“It’s Mrs. Ivanov,” I said, hanging up the phone.
I was already heading toward the pool. In the elevator, I rubbed at my temple. I hadn’t slept in two days so far. Sleep rarely came to me. I had no trust in anyone around me, and right now between Cara’s problem, and now the Italian one, there was no way I was going to relax.
You were killed if you let down your guard, and that was the last thing I was going to do.
The elevator went down to the level with the gym and the pool. I saw the sign posted, stating the pool was closed for the time being.
As I entered, I caught sight of my wife wearing a one-piece swimsuit. She had her arms crossed over the edge of the pool, and Sergei, as far as I was concerned, looked a little too cozy with my wife, which pissed me off.
We’d been married a little over five months, and as I watched them, I didn’t like how close they seemed. Anger worked up my body as I stepped into view. The moment I did, the smile on Aurora’s lips fell and Sergei stood.
He bowed his head to me. “Sir.”
“You can leave,” I said.
He nodded. Without another look at my wife, he left the room. Alone with my wife, I saw Aurora move back into the water. We looked at each other.
She wasn’t a stunning beauty, but there was a beauty there. I’d had my fair share of fake beauty. There was something about Aurora that called to me.
“I didn’t know you were coming home,” she said.
“You never do.”
Again, small talk wasn’t my strong suit.
“It would be wise of you not to flirt with my men.”
This had her frowning. “I wasn’t flirting.”
“You think I didn’t see what you were doing?”
She looked to where Sergei had left. “We were just talking. Not everything between a man and a woman has to be about … sex.”
My cock twitched. I hadn’t gotten the pleasure of enjoying my wife. She’d moved toward the edge of the pool, and as she grabbed the side, I watched as she pulled herself out. I admired the curves of her body. The fullness of her ass. She grabbed a towel.
“If you continue to flirt with Sergei and give him the wrong message, I will kill him.”
She glared at him. “I wasn’t flirting with him. He’s my … friend.”
This made me laugh. I couldn’t help it. Sergei wasn’t a friend. None of my men were her friends, and if given the order, they would turn on her at a moment’s notice.
What I didn’t expect was the slap to the face. I captured her hand and pulled her against me. She began to wriggle, and with how close her body was, I had no problem with it. Not that I’d force her. Rape wasn’t something I wanted to ever experience.
Staring into her eyes, I restrained her, making her pause with a single hand on her ass. I gripped her tightly, and tears filled her eyes.
“Don’t ever fucking do that again.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like being hit. I tend to hit back.”
“Then don’t accuse me of doing something I never did. I don’t flirt. I wouldn’t even know how.”
“My men know the rules. You’re a job to them, nothing more.”
She wore a good mask, but I saw my words had struck her hard. “You think I don’t know that? It’s all I do know. I’m a job. It’s why I don’t flirt. Now let me go, or is there something else you want from me?”
Her lips looked really tempting, but my anger was not in a good place. I released her, and without a backward glance, she left. The curves of her ass just begged for me to call her back and show her what real sex was all about. The two times I’d fucked her hadn’t been real. It had been mechanical, a necessity and then a release. I wanted her again, but not tonight. I never allowed my hormones to take charge. I was the one who held control over myself, no one else.
Chapter Four
Aurora
For the next week, I stopped talking to Sergei, and I ignored Slavik when he decided to join me for dinner or anything else. We did end up going to two different dinner parties, but like the ones before, I was able to sit without saying a single word.
Dinner invitations were offered, but I declined.
I’d come to the conclusion I didn’t want to make friends with Slavik’s world. So by the second week after my decision, I sat on the sofa, bored out of my mind. I’d read so many books I couldn’t even remember a single title or author. The stories had been great but it was like I hadn’t really taken them in.
There was nothing for me to do but stay here.
Sergei stood a few feet away as I stared down at my feet.
I’d already done my workout for the day. According to the scales today, I’d dropped another couple of pounds. Even as my stomach rumbled, I ignored the growl. Eating was done carefully and controlled.
“You need to eat something,” Sergei said.
“I’m fine.”
“Starving yourself is not the answer.”
I lifted my gaze. “You shouldn’t be talking to me.”
“Come on, Aurora, don’t be like that.”
“It’s Mrs. Ivanov,” I said. I heard him tut, and I glared at him. “Do you know what my husband thinks? He thinks I was flirting with you.” I laughed. “I’m not going to give him the satisfaction.”
I hated him. He was an asshole.
I was so fucking bored. Five months of married life sucked. Not that being a daughter was any easy feat. Nope. Both sucked.
“You do know he is probably with a mistress right now,” Sergei said after a short pause.
This had me looking at Sergei. “What?”
He moved closer into the room. I didn’t stop him as he sat down opposite me. I moved my feet out of his room. Sergei had never been like this before, and I quickly glanced around to make sure no one watched. I didn’t know why I did this. We weren’t breaking any rules, but all of a sudden, this felt way too intimate. Like I shouldn’t allow this. Did it make any sense?
I wasn’t betraying Slavik, but with his accusations still ringing in my ear, I couldn’t help but feel like I was.
Other than my family, I’d never sat down with a man. Rarely talked to one that wasn’t my husband or blood related. In fact, Sergei and Ivan were the only two men I’d spoken to in my life.
Sergei put a hand on my foot, and I gritted my teeth, doing everything in my power not to pull away from his touch. My family had drilled into me at a young age that touch by anyone but my husband was bad.
“A man like Slavik has needs. They’re important to him. He’s not the kind of man who is going to enjoy straight sex. He likes it dirty. He’ll find an outlet with a woman who is not his wife.”
So my husband of five months was already cheating on me. I should have known. Why did it hurt so much?
“Have you … met her?”
“No. Men like Slavik are never at a loss for female company.”
I didn’t like the way Sergei rubbed his thumb against my foot.
Quickly, I moved, standing up. “Then I guess I should count my blessings that he’s finding his pleasures elsewhere. Excuse me.”
I left the sitting room and entered our bedroom where we slept side by side most nights. I wrapped my arms around myself. With my back pressed against the closed door, I slid down and stared at the bed.