droplets of water on his skin and hair as he turns and rifles through his closet. I watch the muscles of his back expand and admire his frame.
Beautiful. Strong. Solid.
When he turns, he catches me looking. It does not seem to faze him as he removes his towel and reveals his plump cock, hanging heavy down his leg.
He is pure male.
It makes me curious all over again. Why he is with me. He could have any woman he wanted. But he does not act that way. There is nothing arrogant about him.
He is simply a force of calm. A flash of pale blue in the otherwise dark and tumultuous storm of my life.
I watch him put on his briefs, the muscles of his thighs contracting as he snaps the waist band into place.
“Tell me what you are thinking,” he says.
“I was wondering why you didn’t marry Katya.”
My question makes his brows draw together. I expect evasion. But I don’t receive it.
“She slept with my brother,” is his honest reply.
“Nikolai.”
The jerk of his chin is his answer.
I digest those words and watch him put on his trousers, followed by another charcoal gray sweater. And then a shoulder holster.
“Nikolai said that she wouldn’t give this up,” I tell him. “That she wouldn’t give you up.”
“She has no choice.” Alexei dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. “She won’t cause trouble.”
“How can you be sure?”
He meets my gaze, his words carrying a hint of threat as he speaks. “Because she would die if the truth were revealed. You never betray a Vor.”
“Do you think that I would betray you?” I ask. “Is that why you didn’t want me speaking to Nikolai?”
He turns away from me and shrugs into his jacket and flat cap. A sure sign that he is leaving somewhere, which I don’t like.
“I will provide you with a good life, Talia,” he says quietly. “Anything you wish, it will be yours. You will have my children. You will be happy. But you must never betray me.”
And there it is.
He doesn’t trust me. I wonder if he ever will.
I don’t give him my assurances because I know they would not do any good. Just as his assurances can only placate my worries for mere moments until the memories come back. Replacing everything present with the poisonous past.
Alexei comes to say goodbye. He sits beside me on the bed, stroking my face in his hands the way he often does. I don’t want him to go.
“What about Sergei?”
This time, my question angers him. And he goes cold, his fingers falling away.
I regret asking.
“What of Sergei?”
“Nikolai said to be careful of him too.”
“Nikolai has a big mouth, and should not be concerning you with these things. He should have come to me.”
“He said you wouldn’t listen.”
“And he was right. Everything he has to say is nonsense, Solnyshko. You have nothing to fear. I said I would protect you. So leave the worrying to me, yes?”
“Okay.”
“I have to go handle some business,” he tells me. “It might take me a couple days. But I want you in my bed when I return.”
“Okay,” I say again.
“Wear something nice for me,” he says, his eyes moving over me as he reaches down to adjust the bulge in his trousers. “Something silk. And black.”
This time, it is me who reaches up to touch his face. I bring my lips to his, and he returns the sentiment by cupping the back of my head and devouring my mouth with his.
When he pulls away, my lips are swollen and aching for him all over again.
“You be a good girl.” He kisses me on the forehead and then moves to the door. “I will return soon.”
Alexei is gone for three days, instead of two.
I used my Mac to order a few silk chemises in his requested color. With overnight shipping, they arrived the next day. But that wasn’t the only thing I ordered.
Magda of course saw the pregnancy tests when she opened the box and inspected the contents before allowing me to have it. And she has already checked in on me three times this morning, her subtlety failing her horribly.
“Everything alright, Miss Talia?” she asks me as I look up from my book.
“I haven’t taken the tests yet, Magda,” I answer.
She frowns. “Maybe you should.”
I know that I should. But I’m scared.
“I will wait with you,” she volunteers. “If that helps.”
I know she isn’t going to let this go. So I give up reading and stand up. Magda