Page 18

The day after the car accident, which wasn’t an accident at all, Leon and I leave the safe house. But he doesn’t take me home as I expect him to. Instead, he takes me to a different mansion outside of the city with more security.

It’s a beautiful place up in the hills, surrounded by forests and mountains, and I find it so peaceful here. The cooler weather and gray skies make everything in nature feel cozier and more comforting. We’ve been here for a few weeks now, and I really love it, but at the same time I’m wary and cautious. I struggle to trust, and that hasn’t changed, despite how Leon has been treating me.

In the morning, I wake up to the sound of rain on the big glass windows of the bedroom that overlook the forest. The sound is soothing and beautiful, and when I hear it, I snuggle deeper into my blankets to savor the warmth.

Leon has been sleeping in the bed next to me, even though he has also been very respectful of not expecting anything from me.

He tells me it is for security reasons and that he doesn’t want to risk me sleeping alone. When I complained about it and told him I’d prefer he didn’t, he gave me a choice—either I sleep next to him, or I sleep next to one of the bodyguards.

I could tell by the look on his face that he would never, in a million years, let me sleep next to one of his hired security guys, and I struggled to hide the grin on my face.

The truth is that I’m glad he won’t let me sleep alone, because I find a lot of comfort in his presence. I am scared of my father, and while we are well hidden up in the mountains here, I know my father is a very determined and resourceful man.

“Good morning, little flower.” His voice has me peeking out from beneath the duvet.

“Hello,” I smile.

Leon walks into the room with a tray of coffee, breakfast and flowers.

He’s been doing this almost every single morning since we came here.

This and a constant stream of gifts.

Luxurious perfumes, expensive creams and beauty products, clothing that is fit for a princess. At first, it was confusing, and I didn’t understand what his goal was, but after a while I had to admit that I just really love being spoiled like this. I’ve never had someone dote on me before or pamper me and treat me like a princess. I’m not used to it, but it’s making me feel ridiculously special.

“Good morning,” I say in my sleepy voice as I sit up in bed and rub my eyes.

He slides on to the bed next to me and throws the blankets over himself. He pulls me against his side and places the tray over our legs.

“Scrambled eggs and bacon this morning. And I added an extra sugar in your coffee because yesterday you didn’t smile as much when you took your first sip.” He grins.

I shake my head, smiling broadly. “So you are a mind reader now, too?”

“Was I right, though? It didn’t have enough sugar?”

I sigh. “You were right.”

He chuckles and my eyes fall to his lips. He’s absolutely gorgeous, and I’ve been constantly struggling with my attraction to him. It’s evolved lately into something deeper than just a physical feeling.

He’s making me feel safe and seen.

I’m still struggling so much with trust, though, because why is he doing this? What does he want from me? Is there some hidden agenda?

There is a knock at the bedroom door, and one of the security guys' voices comes from the other side.

“Sir?”

“You can come in,” Leon calls back.

The door opens and a man stands politely in the doorway without entering the bedroom.

“The perimeter is clear, and there were no incidents last night.”

“Thanks, you can give me another report at lunchtime.”

“Yes. sir.”

The man turns to leave, and I sigh heavily. The security is so intense at the moment, and I have been feeling completely smothered by it. I haven’t left the house for even a second since we arrived here two weeks ago and I’m going a little crazy.

“Leon, is all this security really necessary?” I grumble.

“Definitely. I’m not taking any chances after what happened,” he replies sternly.

“I’m just—it’s very claustrophobic. I’m feeling very caged-in.”

“Do you have cabin fever?” he chuckles.

“Yes, exactly that. I need to get out.”

“And I need to keep you safe,” he responds.

I roll my eyes but drop the subject because he has been really sweet the past few weeks and I appreciate that. Even if I am nervous about why he’s doing it.

I’ve learned to enjoy good times in my life when they come, because I never know when they will end.

Later that day I’m sitting in the living room, curled up on the sofa with a book, when Leon comes in and tells me to get ready.

“For what?” I put the book down on the side table and tilt my head towards him, my eyes wide with curiosity.

“We’ve going for a drive. A change of scenery for you.”

“Oh my goodness, yes. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

I bolt out of the living room to grab a different top. My jeans are fine, but I want to find something better than this hoodie.

I choose my soft cashmere jersey and an olive-green jacket. Then I bolt downstairs with a grin on my face.

“Ready.”

“That was quick,” Leon says, pushing the front door open.

In the car he asks, “When last did you go to a spa?”

“A spa?” I know I sound like a broken record repeating him, but I don’t understand the question.

“You know, a luxury spa. To have a massage or get your nails done or do a beauty treatment—things like that.”

I laugh. “I’ve never been to a spa. Do you really think that’s the kind of thing my father would let me go to?”

“I suppose not.” He shrugs. “Well, I own a few of them. They are a front for my actual business, which is money laundering. I thought I would show you around one of them because it’s quite close by.”

“Oh, awesome. I’d love to see that.”

He straps himself in and makes sure I am, too, then heads out onto the road towards his business. He seems proud to show it off to me—excited, even.

We park outside and he holds the car door open for me.

Walking in, the staff are happy to see him.

“Mr. Dubrov. We didn’t know you were visiting today,” the lady at reception says, coming around the counter to greet him.

“Hi Shakira, I wanted to show my wife the facility. Are you busy today? Can we walk around?”

“You know we are always busy, but of course you can walk around.”

“How are the kids? Is your little one adjusting to the new school okay?”

“She’s doing so well. Thank you again for having her put in the private school. I can’t tell you what it means to my family.”

“Shakira, your daughter is gifted, and she deserves the best school. It was no problem at all.”

“Can I make you and your wife some lunch or coffee, or a cocktail?”

“We will definitely have something a little later. For now, I just want to give her a tour.”

“You just shout when you need me.”

Leon walks into the facility, leading me by my hand. I can’t help but admire how friendly and kind he is to each of the staff members who come to greet him. They obviously really like him. The fact that someone treats their staff well means a lot to me, because they are people who deserve respect just as much as anyone else. That’s something my father never learned.

“This place is amazing,” I comment, admiring how luxurious it looks. But I can’t brush off the feeling that it reminds me of my father’s setup. He has luxury restaurants which are covers for his money laundering businesses, but then in the basement of those restaurants he has torture chambers.

“Um, beneath this place—do you have the torture chambers in the basement?”

Leon turns to glare at me in horror.

“Torture chambers?”

“Yes, to sort out the staff or people who don’t do as you say?”

“I don’t have torture chambers, Sasha. This is just a normal business.”

I bite my lip, annoyed that he would lie to me about that. At least my father didn’t hide who he was. He was upfront about it.

My face scrunches in anger. I wish Leon would be honest with me too.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, noticing my change in mood.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know how these things work. I just hate being lied to.”

“Lied to about what?”

“The torture chambers,” I say, getting angrier, because now he’s pretending he doesn’t even know what I’m talking about.

“Sasha, I don’t have torture chambers. ”

“Stop denying it. Where else would you torture people?” I say angrily.

“I don’t make a habit out of torturing people. It’s not part of my regular life. Sure, if someone crosses me or steals from me, or hurts my family, I will torture them, but I don’t enjoy it, and I don’t do it for fun or no reason.” He is getting angry with me.

I don’t believe him.

I know how my father works, I know how the mafia world works.

“Sasha, don’t glare at me like that.”

“You’re lying to me.”

“Why would you think I’m lying to you?”

“Because I know this world. I’m not stupid. Obviously, you have torture chambers. My father had them in every single building he owned. He even had them beneath our house. Just stop treating me like I’m an idiot.”

“How about you stop comparing me to your father?” he says with a deep growl. “I am nothing like him—haven’t you noticed? How can you still be thinking I am anything like him?”

His eyes are shooting into me with force, and I feel myself shrinking back slightly.

I am comparing him to my father.

And he isn’t anything like him.

Suddenly I can’t make eye contact, feeling confused and torn between everything I’ve ever been taught, and what I can see right in front of me.

“I need space,” I say abruptly, and walk away from him. I just need a moment to clear my head. I need to think and figure things out.

I walk through to the next section of the spa and find myself face-to-face to with one of the ladies who works here.

“Mrs. Dubrov. How do you like our spa?” she asks kindly.

“It’s lovely,” I reply.

“But why do you look so upset?”

“I’m just—I don’t know.”

“Come on. I think you need to soak in one of the Jacuzzis. The hot water and massage function will have you feeling relaxed in no time at all.”

She leads me through to a private room with bamboo walls, soft lighting and gentle music playing from speakers I can’t see.

“There is a towel behind the door and a white robe for when you get out. Enjoy it. No one has booked this room, so you can take as much time as you need.”

Then she’s gone and I am alone in the room.

I’ve never been in a hot tub before. I dip my fingers into the bubbling water and find it deliciously warm.

I strip down, folding my clothes and leaving them on the small bamboo shelf, then slowly step into the water.

It is lovely.

I sink deeper, letting it caress my body and ease my thoughts.

This is what I needed. Total relaxation and some space to think.

But I jump when the door opens. I quickly wrap my arms over my chest and sink deeper into the water to hide my naked body. Luckily the bubbles are doing most of the hiding for me.

“Sasha, they told me you were in here,” Leon says, closing the door behind himself.

He stares at me for a second, then starts stripping his clothes off.

I stare in shock as he climbs naked into the hot tub with me.

He doesn’t even hesitate; he just grabs me around my waist and pulls me onto his lap.

“I’m sorry I got upset earlier. I know you must have been through a lot and what you consider to be normal is just not normal for other people. It will take a while for you to realize that most people are nothing like your father. I need to have more patience when you face moments like that, but you also need to try and give me the benefit of the doubt.” He is talking gently, his deep voice vibrating up against me while I sit on his lap with my legs wrapped around his waist.

I hear his words, but I also don’t, because I’m naked, and he’s naked, and the water is hot, and he’s so fucking hot and my legs are spread open against him.

There is a long moment of silence when I don’t reply. All I can do is nod.

He starts to grin.

“Did you hear a word I just said?” he chuckles.

“I might have heard at least half of it,” I grin.

Then he’s kissing me. His mouth against mine and his hands running down my body as he pulls my hips down against him. His cock is hard and pressing against my pussy as the bubbles from the hot tub caress our bodies.

His hands massage my breasts while his lips trail down my neck.

When he lifts my hips and I feel his cock pressing right against my pussy I gasp and tilt my head back.

He presses himself harder against me, pulling me onto his cock. As he penetrates me, I feel my pussy spreading open and his cock filling me up.

I cry out as he thrusts deeper, burying himself inside me.

My body belongs entirely to him in this moment.

I let go and let him do whatever he wants to me as he begins to thrust in and out, the water splashing wildly around us. He wraps his arm around my waist to hold me steady and fucks me, at first moving slowly, savoring the feeling, letting the pleasure built up.

The longer he fucks me, the more intense it feels.

Soon I can’t take it anymore and I wrap my hands around his neck and begin to fuck him back.

He leans back against the side of the hot tub, letting me take control. I ride his cock, rocking my hips back and forth over him, enjoying every inch of him.

A low growl escapes his throat.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to come,” he warns me.

“So am I,” I whisper breathlessly.

He grabs my hips again and starts rocking me back and forth faster and my body begins to shake with pleasure. I cry out as the orgasm crashes into me, pulsing through me in waves of pleasure.

He growls and pulls me tight against him, thrusting deep into me as he explodes.

“Fuck, I can’t get over how incredible you feel,” he whispers against my ear.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” I whisper back.

He looks into my eyes. “It’s okay, Sasha. You’ve been through a lot. I just want you to know I’m not like that.”

“I know you aren’t,” I admit, really meaning it.