FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER: Lifting my hand with my heart hammering in my chest and butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach, I knock on Leos’ office door. I wait a few breaths before the door is pulled open by one of his men. As his gaze falls on me, he steps to the side to allow me to enter, and when Leo sees me, he rises to his feet from behind his desk, buttoning the front of his charcoal suit jacket. He clears his throat, “Leave us.” Without any hesitations or questionable expressions marring their features, all fifteen of his men exit the room in utter silence. “Bella, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” He smiles as he walks around his desk, cupping my face in his hands, and places a gentle kiss on the top of my head. Since we have been married, Leo has not made any attempt to pressure me into filling my duties as his wife or so much as tried to kiss me on the lips. He has been very patient with me, giving me all the space I need, as well as sleeping in the room
The world is very good at inflicting pain on me.An agony that is so intense that there is nothing else.Darkness engulfs me, blinding me.I’m dying. I just know it.I’ve fought a good fight in my life, and everything I have been subjected to; forced to endure is nothing like this. Only death can feel like this.No matter how much I will myself to keep on fighting, there just isn’t anything left in me to keep going.I ache all over. Every muscle in my body has been robbed of its strength, and I can feel myself sinking deeper into the endless sea of darkness.Dmitris’ face flickers before me.His voice fills my ear canals, stroking my feverish flesh like velvet.Then I think of Leo, how he did right by me, and how my heart slowly began to open up and let him in. He loves me fiercely, and I know if I give up, he will have Wolf by his side.Wolf, looks like Amani. He has a gentle soul and the day Ivan brought him home, he has thrived beyond our wildest dreams. Proving himself to everyon
His relentless fingers continue to assault the most sensitive region of my body, eliciting a faint, panting whimper from my lips. My blood is pulsating with sensual ecstasy; pleasure as I have never experienced before.I want to tell him that I'm coming, but I can't with his hand clamped over my mouth, silencing our forbidden activities. My eyes start to roll in the back of my head, while the delicious sensation of pressure building in the pit of my stomach consumes me.Against my better judgement, I start to ride his fingers, desperately seeking my release. "So hot, and wet for me, printsessa..." He growls into my hair as his hot lips graze the hard shell of my ear. "Happy birthday." My chest rises and falls vigorously as his velvet-like voice licks my pulsating flesh that burns with love for him, and him alone. He is the only male that has the power to consume me entirely without even knowing it.Dmitri Orlov is the adopted son of Aunt Ana and Uncle Viktor. He is three years ol
SIX YEARS LATER.I stare at my reflection in the mirror, admiring the strong young woman who stares back at me. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my parents have decided they want to celebrate it with all their corporate friends and close confidants. I usually feel like an outcast at large gatherings or in crowded places. I am the awkward girl in the corner of the room who has been sipping the same drink for three hours while watching everyone else enjoy themselves.I turn to the side, drinking in my reflection as I take note of how well the gown fits my body.It savagely clings to every generous curve the Gods have blessed me with. The silver gown that sparkles under the light heightens the sapphire blue irises in my eyes. I have my mother's red hair and my father's eyes, but somehow I have inherited my Aunt Ana's spitfire tongue.FOR ONCE, my mother has picked something for me that doesn't make me feel like I am too overly dressed; something that will draw too much attention
My eyes grow wide as fear forbids me to move. With fear-stricken eyes, I watch as Dmitri rushes to the bedroom window, pulling a ribbed black top over his shoulders.He stands in the shadows where the sun doesn't kiss the room, and he gazes out the window. Whatever is happening on the other side of the window, causes his hands to curl into tight balls of fury at his sides. The instant he looks back at me, I know it's bad. I immediately turn around, attempting to unlock the door so I can rush down the stairs and find my parents. "Net... [No...]" Dmitri growls in a hushed tone, yanking me away from the door, and he pulls me to the far corner of the room. "Get down, and don't let anyone see you through the window." He states sternly, leaving no room for me to disregard his orders. He moves along the wall, opens the closet door, and pulls out his duffle bag. He extracts two guns, twists the silencers on the barrels, and removes two clips; stuffing the clips into the back pockets of h
As I near the lake, I make the decision to defy Dmitris' request and go my own way. There is an abandoned warehouse not far away from here, with one of my father's emergency vehicles stored inside. I will take the vehicle and drive to the little studio my father brought me without telling anyone, including my mother.He said that if a time ever came when I will need to escape for my safety, the studio is the one safe haven I can rely on. Inside, it will have everything I require to get me out of the country undetected. I take a right turn that leads to a back road, which I cross before jogging through an open paddock to the warehouse. Huffing and puffing, I open the door wide and stagger towards the vehicle, pulling the cover off to show a battered pickup truck.I groan, "Seriously dad?" I huff as I struggle to pull the truck door open.As I get inside the vehicle, I search through it, looking for the key and I find it hidden under the driver's seat. It takes me a while to get t
As I put my hands on my hips and raise my chin, I can feel a curl in the corner of my mouth. If he thinks he is going to have one over me because he dangles my towel in front of me, he has another thing coming. Only because I am the shy girl you would find in the corner of the room, doesn't mean I am ashamed of my body. I work hard to maintain my figure and as far as I am concerned... HE can eat his bloody heart out. "How did you find me?" He thrusts the towel in front of me again, motioning for me to accept it, and use it. But I don't. I just continue to glare at him as my patience is wearing thin. As he lowers his arm, his features sober and he meets my gaze. "It's quite insulting that you have underestimated my tracking skills." He mumbles with an exaggerated sigh departing his full lips that would feel amazing pressed against my bare sex. I snort, wiping the tip of my nose with the pad of my thumb. "I know for a fact that you didn't track me D. It is you, that cont
I am awoken by the sound of something sizzling in the background; shortly thereafter, the aroma of greasy fried food floods my senses, and my mouth immediately begins to water.Mmm, bacon...I roll over, cradling the pillow to my chest as I let out a relaxed sigh. Slowly opening my eyes, the illuminating rays of the sun dance upon the bed and it caresses my bare face. Flexing my arms, I let out a light yawn before I pull myself up into a sitting position, and place my hand against my groggy head. I raise my eyes while patiently waiting for my vision to clear, then slam them shut once it does.I must have slept the whole night away and Dmitri is still hanging about like a bad smell. As I stand up, I remove the warm, snug blanket, swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and hiss as my feet strike the chilly floor.I dip my head and look down at my bare feet then check the rest of my body. A silent sigh of gratitude leaves my mouth the second I realise Dmitri had only removed my sock