"Could I whisper something in your ear?” she asked, her smile bright.
I nodded.
"My mother said that she already spoke to you in the bathroom and you understood. I would like to sit beside Yuri."
It took a moment for it to sink in. And it was unbearably painful. My mother knew who I was. She had recognized me. Otherwise, she would never have dared to ask me to give up the opportunity of a lifetime for a stranger.
I turned towards Yuri. I opened my mouth to ask and then closed it. This is what my mother wanted. I rose to my feet, and with a smile handed my seat over.
It was time to leave either way. I walked away from Yuri and did not look back.
Chapter 36
April
The glass stem shattered between my fingers… and it startled everyone at the table.
"Mr. Volkov, are you all right?" April's half-sister asked, her eyes wide with concern.
She was beautiful, of course, but there was not one thing about her that attracted me to her. I rose to my feet.
April’s mother appeared suddenly. “Mr. Volkov,” she said sweetly.
A quiet explosion went off in my brain. I held her gaze and spoke very calmly, doing all I could to hold myself back, “You have two daughters, Madam. It is a shame you do not chose to recognize that, but if you do not get out of my way in five seconds, I will make sure the banks that hold all your debts recall their loans. You will lose everything.”
It took a second for the threat to sink in, another to realize I meant every word, and a third to convince herself I was more than capable of accomplishing exactly what I had threatened. “Get up!” she shouted in a panic to her clueless daughter. “Get the hell up.”
Barely able to contain my disgust at the ugliness of human beings, I went after April. I reached her just as she had hailed a cab. She already had the door open, but before she could get into it, I caught her arm and pulled her towards me.
She slammed into my body. “Let go of me,” she yelled and put up a fight, but she was no match for me. I waved the driver off and I dragged her to the back of my waiting Bentley. As I pulled the door open, she stopped to glare at me.
"Get in," I grated.
She refused to move.
“I seem to be the only one that you have no problems defying.”
She got into the car then, and I slid in after her. Neither of us said a word as the car sped into the night. I drew my bow tie from my neck and flung it aside.
Eventually, she spoke. “Please let me off somewhere so I can take a cab home.” When I didn’t respond, she turned to me. “Yuri.”
I was still furious. “Your home is my house,” I grated.
My driver sped all the way home and the moment we arrived, she jumped out of the car and started running at breakneck speed towards the house.
I got out and went after her.
She headed straight to her room, retrieved her luggage from the closet, and began to throw her things into it.
I grabbed the bag from the bed and flung it so hard it crashed into a free-standing mirror and shattered it to pieces.
She gazed at the chaos in shock, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
“Am I a joke to you?” I snarled.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Why are you packing your things?”
“Because I want to leave.”
“Why do you want leave?”
“I would have thought it was obvious.”
I slammed the door shut behind me, and fought to control my breathing. “Answer me!” I roared
Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. “What do you want from me?”
“Let me rephrase my question. Why don’t you want anything from me?”
She stared at me hopelessly. “What can you give me?” she asked. “Besides a broken heart?”
Silence.
“I thought so,” she taunted. “What do you want to hear, Yuri? Or what do you want to see? You want to see me crazy in love with you? Worshipping the very ground you walk on, or crazed with jealousy, like tonight, when that bitch fearlessly came to ask for the seat beside you?”
They shared the same mother. I wondered if she realized it. “And you got up,” I reminded her bitterly. “So easily.”
“I have no place in your life Yuri. Isn’t that what you would prefer? A fuck toy? Hmmm?”
“A fuck toy. That’s rich. I invited you to accompany me and you treat me like I am nothing,” I bellowed. I couldn’t believe that these words were coming out of my mouth. “You gave me up to a stranger without a thought. Where did your insurmountable pride go?”
“It disappears,” she said. “When people ask me for things that don’t matter.”
“Or yeah? And when it comes to falling asleep in my arms? Can’t do that can you? Is it because it matters?”
She took a step back. “What if I fall in love with you?”
I glared at her. “I want you to be in love with me.”
She looked stunned. “What?”
“Yes, I want you to fall in love with me.”
“For what? So your ego can feel good about another conquest?” she demanded aggressively.
“No, because I want to take care of you.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me.”
Silence.
“I need you by my side.”
“For how long?” she spat. “Until you get tired and need another?”
I took a step towards her.
She took three steps backwards. “Don’t come close to me. I need you to let me go, right now. Before it’s too late.”
“Before it’s too late for whom?”
“I’ve never assumed or expected love in my life, because even the people who should be biologically programmed to give that to me, couldn't. I’m not asking you for anything, just let me go, okay?”
“Will you able to leave?” I asked her. “And forget everything about me? About us?”
“Time and my brain. They’ve allowed me to survive my fate thus far. I’ll keep leaning on them.” She started to leave.
I stopped her before she could get past the door. “Come with me to my Chateau in France. Both you and Yulia. I don’t have the confidence to love you. In my world, a billion things are always on the edge of going wrong. Having you in my heart will drive me insane, but my body needs you now, and I just can’t let you go. Not yet.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and made a quick call in Russian. In seconds, two hefty guards appeared at her door.
She gazed at them in disbelief.
“We will return from the chateau in a week. After that, you’re free to do whatever you want.”
“Are you imprisoning me?” she asked in disbelief.
“I’m making a decision for the both of us. Let’s fuck each other out of our systems before the week is over. This madness has to burn itself out. It can’t last. Nothing that burns this bright can last.”
She snorted in bitter amusement. “Do you actually believe that it will work?”
“It doesn't matter if it does or not. We will be done with each other when we return from France. Not a day earlier. We’ll leave tomorrow night.”
Chapter 37
April
I awoke to the sound of Yulia's laughter.
It was filled with such joy that it pulled me out of bed.
My feet landed on the floor, as the events of the previous night came to me. From the incredible fiasco with my mother and to my conversation with Yuri thereafter, it all felt unreal. It was as if I was peering through a looking glass at someone else’s life.
Pulling on a pair of jeans, I headed over to the window where the sound was coming from. She was indeed having a swell time, but with someone I didn’t recognize.
He had a sparse head of thinning white hair and was pushing her on the swings, as high as she could possibly go. It made me nervous, so I hurried downstairs and out to the garden behind the house.
She squea
led even louder when she saw me, and urged for the swing to come to a stop, so she could come over to give me a hug. Runnng over to me she grabbed my hand and looked up into my eyes.
I brushed her hair away from her face. She was still in her nightwear. "You haven't had a bath." I pinched lightly at her nose. "I must have overslept."
She looked slightly guilty.
I figured she must have come to my room, saw me still asleep, and tiptoed back out. I smiled at the lovely child and lifted my head to the stranger she seemed so comfortable with.
"I'm Ivan Volkov," he said, his eyes a chilling blue just like Yuri's despite the wide smile on his face. "You must be the new nanny that my niece is so in love with."
I blushed with pleasure and accepted the hand he offered. I wondered if he could be one of Yuri's older brothers, but the lines around his eyes and the grey at his temples aged him too much for that. He seemed to be in his late sixties.
"I'm her grand uncle,” he explained.
I nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
“I've been away in the US handling the family business, so I haven't been able to see Yulia for almost two months. I've missed her so much.”
The smile that Yulia flashed up at him was open and trusting. A marked contrast to the way she treated Yuri.
“Will she be able to have breakfast with me before I have to leave?"
"There is absolutely no reason why not," I replied with a big smile. I liked him. He was polite and more importantly, he was the first person Yulia seemed to adore. "I'll quickly wash her up and we’ll be down in a bit.
Half an hour later, we were all seated in the dining room with Ivan right by Yulia’s side and constantly offering up bits of his food to her. He had asked for fried tomatoes and she usually never had those, but because he had ordered them, she decided she wanted some too. He gave her bites and nibbles from his fork to her absolute delight.
I watched them and wondered why she was never this way when Yuri was around.
As if on cue, all the hair at the back of my neck stood, and I knew that he must be approaching. When I looked up to his face, I had the answer to my question. His presence wasn't cold, at least to me, but he was just intimidating. Very. Unlike his uncle who just seemed like a gentle, kind, caring man.
At the entrance to the breakfast room he stopped. His face was cold and closed. He said something to his uncle in Russian and turned away to take his leave.
With a smile at Yulia, Ivan rose to his feet. He spoke to her in Russian and she nodded happily. I guess he must have promised he'd be right back.
I always poured the coffee for Yuri. It was always the first thing he consumed before he ate. “What do you think, Yulia? Shall I take some coffee in for your uncle?
She nodded.
I poured the coffee and carried it out to his study. I had just placed my knuckles on the heavy oak door to knock on it when I heard crashing sounds from within the room.
My heart jumped in my chest, as I staggered, the hot dark roast spilling all over my hands. I dropped the cup and it shattered into pieces on the granite floor. “Shit,” I cursed and instantly bent down and began to pick it up.
At that moment the door was pulled open and I looked up to see Ivan standing in the doorway. To my shock he was swaying unsteadily, his face was pale, and his lip was busted.
"Are you okay?" he asked me, even though he was the one who was bleeding.
In my peripheral vision, I could see Yuri taking his seat calmly. It confused me so much that my hand tightened on a shard of porcelain cutting my finger. A soft cry escaped my lips.
Instantly, Yuri pushed out of his chair and started striding towards me.
However, Ivan was already crouching down to help me.
"April," Yuri called urgently. He looked anxious.
"It’s okay. I'm fine," I replied and rose up.
“Show me,” he ordered, with a frown.
“It’s nothing. It’s just a little cut,” I said, aware of Ivan watching me. I didn’t want him to know that Yuri and I were lovers.
"I’ll get one of the maids to clean it up,” I said and hurried away.
As I went, I heard Ivan roar out something in anger. I turned around to see that three of his security had appeared out of nowhere. They handled Ivan with less grace than should have been given to a grand uncle and in shock, I turned to gaze at Yuri.
He was watching me without any expression at all.
This is one of the reasons we can't be together. Your world is terrifying.
Chapter 38
April
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88
(I Regret Nothing)
Later that night, both Yulia and I were packed, awaiting our ride to the airport. Soon an entourage of a Mercedes Benz backed by two SUVs arrived and the both of us were ushered into the Benz by Alex.
Yuri drove us personally, while the other two vehicles escorted us and in no time, we were at the airport. The door was pulled open by Brain. Waiting on the tarmac was a private plane, two air hostesses, and a pilot.
I saw another side of Alex then. Despite his enormous size, he jumped out of the car and kept an eagle eye on our transfer from the cars to the plane. Through the doorway, I could see two more security men present. It made me wonder why Yuri always had to have so much security around him. Was this all for Yulia’s benefit? He did seem to be paranoid about her safety. Perhaps for the rich, the risk of being kidnapped was always foremost in their minds.
We were welcomed aboard and ushered to our seats by a pristinely polished hostess with a flawless bun, and dark red lipstick.
Yuri quickly settled himself with a laptop across his desk and started speaking in French to someone on his phone.
Yulia sat next to me while Yuri continued on with his call, his gaze alternating between her and me.
The service was excellent. We had sliced fresh fruit, finger sandwiches, little cakes and scones.
I noticed Yuri didn’t eat. He worked steadily for a while before he rose to his feet and took his leave from the cabin.
When Yulia fell asleep, I carefully covered her sleeping form with a blanket and went in search of him. The plane was big, I couldn't find him so eventually, I asked Brain.
He pointed to a door. “He is in there.”
I hesitated, then I reminded myself, I had absolutely nothing to fear, but the limited time I had left with him. I walked over to the door. Without knocking, I pushed it open and went in.
He was asleep, but came awake the moment I opened the door. It was a short flight so I didn't expect him to sleep, but as I gazed into his eyes, I saw how exhausted he looked.
He had undone the top button of his white shirt and had obviously just plopped himself on the top of the duvet. He looked so sexy, but as usual painfully alone.
I stopped at the foot of the bed.
"What is it?” he asked, sitting up.
I wanted to run my fingers through his sleep tousled hair, but he beat me to it.
"Yulia," I began. "Why don’t you ever spend time with her?”
He sighed. "Haven't you noticed how terrified she is of me?"
"Even so. Maybe if you tried just a little bit more…"
"If I come too close to her, and show her even the slightest intention to stay, she looks like she is about to burst into tears."
"Why?" I asked. "Has your relationship with her always been this way?
"Of course not," he said, a slight tilt of his lips at a memory. "We used to be buddies, especially in her third and fifth year. But ever since I took over custodianship of her and brought her home to London with me, she has slowly withdrawn.” He narrowed his gaze as he thought a bit more deeply. “No,” he concluded thoughtfully. “It's a bit more recent than that. It really began at the same time she stopped speaking."
"But—"
"No more of that now," he said. “We’ll talk about it more when we arrive. Right now, we only have a short time before we land.”
>
"Oh," I said thinking he was dismissing me. I went to turn around, but he reached out and catching my hand and pulled. I fell on top of him.
The breath was knocked out of me as my chest connected with his rock hard one. Suddenly, his beautiful face was much too close. My brain stopped functioning. "Yuri," I whispered, as he brushed his thumb in slow feather like circles on the pulse in my wrist.
"Your heart is racing," he mocked.
We had one week…
A surge of emotion that I couldn't understand rushed into me at this thought, and before he could see it in my eyes, I crushed my mouth to his. The kiss was fervent, desperate, and heart wrenching all at the same time. He let go of my wrist and I climbed on him to position myself more properly. My hands were on either side of his head as I spread my legs apart and across his hips.
His palm immediately went to my crotch. “I told you to wear more dresses, " he rasped, breathless.
For once, I was remorseful. I broke away from his mouth to make the promise to him. "I'll be sure to do that throughout this week.
“And no panties either,” he growled.
“Okay,” I whispered.
With his eyes on me, he pulled at the button of my jeans and slipped his big, strong hand down into my panties and over my pussy. He palmed me hard.
A gasp of pleasure at the sweet pressure against my clit escaped my lips. My eyes shut as I savored the flick of his fingers on my slick folds.
Still holding onto me, he turned me around and put me on my back on the bed. He rose and began to unbutton his slacks.
My eyes widened in alarm. "Yuri, Yulia is just outside."
“We'll keep it down," he said.
Now, I panicked even more, because I had never been able to keep it down when we engaged in full sex.
He dug into his dark briefs and fetched his cock.
No matter how many times I saw it, it never failed to excite me. I gazed with unashamed lust at the beautiful shaft of his body but then shook my head to regain my senses. "I want to fuck you, Yuri more than you can imagine but we need to wait.”
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