SOMETHING ticklish behind Ara's ear woke her up from her slumber. She's greeted by a handsome soft smile with a pretty white set of teeth. Grayish eyes peering down her morning face. Suddenly aware of her morning stars she covered her face. Her breath must have stunk too!
"Why are you covering your face?" Vanluke asked grinning. Damn it, why does he look like a supermodel so early in the morning while she probably looks more like a zombie who just came out of a grave.
"I look ugly."
"I know."
She glared at him. Did he need to be honest? "I'm taking a shower."
"Do it later. Let's stay like this all day." He wrapped his arms around her like she's some bolster
FIVE years ago Ara had decided to love an opposite sex. She met him in college. She gave him herself thinking she found the person she can spend her life with. Everything was fine. Everything was smooth. They faced ups and downs of a relationship. The challenges they came through made her think she found the right man. But it was all in her head. She ignored the signs. Until she was confronted by the truth that hurted her inside badly. He had someone else. If she didn't find out about the other girl she would look not only stupid but an idiot. She loved him for real. And he broke her heart. Not wanting to discuss nor fix it she never spoke of him again. Guilty, he refused to show himself in front of her again.Five years later she saw him again. Not in normal circumstances. She was behind worn out wooden boxes listening, watching quietly of what's going on in a storage room near the mansion s
20 years earlier… Vanluke, a name given to him by his mother. She was sweet, by the name of Dominika Acker. She was a woman who cared for her only son who grew up without a father. By day she takes care of him and everything else that normal people do. At night she works as a waitress in a club. "Mom, enough working in that place," he tells her over hundreds of times. Dominika smiled at her son. She put the kitchen knife down and a piece of onion. "Don't worry about me, Van. I can work fine." "No you're not!" His mother flinched. It was the first time in their lives he had raised his voice to his mother. Instant regret flashed on his face but he had to convince her. "I can work. You don't have to go
IT'S 1:05 in the morning. After locking herself up since afternoon, Ara felt hungry. No, she's not hungry just because she felt her stomach ache. It's her putting her fuzzy thoughts into binge eating. She sat open the big refrigerator. It showed her different kinds of food she can eat. Most of them are sweet. She took a liter of triple chocolate ice cream, chocolate bars, and a slice of red velvet cake. She ate them silently at the breakfast bar.Vanluke then appeared behind her. He took the spoon full of ice cream in his mouth that was supposed to be in hers.She stumbled on her seat trying to get away from him. He did not let her, though. He held her balance on the wooden stool. He pressed his waist between her thighs. His arms snaked around her back. Keeping her from escaping.
"YOU can't keep me in here forever, Vanluke," Ara said firmly and final as she put on a coffee brown jacket ready to go out to meet her brothers staying near the center market. He caught her arm. "I said no," he said authoritatively. His brows are crumpled in big disagreement. "I'm not asking for your permission, sir," she retorted. She glared at him. He wasn't expecting her to call her 'sir'. It somehow made him feel like he's nothing but her employer. His grip tightened a bit. "It's dangerous." "The only danger that came to my life is you
It is a cold night. Just like the first time she went out with Vanluke for a walk the surrounding was quite isolating. They shared a breathtaking kiss that almost made her knees give out. Just like that night, she's gasping for air. Except it's not a kiss but because she's running as fast as she can. It made her recall the first time she ran away too. Vanluke was able to catch her. Half unwilling, she shared a forceful but nerve trembling night. They did the deed outdoors with the moon as their witness. Then he carried her from there to the mansion. Again, a passionate union.She thought about her escape thoroughly. Of what the consequences would be if she made him really angry this time. Will he hurt her family? Will he use them as bait to take her back? What possible punishment will he do to her? Would tormenting her physically or psychologically be enough to make her submit?
A month has passed rather quickly. After her punishment weeks ago Vanluke brought Ara to a five star hotel's penthouse within the city. He was very strict to his men to keep her in watch 24/7 until he's done with his urgent work in the country. He's always out during the day and comes back with expensive gifts at night. They didn't spend the days horny, as much as it's hard to believe they only sleep, talk about stuff, and do things a couple should do.Thankfully Czar, Fedor, and Danil accompanied her so she wasn't bored. Somehow she had built trust with them but Czar is a little hard to persuade since he's not happy his boss risks his life for her.A chilly day in the afternoon it's Czar's turn to spend time with her. Out of curiosity she asked ab
"WHAT'S going on?" asked Ara, watching Vanluke hurry to put on an ash colored piece suit. "It's my cousin Tamara. She's gone and I have to find her," he answered, not looking at her. His anger is visible and it reminded her that this man's job is no joke. "You're leaving?" She covered her body with the comforter. Clasping it hard. Her chest throb. "No, don't leave me here." It's not that she's afraid he's never going back. Something tells her there's going to be an unexpected thing to happen to either of them. Vanluke took the rounding of her eyes as her romantic expression of affection. He quickly
"REPORTS from Fedor, Sir," Czar, Vanluke's childhood friend slash faithful guard, came in his main office in Russia with several trained men that work also for him.Vanluke stood up from his big swivel chair arranging his crumbled suit. "Go on.""Someone from inside the manor helped Miss Tamara escape the guards.""Who?""Reports from the manor stated Miss Alyona visiting Miss Tamara a few times a couple of days ago. Then when Miss Tamara was deemed missing Miss Alyona was there too.""Not surprising." Alyona had been crossing the lines between them even before he met Ara. She fantasizes of being his wife and he would not give it to her. Her last drop of ra