How could everything have gone so wrong?
Livia angrily wiped at the tears that slipped down her cheeks. Why was she still crying over the man?!
Livia grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the table in the small cottage. Because of her anger, she’d once again spilled coffee, the liquid going everywhere. Livia blamed Stefan for this as well, furious with him for…everything!
Not only was she married to a man she couldn’t be with, she was running from him, she was hiding out in a tiny beach cottage, pretending like she wasn’t a married woman and that her husband hadn’t…that he was still the man she’d thought she’d married.
Unfortunately, that conversation she’d overheard on the day of their wedding had proven otherwise. Half the time, she wished she hadn’t heard him talking on the phone. The other half, she was furious with herself for hiding out, from hiding from Stefan. She should just go back to London, confront him and tell him that she wasn’t the kind of woman who would take abuse, not from any man.
No matter how much she loved him.
Get over him! He was one of them! One of the bad guys! A bully, a jerk, an insecure human being who had to beat someone weaker in order to feel strong!
How could she have fallen into the same trap her mother had endured for too long? There had been no clues that Stefan was a wife beater! She’d looked for the signs, she’d been wary and observant! She’d taken precautions! But in the end, his words had revealed what he’d so carefully concealed from her. Damn her father! She hated that he’d been right!
Well, she wasn’t weak! She was strong and confident and she didn’t let anyone push her around. She refused to allow bullish men in her life who thought it was okay to push a woman around!
She wiped down the table and looked out the window, relaxing for a few moments before she contemplated her next move. She was so angry with Stefan, so confused by his words that didn’t match his actions, that it took a great deal of energy to just get out of bed in the morning.
Okay, so she wasn’t living up to her dreams, she told herself. Her dreams would be to curl into the old Stefan’s arms and have him make her feel like she was special. Just like he used to make her feel before their wedding. Before she’d heard that horrible conversation.
With a sigh, she looked around, trying to decide if she wanted to read a book or…just sit here and stare out the window. Anything more strenuous than that would be too much for her right now.
For some reason, she felt extra jumpy this morning. It was beautiful today, with the sun shining and the humidity lower so that the world didn’t feel as sticky as it had been over the past several weeks. She should be happy today, Livia told herself. She should be thrilled that she had found the courage to walk out of a dangerous relationship, strong enough to ignore the pull of Stefan. And the weather was beautiful.
So why did she feel so nervous? Why did it feel as if something ominous was about to happen? Looking out the window, she carefully scanned the people on the street. Did it seem as if there were more men in suits today? Or was she just being paranoid?
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she tried to get herself to relax. She was fine! Stefan wasn’t lurking around the corner, he wasn’t about to pounce on her and he definitely wasn’t sending his bodyguards to surround her tiny cottage, her refuge.
Relax, she told herself firmly. She’d just ducked inside the door, contemplating making something to eat for lunch when she felt it. That sensation…she knew that feeling!
“Hello, Livia,” Stefan’s deep voice said as he came through the door of her temporary quarters.
Livia almost spilled the milk she’d just pulled out of the refrigerator as she watched him approach. Goodness, he looked magnificent! She’d almost forgotten how large he was. The man was shockingly tall, almost needing to duck to get through the doorway. And those shoulders! Oh my, how she remembered clinging to those muscular shoulders as he kissed her after one of their dates. That man could make her knees buckle with the way he kissed!
But then she remembered…the words, the conversation! She pulled her eyes away from his shoulders and remembered that he was the bad guy. He wasn’t worth her exhilaration. “What are you doing here?” she demanded even as her body remembered how tall and handsome he was. She also remembered how desperately she’d wanted to make love with this man, how she’d shivered in his arms, ached to have him continue.
Stop! This was a man who beat women if they got out of hand! He was a horrible human being! He wasn’t handsome! He wasn’t fascinating! Her legs gave out on her and she fell onto the nearest chair, staring up at him.
He sat down across the table from her, his enormous body dwarfing the simple chair and she was reminded of how the man’s presence could fill an entire room.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again.
A dark eyebrow lifted and he chuckled softly, sending sensations throughout her whole body. “I would imagine that the answer to that question was obvious.”
She shook her head. “No. Why…how did you find me?”
“Perhaps a better question would be why you walked out on me on our wedding day. Care to explain?” he asked and Livia could feel his anger. She didn’t care! This man was…
She had to come up with an answer. Stefan wasn’t the kind of man who would settle for anything less than the full truth. She opened her mouth to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. She wanted to rail at him, to yell out her anger and frustration, her disappointment in who she’d thought he was compared to the truth. Her illusions about this man, her love, had been crushed with a single telephone conversation.
“Doesn’t matter,” he snapped when she didn’t quickly respond. His fingers flicked the question aside impatiently. “What is important is that your mother needs you.”
Livia’s whole body tensed. She hadn’t been able to reach her mother for the past several days. She’d known something was wrong, but hadn’t figured out a way to get in touch, to check in. “My mother? What’s wrong with my mother?”
“She’s fine,” he told her softly, the first touch of gentleness entering his voice. But then his eyes hardened once again. “But she needs you. She’s recovering.”
Livia swallowed the painful lump at the thought of her kind, gentle mother being hurt. “What happened to her?” Livia demanded, but she knew! Deep down, Livia knew that her father had beaten her again.
“According to what the police can gather from your mother’s brief comments, there was a home invasion,” he told her. “And your mother was at home.” His voice was soft and his hand reached out to cover hers. “She’s fine. Now.”
Livia swallowed, trying to stop the tears and the rush of guilt. If she’d stayed, maybe her mother would have been living with her and she wouldn’t be in the hospital now. “So you came to get me, right?” she asked.
There was silence as she looked at her coffee. “We need to make a deal.”
Livia wasn’t sure she understood his words. “A deal?” Her mother was hurt and this horrible man, the man she’d thought she was in love with until…why in the world would he try and make a deal at this point?
Stefan’s eyes were cold as shards of crystals now. No more softness or amusement the way he used to look at her. “Yes. You see, this has to stop,” he said and she instantly knew that he was referring to their marriage. He wanted a divorce! She knew that it was true, had thought it and had even looked for a lawyer to start the process. She’d stopped before calling, not really asking herself why. But hearing this man say those words caused physical pain to slash through her body.
Stefan thought back to his discussion with Uncle Charles. He’d been correct. No matter what, he needed to close the book on his relationship with this woman. He was still furious that he’d been deprived of all the hidden secrets of her delightful body, all the secrets he’d denied himself before their wedding. Seeing her now, he understood that he wanted closure. He wanted to know why she’d run from him on their wedding day. Once he understood that, he could work her out of his mind. It was a simple enough plan, demand an explanation for her abrupt departure and move on. Straight and to the point.
“No, Livia. It isn’t what you’re thinking. The exact opposite, actually.”
Livia’s green eyes went back up to his, her heart racing frantically as she tried to figure out what the man was saying. “I don’t understand.”
Stefan leaned back in his chair, surveying the beautiful woman sitting across from him. She’d lost too much weight, her face looked gaunt and her hair was pulled back haphazardly, as if styling it took too much effort. He suspected that she hadn’t been eating well because her skin was too pale and her eyes couldn’t rest on one thing.
And he still wanted her. He’d made a huge mistake in marrying this woman. He should have just taken what she’d offered that one night and gotten her out of his system. If he’d made love to her then, she would probably be gone from his mind now. Generally, his relationships didn’t last long, but because he’d treated Livia differently, he’d never taken her to his bed, he’d never gotten over her. It was all just a physical issue, he told himself. All the sleepless nights were because he wanted her, not because he was worried about her.
But he still wanted her. He hated that fact, but there it was. No other woman could come close to the heat that this woman made him feel with just a touch or her kiss.
Responding to the worry in her eyes, he relented slightly and said, “Your mother is fine. She’s going to recover from her injuries, but it will take a long time. She’s in a hospital right now but once she’s released, she’ll need physical therapy to finish her recovery, possibly even a nurse to stay with her, help her throughout her day.” He waited a moment, letting those words sink in. When he saw her eyes widen with the understanding of the cost she was facing, he continued. “I’ll take care of your mother’s expenses, all of her medical bills, even a place for her to live after the hospital, but you will come back to me. I want you in my bed. You will act as my wife for as long as her recovery lasts.” He stared at her, watching her face carefully.
Livia listened carefully, trying to understand why he would say something like that. In his bed? Act as his wife?! Was he crazy?
Her eyes moved from the top of the table where her hands were trembling, to his eyes, trying to find some compassion there. Some of the gentleness she’d reveled in while they were dating. Or even understanding! But still no softer emotion was available in those hard depths. “Why?”
One of those massive shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Because I want you.”
His words sent an electric bolt of feeling straight through her body, causing those crazy shivers to act up again. Goodness, she hadn’t felt anything this intense since the last time he’d held her in his arms.
Back in his bed? Oh my, all of those dreams, all of the sleepless nights when she’d cried, praying that her need to hold this man would diminish. She thought about his offer for a moment, wondering what it would be like. Thinking back to all of those times he’d held her in his arms but wouldn’t keep going, how desperate she’d felt, how much she’d wanted to just stay in his arms and find out what it would be like to make love with Stefan.
And even that was shocking. Why was she even contemplating this suggestion? It was crazy!
Her shoulders stiffened and she shook her head firmly. “No. No way.”
Stefan smiled. He’d anticipated that reaction. “Her medical bills are already over one hundred thousand pounds. And your father filed for divorce so he will no longer accept financial responsibility for your mother’s recovery. She will need physical therapy and possibly additional surgery to repair the damage to her legs from the home invasion. Are you sure you want to leave her to the tender mercies of the state health system?”
Livia’s stomach felt sick with that explanation. There was no way she could pay those medical bills! She’d saved up her money over the years so she had a small nest egg, but nothing that would cover expenses on that magnitude.
“You wouldn’t do that to her,” she whispered, hoping that she was right. But the hardening in his eyes told her that he would.
“Don’t delude yourself, Livia. I haven’t made it this far in the business world by being a nice guy. When I want something, I get it.” He paused, letting his eyes move lower, surveying her figure.
She shivered, feeling his glance like a caress. “And right now, I’m the something you want.”
He looked at her intensely for a long moment. “Yes.”
Her fingers were shaking now. The idea of being in this man’s bed, of acting as his wife was…terrifying!
“And if I can’t do it?”
He didn’t move. “We’ve already discussed the consequences,” he replied firmly. “You will come home with me. You will act as my wife in all ways and, if you suddenly disappear again at any point, you accept responsibility for your mother’s recovery and medical bills from that second forward. So you make up your mind, Livia. If you unexpectedly find yourself feeling fancy free,” he shrugged again, “then you are free to go. Just know that I only take on responsibility while you are by my side, acting as my wife.” He leaned forward to emphasize his next words. “In all ways.”
She swallowed, staring into those dark eyes and wondering how she’d gotten him so wrong.
“I hate you,” she whispered through lips that felt frozen.
“I suspect you do, which is why you left so suddenly and without any explanation,” he replied evenly. His eyes dropped to the pulse beating at the base of her throat. “But I suspect that you still want me just as intensely as I want you. There’s unfinished business between the two of us. So I’m fairly certain that I can change your hatred to something more…passionate.” He stood up. “Shall we go?” he asked.
Livia looked around, panic filling her eyes as she realized that he wanted their bargain to start immediately! She needed time! She needed to figure out how to deal with this latest threat to her mother as well as how she was going to spend time in this man’s company and not…well, she wasn’t going to fall in love with him again! She knew better now. She knew what hid underneath that handsome exterior. She grasped onto the only excuse she could think of. “I can’t leave. I haven’t even paid for my stay here.”
He shook his head. “You either walk out that door with me or the deal I just presented is null and void.”
Livia knew he wasn’t bluffing, but that didn’t make the decision any easier. Her mother must be in critical condition if she’d incurred hospital bills so high in such a short period of time. But could she return with him? Could she act as his wife ‘in all ways’? “I can’t leave,” she persisted, not sure what to do. She needed to think but Stefan had never been a man to give her time or space. He was a man of action.
His eyes slashed through her, leaving her gasping for breath while he said through gritted teeth, “Lock the doors and come with me. Or I’ll drive away and text you the address of the private hospital in which your mother is recovering. You can make arrangements for her to be transferred to a state hospital.”
Livia watched as he stood up and started walking to the door. Panic took over and her mind frantically tried to come up with another solution. But she was stumped. Her mother or her life?
“Wait!” she called out.
Stefan stopped, his hand on the doorknob. “Let me just get my purse,” she said, her voice weak and pathetic sounding. She didn’t like that sound and straightened her shoulders. She was not a victim! She would not allow him to hurt her, but she had to protect her mother.
Once her mother was fully recovered, Livia vowed that she would take her mother away, hide them somewhere safe.
“I don’t have all day, Livia,” he told her curtly.
Livia put away the dish cloth with shaking fingers, hanging it carefully on the hook next to the sink. The keys to the cottage were on the counter. She picked them up and walked over to the front door, locking it carefully.
She stood outside the cottage, not really sure what to do. The keys were dangling from her numb fingers and the door to Stefan’s limousine was open as he stood there waiting for her to step into the dark interior first.
“What should I do with the keys?” she asked softly, unable to look him in the eye.
Stefan muttered something under his breath and he took the keys from her hand impatiently. “Here,” he said to one of his bodyguards. “Find the owner of this place and give these to him.”
“The owner is a she,” Livia stated, irritated at Stefan’s assumption.
“Irrelevant,” Stefan came right back. “Are you getting into the car or are we going to stand here all day?”
Livia’s lips compressed with anger and she glared up at him. “It’s mind-boggling to understand how you hid your bullying tendencies from me the last time we were together,” and she ducked into the back, not giving him a chance to reply.
He came in right after her and the limousine sped away, heading towards London.
Thankfully, his cell phone rang at that moment and he answered it quickly, speaking in his native Russian language. Livia curled up, leaning against the door and trying to figure out what her next move might be, how she was going to deal with having sex with Stefan as soon as they returned to London. She remembered so many nights when she had begged him to make love to her. This was different. He was a stranger and she knew so much more about him now.
Livia was so wrapped up in her anxiety over what would happen next that she was shocked when the limousine pulled up outside of a pretty building surrounded by trees. It looked like a private residence with stunning landscaping and private places to contemplate the world. “Where are we?” she asked, trying to figure out what was going on. She’d assumed that he would bring her back to the beautiful house he’d bought before the wedding and order her to strip naked.
“Your mother is here,” he explained without any inflection to his voice. “You may visit with her while I’m in meetings this afternoon, but I’ll expect you back at the penthouse tonight. A driver will be waiting here for you. Be back by six o’clock sharp for a social event I must attend,” he told her and stepped out of the limousine, extending his hand to help her out.
Always the gentleman, she thought with bitter irony, and put her cold hand into his warmer one. As soon as they were on the sidewalk though, she pulled her hand out of his and crossed her arms over her stomach. “Thank you,” she told him, trying to remember her manners despite the sick feeling that was clawing at her insides.
“You’re welcome,” he said with a sarcastic bite. “Six o’clock, Livia.” And he stepped back into the vehicle. It moved off quickly and Livia stared at it, her body relaxing slightly as the tail lights diminished with the distance.
When she could no longer see the car, she turned and looked up at the building. It was exceptionally nice and she never would have guessed that it was a hospital. Moving inside, she spoke to a woman behind the receptionist desk. “I’m here to speak with my mother. Ms. Morgan.”
The woman smiled politely, entering some information into a computer. “And your name?”
“Livia Morgan.”
The woman consulted her computer and, a moment later, nodded her head. “Just go through these doors, turn to the right and your mother is in room twelve fourteen. Just ask any of the nurses if you’d like to speak with her doctor.”
Livia was impressed with the woman’s efficiency and, if she were completely honest with herself, relieved that her mother was in a high security hospital. Stefan had mentioned something about her father filing for divorce, but he could still come back and get to her in a normal hospital. Livia didn’t put anything past her bully of a father.
Following the receptionist’s directions, she made her way through the long, quiet hallways. When she found the correct room, she noticed that not even her mother’s name was on the outside of the doorway. Another security measure?
Pushing open the doors, she peered inside and gasped when she saw her mother laying in the hospital bed. Her face was badly bruised, both her legs were in a cast and one of her arms was in a sling.
“Mother!” Livia whispered, moving carefully into the room. “Oh goodness, what did he do to you?”
Sitting down in the chair, she placed her hand carefully on her mother’s arm, wanting her to know that she was here.
Her mother’s head turned slightly and her eyelids fluttered. “Livia?” she croaked.
“I’m here, mom. Don’t move. I know that you are in pain.”
“You’re here,” she whispered, her lips barely moving because they were so badly cracked and swollen. “He said he would bring you here but I didn’t know if he could.”
“Yes,” Livia replied with reassurance. “Stefan knew exactly where I was.”
Her mother sighed as her body relaxed once again. “He said he did. I wasn’t sure though.”
Livia stared at her mother’s purple cheeks and jaw. “Did Dad do this?” she asked carefully. “Or was there really a home invasion?” But Livia already knew the answer.
Her mother didn’t respond. Her eyes fluttered and, a moment later, she was once again asleep. The lack of an answer told Livia the truth. Her father had beaten her mother so badly and it was shocking that the man was still walking free.
Livia sat there for the next hour, just listening to her mother’s heartbeat on the monitors, needing that evidence that her mother was okay and still living. Her heart was aching that her father had done something so horrendous. It was impossible to believe that one man could be so brutally cruel, but she’d seen him do something similar in the past, although not so thoroughly. Never this bad. Usually, he stopped with one punch or one slap.
There was a knock on the door and Livia looked up to find a kind looking woman smiling at her. “I’m Doctor Miller,” she said softly, trying not to disturb her mother. “May I speak with you outside?”
Livia nodded her head and glanced at her mother one more time. “I’ll be right back,” she said softly, even though her mother still slept.
Once they were in the hallway, the doctor led Livia to a private room. The two of them sat down and Livia’s hands clasped together as the kind doctor explained all of her mother’s injuries and her recovery process. “There’s still a significant risk of infection,” the doctor explained. “But we are monitoring her carefully.”
Livia’s eyes dropped lower, her heart aching for the pain that her mother must have endured. “Will she recover from this?”
The doctor smiled. “Yes. The intruder used a baseball bat on her, or something like that. Bones were broken and there is deep tissue damage, but she will recover fully. Thankfully, there were no vital organs damaged which is what we usually see in these kinds of cases.”
Livia nodded her head. “Thank you. That’s all very reassuring.”
The doctor hesitated, obviously considering her next words carefully. “The police still want to talk with your mother about the invasion but your mother refuses to discuss anything with them. Maybe if you spoke to her, she might be more willing to discuss what happened.”
Livia clenched her hands together. “I will try,” she said. And that was a vow. This was beyond bad, she thought as she moved back into the room. Her father needed to be arrested for this.
There was nothing she could do now though. When her mother was feeling better, they would have a long, heartfelt discussion about her father’s beatings and how they had to stop. Her mother needed to press charges. This was…reprehensible!
For now, she sat by her mother’s bed and talked softly, focusing on happy memories, baking cookies when she was younger, fun Christmases or vacations, especially when it was just the two of them.
A man in a dark suit poked his head into the doorway and Livia recognized him as one of Stefan’s bodyguards.
“Ms. Kozlov, I’m sorry to disturb you, but Mr. Kozlov asked me to make sure you were back at the penthouse by six o’clock.”
His penthouse? What happened to that house? The one with the apartment over the garage? Had he not moved in?
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Another mystery. She was exhausted and confused, worried about her mother and now feeling guilty over a house. What was next?
Livia looked at her watch and knew that it was her turn to live up to the bargain. That was only fair, she thought. Stefan had done all of this for her mother when he could have just sent her to one of the better hospitals in London and not this one. Besides, he’d mentioned an event tonight. So it wasn’t like she would have to…do that with him.
It would be just like it had been when they were dating, she told herself as she followed the man through the hallways. Ducking into the back of the limousine, she realized that this vehicle was newer. That was strange, she thought but didn’t think too much of it. The night was looming ahead of her and she had to figure out how to stand by Stefan’s side and not yell at him for being so horrible…for the betrayal she’d felt after hearing that telephone conversation.
Why couldn’t he be one of the good guys?! She’d been so happy in the days leading up to their wedding. She sighed and bowed her head. Who was she trying to fool? She’d been insanely happy ever since the moment she’d laid eyes on him at that party months before the wedding. Everything about the man had been wonderful and every time he’d touched her, kissed her…she’d just lit up!
The driver pulled into the underground parking garage and she sighed, thinking of all the times before the wedding that she’d arrived in the same manner, never suspecting that Stefan would be the kind of man who….
She stepped out and pulled her tee shirt down over her jeans. They were inexpensive clothes that hadn’t worn very well but she hadn’t minded before today. She’d felt powerful and strong because she’d gotten out of what would have eventually become a toxic relationship. But now, standing here amid the luxury of Stefan’s building, and she now knew that it truly was his building and not just the building in which he owned the two top floors that made up the penthouse, she felt inadequate. Her clothes no longer empowered her. She felt dowdy. Unkempt and juvenile.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the vehicle and stood up straighter, almost daring anyone to criticize her clothing. There was nothing she could do about it now anyway. She had to just persevere, push on. This was her fate. Until her mother recovered, strong enough to walk out of that facility, she was his…wife.
As she rode up the elevator, she remembered how much she’d loved saying that word, thinking about it while making wedding plans. She’d whispered it on the way to and from errands or when she was on her way to meet him for lunch or dinner. She’d whisper it in the mirror while getting ready for the day or for one of their dates. Goodness, how excited she’d been to be marrying that man! To become his wife! Now she knew that knowing a man for just a month before vowing to spend one’s life with him was not a long enough period of time.
Livia stepped into the penthouse, not sure where to go. She stood there alone for several moments, trying to decide what to do. She’d only been in the great room and dining room before, so if she was supposed to act like Stefan’s wife, she needed a map of this place. It was enormous!
“Ms. Kozlov?” a woman called out from the direction Livia suspected was the kitchen. She wasn’t completely sure because every time she’d been here in the past with Stefan, he’d overwhelmed her with his presence. There hadn’t been an opportunity to look around since she’d only had eyes for him.
Trying to appear slightly more confident, she turned her head and lifted her chin, forcing her lips into a semblance of a smile even though she felt terrified. “Yes?”
The woman smiled. “I’m Ms. Flura, Mr. Kozlov’s housekeeper.” She extended her hand. “It is wonderful to meet you.”
Livia took the woman’s hand, not sure what to say. She had no idea what Stefan had told his staff or his friends about her disappearance, so she just kept silent.
The housekeeper continued, undeterred by Livia’s lack of response. “Your dress for tonight arrived earlier today and I’ve put it up in the master bedroom. I’ll show you the way,” she said and led the way up the stairs and down a long hallway lined with several doors that were closed at the moment. Livia was itching to open them up and find out what was behind all of the doors, but she kept her fingers balled carefully by her sides. She’d save her curiosity for another time. A time when she wasn’t expecting her newly-terrifying husband to come back at any moment.
The housekeeper showed her into the master bedroom, not indicating that it was odd to be meeting Livia for the first time. “If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”
Livia was humbled by the woman’s gracious words. “Thank you so much,” Livia said as the housekeeper backed out of the room.
For a long moment, she just stood there, looking around. She’d never seen Stefan’s bedroom, but she’d always wondered what it would look like. Blue. Huh, she thought. She would have guessed at browns for some reason. The man really had hidden sides to him. Not that the color of his bedroom was one of those mysteries she’d been wondering about for a long time. No, her thoughts had drifted more to the sensuous side of the man than the practical. She’d often wondered what Stefan would be like in bed, but not necessarily the color of the bed in which those activities would take place.
She looked through the bathroom and found it decorated with tans and creams. Again, she would have pictured him in something bolder. Stronger. Like black. But this was nice! It was…dare she say it…comfortable? No, that wasn’t right. She ran her finger over the marble countertop, feeling a bit like a voyeur looking through someone’s window. She wanted to peek inside his medicine cabinet but didn’t dare. That might be too much of an invasion of his privacy.
She glanced at her watch and realized that she would have to hurry up if she was going to be ready by six o’clock. He hadn’t told her what event they were attending tonight, but the dress laid out on the bed looked beautiful. It was a scarlet evening gown complete with stunning shoes that she couldn’t wait to try on.
Stepping into the shower, she let the warm water soothe her skin. It had been an absolutely horrible day and she wasn’t so sure that the night would be much better. The prospect of standing next to Stefan all evening was…scary. Before their wedding, she had stood next to him wherever they’d gone and felt proud to be with him. Now…she wasn’t sure what she was feeling. Those strange, tingling feelings were still there. But…yes, they were mixed with fear. And anger that she’d gotten herself into a dangerous situation, just like her mother had endured her whole married life.
Livia stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, trying to move quickly. She’d never shared a bathroom with someone before so it was strange to think that Stefan could walk in here at any moment. Surely he would respect her personal space, wouldn’t he?
Then she thought about the man. Even before she’d found out about…that other side of him…he’d been a very sexual man. He’d held back but…she shook her head and tightened the knot of the towel.
“Just hurry, old girl,” she mumbled to herself.
Stepping into the bedroom, she paused in the doorway and looked around, listening. Nope, no other sounds. She breathed a sigh of relief and then hurried over to the dressing room where she found lingerie.
She opened one drawer and gasped at all of the beautiful, lacy underwear, thinking about how amazing some of the pieces would feel against her skin. She smiled but then thought of how cold and heartless Stefan had looked when he’d made that bargain with her earlier today. Had he bought all of these pieces for her? And if he had, when had he done that?
Livia’s finger still trembled as she lifted a pair of black lace underwear out and slipped them on. No doubt about it, the idea of Stefan seeing her in this underwear still had the power to entice her. She wished it weren’t so, but what was a woman to do? The man was devastatingly handsome. And those shoulders! Goodness, they were nice!
“Contemplating world peace?” a deep voice asked.
Livia jerked around, her eyes wide as she stared at Stefan while he stood leaning against the doorway.
“What…what are you doing?” she asked, her hands going to the knot that kept the towel around her.
He moved closer, standing right in front of her so that he was towering over her. Livia tried very hard not to react, but she’d never been very good at ignoring the sexual pull of Stefan. He was just too male and too amazingly put together. Match that with his extraordinary confidence and every muscle in her body tightened with anticipation. She should push him away, be furious with him for putting her into this kind of a situation. But there was no anger right at this moment, no fear of him being cruel like her father. There was nothing but the fascination with the man and that magnificent chest right in front of her eyes.
“What do you think I’m doing?” he asked softly, his hand coming up to push a wet lock of hair over her shoulder.
She took a deep breath. “Trying to intimidate me,” she replied. But he wasn’t. Trying, that is. With Stefan, he just did it naturally.
But was she really intimidated? The trembling anticipation indicated that she wasn’t really focused on the intimidating aspect of the man’s personality. It was more about the…well, the scent of him. He smelled…amazing! Spicy and male with just a hint of lemon. Goodness, if someone could bottle that scent, perfumers would go out of business.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked. His hand drifted down her arm to her fingers, then lifted her hand. She had no idea what he was going to do but it seemed that he just wanted to touch her. And since it felt extraordinarily nice, she didn’t mind one little bit. She loved the way his fingers felt as they drifted down her skin.
When his other hand moved down the arm that was holding onto the knot of her towel, she wasn’t really sure what to do. Her instinct was to hold the towel tightly but when his fingers tangled with hers and slowly pulled her hand away, she was defenseless to stop the action.
His eyes moved over her shoulders, her breasts that were already swollen and rubbing against the soft towel but also aching to feel his hands. He’d touched her breasts once, before he’d realized that she’d never had sex before and suddenly, her body needed his touch more than she needed to breathe.
She felt the towel loosen ever so slightly although he didn’t encourage that in any way, but simply held her hands away from her body, letting gravity do it’s magic. When the towel slipped, her eyes jerked up to his and she was caught, her body on fire. She was both self-conscious and needful of his gaze and no matter how much she fought to get her fingers free, his hands weren’t releasing hers from his gentle but firm grip.
Lowering his head, he kissed her, a slow, sensuous kiss that melted her body’s resistance even more. His tongue touched her lips and she gasped, allowing him entrance to her mouth and she moaned when he deepened the kiss. This was much more demanding and she curled her fingers around his as the need spiraled higher within her. She couldn’t believe how fast and furious the need arose for this man to touch her body, needing to experience something more than the heated kissing that he’d allowed before the wedding.
She’d wanted it all this time! The nights she’d spent alone, wondering how she could have missed the violent side of him, and yet, as soon as her mind relaxed, this need, this aching sensation would invade her mind. Too many nights since they’d first come so close, she’d craved his touch like this.
The towel started slipping even more and she jerked backwards, instinctively trying to grab the material but he was already holding her hands and he tightened his grip. As he lifted his head, her breathing was rough and ragged as she looked up at him. But he wasn’t looking at her eyes. He was completely focused on the towel and the way her breathing was encouraging the material to loosen.
When it finally pooled around her feet, he was ready and his fingers tightened once again, not allowing her any respite from his gaze as he took looked down at her clad only in the black lace underwear. All she could do was stand there in front of Stefan while he looked at her and the heat that pooled between her legs was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She should feel angry with him for doing this, but all she felt was heat. That hot and heavy sensation that made her want to move closer to him, to feel his magic fingers on her body and experience all of those delicious sensations that she had felt so long ago.
“Please, Stefan,” she begged, moving as close as his hands would allow.
When his eyes looked into hers, she inhaled sharply as her mind absorbed the fire in his eyes. He wanted her and it wasn’t just a soft, gentle desire. Nor could it ever be because this man didn’t do soft and gentle. He was hard and powerful and that was the kind of desire she saw in those silver depths. It was all for her!
“You’re mine, Livia,” he growled a moment before he released her hands so that he could lift her into his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers touching the edge of his hair, the heat of the skin on his neck. She loved this sensation, loved feeling this man’s strong arms around her. As he lowered her body onto the massive bed, she couldn’t remember why she’d ever run away from him.
Stefan looked down at the amazingly beautiful woman in his bed and couldn’t believe that she was finally here, finally his. This woman had controlled his desire for so long and after her abrupt departure, he’d resented the power she’d had over him. But now he was in control. He was the one calling the shots. And today, this night, she would become his in every sense of the word.
He looked down and his erection turned painfully hard when he realized that she was still wearing his wedding ring. He didn’t understand the power of that symbol, nor did he care at this point. His ring was there on her finger and he damn well was going to keep it there! He wanted her. He wanted all of her. He wanted to show her what she’d been missing because she’d run away.
He should be taking this more slowly. He should be taking her to dinner and demanding answers for why she’d run away, left him without any explanation. But his mind couldn’t function. Especially when he saw those fingers curl against the comforter and her hips shifted. Her body was begging for him to touch her even if she didn’t know it.
Stefan moved closer, bending over and he took one hard, pert nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting it before soothing it again with his tongue. He heard her gasps of pleasure and worked harder, wanting more of those sounds. He wouldn’t let her move away from him though. This was his time and he was going to pleasure her beyond her wildest imagination. He would show her what she’d been missing.
When she tried to pull away again, he smiled and pulled her closer, only moving his mouth to her other breast. Taking his time and moving his fingers along the soft curve of her stomach, he enjoyed her reactions immensely.
“Roll over,” he told her and pulled her hands, tugging her onto her stomach when she hesitated. “I’m going to know all of you tonight,” he promised when she only stared at him in confused silence.
When she was on her stomach, he looked down, noting how the black lace of her underwear didn’t really hide anything. He liked that. This was his woman. She’d married him, she’d given her vow to him and he wanted her. Pushing her hair away, he started at her neck and kissed all along her spine, exploring her back and enjoying her soft moans as he found spot after spot that excited her. She certainly was a responsive woman, he thought with relish as he moved to the small of her back.
Stefan chuckled when she turned her head to watch him but his hands were holding her in place.
“Stefan, what are you…”
“Anything I want,” he told her with a mysterious, deep laugh.
His mouth kissed the smooth globes of her bottom and moved lower. When she shifted on the bed, he only laughed again and moved to her waist. “Don’t think you’re getting out of that. I’ll come back to it,” he promised. When she tried to move, he held her down and came back over her, pressing his chest against her back. “Ah, Livia. I don’t think you understand who is in charge here, do you?”
She peered over her shoulder at him, wary but so turned on by the tone of his voice she couldn’t even speak. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. When he kissed her, she tried once again to roll over but he still had her pinned down by his enormous, muscular body so she wasn’t going anywhere.
When he left her mouth, she was pressing her bottom against his groin, unaware of the movement. All she knew was that she was on fire for him, needing him to finish this and she was almost sobbing with the craving, the desperate longing to have the release she’d read about so often but never experienced. The release she knew that he could give her.
When his fingers slid down her back, both tickling and teasing even as he set her skin on fire with his touch, she shook her head, trying to control what he was making her feel because it was too intense, too much for her inexperienced body. “Stefan, please…” she begged again, wishing he would do something to soothe this ache.
In response, he moved down her body and gently kissed the back of her knees before nibbling on that sensitive skin. He’d already anticipated her response and had hold of her ankle so he was able to nibble at the sensitive skin until he was satisfied.
When he reached her feet, he found that she was extremely ticklish and delighted in tormenting her. But in the end, he couldn’t take much more and he rolled her back over pulling the black lace away and tossing it behind him. Only then did he stand up and strip off his clothes.
Livia watched in fascination as he pulled off his shirt, her mouth falling open as she surveyed the muscles that were all over the man’s body. She was in awe of him, shocked that anyone could have so much underneath a thin layer of material. “You’re gorgeous,” she whispered, leaning back against the mattress and letting her body cool down a bit after his tormenting. But watching him strip off his clothes wasn’t doing an adequate job. She should turn her head away, she told herself firmly. She should stop watching. Especially when his hands moved to the buckle of his dress slacks and released the catch.
Livia knew that Stefan was watching her reactions but couldn’t help the amazement when he pulled off those slacks.
She’d felt the man’s erection against her stomach several times but seeing it there, in all of its amazing glory was a completely shocking experience. Her gaze moved quickly up to his eyes, then back down to that part of him and her heartbeat increased dramatically. When he moved towards her once again, she shook her head. “Stefan,” she said his name but this time there was a nervous catch to the word.
He stopped instantly, realizing that she was genuinely nervous now. This wasn’t just skittishness and he slowed down, wanting that need back in her eyes. “It’s okay,” he promised, looming over her as he slowly lowered his weight against her nakedness.
Livia was distracted from his erection because of that first contact of skin against skin. With a gasp of shock, she lifted her hands to touch his bare shoulders as he moved over her, his body heating her up more than she’d thought possible. Livia closed her eyes, savoring the different textures of his body against hers, of hardness against softness, of rough hair against her softer skin, rubbing ever so subtly and hoping he didn’t notice the movement, but it was enough to make her overly sensitive nipples almost tremble with the need for him to do something, to fix this ache inside of her.
Had she just screamed? She wasn’t sure any more. Gritting her teeth, she savored the feeling as he rubbed that dark chest hair against her nipples, almost groaning out loud. Or had he really done that? Surely she hadn’t made that desperate sound, had she? She wasn’t sure about anything except for the need to have this man soothe the ache inside of her. She needed him in a crazed way that drove her nuts.
“Bend your knees, love,” he ordered, then smoothed his hand down her waist and hips to her knee to make her follow his command more quickly. “Yes, just like that,” and he waited, poised at her opening and looked down at her. “You’re mine, Livia,” he told her and a moment later, he pressed into her heat, closing his eyes as he felt her wet, tight sheath give way to his hardness. He moved back out and heard her breathe deeply as he pressed in deeper. Back and forth, moving slightly deeper each time and watching the expression on her face. As angry as he was with her sudden and unexplained disappearance, he still couldn’t hurt her. Didn’t want to but as he pressed deeper, he could feel the barrier.
Looking down into her soft, green eyes, he pushed through, grabbing her hands as he broke that membrane and hoping that she was okay. When she looked up into his eyes and smiled, lifting her legs around his waist, he almost threw back his head and laughed with relief. But the need to move inside of her was too great, too powerful and he couldn’t hold back any longer. For too long, he’d wanted this woman and he was now fully embedded into her heat.
Moving slightly, he felt her inner muscles clamp around him and he groaned. Over and over again, he pressed into her, feeling her clench him more tightly. Moving, shifting and sliding into her, he couldn’t hold back. Faster and faster he moved against her, feeling her body tremble. He suddenly understood that she didn’t know what to do. Her eyes were confused and anxious as her body’s reactions took over and a gentleness swept over him, a tenderness for this woman that he didn’t want to feel. But he couldn’t ignore that feeling. Stefan understood what she was doing and shook his head. “Don’t hold back, love. Just trust me.”
Her eyes glanced up at him and he watched in fascination as she bit her lip but she moved ever so slightly and he knew what to do. Lifting her hips higher, he pressed one more time into her heat and she couldn’t control it any longer. Her body splintered apart, her legs clamping against his waist while her body throbbed around his.
Stefan pressed into her again and again, trying to hold out his own pleasure, trying to make it better, longer and more intense but when her body started to vibrate, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Her gentle sheath brought him over the edge to the most intense climax he’d ever experienced.
When he was able to open his eyes again, he looked down and realized that he was laying on top of her, most likely crushing her. Quickly rolling over, he pulled her against his side, feeling her body curl up against his as they both fought to get their breathing back under control. It took a long time, the reverberations from that kind of a release were too strong and too perfect. But eventually, he was able to look down into her lovely features.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently, his fingers tangling in her hair that was almost completely dry now.
Forgetting all of her fears about this man, Livia laughed and kissed his chest. “I’m not sure.” She felt giddy and alive, her whole body tingling after that amazing experience. No words could describe the sensations reverberating around inside of her at this moment.
He chuckled and rolled onto his side, pressing his leg between hers. “You’re beautiful,” he groaned and let his hands slide down her body.
The silly smile stuck to her features as she looked up at him, feeling special in this man’s arms. She’d forgotten all the terror since that phone call, all the anger at his betrayal with those words she’d heard. All she knew right at this moment was glorious happiness like nothing she’d ever felt before. “I thought you needed to go to some event tonight. What happened to that plan?”
He started nibbling on her neck. “I saw you walk into the dressing room.”
She waited for more of an explanation but when he just continued to torment her neck, she pulled away and looked at him. “And?” she prompted.
He shrugged and, because his shoulders were so huge, they blocked out the overhead light for a moment. “And…nothing. I followed you in there. The rest I’m pretty sure you can figure out.” He made that guessing easier for her by sliding his hand up her waist, cupping her breast so that his thumb could tease her nipple.
Livia gasped and arched her back while still trying to pull his hand away. “I don’t think that I can.”
He smiled with confidence and bent down to nuzzle her ear. “You don’t need to do anything,” he told her. “Just lay there and let me do all the work.”
So she did. And he did!