Chapter Nine
Alora
I sat on a plush leather sofa, my fingers absently tracing the stitching, as staff members moved around the living area. Gavriil sat across from me reading a newspaper, and I wanted nothing more than to rip it from his hands. Or, even better, for the massive crystal chandelier above him to fall on his head.
He placed the section of the newspaper he was reading down on the coffee table, aligning it with the other already read sections so that it was a neat pile. In the short time I’d been around him, I’d noticed he was always straightening things: his coffee cup handle, the pencils he used to do the crossword puzzle, which he did in under thirty minutes. What kind of lunatic could do a crossword puzzle in that amount of time? And now the newspaper sections were all stacked nice and neat. He picked up a different section of the paper, completely ignoring me.
“How much longer?” I glared at the newspaper blocking my view of his face.
“Soon.” He didn’t bother to look at me and had only given me one-word answers ever since I’d stormed downstairs demanding to talk to Kreos.
I’d woken up from the best sleep of my life to find Nadya in my room. She was humming as she opened the blinds and let the sun in. A tray of breakfast was also waiting for me. But before I could take one bite, she’d pulled out a small tape measure and grabbed my hand. When I’d questioned her, she’d said Kreos needed my ring size.
It was then I realized the crazy dream I had last night was, in fact, not a dream.
For some reason, Kreos thought we were getting married.
I had no idea how he came to that conclusion, but I was going to set him straight.
As soon as Gavriil let me see him.
I glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the garden, where a groundskeeper was trimming the hedges. Armed security guards roamed around the massive estate.
My eyes were drawn to an abstract painting on the wall. It had deep red strokes going up and down with red splotches. It reminded me of blood. Of Dario’s bloody, missing face. I didn’t think I’d ever get that image out of my head. Good fucking riddance. And although Kreos had said last night that he’d taken care of it, a part of me was worried that police were going to show up any second and put me and Dove in handcuffs.
The door to Kreos’ office opened, and an older man with bushy white hair rushed out like he was scared for his life. Gavriil folded the paper, stacked it on top of the others, and waved his hand for me to follow. I followed him, and, as I passed the newspapers, I pushed his neat little stack over.
I stormed into Kreos’ office, hands on my hips. He took one look at me and nodded his head at Gavriil. “Leave us.”
God, even his office was luxurious. To my right, built-in bookshelves took up a majority of the wall space, all stacked with leather-bound books and strange figurines. On the other side was another set of floor-to-ceiling windows. From here, you could see right over to one of the larger buildings we’d passed on our way up last night. It looked like it might be some type of workout facility.
My gaze traveled to the imposing desk that dominated the room and the infuriating man sitting behind it. The scent of leather and sandalwood surrounded me, and I had to stop myself from inhaling deeply. I loved that smell. It reminded me of Kreos.
Who I was insanely mad at.
Focus.
“Good morning, Alora.” Kreos leaned back in his chair, watching me closely.
“Oh, good morning, fiancé. Let me just ask you a question. Have you lost your mind?”
He chuckled, stood and walked over to me. More like stalked. Like a predator coming for its prey.
And I just stood there like an idiot, instead of running for my life like that bushy-haired old man had a few minutes ago.
Kreos towered over me, and I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. Fiery blue eyes met mine, and my mouth suddenly went dry. It was like I was in a trance as he reached behind me and grabbed the tail end of my braided hair. The room was silent as he tugged on the hair tie and started unraveling the twists I’d done that morning.
I let him do it because I didn’t think I was physically capable of moving at that point. His eyes never left mine until he was done, spreading my hair around my shoulders. He walked over to a seating area and pointed for me to take the seat across from him.
“Did you eat breakfast?” He crossed his ankle over his knee, steepling his fingers.
“Kreos, what is going on? Why do people think we are getting married?” I sat down on the edge of my seat, clasping my hands together.
“Because we are. I told you last night, remember?”
“We can’t get married. We don’t even know each other.” My nails were digging into my palms so hard I was sure I’d leave marks.
“We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and inhaled deeply through my nose. For some reason, I’d thought I would walk in here and he would tell me it was a joke or a game. But it was becoming obvious that he was deadly serious about this.
“Why are you doing this? Is this because of last night?”
“This was bound to happen, kotic .”
“I don’t understand.” I threw up my hands.
“Well then, let me explain.” He stood and grabbed two bottles of water from a mini-fridge, handing me one. “There are certain expectations of a Pakhan. Traditions that need to be upheld. The Bratva is built on power and legacy. And mine must continue. Being without a wife or an heir is seen as a sign of weakness—a crack in the facade.”
“But what does that have to do with me? I’m sure there’s some beautiful Bratva princess out there just dying for this opportunity, and you”—I waved my hand up and down his body—“you will undoubtedly make her very happy. None of this needs to involve me.”
“It does. And it will. You will make a perfect wife and mother to my children.”
My heart skipped a beat, then raced uncontrollably. Mother to his children?
“Wait a damn minute.” I stood and faced him. “Not only are we getting married, but now we’re having children, too? Want to let me in on what else you have planned for my future, Master?”
His voice was calm, almost casual, as he continued. “There will be some changes. Rules to follow. We can discuss the details later.”
“Oh, no, please, Kreos. Enlighten me on the rules.”
He raised his eyebrows at my tone. Like it was shocking I wasn’t throwing myself in his arms and thanking him for the opportunity to be his wife. Oh, and mother of his children—let’s not forget that part.
“Well, for one, you will not leave the house without security. That’s for your protection.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, who’s going to protect me from you?”
“Not even the Devil himself could,” he murmured. “In addition, you won’t work. Driving yourself is out of the question. I’ll need to vet your friends for security concerns. Though I don’t expect you’ll have that much free time given your new responsibilities at home with me.”
Red-hot rage flooded through me. I was glaring at him so hard it seemed impossible that he hadn’t burst into flames yet.
“And my photography? The international competition? I know you know about that, since you know everything else. You just want me to give that up?”
His face softened as he cupped my cheek. “I’m aware of your accomplishments, Alora, and I’m extremely proud of you. But you don’t need to worry about winning competitions anymore. It’s fine for a hobby, but you won’t need to work. I will give you everything you’ve ever wanted. You’ll never want for anything, kotic . Ever again. You or your sister.”
I didn’t even know what to say for a moment. It was a prison sentence, and he couldn’t care less what it meant for me. Getting married and having children wasn’t the future I’d planned on having. I wanted to be free. I’d been so close. So damn close.
A silent scream built up inside of me, but I tried to control myself. “So let me get this straight. You want me to give up my entire life, the one that I love, and be trapped in this sham marriage where I’ll obey you, pop out your children, and spend my days taking care of this little army?”
His eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, making me move back until my legs hit the back of the leather sofa and I plopped down into it. “Our marriage will not be a sham. I will be completely devoted to you, and I expect the same in return. You will have a beautiful life. And of course you’ll have access to the best nannies money has to offer. Anya, for one, would be delighted to watch over a little one.”
“I will not have some stranger taking care of our children,” I snapped.
His eyes lit with a fire, like he was pleased with my outburst, and I realized my mistake immediately. I shook my head, biting my bottom lip. “No.” I pushed on his thighs so I could stand. “This is too much, Kreos. What happens if I say no?”
The transformation in him was immediate. His face hardened, tension rolling off his body. “Let me explain the situation you’re in, since you don’t seem to understand. I own you, remember? You gave me your life so that your brother could live.”
I was rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle as he crowded me. He gripped my chin, lifting my head up so I had to meet his gaze.
“And last night, your sister killed a low-level piece-of-shit soldier in the Lombardi mafia. Do you know what would happen to her if they found out what she did?” His voice was soft and calm, but the threat was there, right in front of my face. Fear gripped me from the inside, freezing me in place.
There was no choice to be made here, only the illusion of one. Either I agreed and married him, or he would kill my family, or allow someone else to. Either way, they would be dead. He was the leader of the US branch of the Zokrov Bratva. I had no doubt in my mind that he would ruin me without so much as batting an eye.
I could run. Just say yes to everything now and then tonight grab Dove, remove our trackers, and escape. But his earlier words from outside the bar haunted me.
“There’s nowhere you can run where I won’t find you.”
As if sensing my need to flee, he weaved his hand through my hair and tugged gently.
“You’re mine, Alora. I will never let you go. The sooner you accept your new role as my wife, the easier it will be for everyone.”
The room seemed to spin around me as I tried to fight back the tears. This couldn’t be real life.
“I think you need some time to reflect. Let’s get you back to your room.” He reached for my hand, but I jerked away from him with a glare.
“So be it.” He leaned down and picked me up, tossing me over his shoulder. Blood rushed to my head as I stared wide-eyed at his back.
“Kreos, put me down right fucking now,” I shouted as the floor changed from carpet to marble. His shoulder dug into my stomach as he went up the stairs, acting as if I weighed nothing. I pounded my fists against his back, which seemed to have no effect on him. When I sank my teeth into his muscular flesh, that earned me a hard slap on my ass.
This was so humiliating. I was sure everyone in the house was watching. When we got back to my bedroom, he tossed me on to the bed. His face was a blank mask.
“We’ll talk once you’ve calmed down. I suggest you take this time to think.” He left without saying another word, slamming the door behind him. Only when the distinct click of a lock echoed in my room did I run toward the door.
He wouldn’t actually lock me in here.
Yes, he would. Because he’d done exactly that. I yanked and pulled, but the door wouldn’t budge. I resorted to pounding on the door and yelling at the top of my lungs for someone to let me out. Surely Dove would hear me and get me free.
But she didn’t. Nobody did until three hours later. But that was only so Nadya could bring me lunch, with gladiator Pyotr standing guard at the door. There was no way I was going to get past him.
Three hours turned into five, then eight, then it was time for dinner. Anya came this time. I tried pleading with her to let me go, that I was being held here against my will. She had the nerve to scoff and look offended that I would say something so bad about Kreos.
I barely touched my food. Maybe if I starved myself, they would let me out. But no one came the rest of the night. Not when I cried and begged, screamed and apologized all at the same time. A dull ache settled behind my eyes, my body exhausted, and I passed out on the floor in front of the door.
When I woke up in the morning, somehow, I was tucked in bed. The thought of Kreos sneaking in here and putting me in bed only infuriated me even more. If he knew so much about me, then he should know I could hold a grudge for decades.
Centuries even.
There was no way I would ever forgive him for locking me up like a prisoner.
The second day dragged on. My only contact was with Nadya, who brought me my meals and bags of brand-new clothes. At least she was friendly—it even seemed like I saw a flash of pity on her face when she brought me breakfast.
Kreos was right. All this time alone was giving me time to think. Essentially, in every single way I was going to make him regret this. He wanted a devoted wife? Maybe I could be so devoted, I could drive him insane .
At lunchtime, Nadya brought me my camera. I was grateful for something to do other than stare out the window into the massive forest that backed up to the property. The scenery was beautiful though, and I couldn’t help but snap some shots, especially when the sun went down. If he thought I would ever give up my dream of becoming a photographer, he was out of his mind.
When Nadya came after dinner to collect my dishes, she frowned at the plate still full of food, but didn’t say anything. I’d hoped my little hunger strike was going to force Kreos to let me go, but he didn’t come. At least not while I was awake. I decided to push a chair against the door so he couldn’t break inside in the middle of the night.
Of course, that didn’t stop him. When I woke up in the morning on the third day of my captivity, the chair was back in its original place. Breakfast was on the nightstand next to me, along with a note that only had one word.
Eat.
It seemed hopeless, like there was no way out of this situation.
Another untrustworthy man using me for his purposes, without a care in the world for what I wanted.
A persistent twitch developed under my right eye; the urge to scream into a pillow was strong. I was so sick of being taken advantage of.
Not anymore, though.
It was time to put an end to being a victim in this situation.
Maybe it was time to turn the tables on him. He wanted a wife, and I needed money to get far away from here. I could use this situation to my advantage. Play along for a while, bide my time and put off having children. I had the birth control implant, and he didn’t need to know about that. He’d probably give me an allowance. I could use that to buy gift cards so he wouldn’t be able to trace the money I was spending. Then, when I was ready, I would have a stash of cards so I could buy a bus ticket or sell them for cash. We’d have to get the trackers out of our necks, but I’d worry about that later.
It seemed crazy.
But it could work.
I’d get everything I needed and then escape far away from here.
A sense of peace came over me as I realized I might have a way out of this after all. I pushed my breakfast to the side and knocked on my bedroom door. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be out there, but a second later, the door swung open, and a man popped his head in.
“Yes, Miss Wolfe?”
“Can you tell Kreos he wins?”
He nodded, then shut the door and locked it. I hurried to get ready, knowing soon I would be free of this room.
But it wasn’t Kreos who I came face to face with after I finished getting dressed, it was Gavriil. “Miss Wolfe.” He stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Oh, hi, Satan.” I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You and the Pakhan’s sister are going to get along very well. ”
“Where’s Kreos? I wanted to talk to him.”
“He’s busy with meetings, but he has planned a lovely celebration dinner for just the two of you tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. Celebration dinner? Yeah, my prison sentence was definitely worth celebrating.
“Before I let you leave this room, I want to discuss some rules the Pakhan has laid out for you. For today, you will not leave the premises. You will not have access to any type of phone. And most importantly, you will not cause any trouble while he is away. Is that understood?”
His eyes were cold and calculating as he assessed me, and I nodded.
“And Miss Wolfe, one more thing. You should know I’m a fixer. Problems arise, and I make them disappear.” He took a step forward into my personal space, and I glared at him. “And if you become a problem for Kreos and our organization, then I’ll fix that, too. Permanently.” A ghost of a smile formed on his face, but there was nothing warm about it.
He let the threat hang in the air, and I balled my hands into fists at my side. The nerve of him. If I was going to be a problem? I didn’t even want to be here! My nostrils flared with irritation, but I knew if I said anything other than “OK” I might end up locked in my prison again. So I nodded and plastered the same fake smile on my face.
“Great. Now let me introduce you to your security.” He opened the door and two people in suits stood against the wall, backs straight, their hands clasped in front of them.
A young guy around my age stepped forward. He had brown curly hair and a tattoo going up the side of his neck. He bowed, and because I had no idea what I was supposed to do, I bowed right back. He smiled briefly, but when Gavriil cleared his throat, his face turned serious again.
“Miss Wolfe, I’m Grigori. It would be my honor to serve and protect the Pakhan’s fiancée. Rest assured, I will lay down my life for yours.”
He seemed so young. I had to remember that it wasn’t everyone else’s fault that Kreos was forcing me to marry him. It was just Kreos’ fault. So I shook his hand and offered a smile. “Please don’t think you have to do that.” I chuckled, but his face remained serious.
I turned to the platinum-blonde woman next to him and accepted her outstretched hand. She was older, about a foot taller than me, with an athletic build.
“I’m Tash. And I’m also happy to serve the Pakhan’s future wife.”
“Thank you, thank you both. It’s nice to meet you.” I gave them a genuine smile. If they were supposed to be watching me twenty-four seven when I was outside these gates, then I’d better learn how to be friends so they wouldn’t narc on me.
After they left, I followed Gavriil downstairs to the living area. “What have you done with my sister? Is she locked away also? If you’ve upset her—”
He held up his hand, cutting me off. “She’s at the pool, drawing.”
I stared at him like he had two heads. “She’s at the pool?” I’d been worried sick she was locked up in her room like me, and she was just—relaxing at the pool?
“Yes.” He kept walking and led me to a set of glass sliding doors. “I told her you weren’t feeling well and needed some extra rest. She called me a lying jerk and threatened to blow the house up. If you want my opinion, you both need therapy.” He held his hand out toward Dove, who was indeed basking in the sun by the pool.
I ran down the back steps and toward the pool. She saw me coming and stood up, bouncing on her toes and opening her arms for a hug. God, how I’d missed her in those two days. I squeezed her tightly, relief washing over me.
She pulled back and looked at my face closely, then down the rest of my body.
“I’m fine, just got put in time-out for a bit.” I turned and glared at Gavriil over my shoulder, as did Dove. “Are you OK?” I gave her a good once-over.
She seemed more than OK, if that was possible. The oversized white shirt she wore fell to her thighs, her skin sun-kissed and glowing, a complete contrast to the pale and haunted look she’d had the last few months. Her eyes sparkled a bright blue, but what was even more amazing was her beanie was gone, replaced with a silk scarf that tied around her head and trailed down her back.
This didn’t look like a woman who had just bludgeoned someone to death a few days ago. This was the happiest I’d seen her in a really long time.
She reached down and grabbed a tablet, her fingers flying over the screen. A moment later, a robotic voice came through.
“Kreos gave me an iPad. Isn’t this great? Now you won’t have to squint at my phone to see what I’m saying.” Her smile stretched across her face, and I grinned .
“That was nice of him,” I muttered and dragged a lounge chair next to hers. “Have you talked to Solene? She must be losing her mind.”
She scrunched up her face and plopped down next to me. “Oh, she was calling non-stop. Kreos had me tell her we were going on vacation and not to expect you back at work anytime soon.”
“There’s no way she believes that,” I scoffed.
“That’s what I tried to tell him! She FaceTimed me right away, but he took the phone away. You can’t call anyone or send messages with this.” She wiggled her iPad in my face. “Oh, and you should know there’s a big-ass Doberman hiding around here somewhere. Sasha. Gavriil said she would chase us down if we tried to make a run for it.”
Great, just what I needed. It wasn’t that I didn’t like dogs. It was just that when you spent a lot of time breaking and entering homes that weren’t yours, dogs usually became enemy number one.
We stayed by the pool the rest of the afternoon. Apparently, Gavriil had moved her to a room in the east wing, which was why she hadn’t heard me begging for help. The events of the last few days didn’t seem to bother Dove, which I thought was a good thing. I just hoped she wasn’t storing guilt or fear deep inside of her that would slowly drive her insane. I hadn’t told her about Kreos wanting to get married. Not until I spoke to him and he agreed to my demands.
He stayed out of sight the entire day. But if I thought I was going to get out of dinner with him, I was mistaken. When I got back to my room, a black lacy dress was laid out on my bed, a pair of matching heels next to it .
I held the dress against my body, admiring myself in the mirror. It was beautiful and had no doubt cost a fortune. But I wasn’t going to make this easy on him. I carefully hung the dress in the closet and, when it was time, headed downstairs.
If I’d thought I was prepared to see Kreos again, I was mistaken. I hesitated at the entrance to the dining room, my senses overwhelmed. The space was bathed in warm, golden light from the chandelier that hung over the long table that could easily serve ten, but only had two place settings. At the far end, he sat like a king on his throne, his gaze traveling up and down my body.
His face was completely expressionless, so I couldn’t tell if my petty act of defiance in not dressing up had paid off. I took a step inside the room, and he stood and walked toward me. Suddenly, all the angry words I’d rehearsed upstairs died on my lips as he stood in front of me. His gaze was as intense as ever as he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“You look beautiful, kotic ,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.
My mouth immediately went dry. A small part, like a super tiny part, wished I wasn’t so stubborn and had just worn the damn dress instead of my ripped jeans and t-shirt. But no. We were here to negotiate, and that meant not falling for any of his tricks.
I cleared my throat and pulled my hand away from his lips. “Thanks. You too. I mean, nice. You look nice.”
Get your shit together.
The server bustled by, breaking whatever spell he’d put me under. The table was set beautifully with sparkling crystal glasses and fresh flowers in matching vases arranged all over. Kreos grabbed my elbow and steered me toward my seat. He pulled it out for me, and once I sat down, he went back to his seat.
The room was quiet except for the hum of a wine cabinet and the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. The server approached and placed a plate of food in front of each of us: steak, asparagus, and little golden medallion potatoes. I was practically salivating as I eyed the food. The server held out a bottle of wine to Kreos, who nodded and accepted the bottle. He then left, shutting the door behind him.
Kreos came over to my side of the table and poured wine into my glass before going back to his seat. “Thank you for joining me.”
“It’s not like I had a choice,” I muttered and took a sip of my wine.
“You always have a choice, Alora. It just seems like you’ve been making the wrong ones lately.”
And here we go. I’d been prepared to be civilized, but not if he was going to act like an ass. My nostrils flared with irritation as I gripped the stem of my wine glass.
He surprised me a second later when he apologized. “I’m sorry. This dinner was supposed to be a celebration. No need to fight.”
“Apology accepted.” See, I could be the bigger person, too. “How did you get into my room? I barricaded the door.”
“A barricade won’t keep me from you, kotic .” He chuckled, amusement in his eyes. “Just so you know, there are secret passages throughout my house, leading to rooms that might… surprise you. Also an elaborate tunnel system under my entire estate. I’ll show you so metime.”
Secret passageways and a tunnel system? Great, there really was no hiding from him. “I want to discuss my conditions.”
“Your conditions?” He arched his eyebrow.
“Yes. There are certain things that I want you to agree to before I fully accept.” I knew I was pushing it. Because, in reality, I had no control over the situation. It was either marry him, or my life would be ruined.
“I’m listening.” He leaned back in his chair.
I chugged the rest of my wine, which caused him to chuckle.
“First thing, don’t you ever lock me up like a prisoner again.” My leg bounced uncontrollably under the table. “That’s not the way you’re going to make me behave.”
“I have plenty of ways to get you to behave, kotic , and none of them involve locking you up. More like tying you down.” His voice was low, playful, and I could sense heat rising up my neck. “Besides, that was just a precaution. Your concern is noted. Next.”
“I want to finish the photography competition. You don’t know how hard I’ve worked to get this far, and I won’t give it up.” I held my breath, waiting for him to say no. If I had to, I would beg him. Not that I wanted to, but I would do whatever it took.
“Fine. Next.”
I blinked in surprise. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting him to say. The tension left my shoulders a little bit as I mentally ran through my list of demands, none of which seemed that important anymore now that I knew I could complete the competition. “I want to keep working at the bar. ”
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head, his lips set in a firm line.
“But why?” I threw my hands up. “I like working there and making my own money.”
He leaned forward, his expression remaining impassive. “This is my fault for forcing you into this role, but I won’t apologize. As the wife of a Pakhan, you’ll be a prime target.” He stood and approached me with the wine bottle, filling up my glass. “My enemies would hurt you to get to me. They’d use your pain as leverage, and they’d enjoy every second of it.”
A chill ran down my spine at his cold words. An image of being tied up in that basement with Sergei flashed in my mind, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. He walked back to his side of the table and sat back down.
“I don’t tell you this so you’ll be frightened. You just need to understand that if I allow you to work, it’s like painting a target on your back and handing my enemies a gun.” His eyes softened, a flicker of some emotion I couldn’t understand passing over his face. “I will protect you with my life. And so will every single one of my soldiers. But no, you cannot work.”
I nodded, the need to argue gone completely out the door. After his little speech, pretty much every point I’d wanted to make didn’t matter anymore. He was forcing me to marry him. His life was always on the line, and now mine was too. How the hell had I gotten here?
“Everything will be fine, kotic . I’m a very powerful man, and you’re about to become a very powerful woman. We will have a long, beautiful life ahead of us. Now eat, and we discuss your other concerns later. ”
Suddenly my appetite was gone, and I pushed my food around on my plate. I could sense him watching me from across the table, so I made an effort to cut my steak into small pieces so that it would seem like I was eating.
Fear. That was what it was. Here I’d thought I only had to be afraid of him, but that was far from the truth. Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as I nibbled on a potato and put it back down on the plate. After a few minutes, I glanced up to find him watching me intently. It suddenly seemed extremely hot in the room and I tugged on my shirt, fanning myself.
“Are you going to keep pretending, or are you going to eat? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you didn’t eat the last few days.” There was a scowl on his face, and I bit my bottom lip at his harsh tone. “It’s not healthy to skip meals.”
I let my fork land with a clank against the plate. “Kreos, I’ve gone days without eating anything more than stale bread and rotten fruit. I’ll be fine.”
His back stiffened in his seat, his knuckles turning white from gripping his wine glass so hard. Even though I’d said it with a laugh, he didn’t seem to find it amusing.
“Come here. Bring your plate.” His voice was low, controlled.
“What?” I quirked my eyebrow. “Why? Kreos, it’s fine, I’m just not hungry. I’ll save it for tomorrow.”
“I don’t make it a habit to repeat myself, kotic . Come here, now.” There was no room for arguing in his voice.
A nagging voice of caution whispered in the back of my mind, but I knew I had to listen to him. Slowly, I made my way over to him with my plate. I set it down to the right of him and pulled out a chair, but he made a tisking noise and shook his head.
He scooted his chair back and spread his muscular thighs, patting his left leg for me to sit. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest, I was sure he could hear it. He didn’t actually expect me to sit on his lap, did he?
“Sit,” he commanded.
“You’re not serious, are you?” I scoffed, suddenly regretting being born a stubborn fool who couldn’t just eat their delicious dinner like I was supposed to.
“What did I just say about repeating myself?” There was no playful edge in his tone, because he was deadly serious.
Tonight was a lesson in picking your battles. And this was one I just didn’t want to go to war over.
I sighed, letting my shoulders fall as I glanced down at his leg. What was the proper etiquette here? Did I sit inside his legs, straddle him? The decision was made for me when he wrapped his muscular arm around my waist and dragged me so I was straddling his thigh.
A hot flush crept up my neck to my cheeks as he held me firmly in place with his arm. He picked up his fork and speared a piece of steak from the plate, and placed it against my lips.
“Open your mouth, kotic .”
It seemed like this was supposed to be humiliation, but for some reason, my sick and twisted mind sparked alive with a hint of arousal. I kept my back perfectly straight as I opened my mouth. His hum of approval had me chewing more aggressively than necessary.
Down, girl.
The food was delicious, and I savored the robust flavor of the steak and the earthiness of the asparagus. As soon as I swallowed, another piece of food was pressed to my lips. The hunger inside of me took over, and I eagerly ate every piece of food he fed me.
At some point, my body relaxed into his so that my back was pressed snugly against his chest. Before I knew it, I had finished my entire plate of food. The server came in with a single dessert plate, setting it down in front of us without batting an eyelash. I tried to protest that I was too full, but Kreos wasn’t having it.
Besides, it was double chocolate cake. Had he known it was my favorite dessert in the entire world? The smooth chocolate creaminess melted in my mouth, and I moaned around the fork. Kreos’ fingers flexed against my stomach, making me extremely aware of how intimate this situation was.
“Good girl,” he murmured so close to my ear that I knew if I turned my head, I would find his lips there. My traitorous body was giddy at receiving his praise.
Surely, I was sick in the head.
Certifiably insane.
I knew I should fight my attraction to him. Be angry for being forced into this situation where all my control was being taken from me.
But I couldn’t deny that it felt right to be held in his arms.
I came to an alarming realization at that moment.
I felt safe.