Page 56 of Vienna Bliss

“Pardon?” For that he switched back to English.

Alena sniffled, then sat up and looked at him. “Absolon is coming to the gala.”

“I don’t see how that is possible, as he will be dead by then.” Alexander was impressed by how calm he sounded.

Alena put her finger in his face. “You can’t kill him.”

“I will assist you.”

She slumped. “I can’t kill him either.”

“It’s gone too far. He hurt you and—”

“And he won’t do it again, because I’m not leaving the apartment until the gala,” Alena said. “I’m not sure I’d be able to play submissive for him again. I only managed to do it when it looked like that was the fastest way out of the situation.”

Alexander closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. “Alena…”

“I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”

“Then we won’t.”

They sat that way for a long time, silent and peaceful, both lost in their own thoughts.

Finally Alena stirred. “I think I need to ice my knee again. Will you…”

“Of course. And have you…are there more?” Alexander lifted her forearm, examining the mark there. It was an angry red blister filled with blood rather than fluid.

“I didn’t look,” she said softly. “At my butt and back.”

“Your back?”

“He really had no idea what he was doing.”

Alexander helped her onto the bed and then he tended her—wrapping her knee and then placing the bag of ice so that when she rolled onto her belly, her knee was resting on it.

Then he pulled up the back hem of the t-shirt. There were a few round, yellowed bruises on her ass from his use of the spoon. But high on her ass and the lowest part of her back there were long, splotchy bruises—each a stippling of pink, red and the faint start of purple in a few places.

Alexander had to turn away for a moment to compose himself.

“That bad?” she asked softly.

“Bruises. It would have…if it had been in contact with your bare skin…”

“Oh, don’t worry, he wouldn’t have disrespected your property like that.”

Alexander knew she meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh.

He applied balm and then cool cloths to the marks, and as he did, one thought kept circulating. Though he believed her, that with him there had been consent, and trust, the fact remained that Alexander was a sexual sadist, and any woman he was with might someday end up with marks just like this. He’d already done it to Alena once, and she shouldn’t have to face it again.

And that was why it was best that he never tell her he loved her.

Chapter 13

“You look lovely, Ms. Moreau,” Rolf said formally as she stepped out the front door of Alexander’s top floor apartment.

“Thank you. As do you.”

“The guests are arriving, on schedule” Sofie looked every inch the party planner with her little black dress, low black heels, and clipboard. “I have to go back downstairs, we just wanted…”