Stealing Beauty (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 1)

by Jessica Collins

  “You’ve settled in nicely.”

  Belle sat upright in a hurry.

  Aleks leaned against the doorframe, smiling as he watched her. Dressed in shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, she had full view of his strong shoulders and arms. He moved into the room, eyes on her as he walked to the side of the bed.

  “So. A Jersey boy, huh?” She couldn’t help herself.

  “Only the best,” he smirked.

  “Where exactly are we? Saddle River?” Not letting him answer, she teased, “You threw me. I totally had you pegged for a Midtown Manhattan kind of guy.”

  Aleks stared at her for a moment before laughing. “I own an apartment on Park, for when I don’t feel like driving home.”

  A smile graced her face. “Your home is … impressive,” she remarked as she looked around, noticing the intricate details of the walls and ceilings. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her as she inspected. The proximity of him, as well as the realization they were on the same bed, made her heart race.

  “You’ll like it here,” he commented, more to himself than to her. He continued, “If there’s anything you need, at all, just ask. We can have it for you right away.” A look she couldn’t discern briefly crossed his face before disappearing before his usual cockiness.

  “Consider yourself lucky. Not many are invited here.”

  “What, your hordes of women don’t get to see your ‘castle’?”

  He chuckled. “No, actually, they don’t.” His tone turned more serious. “I tend not to bring women here.” His honesty touched her. It was then she noticed new red angry welts and cuts on his knuckles.

  “Another rough workout?” she asked, her voice thick with concern.

  “Something like that.”

  He didn’t elaborate, but Belle had a suspicion his “workouts” included Gabriel in some way. Unwilling to let thoughts of Gabe ruin her day, she put the thought out of her head. “Well, how about you begin your hosting duties by giving me a tour of the place. Maybe even leave me a souvenir map, so I don’t get lost when wandering on my own.”

  Aleks smiled. “That can be arranged. We’ll go after dinner.”

  “Let me guess, I need my strength for the journey? Should I pack a bag with emergency water and granola bars?” she asked, brow raised.

  He flashed his full, devastating smile before breaking into another genuine laugh. “Don’t worry, I shall keep you by my side at all times.” He stood, back straight, and raised his arm in mock salute as if playing a scout. “If we get lost, we get lost together.”

  That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, Belle thought to herself.

  Chapter Twelve

  “So, how are you enjoying the witness protection program?” Cynthia asked through the phone.

  “It’s … good.” Belle smiled. She stood at Sirena’s desk, holding her cellphone to her ear with her shoulder while looking for a file she needed for her next meeting. Sirena had left to run an errand and their next client was due in less than thirty minutes.

  “You should see this place, Cyn. It’s a veritable castle — it even has a tower!” She found the file she was looking for and pushed the drawer shut with her hip. “Turns out his father had the house built to replicate their family home in Russia. His mother decorated it in the same style. Every room is like something out of a magazine.”

  “Every room? So you’ve seen his bedroom?”

  Belle half sighed, half giggled. “It’s nearly right next to mine. But no, I haven’t actually been inside, and I’m thankful for that. I’m not sure I’d be able to hold out resisting him if I had.”

  “Girl, what are you waiting for?”

  It was genuine question, one Belle pondered as she hurried to the copy room.

  “I don’t know. I just keep telling myself it’s not right. He’s my boss and this whole thing with Gabriel … I’m a mess, what can I say?”

  “Hang in there,” Cynthia replied. “And cut yourself a break. You deserve a little joy in your life. Take advantage of it while you can.”

  “And by it, you mean him?”

  “You said it not me. Besides, he seems like the perfect fit to introduce some reality into your bondage fantasies.”

  Belle smiled to herself, clearly picturing the look on Cynthia’s face. More than just his looks, she had really begun to enjoy his company. After only a few days, she and Aleks had fallen into a growingly familiar routine. Each morning they rode into work together, carried on their days in meetings and paperwork, then worked to resolve any lingering issues during the ride home. She often told him exactly how she felt regarding his business practices and he seemed to like the banter with her regarding his mindset of his tenants.

  “He’s not quite the man I thought he was, Cyn. Sure, he’s arrogant, and I would never have truly believed Sirena if I hadn’t seen it for myself, but there’s another side to him. He’s … he’s almost charming when he wants to be.”

  As she ran several sets of copies, she thought of their conversations over dinner. He would ask questions about her and her upbringing and seemed genuinely interested in her responses. So far, he hadn’t brought up Gabriel, and for that she was thankful.

  “So, I’ll ask again. What are you waiting for? You know, I’d be happy to give him a go first, let you know if he’s everything he claims to be. All you have to do is ask.”

  Belle laughed. “You’re right, maybe I’m way overthinking this. Being around him all the time is so hard. He’ll never know just what his voice does to me. If he ever found out, he would totally use it against me. And God, when he talks dirty, it’s all I can do not to just rip his clothes off. Smug bastard, I can imagine him teasing me until I was begging for it.”

  Belle grabbed the copies from the machine and glanced up at the clock on the wall.

  “Hey, I need to go, we’ve got a client due in any minute and—”

  She turned, and her breath caught in her throat. Aleks stood in the doorway, looking down at her, a predatory smile on his face.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she managed, forgetting about Cynthia.

  “Long enough,” he replied. His eyes shone with excitement. He removed the phone from her hand and put it to his ear, not moving his eyes off Belle. She tried to step back from him, but he caught her waist and pulled her into him.

  “Cynthia, it seems Belle has been playing instead of working.” His voice was husky, hitting Belle hard. “I need to take her to my office and straighten this out. I’m sure she’ll call with the details.”

  He hung up never breaking his stare and smiled. “Cynthia says she’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

  She took a step back to distance herself, but her back hit the copy machine. Following her, he tugged her hair, pulling her head back as his face grazed hers. Lips to her ear, he whispered, “I quite like the idea of teasing you until you beg for it.”

  Shit, he heard too much.

  “Slow. Deep. Intense. Until you beg for me to make you come.” He bit her earlobe. “And I will. Over and over again.”

  Belle could feel him hard against her, and feared for a moment he would actually take her to his office, alone. If he did, she didn’t think she would be able to resist him.

  He groaned into her ear when the ping of the elevator interrupted the moment. He backed away, not removing his heated gaze from hers. His fingertips brushed the skin of her arm as he moved, sending a shiver through her entire body.

  He gave her one last lustful look before turning towards the main lobby. “I cannot wait to get you in my car.”

  Aleks sat in the meeting only half listening to the discussion. Hearing Belle describe how much he turned her on had gotten him hard in an instant. He’d listened to the end of her conversation while dreaming up the next round of dirty things he could say to her to make her wet. She’d admitted on the cruise she liked this kind of talk; he just didn’t know how much she liked it until he heard it from her mouth.

  When she admitted he cou
ld get her to the point of begging, he couldn’t stop himself from interrupting, intending to test the theory. If the tenant hadn’t shown, he might have taken her right on the copier.

  Unable to change the direction of his thoughts, he allowed Belle to take the lead of their meeting with a particularly stubborn potential seller. Maxworth Coggs owned a large high-rise with multiple apartments and was looking for one realtor to sell the entire building. In his late 60s, and arrogant as they came, he laughed at the first offer Aleks presented. Annoyed, he had decided to call a second meeting and invite Belle.

  While it wasn’t a legal matter, she had impressed him with her knowledge of real estate law, as well as her knack of making the tenants comfortable. She worked wonders on building managers who just needed the extra push to sell. It seemed every time she walked out of a meeting, she had gotten exactly what she wanted without the other party even realizing it. Aleks was surprised at the realization that her intelligence was a major turn on for him. Who am I kidding? Everything about her is a turn on.

  He had lessened a bit in his pursuit of her since she moved in. He recognized how much damage Gabriel had done, and he didn’t want Belle to be fearful of him. Another reason to hate the sonofabitch. Pacing his advances was proving difficult as the more time he spent with her, the more he found himself attracted — not just physically, but intellectually as well.

  Aleks hadn’t filled Belle in on Maxworth’s difficult demeanor prior to their appointment, wanting to see how she would handle his crotchetiness. He expected the attitude shift Belle elicited from him as she discussed the contract stipulations of their offer. What he hadn’t expected was how annoyed he grew at the way Maxworth was looking at her — or how content he was, knowing her gaze continued to stray back to himself.

  “The price we’re offering is well above market value and we would see this sale as the beginning of what we hope to be a long and profitable business relationship.” Belle looked at him. “Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Wolfe?”

  As her mouth moved, he envisioned her full, pouty lips wrapped around him. He watched her, making no effort to hide his desire. But there was something more to his feelings for her. He enjoyed her company. He loved to make her laugh; it filled him with a sense of pride. He enjoyed the way she would banter with him, always putting him in his place, a feat not many had been able to accomplish.

  “Mr. Wolfe?”

  His eyes locked on hers, a mix of apprehension and lingering arousal evident in her gaze. Aleks leaned forward and looked at Maxwell to support her claim, knowing Belle truly didn’t even need him in the room.

  “The price we’re offering is generous, but even still, it’s only a fraction of the benefit your company would receive from a long, extended relationship with Beast Enterprises. Our market penetration is second to none.”

  He glanced back at Belle and watched the flush spread over her face, evidence that his choice of wording affected her. He loved to see her skin redden, loved knowing it was a tell for her arousal. He couldn’t keep the smile from his lips, knowing he’d upped the ante in their little game. Poor girl, you’re not going to know what hit you.

  Belle breathed a sigh of relief when, after the meeting ended, Aleks offered to take the elevator down with the tenant to show him out and coordinate the details of the official contract signing.

  “I’ll be waiting for you in the car, Ms. Lahela.” For all outward appearances, his tone was nothing more than professional, but there was little doubt in Belle’s mind what he had in store for the ride home.

  Sirena had returned and sat at her desk, sorting a large stack of legal-sized envelopes.

  “Looks like the meeting went well,” Sirena remarked, as she ripped open one of the envelopes and filed its contents in her desk.

  “Yes, looks like it will be a quick sale.” She filled Sirena in on a few of the details.

  “You’ve really proven your worth here, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a job offer.”

  “You think so?” Though Aleks always seemed responsive to her suggestions and ideas, she wondered how much of it was part of a ploy to get her into bed.

  “I know so. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that some people just have a knack for it, and you have it in spades.” The cellphone on her desk chirped with an alarm. “Shoot, I almost forgot, I’m meeting a friend in about half an hour.”

  Belle nodded. “Go, I’ll close up. We can talk more tomorrow.”

  Sirena grabbed her purse and hugged Belle before hurrying to the elevator. “Lunch on me tomorrow,” she said with a wave. A few seconds later, Belle was alone.

  She turned the phone machines on and turned off all the lights as she began to lock up. She took her time, delaying the inevitable car ride home. Might as well get it over with, she thought to herself, butterflies growing in her stomach.

  As she gathered the last of her belongings to leave, the elevator pinged. Impatient much?

  “Aleks, I know, I should have hurried, but—” Her stomach clenched; Gabriel stepped out of the elevator and walked towards her.

  At first, she thought it was a mistake — some type of post traumatic hallucination. Her confusion quickly turned to fear. She was alone, sixty floors up, and it really was Gabriel coming near.

  “What are you doing here?” Belle asked, trying to mask the tremor in her voice.

  “Where have you been?” he asked, ignoring her. He looked murderous. She kept herself behind her desk, using it as a shield.

  “What are you doing here?” she repeated, trying to devise a way to escape him. She wouldn’t be able to run past him, and feared he would catch her before she could lock herself in one of the offices.

  “I’ve come for my Belle. I don’t care where you’ve been or what — or who — you’ve been doing. It’s over.” The anger in his voice set Belle over the edge.

  “I am not ‘your’ Belle. Leave me alone, Gabe, or I swear I’ll…”

  “You’ll what? Hmm?” He walked right up to her desk, the only thing between them. “Call out for help?” He looked around. “Guess what … no one will hear you!” He yelled his final words, proving he knew they were alone. Belle began to sweat.

  As he stepped around the side of the desk she moved with him to the opposite end. Keeping a distance, she backed up. Aleks’ office was only a few yards away, maybe she could make it inside. She glanced over her shoulder, then back at Gabriel. It’s now or never.

  She turned and rushed for the door, but her purse caught the edge of Sirena’s desk, pulling her backwards and off balance. She toppled to the floor. She twisted and fell onto her backside and tried to scurry away, but her fall gave him the chance to close the distance. He was on top of her, straddling her and pinning her legs to the floor. He grabbed her neck in his hand and squeezed. Belle struggled to breathe as her fingernails dug into his hand.

  “You’ve had me waiting much longer than I ever thought possible. You are mine, Belle. You have been mine since the moment I saw you. No other man deserves you. Do you understand me?” His breath was hot on her face. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to gasp for air.

  “I … can’t breathe.” She could barely speak. She tried to kick him off of her but he was too strong. She grabbed for his forearm to dig her nails in, yet it only seemed to anger him. “Aleksandr will be here any minute.”

  “Lies, Belle … always lying. I watched your little fuck-buddy get into his car to leave. You’re not escaping me this time.” Leaning back into a crouch, he pulled her up and over his shoulder as he stood. Belle started to kick and thrash against him but it only succeeded in him tightening his grip on her thighs. She pounded against his back with all her might, desperate for him to drop her.

  Walking forwards, he threw her onto the couch in the waiting area.

  Her head hit the arm rest and the room began to spin.

  He stood over her, his hands unbuckling his belt.

  “Gabriel,” she pleaded. “Please don’t do
this.” She tried to slip by him, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and threw her back down, settling his hips in between her legs, forcing them apart so she couldn’t kick at him. He pushed forward, hard enough to cause pain between her legs at his solid erection.

  Belle screamed as she tried to push out from under him. His body was too heavy on top of hers and she couldn’t move.

  “I’m going to show you how a real man fucks.”

  She punched at his chest, adrenaline rushing through her system. Pain radiated up through her fingers and wrists as she continued to fight him, but he was too big, too strong. He sat up on her as he fended off her fists.

  “I haven’t slept with him. I promise! You don’t have to do this!”

  “What? You’re being a cock-tease to him too?”

  Stop him, Belle. “No! No, not at all. I don’t want him; not like I want you, Gabriel.” She almost gagged as she lied to him. “Just not here, not like this. Just let me up and I’ll go home with you, where we can do this the right way.”

  He stilled for a moment. She felt his body lift slightly, enough that she thought she could maneuver him away. She twisted and pushed her hips up at him with all of her might while at the same time clawing at his face. He didn’t budge. He backed his face away and grasped her hand. She turned to see his foot firmly planted on the ground, giving him the advantage.

  Gabriel narrowed his eyes as he laughed, cruelly. His face turned into a mask of pure hatred. “Lying is so unbecoming, Belle.”

  She tried to punch one last time as she bucked underneath him but he was able to capture this hand as well. He made a sickening grunt on top of her. “You better move your hips like this when I’m inside of you.”

  He bound both of her wrists into one hand and pinned them above her head. With his other hand, he ripped her shirt open, exposing her bra before unzipping himself as he sneered at her. “Been imagining how these breasts looked for years; cannot wait to taste them.”