Chapter 12 - Ruslana
I wait until Avraam is long gone—his footsteps no longer on the stairs and the front door closing behind him, before I let the blanket drop away from my body. I can’t believe that just happened.
I feel an overwhelming mix of emotions.
Embarrassed, rejected, confused, turned on and angry.
I don’t understand why he backed off like that—in a hurry, too. It’s like he couldn’t wait to get away from me.
The way I see it—I am more trouble than I’m worth to him.
He only wanted to be with me because I was around. An easy option. It makes me think that he would just take any girl—just because it was convenient. But I’m suddenly not convenient.
And he’s not interested.
The fact that he came to his senses and realized that he didn’t want me after all—it stings.
But at least I know the truth now.
There is zero connection between us .
It was just a brief physical attraction from his side, and it’s gone now that he knows the truth about me.
I mean, any man would have been tempted to be with a girl who was sleeping next to him. It doesn’t make me special that he wanted me in the first place.
I sigh loud and dramatic, rolling my eyes at my own stupidity.
Throwing my legs off the side of the bed, I walk in huffed steps all the way to the bathroom.
Glaring at myself in the mirror, I blurt out, “y ou are an idiot, Ruslana.”
My own reflection stares back at me. Looking annoyed and angry.
Whatever.
This is stupid, anyway. I just want to go home.
I pout my bottom lip out and head back into the bedroom to get dressed.
I guess the best chance I have of finding a way to go home is to keep exploring and gathering any information I can find on Avraam.
The more I know, the more chance I have of getting away.
Being upset over something like this is pointless and the best thing I can do for myself is to forget it ever happened.
I pull on the pair of jeans that Avraam got for me, grab the pink hoodie, and head out into the house.
Walking around for a while, I decide that there might be more for me to see in the office. So far, it’s the room that’s given me the most information about him—useful stuff, anyway.
I turn to walk down the passage and let out a stark scream when I bump into Royce.
Immediately, my blood runs cold.
Just the sight of him sends an icy shiver down my spine and makes goosebumps spread across my arms.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he says, his voice low and tainted with darkness.
I don’t reply. I’m trying to think.
I can call out for—
My heart freezes. There isn’t anyone else here. Not a single person inside the house. All of the guards are out in the garden.
I’m completely alone with this guy.
Panic inches closer and I do my best to force it away.
“What are you doing here—all the guards are meant to be outside,” I say, full of confidence that I don’t feel.
He snorts a dry laugh and glares at me. His eyes drift over my body, ravishing every inch of me, slow and heated.
“What makes you think you have a right to question me?” he retorts with annoyance.
I want to cringe away from the look on his face.
I know exactly what he’s thinking. He isn’t even trying to hide it.
I take a step back, becoming more aware of the danger I’m in.
This is the man that stalked me and tried to take me from the club. He wouldn’t think twice about hurting me. He would take exactly what he wanted from me without a hint of guilt or any hesitation.
The last time I saw Royce, he had me pinned to the ground, his hands were all over me and I could feel his—his desire—pressed against me.
He was forced to stop, but I know in my heart that if we had been alone, then he would have taken me by force.
And right now, his eyes tell me I am at risk of that happening.
I take another step away from him and he chuckles.
He steps closer.
I wince when my back hits the wall and I realize I am trapped.
I can’t let him know I’m afraid. It will only make him feel stronger.
“Get out of the house, Royce. You aren’t supposed to be in here.”
“It’s my job to be in here, sweetheart. I go where Avraam sends me. I am running errands for him, after all. Who are you to think you have a right to question where I go anyway—you are nothing but a prisoner. You have absolutely no power here.”
He steps even closer and his eyes are bearing into me like drills.
He looks angry, he looks upset with me, but I can’t imagine what I did to him—apart from trying to fight him off before.
Instead of cowering or trying to run from him, I push my shoulders back and lift my head in defiance. I glare at him with every ounce of strength that I have in me.
He laughs again, but finally, reluctantly, he takes a step away from me.
“Watch your back, sweetheart. There are dangerous people around here,” he smirks. There is nothing friendly about his face or his words.
I don’t move as he walks down the passage towards the stairs. I stay with my back pressed against the wall, waiting for him to leave—waiting until I know I am alone in the house again.
I hear him open the front door—that’s when I run to the edge of the staircase because I need to see it with my own eyes. I need to see him leave and the door closing behind him.
He steps outside without looking back into the house.
The door closes and I hear the lock click into place. Not that it matters. He got inside easily enough. He must have a key.
Alone again, I feel sick to my stomach.
I don’t know what to do with myself.
All I can think about is that same fear that I felt when he stalked me. The helplessness I felt when he pinned me down in the garden. And the look in his eyes right now.
The mansion feels massive. It feels big and cold and very empty.
I am so incredibly alone right now I don’t even want to move from this spot.
My eyes are still on the front door.
How long has Avraam been gone for?
I want him to come now. I don’t want to be here without him.
When I can’t take it anymore, I force myself to go to the library and sit in the big armchair. It wraps around me and holds me. And from here I can hear the front door if it opens. At least if Royce comes back, I will know and maybe I can run into the bathroom and lock myself in there.
If he comes back in here, I have to do something.
I can’t put myself in that position again. He is dangerous. I see straight through his thoughts.
Avraam is out of the house all day. While he is gone, I don’t leave the library.
I am on high alert and focused on the sound of the front door, waiting, ready, filled with anticipation.
Outside it’s growing dark and with the darkness comes more anxiety.
“Please come home,” I whisper to myself.
When the front door opens, I jump with fright. I’ve been so focused, waiting for that sound that I created far too much tension around it.
I leap out of the armchair and run from the library out into the passage. Staying upstairs, I look down towards the front door.
It’s Avraam. He’s alone. And I have never felt so relieved in my life.
I bolt down the stairs, taking them two at a time and practically bowl him over with my greeting.
“Hi, hello. How was your day? You came home late. You were gone for quite a while today. Anyway. I’m really glad you’re home.”
The words spill from my mouth in messy strings of chaos.
Avraam is looking at me as though I’ve lost my mind.
“Hello,” he says, eyeing me up and down, looking confused.
“Did you have a nice day?” I ask, trying to sound as normal as possible to make up for how stupid I sounded earlier.
“It wasn’t a bad day. I got a lot done. How about you?” He walks around me, still looking at me with narrowed eyes, and heads towards the kitchen.
I follow him, chatting nervously about nothing at all.
I watch while he pours himself a whiskey and throws two blocks of ice into it.
“Do you want one?” he asks.
“Sure, thanks,” I nod. A drink will definitely help calm my overly jittery nerves.
I take a deep breath, trying to force myself to let go of the tension I was holding onto all day.
There is so much fear simmering beneath the surface of my thoughts—but I can forget about that now because Avraam is here—I know I’m safe.
He hands me a crystal glass, filled with golden liquid. “Thank you.”
“Are you going to join me for dinner?” he asks, sipping his drink and leaning casually against the kitchen counter.
I nod, “Yes, I’d like that.”
“I’ve ordered takeout. I hope you like Asian. I ordered a mix of things, so hopefully, there is something in there that you like.”
“I love Asian food. All of it,” I grin, tilting my head to the side and shrugging at the same time.
After this morning’s incident between Avraam and I—and then this afternoon's incident with Royce catching me off guard—I kind of just want to go to bed and pretend like today never happened—but dinner with Avraam will be nice. Maybe it will distract me from my own thoughts.
“The food will be here in about five minutes. Do you want to grab some plates and take them through to the dining room?”
“Yup,” I say enthusiastically.
I carry plates and cutlery through and set the table nicely while Avraam answers the door and one of his security guys hands him the box with our dinner.
He brings the whole thing into the dining room and sets each box on the table. Opening them one at a time, he spreads them out in front of me. “There you go. Choose whatever you want,” he gestures over the assortment.
I bite my lip.
Why do I feel so awkward today?
Dishing up a few different things, I sit down and instead of taking the fork, I grab the bamboo chopsticks that got delivered with the food.
He chuckles, “I could never get those things right.” He gestures towards the chopsticks, picking up his own fork once he’s dished up for himself.
“Oh, it’s actually really easy—I guess once you get the hang of it.”
“All I manage to do is pick up one noodle at a time and make a mess.”
He grins at me and I feel my cheeks flush pink.
Dammit.
Why does he have to be so gorgeous?
He’s not interested in being with me.
I need to stop seeing him that way, but it seems impossible.
It sucks to be so attracted to someone who isn’t attracted to you too.
I don’t look at him for a while because I don’t want him to see me blushing. Maybe having dinner with him tonight was a bad idea. Maybe I should have just gone straight to bed.