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She wiped her arms on a napkin and moved from the sink to the island at the center of the kitchen with dried plates, her eyes sparkling as she set down the chinaware.
I meandered around the gleaming kitchen island with my fingers trailing the cool surface before picking a fresh red apple from the fruit basket and sinking my teeth into it.
“What’s the time?”
“A bit past nine,” she said without sparing me a glance, her hands still busy with the pre-prep before the actual breakfast preparations. It was like her little ritual, the small arrangements she liked to do before setting the ball rolling and mixing up ingredients for her famous delicious Russian meals. I’d seen her in action a few times.
“Hm.”
A bit past nine was an unusual wake-up time for me. No later than six, I was always up and running, ready to launch myself into whatever Egor-induced plans the day held. And,surprise, surprise,I had him to thank,or blame,for waking up later than my routine time.
I mean, after what happened last night….
“Mrs. Yezhov?”
I blinked, swallowing and shoving back the dancing sparks that quickly returned after briefly reliving moments from the previous night.
“Huh?”
Anna was looking at me funny, like she saw something I didn’t. Did she catch me in the heat of the moment? Could my eyes convey the insane pleasures I’d felt when his hands slid between my thighs in that part-aggressive, part-tender sensual motion or when he hungrily kissed me like he couldn’t do without the taste of my lips?
“You not used to name yet? Mrs. Yezhov?”
I blinked again, fully crashing back to reality, where I stood in the center of the kitchen with a half-bitten apple in my mouth and Anna’s curious blue eyes trained solely on me as she wondered whether or not my new “title” had me shook.
If only it was the constant reminder of the official change of name without my express permission that had me bothered.
Shaking my head, I took another large bite of the apple, refusing to allow the sweet juices to remind me of how sweet his tongue had tasted.
“Let’s stick to Freya, Anna. I’m not sure I like being called…that.” I munched, swallowing my distaste alongside chewed-up chunks of juicy apple. It was too much of an acknowledgment for me, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it yet.
“Whatever you want.” She nodded and then beamed like she’d hit a jackpot.
“I have an idea. The breakfast,” she said in a rush and smiled even wider like it was supposed to make any sense. “You do the breakfast today, to makekorolhappy. It is tradition: New wives makes breakfast for new husband to show love and loyalty.”
I almost scoffed aloud but instead shoved down my disdain with more bites of the fruit. Love…pfft.
As if that could ever happen.
There was no love stored in my heart for that monster. It was barely conceivable. I just couldn’t imagine preparing breakfast for him out of…. I could choke on the word where he was concerned.
Loyalty, however. Now, that was conceivable because it wasforced. When I thought about the life I carried in my womb, which had his blood and mine running through its tiny veins, I had no choice but to propel myself to be on Egor’s good side, considering that I’d run out of escape plans and already had him hating on me for trying to run away once. In addition, I was really no match for the number of people he had lined up, waiting to kill him.
I blew out a resigned sigh and walked up to Anna’s side. I put a hand on her shoulder, making her pause from her pre-prep movements. When she looked at me, my lips made a small twitch.
“Fine. I’ll take over from here. Take the day off. Go home and rest. Or better yet, do something fun with your husband. Dress up, go out….”Make real love after a fun day, a movie night, and popcorn.
At least what they had was real: the laughter, the joy, probably the sex—even if we had never delved into that topic.But I was sure she didn’t tell her husband how much she resented him when he touched or kissed her. Their love looked healthy and pure and not like a burning mix of rage, hatred, and an unwholesome toxic attraction.
In the short time I’d gotten to know Anna better, she’d talked about her husband with this bright joy in her gaze and a blush on both cheeks. When I thought of Egor, different ways I could wield a knife crossed my mind.
They didn’t have much, well, as much as the Yehzovs owned, but I noticed one outstanding thing with her—how content she was.
She was satisfied with him, madly in love, and grateful for her family. I couldn’t relate and doubted that I’d ever experience even a sliver of what she had.
Anna’s eyes regarded me suspiciously. “You’re sure? I mean…Korol….”
“Your boss will be fine without having you here for a couple of hours, Anna. You’ve been devoted for years. I’m sure he will comprehend why you neededone dayoff.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Anna’s service to that asshole was the perfect example of genuine loyalty, one that came right from the heart. “You should go. Have fun, okay?”
