The fear of earlier turned into so much more and India didn’t know what to think about herself. Should she have quivered in fear? She thought not.
Although she wasn’t innocent, well not as innocent as yesterday, she was a fighter and Konstantine wasn’t going to weaken her. She feared he may do if he ventured to touching her further, but today after Mikhail had brought pleasure to her body, she felt energized, which she hadn’t to let show.
Just the thought of Mikhail and pleasure made the pulse between her legs throb. Remembering the sight of his pleasure caused her knees to wobble as she moved to the bedroom door.
The flush that she felt coating her cheeks, she hoped would be mistaken for anger when she appeared downstairs.
Gathering her composure, she smoothed her hands over the slip of a dress that she wore. It had felt nice and soft against her bare skin, until she’d left the safety of the bedroom. The big men that lounged around the house stared and followed her with their eyes making her very uncomfortable. It was as though they knew she wore no underwear. She hadn’t been allowed any.
Her maid, Vanessa, had told her that if she put up a fuss about it that her clothing would become even more revealing. She didn’t want to take that risk.
But when she’d dressed, she’d thought about Mikhail and what he’d made her feel. Cherished. Desirable. Aroused. All the things that she shouldn’t. But she’d felt a connection to him in the rose garden and that connection was even stronger now. She wasn’t stupid and knew that nothing would come of anything with Mikhail. Even after she left, that probably wouldn’t be possible. His life was here while hers was with her father. But she would cross that bridge when it came to it because she would be free of the Vasiliev walls and until she was, she’d play along with the little games. She didn’t really have much choice. But at least she’d hopefully make it through without any harm if she were compliant.
“What are you thinking?” Konstantine broke into her thoughts, curiosity in his gaze.
She wanted to tell him thoughts of his son, but that wouldn’t be playing along now would it? So instead she replied, “I’m wondering if there is a rose garden here, or somewhere that has blooms of color.”
He contemplated her answer while swirling his red wine around the over large glass. “Hmm. Maybe I will allow you to visit with the flowers.” He took a slow sip of the wine while his eyes stayed on her. “But you have to prove to me that you’ll obey me.” He sat forward and opened his mouth to speak when the door slammed open, bouncing against the wall behind it with a loud thud.
Konstantine shoved his chair back so quickly that it toppled over while her heart shot up into her throat at the sight of Mikhail standing in the doorway. He was her savior.
His legs were spread wide, his arms were down at his side with his fists clenched, and his breaths were heavy. He reminded her of the warriors of old that she’d read about in the historical novels that she loved so much. His gaze was fierce when he raised his head, the dark strands of his hair in disarray. “Father,” he snarled before striding into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. “I thought it was about time I joined you for dinner.”
She glanced at Konstantine and saw his face tight with anger while his eyes narrowed on Mikhail. “Why now?”
Mikhail sat across from her and when his heated gaze landed on her, she couldn’t look away. He had her so enthralled that only the slamming of Konstantine’s hand on the table pulled her gaze away and fear kicked her in the stomach.
“I know what you are doing,” Konstantine snarled at Mikhail who continued to ignore his father with his gaze still on her. “But,” Konstantine moved to stand behind her, his hands on her shoulders, “she is mine. You can look, but you touch her and I’ll cut your dick off.”
Konstantine tugged her out of the chair and pulled her flush against his front while Mikhail jumped to his feet, letting the chair behind him fly backwards.
The grip on her shoulder tightened and became painful when Mikhail leaned forward. “You father are not going to get away with taking India illegally. You may think that she’s forbidden to me, but I’m going to make sure you never touch her.”
“Really,” Konstantine laughed seconds before he tugged her around and plastered their fronts together with the painful hold he had around her back.
She winced and tried to get some space between them. “I can’t breathe,” she gasped.
Her words must penetrate Konstantine’s thick skull because he loosened the hold, only slightly though.
“You think I can’t touch her,” he growled, and she felt the back of her dress creeping up the back of her thighs. “You think that you control my actions.” He bared her to the waist. “You don’t.”
She was suddenly pushed face down on the table while two large men held Mikhail back. His father spread her legs and pressed between. He had her pinned down hard with her wrists in one hand while he rubbed the other over her bared bottom.
Silent tears ran down her face as the reality of the situation hit her for the first time. Even what he did that afternoon didn’t have her as scared as she was. Her first thought was that she was going to be raped . . . but while that ran through her head, she feared it was the humiliation of having Mikhail watch that would be worse. Konstantine wanted that though—he wanted Mikhail to know just exactly who she belonged to, and he’d go to any length to prove that.
Mikhail looked wild and ready to kill as she stared into his eyes while his father pressed his arousal between her legs. Her stomach wanted to revolt but if either of them were going to get out of the situation in one piece then she needed to accept him. She refused to scream. If that was what he wanted then she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. There was nothing that she could do about her tears that constantly trickled down her cheeks, falling onto the black marble table beneath.
“You touch her,” Mikhail spat, “I will kill you.”
His father stilled behind her as Mikhail’s gaze dipped. He looked like a bull ready to charge.
What has he done?
“So, you show your hand, hmm? I didn’t expect that of you.” Konstantine moved his hips away and splayed a hand over her bottom, his fingers dipped between her thighs. He leaned all the way over her, his chest against her back. She froze. He whispered, “I will take you tonight,” he hissed in her ear. “Without an audience.” He straightened, pulling her with him. “The rest of your body is for me only . . . I’ll make sure that Mikhail is nowhere near you.” He smirked at Mikhail who looked like he was about to kill his father the minute he was free. “Or I should say that Dimitri and Sergei will make sure Mikhail is nowhere close.”
He said something so quickly in Russian that she was left guessing as he dragged her from the room. Her last glance at Mikhail had him looking wild and desperate before the door slammed closed between them.
Now she struggled.
She kicked him in the shin and found herself shoved up against a wall with his hand around her neck. “It will take one flick of my wrist to snap this pretty neck,” he hissed. “If you want Mikhail to live to see tomorrow then you’ll do exactly as I say.”
He shoved her in front of him before he got annoyed at how slowly she walked, so he took her arm and marched her upstairs and to her room.
Fear kicked her in the guts when he opened the door and shoved her inside. “I want you showered and naked on your bed. If you’re not then Mikhail will pay.” He inhaled and on a slow exhale, said, “I’m going to deal with my son. His treatment all depends on your cooperation.”
The door slammed shut and seconds later she heard the key in the lock as she became prisoner again to Konstantine and to her own emotions.