Chapter 7 #2
His hand spanned my jaw as his thumb rubbed my lower lip. His gaze was molten steel as he glared down at me. “I never want to hear such an ugly word come out of this pretty mouth again. Do you hear me?”
Afraid to move or even speak, I just stood there within his tight grasp.
“You will do as I say. Don’t let me catch you down here alone again. Your co-workers will just have to find another little mouse to order around and you will not be going to that Fitzgerald’s house under any circumstances. Paying your tuition is no longer your concern.”
I bit my lip and lowered my gaze. My humiliation was complete knowing he had learned of the awful nickname I had gained here among the library staff and students.
It was awful because it was true. I was a little insignificant mouse who just shyly skittered along the outskirts of life, hoping no one stepped on her.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered hoarsely as I sniffed and tried to wipe away my tears. “Is it… is it because of last night? Because you feel some obligation to me… because I was… was a… virgin? The misunderstanding wasn’t your fault! It was mine! You don’t owe me anything.”
Grasping my face with both hands, his mouth swooped down to claim mine.
He tasted of tobacco and mint as his tongue swirled and danced around my own.
My hand crept up to grasp the thin soft material of his shirt as I could not stifle a wanton moan.
His kisses. My God, his kisses were all-consuming.
By the time he lifted his head, I could barely remember my name, let alone what we had been talking about.
“Let’s just say I have a sudden desire to be the wealthy patron of an adorable little library student.”
“But…”
“Enough.” He grabbed me by the hand, propelling me down the narrow space between the stacks and into the equally dimly lit main aisle. As I looked around the dreary isolated space, I saw it through his eyes and had to concede he had a point.
I righted my bra and clasped the ends of my sweater over my chest as I struggled to keep up with his long, powerful strides.
As we reached the exit to the storage level, he picked up his suit jacket and swung it over my shoulders.
Something hard bumped my elbow. Reaching into the inner pocket, I pulled out a thin, rectangular red leather case with the name Cartier in gold-embossed letters across the top.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to pry,” I stammered as I tried to put the jewelry case back inside the inner jacket pocket and wondered about the woman who he probably intended the gift for.
I bet she wore elegant black cocktail dresses and drank chilled martinis as she dazzled all the men who surrounded her.
Dimitri adjusted the too-big coat over my shoulders and reached into the inside pocket.
The back of his knuckles brushed my breast as he did so.
I inhaled a shocked gasp as desire once again spiked through me.
What was wrong with me? The man was still practically a stranger.
My ass was still hurting from the second spanking he had just given me and here I was mooning over him like a schoolgirl with a crush.
“This, my adorable little librarian, is for you. For last night.”
He opened the Cartier case, and my jaw dropped.
I had never seen so many diamonds before in my life. It looked almost like a movie prop from an old Marilyn Monroe film. The art déco bracelet was at least an inch thick with hundreds of sparkling diamonds set in what I could only assume was platinum.
I shook my head as I took several steps backward, holding my flat palm up in a ‘stop’ motion. “No, I couldn’t possibly accept that!”
“моя крошка, you will wear this bracelet. I’m not asking. I’m telling you.”
“And I told you, I’m not a wh—”
His eyes narrowed as he stalked toward me. The backs of my thighs bumped into the scarred wooden community table, which took up most of the center aisle, as I tried to back further away.
“Be very careful what you are about to say, I have no issue with bending you over that bench and teaching you another painful lesson.”
Blindly reaching behind me, I grabbed the worn straps of my backpack and held it protectively before me. “I’m not the type of girl men give expensive jewelry to!”
The tips of his fingers stroked my cheek before reaching for my long ponytail.
He let the soft curls trail over his palm before saying, “I don’t think you know what type of woman you are…
but I do. There is much more to you, my sweet Emma, than meets the eye.
I think many people have underestimated and overlooked you… I won’t be one of them.”
Stunned, I didn’t even object as he reached to open the flap of my backpack and placed the jewelry box inside.
* * *
“No, I can’t! You don’t understand.”
“I’m not a patient man, Emma. I am tiring of hearing the word ‘no’ on your lips.”
We were sitting inside his luxury black Mercedes-Benz just outside my apartment. No matter how badly I entreated, he would not take no for an answer and had absolutely insisted on driving me home. Now he was demanding I pack a bag and leave with him.
It was insane.
“I don’t even know your last name!”
“Dimitri Antonovich Kosgov, now get your things. I warn you. Since my plan is to have you naked most of the evening, this minor concession is already stretching my patience.”
This was all too much. I needed time to think.
To process everything that had just happened.
Last night, I never expected to see this man ever again and here he was demanding I spend the night with him.
There was also an enormous part of me that was scared to death to be alone with him.
I mean really alone. Look what the man did when we were in public!
Granted, we had been in an isolated basement, but it was technically public!
Not to mention, I was still sore from the night before and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure I would survive another night of rough sex with him.
There was a soft vibration on the console between us.
Dimitri picked up his phone and let out a low curse in Russian.
“You are very fortunate, little one. There is some business I need to attend to. This will be your only reprieve. Tomorrow night I want you here waiting for me at precisely six p.m. Do you understand?”
“You want to take me out on a proper date? Like dinner?” I was pretty sure that wasn’t what he meant, but figured I would pretend otherwise.
He touched the tip of his finger to my nose. “Have it your way, моя крошка. I will take you out for a proper date.”
He turned and exited the car. Quickly, before he could see me, I reached into my backpack and pulled out the red leather jewelry case and shoved it deep between the seat and console just as he opened my door.
As soon as I stepped out, he caged me in between his body and the car.
“I want you to listen very carefully. From this point forward, you are under my protection. I will explain to you in intimate detail what that means over dinner tomorrow. Until then, I suggest you behave and not break any more of my rules. Trust me, моя крошка, you won’t like the punishment if you do. ”
This isn’t fair!
“How am I supposed to know if I break a rule?”
“You won’t, until it is too late,” he tossed over his shoulder as he headed back to the driver’s side.
I threw my hands up in the air. “So what am I supposed to do until tomorrow?”
He smirked. Then said in his heavy, sexy-as-hell Russian accent, “Be a good girl and read a book.”
* * *
“Read a book? He told you to read a book?”
Mary’s reaction wasn’t so much a laugh as a cackle.
“I’m glad you are finding the spectacular mess my life has become so amusing!” I huffed.
“Your life was boring.”
I pressed my lips together, having no retort for her truthful comeback.
“How did he find you, anyway?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I didn’t have time to ask him.”
“Didn’t have time to ask? What were you doing? Oh… never mind, I think I have a good idea.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I changed the topic of the now embarrassing conversation. “Oh, yeah, well, Buffy is preachy and derivative!” I teased.
Her jaw dropped with fake affront. “You take that back.”
I stuck out my tongue.
“Jane Austen is pedantic and trite!” she fired back.
“Blasphemy!” I shouted before tossing my pillow at her as I rose and walked across the room to my bedroom.
“Where are you going?”
I sighed. “To be a good girl and read a book.”
I could still hear her laughter through my door.