his, that in our world the rules are very clear and whoever doesn’t follow them pays the price.” When he sees my shocked expression, his smile grows. “He’s a real man. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t be sitting here today, stroking your perfect breasts.”
“And after that you just became friends?” I move my finger toward his lip.
“There are no friends in our world. Just interests.” He reminds me and takes me back to the bedroom.