Chapter 9
Ihate this arrogant asshole with every fiber of my being. Why did I kiss a man like him? It’s only increased his over-inflated opinion of himself and he believes he has me right where he wants me. I am so done with him and his stupid demands and I sit silently fuming as I plot how I can murder him without being sent to prison.
Spank me. What the hell. I’m not a child and it’s illegal, anyway. How dare he threaten me with physical harm? In my own driveway and probably in my own home, too. What the actual hell? Surely I can say what I like in my own home, but he obviously believes otherwise.
As we speed through the countryside, I’m surprised when my phone rings and without looking at him, I answer it.
“Polly speaking, how may I help you?”
His soft laugh infuriates me still further and my heart sinks when I register the automated tones of a spam call.
Rather than cut it, I say loudly, “Oh, hi, Sam, I missed you today.”
I turn away as if I’m having a private conversation and lower my voice.
“I’m sorry babe, I wish you were here too. It won’t be for long.”
I laugh softly and whisper, “I love you, too. Why don’t you come to meet me and I’ll show you how much?”
I giggle as if I’m embarrassed and turn further into the window and groan. “Stop, that’s not fair.”
The dial tone tells me the recording has stopped and I giggle and whisper, “I’ll FaceTime you later when I’m in bed.”
I pretend to blow kisses down the phone and cut the call, trying desperately not to laugh and just place the phone in my bag and stare out of the window.
A few minutes later, Valentin says with amusement. “Do you answer all your cold calls that way?”
My heart drops, but I shrug. “I’m not sure what you mean. That was my lover, um, Sam.”
“Your lover.”
He sounds amused.
“Tell me about him.”
“No.”
I throw him my death glare and hate how smug he looks and then he leans forward and pulls my face toward his and whispers, “Your only lover is the vibrator you keep in a box under your bed.”
“Excuse me.” The fact he’s right doesn’t escape me and I gasp, “You’ve been in my home.”
He leans back, a smug expression on his handsome face that I want to smash in with my phone.
“I told you. I know everything about you Polly and I also know you like to play games.”
“What games?”
He nods toward the phone. “Dangerous games, malyshka. Hearing you talk dirty has only increased my interest.”
“Then you can keep your interest. I’m not, um, well, interested.”
The lazy way his gaze drags across my body heats my blood way more than the sun. I can’t tear my eyes away as his eyes flash into mine and he says huskily, “I think you are very much as it happens. I’m guessing if I dipped my fingers between your legs, they would be dripping with your interest in me.”
“You’re disgusting.”
I turn away and push my legs together firmly because he’s not wrong and the last thing I need is him to act on his words.
He shifts closer and I swear my breathing intensifies as he whispers in my ear, “We will test that theory later on tonight.”
“We will not!” I gasp as he smirks into my eyes and moves away.
“Tell me no next time I ask and I’ll keep my distance.”
“The answer will always be no, so spare yourself the humiliation.” I bark back and grit my teeth. Why am I so hot all of a sudden and how the fuck did he know the call was a scam one?
We reachthe nearest town and I don’t miss the surprise on the faces of the passers-by as we head to the mini supermarket in the center of it.
As we pull up in convoy, I say in shock, “You can’t park here. These are double yellow lines.”
“You’re wrong.” The doors open and as he makes to leave, he says over his shoulder, “If anyone has a problem with that, I’ll speak to them personally.”
I stare after him in amazement and he sighs and leans back in and jerks his head toward the store. “Are you coming or not?”
I am so tempted to say ‘not’ but that would be foolish as it was my idea in the first place, so I paint a blank expression on my face and ignoring his outstretched hand, I march past the curious onlookers and head inside the shop, grabbing a small trolley on my way inside.
I try sohard to ignore my companions as they take up residence in every aisle of the place. If I walk down one, they block it off, much to the annoyance of my fellow shoppers who hiss, “Who does she think she is, bleeding royalty?”
“Who’s that? Is it that star from the new Netflix series?”
“Look at those guys. I wouldn’t kick any one of them out of bed.”
My face is in flames as I pretend not to hear them and it doesn’t help that Valentin is looking as if he just stepped out from a Hugo Boss campaign. Every so often, he tosses something into the trolley and I say in a low whisper, “Get your own trolley.”
“This is my trolley.” He shrugs. “I’m paying for the contents, so I may as well include some of my own choices.”
“I don’t want you to pay for my things. I can pay my own way.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t, but money is nothing to me, so enjoy the ride.”
I stop and glare at him as I juggle a frozen pizza with a tub of ice cream and stutter, “You really are–”
He places his finger on my lips and says huskily, “Careful, little rose. You only get one warning and this looks as good a place as any to carry out your punishment.”
I stare at him in horror as he removes the items from my shaking fingers and tosses them into the trolley.
“Come. We still have several more aisles to cover.”
He actually clicks his fingers and one of his men pushes another empty trolley toward us and he hands him the full one and says something in Russian. The man wheels it away and Valentin turns and scoops several more items from the freezer and shakes his head. “You are going to kill me with your fast food. Tomorrow I will send for my chef.”
“Your what?” I blink in disbelief as he wheels the trolley to the spirits aisle and proceeds to load several bottles of vodka, gin and whiskey into the rapidly filling trolley.
“My chef. He travels with me but is currently in my London home. It’s an inconvenience, but he will be here to serve us breakfast.”
He carries on filling the trolley and before I know it, another guard heads our way and replaces it with another empty one and I can only stare after him in astonishment as he proceeds to strip the shelves of stuff that would feed this entire town tonight.
I can’t even concentrate on my own choices and as we make our way through the supermarket, I am struggling to breathe. This world is a strange one for sure and not one I imagined really existed. They have completely taken over. Me, my new home and my life. Now they are taking possession of this store and, like me, the customers can only look on in disbelief.
As we make our way to the checkouts, they are already ringing through the other trollies and as Valentin pushes the last one toward the cashier, she stares at him with open adoration.
I’m shocked when he winks as he pulls out a black credit card and I glance around me and notice a little old lady staring at him with astonishment and as she catches my eye, she leans in and whispers, “Now that my darling is a keeper. Don’t mess it up. You’re one lucky girl.”
He obviously hears her because the triumphant smirk on his face makes me roll my eyes and then he surprises me again by plucking a red rose from the display by the checkout and offers it to the woman.
“For you and your compliment.”
He turns to the lady checking us out, and nods toward the old lady. “Add her shopping to mine.”
He winks as he turns away and I swear even the old lady swoons as she stutters, “You’re a true gentleman, son. If only I was a few years younger.”
I’ve heard and seen enough and I lean down and whisper, “Looks can be deceptive. He snores, has bad breath, and has an unhealthy obsession with his own hand, if you know what I mean.”
I nod toward his crotch and she laughs out loud. “I don’t believe a word of it, but if his hand needs a rest sometimes, call me.” She winks and despite myself I laugh with her and as Valentin heads out of the shop, I sigh inside and reluctantly follow him.