Chapter 12
If I’m thankful for anything, it’s that my father provided Polly’s aunt with a home big enough to accommodate my small army. There is a coach house that has three levels, containing four bedrooms and a staff annexe with two more. The main house has six bedrooms and as my men set about securing the premises by organized security watches, I head upstairs with Polly, who is extremely nervous.
I can almost touch it and her silence speaks way louder than her words.
We stop outside one of the rooms and I fix her with a firm gaze. “Get some sleep. You take this room and I’ll be in the one next door.”
“Okay.”
She turns and with one hand on the door handle, she says with a sigh. “Let’s hope you find what you’re looking for tomorrow and we can all get on with our lives.”
I say nothing and watch her enter the room and don’t miss the sound of a lock turning inside that makes me smile. She is right to be afraid of me. To take steps to protect herself because the more time I spend with Polly, the more I’m interested.
I make my way inside the room next door and sigh. I’m not used to sleeping in closets and this room is smaller than any I enjoy in the multitude of homes my family owns.
There are more patterns than I’m used to and the strange curtain arrangement behind the bed is unnecessary, in my opinion. Chintz fabric covers the walls and bed and the oil painting above the fireplace wouldn’t look out of place in a museum. Old dark wood antique furniture is polished but has definitely seen better days, and the patterned rug doesn’t even complement the patterned carpet that must have been here for years.
I regard the bed that is a third of the size I usually enjoy, and the door in the corner leads to an antiquated bathroom where the shower is set over a bathtub that I would struggle to fit inside.
I’m growing incredibly antsy about being here at all courtesy of my father’s secret that is hitting out hard from the grave.
With a reluctant sigh, I set about grabbing some sleep because I am definitely upping my game tomorrow in the hope of returning to normal life as soon as god-damned possible.
The bed sheetsscratch beneath my naked body and I couldn’t sleep if I tried. The house creaks as if it has many secrets fighting to get out and I picture my father here. Did he sleep in this room—with her? My tortured thoughts keep me awake and I sigh heavily as I attempt to clear my mind.
I concentrate on what I learned today, which was absolutely zero. There is no mention at all of him in the various papers we went through and part of me wonders if the person here before us was successful.
I recall Polly’s instruction to her solicitor and a low growl of anger escapes when I realize he never got back to her with the information she requested. That would never happen to me. I ask, I get and in record time and I vow that first thing tomorrow we will be calling him and if he doesn’t have the information we seek, he will enjoy a personal visit from me instead.
I’m not sure if I slept at all, but a soft knock at the door takes my attention and as it gets louder I toss the sheets aside. I don’t cover up, why would I? I always sleep naked and if my men disturb me, they wouldn’t think anything of it.
As I wrench open the door, Polly’s face is aflame as she covers her eyes and emits a low, “Fuck, Valentin.”
“Is that a request, malyshka?”
I grin, loving her squeal of embarrassment as she hisses, “Of course not, it’s um, well, I heard a noise.”
I prise her fingers away from her eyes and say with amusement, “I see.”
She averts her eyes and hisses, “Please, can you well, put something on?”
“No.”
Before she can resist, I pull her sharply into the room and close the door, taking note of the strange bathrobe she is wearing. It has every color of the rainbow on it and is made from some kind of weird raised fabric and I chuckle. “What the fuck is that?”
“What?”
“That monstrosity you’re wearing.”
Despite her embarrassment, she giggles and blushes as she tries to look anywhere but at me.
“I didn’t pack for an overnight stay, so I borrowed this from the wardrobe. I agree, though, it is pretty hideous.”
I chuckle as I stare at her standing in the shadows, the moon’s rays filtering through a crack in the drapes.
“You say you heard a noise. This house is full of them. It’s old.”
“I know, it’s just, well–” She shivers and I note her bare feet and wonder if that’s the only thing bare under that robe.
“You’re cold.”
I state the obvious, and she shakes her head. “Ten out ten for observation, Einstein. It may be because this house is fucking freezing and I think there are ghosts.”
It makes me laugh and, feeling devilish, I reach out and pull her sharply toward me, my arms wrapping around her, causing her to hiss, “What are you doing?”
“Warming you up.” I nuzzle my face against her ear and whisper, “Shared body heat is best for that. Take off that monstrosity and I’ll demonstrate my point.”
She struggles and squeals, “No! Oh my God, definitely not.”
I can’t help but laugh softly as I lead her towards the bed. Before she has a chance to protest, I lower her onto the bed and secure her against me.
“Val–”
“Hush, malyshka. Now, tell me what you heard.”
I pull her in tight against me and leave my hand splayed across her stomach, the offending robe an irritant I will deal with next.
“It came from upstairs.” She shivers. “It was footsteps.”
“As in an animal, perhaps.”
I prompt and she says with an urgent whisper, “It sounded too heavy for that. It sounded–“ She gasps, “Human.”
I listen but hear nothing at all and whisper huskily, “You were dreaming.”
“I was not.” The indignation in her voice makes me smile, and she says with real fear, “I sensed it when I was there alone earlier. It was as if someone was watching me. That I wasn’t alone up there. It’s why I ran, you see, Valentin–”
I inhale her scent from my advantageous position and can’t help that my cock is pressing in hard against her back and she stiffens and squeaks, “Oh God, that’s not–”
She shifts and I laugh softly, “Not God, malyshka, although you may think of me as that. No, the object pressing into your back is my interest making itself known.”
She attempts to pull away and I say huskily, “Does that shock you, my little Polly? That a man finds you attractive; that he wants to explore every inch of your skin and mark it with his touch. Own it, worship it and unleash the fire inside you and watch you burn.”
Her breathing is ragged and despite herself she relaxes against me and taking that as a sign, I rub my hand across her stomach in circles and gently kiss her neck.
“Valentin, I–”
“Hush little one. The room is in darkness, nobody but us knows we are here. Close your eyes and give into pleasure. For one night only do something out of character. Allow your body to experience forbidden pleasure. Allow me inside.”
Her sexy moan makes me smile and I reach inside her robe and as my fingers connect with her soft, sweet flesh I groan out loud as I explore her skin, that is like silk under my touch. As I kiss her neck, her soft sigh of pleasure tells me she wants this too and as I ease the fabric away from her body, my own presses into her from behind.
She feels so good, so intoxicating, and my hands drift lower and caress her soft, sweet thigh. She says nothing at all and neither do I as I dip my fingers between her legs and ease my thumb over her clit. Her legs part as if by magic and her soft moan is my invitation to dip inside, loving how her walls clench around my fingers as she bears down on them.
Yes, my English Rose is craving something a lot more effective than her trusted vibrator and I am more than happy to replace it for one night only.