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I look down at my faded pair of cut-offs. They’re cute, but I understand what he’s saying, and I’m not offended by it. Compared to his suit and mansion, I look like he just picked me up off the street.
As we arrive at the end of the hallway, we arrive at a single red door with a silver handle. Viktor’s large hand encircles it, turning the knob slowly and opening it to reveal the master bedroom.
The room is dominated by a large, canopied bed with black silk sheets that glisten under the soft glow of the lamps. The canopy drapes are a deep, rich red, just like the door, sweeping around the bed and splitting in the center to allow a person to crawl in.
“This is our bedroom,” Viktor says, turning to face me, his blue eyes almost green in the yellow light. “We’ll be sharing it from now on.”
I swallow hard, my heart racing. The reality of the situation crashes over me like a wave. This isn’t just a marriage of convenience. Viktor intends to claim every aspect of my life, including the most vulnerable and intimate moments I have. How can I defend myself from him while I’m sleeping? It would be impossible.
But then another realization dawns on me, something even more powerful than the dread scratching at the inner walls of my stomach. He’ll be just as vulnerable as I am when he’s sleeping, and it only takes one swift movement across the throat to kill a man.
I can’t imagine myself doing something so horrible, but if I feel threatening, I shouldn’t hesitate to retaliate against him. He’s already threatened to kill my dad. There’s no telling what else he will do.
I fold my arms over my chest, as though to guard my soul from revealing what my bitter thoughts are.
Viktor, of course, can’t see them. He’s unbothered as he walks over to a dresser and shrugs off his suit jacket. “I sleep naked,” he says casually, as if discussing the weather. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
“And if it does?” I ask, taking a sharp breath as he begins unbuttoning his shirt.
There’s a mirror in front of him on the dresser, and his eyes catch mine in it. He smiles. “Then I guess you’ll have to toughen up. It’s only a bit of skin.”
It’s far more than skin, and that becomes blatantly obvious as he removes his shirt to reveal a perfect body, a tight six-pack, and abroad chest that’s littered with tattoos. I hadn’t realized he was so covered. He looks like a beast under his clothes.
I try to suppress the stir in my belly as he turns to face me, gripping his shirt in his vascular hand. His veins pop in the low light, crawling up his arms like the jasmine vines outside the house. Why do all the terrible men have to be so hot?
“I don’t mind if you see me naked,” he says, a smile hiding somewhere in his husky voice. “There’s no reason to be shy. I’ll undress right in front of you.”
He reaches for his belt buckle, and I turn away, my cheeks burning. “Do you expect me to do the same?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady as I listen to the clink of his belt.
He chuckles softly. “Not unless you want to. You can undress in the dark if that makes you more comfortable.”
I hear his pants fall to the floor, and then the lights go out. “Let’s go to bed, darling. I have to be up early tomorrow,” he says, his voice traveling around me in the darkness as he makes his way to the bed.
I can’t see a thing, but that’s probably for the better. I’ve already seen enough of his perfect body. It’s frustrating and confusing, and I don’t want to watch him undress again. I might not be able to look away next time.
“Come to bed,” he says from about three feet away from me. That’s where he must be. Waiting in bed, under those cool black silk sheets, his bare skin pressed into the mattress.
My heart pounds in my chest as I fumble with my clothes, the cool air of the room teasing my skin as I strip down to my underwear. Every sound feels amplified, and I’m acutely awareof Viktor’s presence. I’m afraid he can see me in the dark, like a panther in the woods.
I undo my bra and drop it onto the floor, following it with my panties. They’re warm against my cold feet, giving me a moment of false comfort before a slight draft causes me to shiver.
It’s too cold in here. Maybe he did that on purpose to get me to sleep closer to him, but I wouldn’t do it. I’d rather freeze to death than enjoy the feeling of his bare skin against mine.
I consider my options. It’s a bit too late to make a run for it, but I don’t feel drawn to leave the room anyway. I feel drawn to the bed, which concerns me because I’m not even sleepy. It’s far too early to be going to bed. It only just got dark outside.
“Do you usually go to bed this early?” I ask, covering my breasts with my arm as I take a careful step toward the bed.
“It depends. Sometimes, I don’t sleep at all, but how can I pass up the opportunity when I have such a lovely woman in my bed tonight?” he replies.
I laugh through my nose. “So, this is all a ploy to get me into your bed. I feel like there are easier ways to get a woman to have sex with you. Threatening to kill her dad and then forcing her to marry you is an interesting choice.”
“You father owed me money, and without it, I had to take the next most valuable thing,” he replies calmly.
I take another step toward the bed, then stop, considering his words. “You value money over me?”
“Over everything.”
“Sounds like a miserable way to live,” I reply.
