Chapter 25 Elena
CHAPTER 25
ELENA
The late-night shower had cleansed her in more than one way. Viking had taken her into his arms after the Katya affair and dropped her into the shower. He’d washed her hair with a gentleness she’d almost forgotten, then he’d wrapped her into a huge towel she almost disappeared into.
Now he was talking on the phone in the living room, one hand on the mantle, and a frown that marred his face. He’d put on sweat pants that hung low on his waist, exposing his lower abs. His chest was bare, showing tattoos, and a few scars that had turned to gray. On the coffee table before him, he’d dropped his shirt. He’d placed his gun on the mantle next to a picture of him and Sy. It gave her the chills seeing the weapon, but it was a reminder of his life, of the man he was. Never mind the life she’d lived with Lorenzo; seeing a weapon out in the open still didn’t sit well with her.
She’d put on a simple, cotton nightie with owls on it. Another one of Katya’s gifts, which reminded her to do some shopping of her own. It was less than sexy to walk around in animal PJs.
Then Viking noticed her. When his eyes turned to a shade of dark blue, she forgot all about her nightwear. Judging by his eyes and the growing bulge in his pants, it didn’t matter whether she was wearing a sexy silk teddy or animals on her PJs.
Maybe it was the horrible night, maybe it was everything else that had happened up until this point, but she felt wired. Her body ached for him. She felt pumped and wanted to jump his bones. Their argument of less than a day before, when he’d threatened to go to a strip club, disappeared to the back of her thoughts. Seeing him like this, the way he was looking at her, she believed that he was going to honor their vows. Forced marriage promises or not, at that moment she chose to believe in them. Even if it would only be for a short while, she needed him.
She took off her pajama bottoms. When her hand went to her top, the doorbell rang.
Viking opened the door while talking on his phone.
Elena grabbed her pants, ready to rush into their bedroom when she heard giggles. Two sets of giggles.
What happened next seemed to happen in slow-motion. Her head turned toward the door. Her eyes zoomed onto the pair of women standing in the doorway. They were dressed in tiny glittery dresses and—if she was being honest—had killer bodies. She immediately suffered from a case of comparativitis which made her feel all kinds of lacking.
“So, where do you want us to audition?” one of the girls asked.
Viking didn’t send the girls packing. One of them grabbed hold of his arm as she was swaying on her nine-inch platform heels. The other blonde ducked underneath his arm and sashayed her way into their living room, walking around as if she belonged there.
“I like your place,” the Tall Blonde said, and climbed onto the coffee table. Then she slowly danced to a tune she could only hear in her head.
Slightly-Less-Tall Blonde trailed after her friend and joined her on the table. She jiggled her breasts towards Viking, and radiated her interest like a neon sign.
All the while Elena stood rooted to her spot, standing between the recliner and a side table. The fern next to her showed more signs of life than she did.
She closed her eyes and waited. A song started to play, and she could hear the women dancing. Their spiked heels clicked and clacked on the hardwood table.
“Or maybe you like this song?” one of the bubbly blondes said as she put on another song from her phone.
When she opened her eyes, Viking was still on the phone. He didn’t seem in any hurry to remove them from the premises.
She understood the women were just trying to make a living. It was the way of the world. Everyone had their own story, their own set of reasons to make a buck in this dog-eat-dog world. Hadn’t she herself done things just to survive? However, that didn’t mean she had to be okay with it happening under her own roof.
She walked up to Viking and waved at the women. “Do something about it, or I will.”
His eyes narrowed. “Or you will? What are you going to do? Spray them with soda?”
Her back went rigid. Clearly, he’d heard about the Mandy incident and decided to make fun of her. She did not appreciate that. At all!
Here she was, in the middle of the night, in ugly pajamas, comparing herself to twenty-something-year-olds. She realized two things: one, it was a clear sign that the Universe was against her; and two, she had made a mistake by letting her husband clean up this mess. In hindsight, perhaps it wasn’t the smartest thing to do; zoom into that untapped well of female anger she had built up over the years. Or maybe it was because the lid of that bitter, angry well that had come off just a few hours earlier, hadn’t fully closed yet.
Then she asked herself a question. What would a woman in her right mind do in her place? She’d probably snap. Still, she’d try diplomacy first.
“Ladies, could you please give us a moment? I need to have a chat with my husband.”
They didn’t seem to hear her. Maybe it was the music, or perhaps they were just desperate for this job and chose to ignore her. The one on the left had dark circles underneath her eyes no makeup could cover. Regardless of the reason, even diplomacy had its limits and so had she.
Plastering a smile on her face, she walked up to the mantle and grabbed Viking’s gun. Then she pointed it at him.
The women screamed and jumped off the table. In their haste to run away, Tall Blonde’s shoe got stuck in the thick carpet. She had the audacity to stop and look back at her pump.
Elena shook her head. “Really? Your shoe for your life?”
The girl backed off and plastered herself against the wall like some terrified real-life poster. Her friend had just stumbled onto the couch and froze there, too afraid to move and draw attention to herself.
Sadly, Viking didn’t scare as easily, if at all.
He walked up to her, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m glad I got your attention.”
He stopped in front of her but didn’t bother to go for the gun. “Now what?” he growled, his eyes hard. “Remember what I told you?”
“Never pull a gun on someone unless you’re going to fire,” she quipped. But she didn’t need to fire to make her point.
The women were stumbling over each other in their haste to get out.
Elena’s sharp whistle made them freeze and turn their heads.
“Thank you for your attention, ladies. Any woman who touches him will bleed rivers of blood. I have people in low places, so I’ll always know. Do spread the word,” she said sweetly.
They cleared out after that. A deafening silence filled the apartment. It was only her and Viking now. He looked like a big wall of testosterone and anger, ready to unleash on her any second.
First, he took the gun and dropped it on the couch. Then he grabbed her arm.
“Didn’t want to fuck them anyway.”
As if that statement made any difference.
She punched him in the gut. When he grabbed her arms and pressed them to her sides, she kicked him. It was an all-out brawl, at least inside her head. Every kick was countered by him closing in on her, confining her limbs to her body. Then he started pushing her, until the backs of her knees hit the couch and he dropped her on it.
Then he lowered himself on top of her. He made her clothes disappear in an instant. Pressed chest to chest, his naked glory against her heated skin, it was all she could do not to pant. Heat pooled between her legs. Part of her brain told her she should resist him. Tomorrow, it said, tomorrow you will regret this. But the heart didn’t listen. And maybe that was her biggest flaw. Not just loving the big brute, but being defenseless against him no matter how many times he hurt her.
Maybe love was all about pain. Or maybe that was their dark, twisted version of it. A version she couldn’t get away from, no matter how many times she’d practiced inside her head. When his bare hands yanked her panties down, she arched her back instead of trying to butt him in the head. Then his thick fingers hit her core and pushed inside her, conquering her from the inside.
There was no stopping after that. Whatever she’d wanted to say, whatever her pride had told her to do, it was all gone. All that was left was his fingers caressing her. It always amazed her how a big man like Viking could be so gentle when he wanted. That lasted for about two minutes. The second a rush of wet heat coated his fingers, his eyes blazed. He pinched her clit, making her bite her lip to stifle a moan.
“Let go,” he rasped.
Never. He might play her body like a fiddle, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of screaming that out into the world.
Another finger jammed inside her hot, wet core, making her ache. Making her burn for him. Her legs went up and clung to his sides, urging him to enter her. Her hand guided his head to her breast that felt heavy and neglected. When his teeth grazed a nipple and pulled it into his hot mouth, she could no longer remain silent.
“Oh, God…”
The next time she would wipe that smirk off his face. The next time, when he jammed his cock inside her, she wouldn’t cry out to the gods and above. She certainly wouldn’t grab hold of his muscular ass and slap it.
Viking cursed. “You like it kinky.”
She was in no state of mind to answer him. Her nails dug into his butt, leaving half-moon increments. Every thrust of his was met with her pressing up against him. Deeper. She needed him deeper. Harder. Faster.
The slap of his balls against her ass filled the room. Words left her mouth, but her scattered brain could hardly process them.
A growl escaped Viking. “Damn, you’re making me wild.”
She slapped his ass for good measure. His eyes closed for a sec, to open wide, blazing a blue fire that promised her retribution. Good, she was ready for it. Whatever consideration he had shown her before, it was all gone now. He fucked her into the couch, hard, swiftly, and without mercy.
At some point, she blacked out for a second. When she reopened her eyes, he was standing next to her. He was still hard. Her hand went to his cock.
He grabbed her hand. There was a forlorn expression on his face, bordering between pain and regret.
“Was it worth it?” he asked. “The fancy cars, the big house, and everything else that came with it?”
Where had that come from? “What?”
“Don’t try to deny it. Your brother told me all about it. He liked rubbing into my face the fact that you deserved more. That I could never give you what you deserved.”
“He did?” When did that happen?
Then his phone rang. Viking grabbed his pants off the floor and dug into his pocket to find his phone. A few words, then he hung up.
Without saying another word, he got dressed and left. A stunning silence filled the room. Suddenly Elena felt cold and anything but desired. And she felt anger. Loads and loads of anger.
Once again, they had ended up in a spot where they had let their bodies do the talking. Once again, she had let him get away with it. Maybe that was their curse. Maybe they were meant to spend eternity like this. Fighting with words and finishing it with their bodies.
She just wished it didn’t make her feel so damn hollow afterwards.