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His day was fully booked with work, so as much as he hated that Julietta was forcing him to release her, it was for the best. He couldn’t afford to take the day off to spend it in bed fucking his girl. At least, not today. Although, he’d be making sure he could, and would, do exactly that very soon. He was looking forward to testing out which of them had more stamina. After last night, he wasn’t sure who’d win.
CHAPTER SIX
Nearly a week later, Juli was busy setting up her stall at the Bondi markets.
“You really gonna keep turning him down?”
Jess had come to help her set up and, apparently, grill her about her Russian.
“After Rodger, I don’t want another bloke. He was great between the sheets, but I’m not interested in getting tangled up with a man. Especially an older guy who will want to take control. I need to focus on getting my life back in order.”
Thanks to Rodger, all her savings were now gone. She hadn’t realised until after she walked out exactly how much that man had spent. Why had she ever agreed to give him access to her account? She mentally shook her head. She didn’t want to think about him and his shit anymore. What she needed to do was knuckle down, start saving her money again, and get back on top of things.
“You know, with a guy like that Russian, you wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again, babe. The fact he’s older just means there’s a higher chance he’s got his shit together. And the way that guy dresses makes it clear he’s not hurting for cash. You get that, right?”
Juli raised an eyebrow at her friend. They’d known each other since the start of high school, so Jess really should know her better than to suggest she’d be happy with some kind of sugar daddy.
“I’m not built that way. I can’t just be some … pampered pet to a rich man. No way. I’m my own person.”
Jess was silent as she helped her set up the final stand.
“Some advice? Don’t kick this guy to the kerb for another man’s crimes. He’s sent you flowers. Lots of really nice flowers. And all he wants is to take you out to dinner. You know he’s good for it, so why not have some fun with him?”
Juli couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at her mouth as she remembered what he’d done. On Wednesday afternoon, just after she’d arrived home from work, a delivery man rocked up with the biggest arrangement of flowers she’d ever seen. Naturally, it arrived in a freaking crystal vase. That vase was officially her most expensive possession.
Four days later, her room still smelt sweet, and with every breath she took of the scent, she thought of Daniil. Of his request for dinner. He’d wanted to take her out last night, but she’d turned him down. She was serious about getting back on her feet under her own steam. Full Miss Independent style was her new mantra. She’d made a mistake falling for Rodger and his shit, one she should have known better than to make. Had she learned nothing from her mother?
That soured her mood. Her mother hadn’t had the best luck with men. Juli didn’t know who her biological father was. If her mother had known, she’d never shared the information with her. And none of the string of men her mother latched onto during her childhood had exactly been stepfather material. Nope, right up until the day she ended her life, she was chasing the BBD (bigger, better deal) but never found it. A snort escaped Juli’s throat. Her mother would have loved Daniil. Probably would have moved in with the guy already. But she wasn’t her mother. No way. Juli had her pride and refused to follow in those particular footsteps. Rodger had been a harsh reminder of how easily a man could worm his way into her life and cause her pain.
“Men like Daniil, they don’t do ‘fun’. He’s intense. So fucking intense. I know if I give him an inch, he’ll take a mile.”
Jess pulled her in for a hug. “Well, just think about it. Rodger is an arsehole, but not all men are. Hate to see you throw away a good one now just because you had bad luck with your ex.”
Her friend walked away, leaving Juli with a headache forming from all the thoughts tripping over each other. Should she risk giving Daniil a chance? Was she being too stubborn for her own good? Even though she still wasn’t sure exactly what Daniil had done to “deal with” her attackers, it had been nice to have him step up for her. When she’d woken up in his bed in his freaking huge mansion, she’d felt safe. Like somewhere deep inside, her inner cavewoman knew Daniil was capable of keeping her protected.
“Hey, babe.”
An icy shiver ran down her spine at the sound of that deep voice. Rodger was the last person she wanted to deal with today. Shoring up her courage with a deep breath, she turned to face her ex with a glare.
“What the hell do you want?”
He had his most charming grin in full force and had dressed carefully in clean jeans and loose, button-up shirt. Daniil put him to shame in every way, and she wondered how she’d ever thought Rodger was worth her energy.
“What do you think? I miss you. I want to know when you’re coming home.”
She shook her head in disbelief. He was completely delusional.
“We broke up, Rodger, remember? It’s over. Move on already.”
He frowned at her, a flash of anger sparkling in his gaze, reminding her of the main reason why she’d never go back to this man. Not that she needed the reminder.
“One little fight doesn’t change the fact you agreed to be my wife, Juli. You need to stop mucking around and come home where you belong.”
She crossed her arms over her chest as her own anger rose.
“Little fight? You backhanded me hard enough to send me to the floor! And in that moment, you destroyed any chance you ever had of me being your wife.”
Looking at him now, after being away from him for the past few months, she couldn’t work out what she’d ever seen in him. He was pretty enough, with his dark, slicked-back hair and casually stylish clothes. But he also had a sleazy edge she’d not noticed before. How had she missed that?
