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That seems to snap him out of this sudden rage. His fingers loosen, and he frowns as if he finally realizes what he’s doing. Remorse briefly flits through his eyes.
His next question surprises me. “Why did you agree to marry Kozlov?”
I carefully consider my answer. Why did I agree to the arrangement?
“I did it for my family. Mama’s always told us that we would have to marry to strengthen our family’s ties with others. Papa needed us to join with the Russians, I’m the eldest daughter, so it’s my duty to make the alliance.”
Roman searches my face with his dark gaze. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out if I’m lying or not. Since I have nothing to hide, I stare openly back at him. I have nothing to hide. If he wants me to bare my soul to him, I will.
After a few seconds have ticked by, he nods, silently accepting my explanation. He lifts me from his lap. “Go to bed.”
“Oh, are you done interrogating me for tonight?” I fold my arms under my breasts and stare him down. It’s not easy because, even seated, he's almost as tall as I am. Even so, I do my best.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I said, go to bed. That’s an order.”
“You’re not the boss of me, so don’t give me orders. I’m going to finish dinner, and then I might think about going to bed. Or I might stay up and watch a movie. I haven’t decided—”
His sharp glance cuts me off. “If you don’t get your ass upstairs and locked in your room this minute, I swear I’ll bend you over this table and fuck you to within an inch of your life.”
Heat pools low in my stomach, but I scoff at his threat. His brows lower and I can tell he’s not bluffing. I’m not sure why he wants me out of the room this instant, but he does. Thus, the threat.
Deciding this is a losing battle, I drop my arms to my sides, and say, “Yes,sir.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, principessa.” Roman’s features darken further. His intentions are clearly written across his face. He lunges, grabbing for me with his long arms. I retreat with a startled squeal. Turning on my heel, I dart from the dining room and up the stairs. If I let Roman catch me, I’m sure I’ll do something stupider than have an orgasm in his lap. Like let him fuck me on the dining room table.
Once I get to my room, I lock the door.
My heart batters my ribcage. Is he going to come after me? Why am I excited by that thought?
I know I shouldn’t poke the bear, but with Roman I can’t help it. I like seeing him lose control. It makes me smile when his impenetrable mask slips and I spot the emotions he hides behind it. And there are plenty of them. He’s a man of many emotions, some shallow, while others run deep.
My lips are still swollen from his kiss. That kind of pure, raw primal energy I find seductive. The fact that all of that, and more, is bottled up inside one man drives me to want to uncover more.
I’m sure it’s a dangerous game. One that we’ve just begun to play. Roman won’t back down, and neither will I. Even if it breaks us, we’ll see this through to its end. Whatever that end may be.
Minutes turn to a quarter of an hour, then half an hour and I know he’s not coming for me tonight. Sighing, I sulk in my room.
The fact that I’m moping about my captor pushing me away so that hewon’tsteal my virtue disturbs me. Greatly. As it should. Obviously, I have some deeply buried issues, which I’m not willing to unpack at the moment.
Besides, he didn’t let me finish that delicious dinner. While he ate grilled chicken over greens, the cook, Luis, had made me chicken Alfredo and garlic breadsticks. Absolutely delicious.
A knock sounds on my door, followed by, “Miss Sophia, it’s Diana.”
Slightly disappointed—what’s wrong with me?—I open the door for her. “Yes?”
“Mr. De Luca had me rewarm your dinner and bring it up. I’ll put it on the table and collect the dishes in the morning.”
“Thank you.” A smile curves my lips. The divine aroma makes my stomach gurgle.
This deed gets slotted under the hero category.Roman, you’re my white knight.I’m going to prove it to both of us. You’ll see.
CHAPTER9
Roman
I’d avoid the girl if I thought it would do any good. Over the past few days, she’s settled into the house as if it were her home. Her voice and Diana’s float along the hallway. Her honey scent lingers, telling me when she recently left a room. The house is livelier with her presence here, and the staff seem more at ease. I make what necessary trips I need to into the city, but other than that I work from my home office.
Work holds a slightly different meaning to what it did before her arrival. I keep catching myself staring into space, out the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the garden, the sound of her moans replaying clearly in my memory. And my dick gets hard multiple times a day. It’s distracting as hell.
