Chapter 30
ALICE
Simeon’s home has surprised me. Then again, I shouldn’t be shocked at that because the man himself is one big surprise.
He is dark, strong, dangerous, and corrupt, and yet they are his strengths.
He is also kind, compassionate, and caring, and so incredibly sexy I have forgotten my earlier calling.
It’s surprising I no longer even consider returning to the convent.
Preferring to live a life of sin with him instead.
He shows me around his apartment and, despite the outside, inside is a surprisingly comfy space. It may be industrial, sleek metal, leather, and fur with all the modern gadgets, but it’s an extension of the man living here.
I am used to grandeur, antiques, tapestries, gold, and tradition.
After a while, that becomes slightly vulgar when wealth is demonstrated and hung on the walls like trophies.
The only things on the walls here are steel and abstract art.
Huge paintings of master strokes exist alongside black and white silhouettes of naked women.
It suits Simeon and as we head into his huge modern kitchen, I’m surprised when he points to a metal barstool at a huge island with a black marble top.
“Coffee?” He raises his eyes in question, and I nod, loving this more domesticated side of him.
“Thanks.”
He appears at ease here, his shirt open to the waist, strong muscles rippling as he reaches for the mugs, his hair slightly messy from the trip, and his shoulders relaxed as the tension slides from them now we are safe in the familiar.
I study him with interest as he moves around his industrial space, and my heart flutters when he glances my way with a soft smile and an appreciative wink.
“You are a good addition to my home, Alice.”
“Addition.”
I lean on the counter, gazing at him with my chin resting in my hands.
“Like all of my possessions, I demand the best, and that is you.”
“So, I’m your possession now.”
“Of course.” His heavy wink causes me to smile.
“Then you are my trophy.”
“I can live with that. But why a trophy?”
“Because you made me into a woman, and I will stand you high on my shelf to appreciate the milestone.”
This time I wink and he shrugs. “You are kind of my trophy, too.”
“In what way?”
“Because you soften my edges and present a challenge no other woman ever has.”
“When I gave you the slip, I’m guessing.”
“No, Alice.”
I’m surprised at the expression on his face that chases away the lighthearted one of before.
“You have made me want to be a better man. To please you, to chase away your demons, and rebuild your confidence. You are also the first woman I have married, and for a self-styled bachelor, I commend you for your triumph.”
He winks again, but my heart is racing at the sincerity in his tone. To disguise how touched I am, I say slowly, “Your first wife.”
“Of course.”
He grins and slides the mug my way. “There will be no prisoners here, Alice. If I am not the perfect husband to you, I’m guessing you will head for the nearest exit, and I will not prevent that.”
“You wouldn’t fight for me?”
I am crushed, and he shakes his head.
“No, I would not because if you even think about leaving me, it’s because I’m the asshole who ruined a very good thing. I would not deserve to fight for you, so my mission is clear. Never to stop fighting to keep you, to save me from the heartache of watching you walk away from me.”
“Simeon.” The mug hovers in the air between us, and he jerks his head toward another corridor off the hallway.
“Come, bring your coffee; there is more to see.”
He chases away the intimacy of the moment, leaving me reeling. It’s almost as if he cares, and that’s a powerful gift to bestow on a woman who has never been wanted before.
I follow him, and we head through his apartment, and with every room, I fall a little more in love with the place. He is obviously proud of his home, and as we reach his huge bedroom, I immediately feel at home.
“I can tell this space is yours, Simeon.”
“How?”
“It’s masculine, unapologetic and bold. A statement, if you like.”
The huge bed, draped in silk and fur, dominates the room.
Bare wooden floors are strewn with rugs, and the warm lighting creates a smoky atmosphere.
There are pictures of naked women in brush strokes on the wall and mirrors everywhere that reflect the light around the room.
Steel furniture is softened with lamps, and a huge black couch is softened with fur throws and cushions.
It’s dark, intimate and moody, and a shiver of expectation passes through me as Simeon sits on the couch, setting his mug on the steel table in front of it.
His hooded gaze strips me bare, and he leans back, a picture of masculinity in his prime.
“So, you’ll stay?”
“Why would I leave my husband so early on in our marriage?”
“Because this isn’t the life you dreamed about, perhaps. Not many women lie in bed at night and ask for an apartment over a strip club with a monster in their bed.”
I laugh out loud. “True, but life works in mysterious ways, and I’m glad I got to learn the value of my husband before I realized how he lives his life.”
“I take it you fell in love with me the moment I massacred a jet full of people and dragged you from the wreckage through their blood.”
“You’re a sweet talker, Simeon. I like that about you.”
His sudden grin lights up the room, and my heart falters. Why am I falling in love with the devil, and why is he making it so easy for me?
I glance toward the bed, wondering if it would be bold to demand he take me there this minute because it’s torture being stripped bare by his gaze as I stand before him, clutching onto the mug more as a distraction than anything else.
“So, what happens now in Simeon’s world?”
His gaze darkens, and I tremble inside.
“I want to show you the rest of my world before I corrupt your soul forever.”
“The rest of your world.”
I gaze at him thoughtfully and am disappointed when he stands and jerks his head toward the door.
“Come.”
His fingers lace in mine, and he issues a warning that causes a shiver to rip through me.
“Do not leave my side, and if shit happens, it will be dealt with swiftly.”
There is danger with every tread of his shoe, and as we enter another elevator, we travel in silence. I wonder if he is preparing me for something I won’t like, because the tension is heavy in the air, and as we step out, I can see why.
We are in a corridor of mirrors, and as we move down the space, I note the huge steel door at the end.
He punches in a code, and we head through it into another corridor with red-painted walls.
Music thumps from a crack in the doorway, and he stills as his hand reaches to enter another security code and he explains, “Have you ever been to a strip club before, Alice?”
“What do you think?”
Says the mafia don to the nun.
My thoughts make me giggle, but it’s a nervous one because what the hell am I stumbling unknowingly into?
The music hits us as we enter the space, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the scene before me.
As always, there are guards everywhere, glaring at anyone who catches their eye, and as we move toward a bar at the end, I don’t know where to look first.
My gaze falls on a well-lit stage where a pole is suspended from the ceiling.
A naked woman twirling around it upside down, her legs apart, revealing her most intimate parts.
Men are howling and tossing dollar bills onto the stage, and I notice she is protected by several guards watching the crowd, their backs to the woman.
Simeon’s hand tightens in mine as he pulls me to the bar, demanding two bourbons in his usual husky whisper. I notice the servers moving around, holding silver trays, their outfits revealing, their attention suggestive.
“What do you think?”
Simeon remains impassive, but I can tell he’s tense. His gaze is sharp, a pulse ticking in his jaw, and his hand tight against mine.
“It’s, um, very you.” I whisper, not really caring if he hears me above the music, and I glance around me, feeling out of place in my jeans and sweater.
I am surrounded by sordid glamor, and I don’t know where to look first, and yet a strange thrill passes through me as I contemplate his decadent world.
It fits his personality; it reeks of him, and that is the main attraction, I guess.
Simeon is danger wrapped in a wicked smile and a scorching gaze.
He drips deprivation and sin, which is a powerful statement to a woman who has only just become one.
He is forbidden, wicked and untamed, and quite frankly, he takes my breath away, and I am still waiting for it to come back.
“There’s more.”
He hands me the bourbon, and I waste no time in downing the shot because I have a feeling that more will be way more shocking than what I’ve already seen.
“Are you up for more, or have you seen enough, angel?”
His raised brow questions, and I already have my answer.
“Of course I want to see more. How can I judge you unless I’m aware of the full package.”
“Judge me?”
He grins. “Don’t judge me too harshly, little angel, because after tonight you may just realize that we are not so different after all.”
As his warning, or is it a promise, rings in my ears, he pulls me after him through the dark space toward another set of doors at the end and I guess that when I learn what hides behind them, I will never be the same again.