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Ican’t take anymore. It’s too much and as Ivan told me my brutal story, it tore out my heart and left it bleeding into the cracks of insanity. I killed my mother, and my father hates me. He probably wants me back to kill me in revenge. My own parents lied to me all this time by making me believe I was their own flesh and blood. An innocent boy was traded for me and if anyone does, he must understand and then there’s the man who is holding me so gently and trying to comfort me who caused my bubble to burst in the first place.
The only person I have now is myself and it’s a very lonely place to be. I’m to be traded with someone who has so much love heading her way. She’s wanted. I am not. She’s the lucky one, I guess, because she gets to start again. I, on the other hand, get to end something I never knew had begun.
Ivan does his best, but I can tell he’s uncomfortable and so I drag myself away and say with a deep breath, “It’s fine. I’ll be ok. The truth sucks and I wish I hadn’t asked.”
I try to smile and joke through my tears, but the storm in his eyes tells me he’s not laughing.
“Charlotte, I…”
I hold up my hand. “It’s fine. You did what you had to do and I’m fine with it. This is my life, and I must deal with it. Face my real father and try to work out where I go from there.”
“But...”
“No, Ivan. I don’t want to hear anymore. Just do what you were instructed to do. I’ll be ok.”
I swing my legs off the bed and say with a deep breath. “Maybe we should eat and then get some sleep. Everything will seem much better in the morning.”
I plaster on a brave face and attempt a smile and then, to my surprise, he follows me and pulls me hard against his body, his arms wrapping around me and holding me so tightly, I don’t think I can breathe.
“I will find a way, malyshka.”
“What way?” I’m confused, and he sighs heavily and buries his face against my neck and whispers, “I won’t send you to him.”
It’s as if I’m attached to a defibrillator because my heart jumps back to life for a moment and I hate the hope lacing my voice as I whisper, “How?”
He says gruffly. “That’s the part I haven’t figured out, but I won’t give you willingly to him.”
“Why not?”
I am so confused and as he pulls back, I gasp at the anger flashing in his eyes mixed with something I can’t put a name to.
“Because I don’t want to watch you walk away from me, Charlotte. Don’t ask me why, but I can’t let that happen.”
I reach up and hold my hand flat against his cheek and, staring into his eyes, I whisper, “Thank you.”
My eyes fill with tears as I grasp the lifeline he’s throwing me and as he lowers his lips to mine, I know we are about to step over the line in the sand, and it can’t come soon enough for me.
Kissing this savage Russian will never get old. Even during a complete meltdown, he gives me something pure to cling onto in a life that appears anything but.
With him I feel safe. Don’t ask me why, but it’s as if I am meant to be with him and I completely understand his comment because if I had to walk away from him, I’m not sure if I could.
I’m guessing it’s because he’s the only one I can trust right now and the fact everything is different. I’m clinging onto him because I trust him, although the jury is still out on that. Can I trust him? The fact he kidnapped me makes that the craziest thought I’ve ever had, but there is something between us that is carrying me through the storm. As if he is the lifeboat and I am being taken to safety. With him.
When he pulls back, I almost howl with disappointment and his gruff voice is more comforting than threatening.
“We need to eat. It’s been a long day and, like you said, everything will seem better in the morning.”
I’m not sure if he even believes that himself, but I sigh and plaster a brave smile on my face.
“Yes, let’s see what delights the iPad can offer us.”
He nods and walks away to retrieve it and, feeling slightly lost, I sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the dancing flames of the fire. If I had one wish, it would be to freeze this moment because locked in this amazing house, high up in the alps, is like heaven on earth because I am here with him.
The bed dips as he sits beside me, and he holds the iPad between us as we make our section. To be honest, it all looks like the finest cuisine and my mouth is watering at the descriptions alone. We settle on Coq au Vin with a starter of oysters in champagne and Ivan selects a bottle of wine that I wouldn’t even know how to pronounce the name of.
As he pressessend, he looks at me with concern.
“Are you ok, Princess?”
