Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Sia
My head throbbed .
Groaning, I opened my eyes, then immediately shut them.
So drinking last night wasn’t a good idea.
Honestly, I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. But I guess, considering I’d run out of jellybeans, I hadn’t been thinking. I’d let my addiction get to me.
Damn.
I pressed my palms to my eyes. My whole body ached and felt heavy. I whistled and patted the bed for Polly, but when she didn’t come I opened my eyes. She’d gone to sleep by the side of the bed, but she wasn’t here.
I sat up, immediately freaking out. It was no mystery that Mr. Petrov didn’t want her in the room with me last night.
I started to shoot out of bed but stopped upon hearing the jingle of a dog collar and leash. I rerouted to the window, and when I gazed outside I blinked.
Polly…my Polly had someone else walking her today.
Or he was at least trying to walk her.
Mr. Petrov had Polly by the lead and was wearing not a suit but a dark robe and matching bed pants. Both silk, they draped in a fluid motion over his large body. The robe was slightly open and revealed the bare skin of his broad chest. His dark tattoos were there too of course, stamped like badges of honor across his muscular frame.
I leaned against the window frame, shocked and, well, kind of confused. He wasn’t really doing anything out there with Polly. In fact, they both stood there, Mr. Petrov staring curiously at her. Meanwhile, Polly sat in the stationary position I taught her. She was to remain like that until commanded, and, of course, Mr. Petrov wasn’t giving her any commands.
Maxim…
That was what that man called him yesterday, and Mr. Petrov, well, he saved me.
Yeah, by hurting someone again.
I swallowed, but then nearly laughed when I saw him tug Polly. He didn’t do it in an abrasive motion, and his frustration rang when she didn’t do anything. He pushed a hand into his inky hair, and I did laugh then. He had no idea what to do out there, this dog foreign to him. He had a drink in his hand too, but from here it didn’t appear to be alcohol. Orange juice in hand, he looked like a man who couldn’t handle (of all things) a dog.
I chewed my lip, pushing off the window frame. I slept in my clothes last night so I didn’t have to change before leaving the room. On the way out the door, something gave me pause though. There was something on the end table that definitely hadn’t been there before.
Reaching over, I picked up the bag of jellybeans. They were the brand I liked, and they were also all yellow…
I gazed out the window again but didn’t see Mr. Petrov this time. I didn’t see Maxim .
I placed the jellybeans down and went to the bathroom. After freshening up, I found myself outside, and the sun killed my sensitive eyes, even through my sunglasses. Sharp rays immediately stung my irises, and I cursed myself again for doing something so stupid. Maxim had definitely been right about that. Though I hated that he was.
I found him outside with Polly. They were both right outside the rows and rows of grape vines. This wasn’t far from where I’d seen him when I’d been at the window.
“I see you’ve risen from the dead,” he quipped, taking a sip of his drink. It was orange juice from what I could see. He lowered it. “How’s the headache?”
“Feels like death.” I rubbed my head and just about groaned but didn’t. I didn’t like appearing weak in front of this man. I shielded my eyes before jutting my chin at him and Polly. “So who’s walking who this morning?”
“What?”
“I said who’s walking who ,” I stated, laughing a little. I whistled, and Polly sauntered over to me. Needless to say, Mr. Petrov was more than ready to hand over her leash.
“I told you that dog doesn’t listen to anyone. Well, anyone but you.” He eyed Polly and me under an observant gaze. “She seems to take a liking to you.”
I noticed he called her she and not it or Dog. I stroked Polly’s fur. “I’ve just taught her basic commands, and I’m not scared of her which helps.”
His frown was evident. “I’m not scared of her.”
He could have fooled me. He didn’t appear to just be put off by her but kept his distance. That was usually a telltale sign of fear with most people.
I continued to stroke Polly, and, though Mr. Petrov approached, he was cautious about it.
He folded his big arms. “Where I come from dogs tear people apart.” His look was a curious one on the dog, which I found funny. This big strong guy who clearly had a handle on his world and the people around him was scared of a dog. I mean, Polly was a big dog but this was Mr. Petrov.
Maxim.
He was so commanding, large. Even with feet between us, I could feel his dominant energy, and I’d seen when he’d done to that man last night.
And the one from the funeral home before.
My fingers gathered in Polly’s fur. “And where’s that?” I asked, not knowing why. “Where do you come from, I mean?”
I chanced a look at him, and he was running his tongue casually across his full lips. He wet his lips all the time, and I kept noticing things like that, his mannerisms…
His smell.
His masculine scent ghosted the air and sometimes held a hint of smoke. Like he might smoke cigars sometimes.
“Don’t know why you’d ask about that,” he said, watching me with Polly.
I shrugged. “I guess I just want to understand.” Maybe it’d make more sense what he did at the funeral home and why he’d done what he had last night to that guy at the bar.
He did that for you.
I was well aware of that, and though I didn’t want anyone hurt, I had a feeling that guy would have done something bad to me if Maxim hadn’t shown up. It’d be something I wouldn’t have wanted done.
And that justifies it?
Conflicted, I studied the ground. Right and wrong confused me sometimes. I couldn’t help it with the things I’d seen in my life.
Maxim’s head cocked. “And I don’t know why you’d want to do that either. After all, you’re leaving.”
“I don’t have to go. Well, not right away.” I shocked myself saying this and certainly shocked him. His dark eyebrows twitched up. I wrapped Polly’s leash around my hand. “Polly is technically for you, and I did tell Lettie I’d help you with her.”
It was the only way, frankly, that I’d let Polly stay with him. He needed to learn how to respect her.
I thought he’d come at me hot then. He always did when it came to Polly. He was the first to say he didn’t want her, and that all this with her (and me) was Lettie’s doing.
“I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to learn a few things about her,” he said, surprising me this time. He studied her. “But if you stay, no more drinking. Worse things can happen than what occurred last night.”
Worse than that?
His jaw moved. “And I’ll make sure you have your jellybeans. If that helps, I’ll make sure you have them.”
He seemed to care about my sobriety for some reason. I really didn’t understand why. I suppose maybe he could have struggled with the same, but of course he didn’t say. He had admitted an addiction though…
I nodded. “I saw you left some for me upstairs. That was you right?”
“It was.” His eyes narrowed. “It won’t be my fault you mess up your sobriety.”
Again, why did he care? I chewed the inside of my cheek.
“Okay, but if I stay, I will have my own rules.” He started to say something, but I wouldn’t let him. I smiled. “You train with Polly and cooperate. If anything, it will get Lettie off your back. You can be honest when you speak to her about Polly and your progress with her.”
I heard the hitch in my voice as I spoke to him, and when I realized that, I rubbed Polly. He made me nervous sometimes.
He remained silent beside me, and aware I was under his probing gaze, my skin buzzed suddenly. This unnerved me, but I wouldn’t address it. I didn’t address a lot of things like how I touched myself to the sight of him the other night. What I’d done wasn’t right, inappropriate…
I mean, he was Lettie’s dad.
Again, I wouldn’t and couldn’t address such things, and it took me a beat to realize Mr. Petrov still stared at me.
His gaze averted. “Very well. I’ll get you my schedule. We’ll work it out.”
He couldn’t really look at me after he said it and kept rubbing his mouth. I guess I could assume he was still nervous around Polly. I smiled. “Let’s start now then.”
“I don’t have time now. I have work and?—”
“We’re already outside.” I walked off a few steps, and his lips parted. My head cocked. “Come on. We’ll get a quick walk in with her.”
I suppose he could tell me no, but he didn’t. His hand in his robe’s pocket, he met my few steps, then strode beside me. It’d be interesting trying to teach him about Polly. It’d be interesting to be around him .
I guess we both were about to be put out of our comfort zones.