Chapter 15
Fallon
I stretched, yawning as softness enveloped my body. When I finally opened my eyes, I tried to focus but was still so sleepy. It had been a long time since I’d had a good night’s sleep. Suddenly, I realized someone was watching me.
Rolling over, I instantly smiled. “Well, good morning, Bella. How did you sleep?”
Where she’d been so lethargic the night before, the pup’s eyes were bright and her tail was thumping against the bed. It suddenly hit me that it was daylight outside.
Shit.
“Oh, no, baby girl. You need to be walked.” As soon as I sat up, something slid off the bed to the floor. Leaning over, I was surprised to see it was a note written by hand.
That’s when I also realized I’d fallen asleep in Vissarian’s bed. How did I know for certain? Because of the four massive posts leading to a gorgeous overhead canopy draped with gauzy material.
The bed in my cottage was fabulous and very comfortable, but the king-sized ornate piece of furniture was to die for. And I wasn’t that easily impressed. At least not by furniture. Groaning, I leaned over the edge, snatching it with my fingers. When I did, I noticed the vibrator on the nightstand.
Oh, my God.
A wash of embarrassment finally rolled over me, my face hot to the touch and automatically, I touched my cheek. A moment of near panic settled in. Where was he? Why hadn’t he awakened me?
Fallon,
You looked so peaceful I couldn’t wake you.
I’m headed to a meeting with Hoffman. I brought something from the café for you and for the little tyke.
Good news. The veterinarian called. Bella’s bloodwork came back just fine.
I also took her for a walk. I must admit, I suck at getting her to follow my orders.
Completely unlike you, who follow them beautifully.
I’ll return.
V
Just ‘V’ like valentine or Viagra. The thought brought a fit of giggles. He certainly didn’t need the drug at all as evidenced by how sore my body remained. Just wiggling on the sheets reminded me he’d spanked me.
Maybe my skin bruised too easily.
The pleasant thought turned immediately into a terrible one. Nope. I wasn’t going to go there.
At least he’d written the time. How thoughtful of him. And here I was thinking he wasn’t a nice guy. As I tugged the sheet, the soft material scraped against my nipples and I bit back a moan.
How many times had the man given me an orgasm? So many I’d lost count.
Whew. I was indeed sore all over.
“So, Mr. V walked you, huh?” I placed the note on the nightstand, shuddering as I envisioned Vissarian’s naked body. Better than a cup of coffee, although I had to admit that a steaming mug full was definitely needed right about now.
Maybe I could find a syringe and dose myself with a vial full.
The pup crawled closer, placing her head in my lap. “Well, baby girl. What are we going to do with you?” She looked much better after the bath, her fur so soft. If I had to guess, I’d say she was around six months old and I could tell by her paws she was going to be a very big girl.
I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her here. It was obvious she was no one’s pet and I shuddered to think how strays were handled.
“Maybe I could take you with me. What do you think?” She pawed my arm, looking up at me as if I was her savior. How in the world could I pull that off? “Why don’t we make certain you have some water and see what Mr. V brought you for breakfast.”
And what he’d brought me.
We’d had a little picnic on the bed, but I’d only been so interested in food. Not when I’d had much more delicious items on the menu.
Like his lips.
His chin.
His chest.
His big, fat cock.
I planted my feet on the floor, remembering I wasn’t in my cottage. Where in the world had I left my dress? Oh, that’s right. Outside. Hmmm. Maybe I’d borrow one of his shirts. Why not?
He hadn’t bothered unpacking, but he had grabbed his shirt from the night before, tossing it near his suitcase. I chose that one.
Bella watched me as I held the material to my nose, inhaling deeply. Her single bark forced me to open my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
She barked again, finally jumping off the bed. I watched as she trotted from the room, laughing the entire time. Why did I have the distinct feeling she was going to be a diva?
Just like her mommy dog.
What was I saying? I couldn’t get too attached. I was certain there were dozens of laws regarding bringing a dog in from another country, including quarantine needs. I didn’t have the money to keep her locked away for a couple of weeks.
I also wasn’t comfortable with placing her life in danger. Antonio would do something terrible to her.
Then again, I already couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her.
While still struggling into the shirt, I followed behind her. She was happily lapping at her makeshift water bowl.
Croissants and fresh fruit were on the table.
Wonders never ceased with the man. So much of me wanted to trust him.
Maybe I was just dreaming. The scent of the strawberries was incredible, but I needed coffee more than anything.
There was a vast selection of flavors. After choosing one, I checked the refrigerator, finding leftover chicken and some cheese already cubed for Bella.
With her happily eating, I grabbed the mug, adding cream and leaning against the counter.
Suddenly, buyer’s remorse settled in. What in God’s name had I done? Yes, I was an adult and no, sleeping with the man didn’t mean anything long term. Hell, he lived fifteen hundred miles away from me. Still, I’d set myself up for another letdown.
Maybe the best thing to do was to draw a line in the sand right now.
Bella stretched and lay down, peering up at me as she’d done before, her tail swishing back and forth across the tile. “You like him. Don’t you?”
She lifted and cocked her head.
“Me too. Maybe too much. But I can’t let my guard down, Bella.”
Her slight growl made me laugh.
“Don’t argue with me.”
Woof!
“What a little brat you are.” Reaching down, I couldn’t help but run my fingers through her fur.
I’d had a puppy once. Well, it wasn’t technically my puppy.
The fur ball had belonged to my sister. But I’d adored her just the same.
At least I had a few memories of our ranch in Colorado. I prayed to God I didn’t lose them.
Hearing my phone, I stiffened. I’d wanted to dump my phone for a new one and had planned on it, but there’d been no chance with Jeffrey needing me on a whim.
It reminded me I needed to call and check on how he was doing. He hadn’t allowed me to go to the hospital with him, which meant I had no clue which one, but I would find out.
The ringing continued and I chose to be a brave girl, grabbing it from the table near the patio doors. After taking a deep breath, I glanced at the screen.
“Thank God.” My stomach could finally stop being in knots. A friendly voice. “Jasmine.”
She giggled. “Who did you think it was?”
Jasmine had also been a former girlfriend of Jeffrey’s, only their relationship hadn’t ended with roses and the two of them shaking hands.
She’d been pissed. I’d run into her the day I’d moved in with Jeffrey.
That should have told me something right there, especially since she warned me in no uncertain terms that he was a womanizer.
I hadn’t listened, at least not at first.
Maybe I should hate the man, but there hadn’t been enough time for him to cheat on me. We’d had lunch and one thing had led to another and Jasmine and I had become best friends.
“Maybe the realtor about my mom’s house.” The last thing she needed was to hear I was afraid Antonio would do something even more horrible than before.
“Are you sure, because you sound as if you just lost your best friend or had wild, wicked sex last night. All. Night. Long.”
When I coughed, she gasped. “Don’t… Just don’t,” I said.
“Uh-huh. I can tell something is wrong.”
I wiped coffee from my mouth. I’d told her almost nothing about the confrontation and violence, or about Antonio’s threat. She’d known he’d hit me, threatening to use all her connections, including every NFL football player she’d ever dated, and have Antonio wiped off the earth.
Not that I would mind.
Maybe that was something I could ask Vissarian to do. Images floated into my mind that were far too violent. But…
“No, it’s just been a whirlwind few days.”
“I am so sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk with you when you breezed into town.”
“I know. Jeffrey asked me to do him a favor. Which is what I’m asking you to do. Will you check my mail at the apartment? I only had it stopped for a week. It’s almost been two and you know how the post office is sometimes. Plus, who knows. Maybe my one plant is still alive.”
“I get it. I’ll go by later today and grab everything. I still have your key,” she told me, laughing because she’d given me the plant.
“You’re a godsend.”
“I’m shocked you’re still talking to Jeffrey. He’s an asshole.”
Jasmine never minced words, something I adored about her. “He’s not so bad. He’s actually a very good listener once you get past the jumping your bones part. Besides, he’s in the hospital so be nice.”
“Hospital? What for?”
“Appendicitis. Happened really fast. I’m sure he’s still there recuperating.”
When she got very quiet, I suddenly felt unnerved. “That’s odd,” she said as if thinking about something. “I could swear he was in Cabana’s last night.”
“Are you sure?” The hot club was one Jeffrey adored. He’d taken me there a few times.
“Maybe not. I mean there are about a million other guys with ugly smirks on their faces.”
She had me laughing, which was something Jasmine could always do. Yet as with everything else as of late, I stored what she’d said in the back of my mind. My mother’s words from a couple of years after my father’s death lingered in the forefront of my mind.
“Trust your instinct. If it feels wrong, it likely is. Be careful, my beautiful girl. There are bad men everywhere.”
God, every piece of advice she’d given me had slowly rolled through my brain like some movie in slow motion. I could even see images of her face when she’d offered advice. She’d been so different when my father had been alive, so vibrant and so much in love.
Then he’d been killed by a drunk driver and she’d almost lost her mind.
I had to stop thinking about the past.
“Remember, you’re royalty.”
Jesus. This was getting out of hand.
“Oh, Fallon. Are you there?” Jasmine’s voice brought me back, laughing when I did.
“I’m right here.” I glanced down at Bella and suddenly, I felt suffocated.
“Now, where are you again? Some tropical island?” she asked, changing the subject.
Meanwhile, a little prickle of uncertainty lingered in my mind.
“May-be.”
“You said you were taking some rich billionaire on vacation? Right?” Her voice was so adorable when she was trying to pick apart information from me. She’d even tried to fix me up with one of her exes that she was still talking to.
Bella was suddenly by my feet, already taking a snooze. “Not on vacation. On a business meeting, but you wouldn’t believe the accommodations.”
She laughed. “That makes up for dealing with a nasty old rich guy. Right?”
“Oh, he’s not nasty or old.”
“You’re kidding?”
“We made a pact that we don’t kid about hot men. Remember?”
She snorted. “We did. Spill the tea, girlfriend.”
“Let’s just say he’s GQ perfect with the kind of money to jet all over the world several times over.”
“Is he single?”
“I think so.”
“Mmm… Do you want me to do some digging?” Jasmine laughed. “He might be perfect, but you never know. Men are vile animals.”
“Did you break up with one of your men again?”
“Stop. You know exactly what I mean.”
“I think I’m just fine. This is a short-term gig and nothing else.”
“There’s nothing wrong with making it a longer-term gig. You deserve to be happy.”
“That’s going to need to wait, Jazzy. There’s too much going on in my life.”
“I know you’re not telling me everything about your family and what you’re going through, but I’m not stupid, girl. I know your stepbrother did something to you when you were home.”
“That’s not my home any longer.” I honestly didn’t know if I could consider Miami home either. The guilt at leaving my mother alone in Chicago was eating at me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. She’d understood, even encouraging me to leave, but I’d known in my heart she wasn’t safe.
She’d assured me over and over again she was.
Then she was murdered.
The ache in my heart would never leave.
Not until Antonio was rotting in prison.
My response after he’d left the text?
I’m coming for you. Watch your back.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, leaving him to believe I was scared of him, but I just couldn’t do it.
“When you get back, why don’t you come stay with me? I have a guest bedroom. It’s all yours,” Jasmine said and I glanced down at Bella, who’d suddenly taken interest to something outside the open doors.
I’d felt all alone for the last few years. Now I had someone to take care of. “I’ll be fine. I just need to get my bearings and sell the house. Then I’ll have a little bit of money. Maybe I’ll move into a bigger place.”
Her sigh was heavy. “Then why don’t you tell me about Mr. Rich and Handsome? Maybe he can become your hero. I know I’m jaded, but there must be one man on this planet who will fight all dragons and demons to keep you safe.”
I could laugh again, even though the ache had resettled into my system.
“I don’t think there are any heroes left.
Although… His name is Vissarian Dmitriyev.
He’s very rich, but he’s also down to earth.
” I was surprised at my admittance, but he was.
Any man who would read an erotic book out loud was pretty fine with me.
Her hesitation caused me pause.
“The Vissarian Dmitriyev? The one who’s been on like a bazillion magazine covers along with his brother and cousins?”
“Wow, girl. You know everybody.”
“I had a modeling assignment in Vegas. I learned all about them.”
Why was her voice different?
“With a name like Dmitriyev, there can’t be two of them. Why do you say it that way?”
“I’m sorry to tell you this, girl, but stay away from that man no matter what you do.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s bad news. His entire family is, but, in my eyes, he’s the worst.”
“O-kay. That’s not good enough, Jazzy. I need to know why.” Every inch of my body stiffened. If there was anyone who would know the truth about the man, Jasmine would. Plus, I trusted her implicitly. It was better to discover the truth before it was too late.
Why?
Because I already liked Vissarian more than I should.
“You need to listen to me, girl. That man is dangerous. He’s done some bad things.”
“He’s told me he has.”
“Not like this,” she half whispered. “Not like this.”
When she spouted off the words, I slumped against the counter. I’d been right.
Vissarian was no hero.
If what she said was true, he was nothing but a monster.