“How was your day?” she squeaked softly and if they hadn’t been this close he may have not even heard it.
The corner of his mouth curled, “Now that you are here, it’s certainly going to be wonderful.” he told her honestly and colour crept to her cheeks. She awkwardly fidgeted with the hem of her top dragging his attention to her clothes. “Why do you wear these rags?” he asked her, sounding rather impolite and colour started to vanish from her face.
He stepped closer to her and gently cupped her face in his hands. “A lovely girl like you should not be wearing rags, I’m going to get you new clothes and you will accept it without a word.” she opened her mouth to argue but he put his index finger on her lips. “Not a word,” he warned her and she helplessly forced a nod.
CHAPTER 9
Ira was whisked away by a group of girls who Victor had arranged to get her ready for the evening. “From now on you are mine and my girl deserves to be dressed no less than a princess.” He had told her as an excuse when she had tried to politely decline his offer of buying her new clothes but she had not missed the fact that he had just randomly declared that she was his girl.
‘Victor’s Girl’ is that what she was going to be from now on? Funny that he hadn’t even bothered asking her consent before he had staked his claim on her. The thought unsettled in her belly but she did not reject the thought completely. Neither could she deny the fact that she was being dragged into something she had no intention of being a part of and there was nothing she could do about it.
Ever since she had arrived at his mansion this evening he has been nothing but a gentleman. He had been so kind and gentle with her that for a minute she had completely forgotten that he was the Lord of the underworld himself. But she knew this was no kindness, Victor was not capable of kindness. She knew what he wanted from her and a part of her was dying to give it to him and it frightened her.
Her emotions were all over the place, even as the girls made her try on expensive clothes and shoes all she could think of was what would happen to her next. Going back home was not even an option she could consider and staying here meant giving up everything to a man she barely even knows. The thought made her feel uncomfortable, but that’s not how she had felt in his arms.
Her body had felt perfect under his touch; it was like she was moulded for his pleasure. Every inch of her was designed for him and him alone and deep down she knew it and he knows it too. That’s why she was brought here, right? So that he could claim her like a war prize, isn’t that why she was being dolled up like a bride, so that she could be offered to him like a sacrificial lamb?
She blinked several times as she tried to snap back into the present and found herself staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a pretty baby blue dress that hugged her body perfectly flaring around the hips. The dress was of a modest knee-length that covered most of her sexy long legs but it suited her well.
The flawless skin of her shoulder was left bare and creamy and the dress left a small portion of her cleavage at display. She wore strappy silver heels and the look was completed with a pair of dangling crystal earrings. Her makeup was done perfectly and they had given her long silky hair a nice haircut and let it drop loosely around her shoulder in its natural texture. All in all, she looked stunning.
“You are such a lucky girl, not everybody gets this opportunity.” one of the girls had gushed to her dreamily as she had applied her makeup. Now how could she explain to them the last thing she wants right now is his attention. Though her body would say an entirely different story. Her body was rigid with anticipation and unwilling to relax till it felt his touch again.
This was one of Victor’s private residences and only his close acquaintance have had the privilege to come here and that list never included any of his women. So this was the first time Victor had brought a girl here. Plus everybody knew that Victor does not take women on dates, he does not play the game of courtship, if he wanted a woman in his bed he would take her straight to bed. Then what was he doing with her? She had absolutely no idea.
A knock at the door dragged her out of her thoughts, “Miss, He is expecting you” A man dressed in a well fitted black suit announced as he stepped into the room. She glanced at her cheap watch that she had insisted on wearing even after the numerous protests of her stylists and sucked in a deep calming breath. She was late for work, but then again what other choice did she have but to stay here and do as told?
She gave him a polite nod, “Just a minute please.” she replied giving herself one last look and followed him into the enormous hallway that led them back to the foyer. He guided her to the grand spiral staircase that she hadn’t noticed much earlier.
Victor had a beautiful home; it looked nothing like those gangster homes she had seen in movies. His house oozed elegance and wealth and not to mention his expensive taste. Every nook and corner of the house was elegantly decorated. Honestly, from where she comes from, this place could easily be called a paradise.
As she ascended the stairs her heartbeat started to raise and her feet trembled with the anticipation of what was about to happen to her next. She was being taken to Victor, to do god knows what. She wanted to stop and ask what was going on but her courage was a little to non-existent and she had no choice but to follow him like a lost puppy.
He led her towards the two large wooden doors that awaited them at the end of the long marble-floored corridor. She noticed several paintings of well-dressed men hung on the walls and the man explained to her that the portraits belonged to Victor’s ancestors and also a few loyal members who had served his family. From the look of it, it seemed like Victor comes from some really powerful crime families and no, she was not surprised by it.
He held open the door for her and she hesitated for a moment, what if she was making the biggest mistake of her life, something she could never reverse? Several possible scenarios played in her head and nothing comforted her. “He is waiting for you, Miss.,” he told her, dragging her back to reality, she knew there was no going back now. She hesitantly stepped out into the elegantly decorated terrace, her heart still pounding in her chest.
An involuntary gasp escaped her lips as she stared at the terrace that was transformed into a beautiful garden with an amazing view of the beautiful private beach ahead. Victor had promised to take her there later but she didn’t know if he would remember.
A classic white couch sat at the far end along and a matching coffee table sat on the far end of the lawn. A nice cozy toking table that was set in the center of the open space and the entire terrace was decorated with so many candles that Ira had ever seen in her entire life.
Two strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pinned against a rock hard chest. She did not have to turn around to know who it was. Her body remembers the sparks his touch brought over her skin and it felt good to feel it all over again. He pressed his lips on the crook of her neck and she sucked in a breath. God, why was his touch so damn addictive?
“Mesmerizing isn’t it?” he breathed into her ear, his lips lightly brushing her earlobe sending waves of sparks through her body. He rubbed his hand up and down over her arms enjoying the silky softness of her bare skin under his fingers. Her body was tensed by his touch and he could sense her heat penetrate through his veins.
“Hmm,” she hummed as his warm lips pressed against the side of her neck trailing warm kisses over her delicate neck and the creamy bare skin of her shoulders. He placed both his hands on her shoulder and slowly turned her around and for a minute he could not breathe. God, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
A girl like her deserves to be worshipped at an altar and not put on display in a dance bar. She looked like a fallen angel who had somehow landed in his arms and he had no intentions of letting her go. The demon inside him had this urge to throw away this whole romantic wine and dine thing and take her straight to bed but that would be a terrible idea considering his reputation.
He wanted
something more than just a night with her and he could only have that if he managed to earn her trust. She brought out the light in him that had faded a long time back; making him feel whole again. He gently caressed her cheeks with the pad of his thumb and watched her pale skin visibly come alive with colour. God, she was mesmerizing.
He took a step back and studied her from head to toe and the corner of his mouth curled in appreciation. The dress looked extremely well on her and he could barely take his eyes off her. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and the back of his thumb brushed over her soft skin and she shuddered in his arms.
“Hungry?” he asked her softly and she shyly nodded. A ghost of a smile touched his lips and he took her hand in his and led her to the table that he had made sure was arranged elegantly, nothing cheesy but nothing less than romantic. He took her hand and led her to the table pulling out a chair for her. She mumbled a thank you and hesitantly slipped into the chair.
An elderly butler walked up to them and placed two wine glasses in front of them. Victor turned to him with a smile, “What have you got for us tonight Peter?” he asked him, his voice unusually cheerful. The old man’s lips curled into a slight frown at his unusual approach, but he got over it soon.
“Basso Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Sir,” he told him quietly and Victor acknowledged him with a nod and turned his attention to his date waiting for her approval,
Ira looked like a deer caught in headlights; she had absolutely no idea about wines except for the fact that she was not supposed to drink it. Victor studied her face for a minute and understood her dilemma.
“It’s just wine, love, you will be fine,” he assured her and she just blinked in response. God, is she going to be this quiet all night? Victor did not like the thought but he brushed the thought away.
He turned his attention back to Peter, “Why don’t you get something non-alcoholic for the lady?” he asked him and Peter eagerly nodded. He poured the wine into Victor’s glass and excused himself to get something for her. Ira let out a breath that she did not know she was holding god she was so nervous that she had almost expected him to force her to drink but surprisingly he didn't.
He watched the colour return to her cheeks and he felt two feet taller. He hadn’t expected that his one kind gesture would put her at so much at ease. He brought his wine glass to his lips and took a small sip out of it. Her shy gaze studied him with curious eyes and he noticed more colour creep to her cheeks. He put his glass back and rested his hands on the table.
“Would you like a taste?” he asked her, gesturing to his glass and she hesitantly shook her head, “Thank you,” she replied softly and immediately cast her gaze down. Victor leaned forward and tipped her chin up, lifting her gaze to him. “Sweetheart, I’m not going to eat you, so stop freaking out and just enjoy the evening.”
A soft relieved grin spread around her luscious lips and it spread to him as well. For the first time this evening, she allowed herself the luxury of studying his beautiful face. His steel-grey eyes watched her with curiosity and she found herself blushing.
He was dressed in a well-fit black shirt with top two buttons open and black jeans. His hair looked messy like he had run his fingers through it a hundred times, but it suited him well. She would like to run her fingers through those silky smooth looking tresses and the thought widened her grin.
“You look nice,” she told him softly and his eyebrows shot up in surprise but he masked it with a smirk. “Why thank you, my lady. But I’m afraid you are the one stealing the show this evening,” he replied smoothly and her cheeks heated up even more.
“No seriously, you look stunning, angel. I can barely take my eyes off you.” He gently placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I like you in blue, you remind me of the ocean,” he told her, trying his best to mask his discomfort. Victor is not used to sweet-talking. All the women he had taken out would do all the talking, sparing him the hard work of doing the small talk.
Ira couldn’t help but smile at him. She could see the efforts he was putting in to make her feel comfortable and she liked it. “Thank you,” she replied softly, casting her beautiful eyes down. She chewed on her lower lip as she quietly studied the elegant arrangement which looked something straight out of a romance novel.
“This is very nice,” she told him as her eyes wandered around with clear admiration. Victor smiled knowing that his first mission was accomplished; his girl had liked his efforts and he couldn’t help but feel two feet taller. He was scared that she may not like any of this but seeing the smile dancing on her face he knew that she more than loved the arrangement.
An army of servers walked in with all sorts of dishes interrupting their little moment. Ira’s eyes went wide in surprise; this was way too much food for just the two of them. She could feed her family for four whole days with this much food. “I didn’t know what you liked so I asked the chef to prepare everything I could think of,” he told her with a wolfish grin on his face and for a minute she couldn’t even believe that she was sitting across the most dangerous man of the city.
“You didn’t have to do this, you know.” she told him softly and he raised an eyebrow, “Why would you say that?” he asked her, though he had already guessed the answer for it he wanted to hear it from her. She opened her mouth to say something but then hesitated. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.
“Angel, this is nothing; I intend to bring the world at your feet. So you will have to learn to get over to live a life like this,” he told her, his words clear and sincere. She grew perfectly still, like his words startled her. She studied his face for a long minute and she knew he meant what he had said. This was the first time anybody had ever told her anything like this and she did not know how to reply.
“Thank you; you didn’t have to take so much trouble,” she replied with an uncomfortable look on her face and he did not like it one bit. She chewed on her lower lips wondering if she had to elaborate on this, “I’m not used to being treated like this,” she added softly lowering her gaze, barring him from seeing the sadness in her eyes. But it was too late; he had already seen it.
“Like what, Angel?” he asked her quietly. Masking his annoyance towards whoever or whatever had caused that sadness to her. She hesitated for a minute but convinced herself to reply, “Like, I matter.” his eyebrows knit like he had trouble understanding what she was trying to say but then the realization dawned on him. “Listen to me and listen carefully, your life matters as much as anybody’s, do you understand?” she swallowed hard and forced a nod.
They ate in silence for a few minutes and he quietly watched her struggle to eat from the heap of food on her plate. He felt guilty for force-feeding her like this but he didn’t have a choice. The girl looks weak and pale and she certainly needs more nutrition and he was going to do anything and everything to make sure that she was alright.
He cleared his throat dragging her attention to him. “Why did you move to the city?” he asked her finally breaking the heavy silence between them.
Ira sighed in relief; this was one of her comfortable questions. “I needed work that paid me well. Back home they don’t pay much.” she replied honestly.
He frowned at her, “Why are you working at all? You should be in college.” His statement awakened unwanted emotions that she had tried so badly to hide. This was her safe question and she must be comfortable answering them, but she wasn’t. “We were going through tough times at home and somebody needed to step up and take charge,” she told him, her voice surprisingly calm.
He frowned at her, “What about your parents? Aren’t they supposed to be the ones taking care of things?” he asked her. Why would someone let a young girl like her work here on her own in a city like this? But most importantly why would any parent with the right mind let their young beautiful daughter work as an exotic dancer? Do they even know what she is doing here?
Ira put down her fork and pic
ked up her glass of sparkling water and took a long sip, “My mother is sick and my father is dead, there’s nobody else to take care of the family.” she replied, her tone oddly irritated. He noticed the spark of anger/irritation in her eyes and wondered if there was a feisty little vixen hiding behind the shy veil.
“Why did you choose to work as a dancer?” he asked her. There were plenty of other decent options for her and yet she chose to work as an exotic dancer and he wondered why.
She sighed, “My mother is suffering from cancer and that’s the only way I can afford her treatment.” she replied hesitantly and by now tears had already started to rim her eyes and that’s when he realized that he had knowingly or unknowingly tapped the wrong buttons.
She looked so innocent and vulnerable like a small scared child and he wanted to take her in his arms and protect her forever. “Angel, listen to me and listen carefully, from now on I will take care of you. Do I make myself clear?” She swallowed hard knowing that she had no other choice but to agree.
CHAPTER 10
The night was growing in a painfully slow speed and the constant echo of the waves hitting the shore filled the silence of the night. The moon was at its apex and the weather was unusually pleasant. Cold winds kept blowing through the sea sending ripples of salty chills over her soft sensitive skin, but it felt good.
Ira loved the way the wind rustled through her open hair letting it dance to its calm serene song. The frothy sea water kissed her bare toes and returned to its source repeating the process every time the waves hit the shore. She wanted to wade further in but Victor would not let her, “The waters get dangerous at night.” He had told her in a feeble attempt of an apology but she was okay with it.
“I’ve never been to a beach before, thank you for keeping your promise,” she told him absently as they strolled through the beach letting their bare feet sink into the sand. The moonlight glistened her silky smooth hair that was dancing with the wind distracting her every now and then.
Victor's Girl: A Mafia Romance Page 7