Page 54 of Betrothed
“I meant no disrespect, sir. I just meant…”
“Understood, Dante.” He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. I’d yet to be able to take full control of either the situation or my mind given the way the lovely doctor had made her reappearance in my life.
Nodding, Dante jumped out, moving to the back of the SUV while I seethed. Somehow, I needed to get her out of my system.
My guest had packed light, her determination to return to her life evident in every action and every word. I’d yet to determine how to handle her absence, although I’d forced her to call in sick for the shift she had later in the afternoon. Within a couple of days, questions would start. I’d need to know what I was dealing with long before.
She would talk to me.
One way or another.
By the time I climbed out, Vivian had disappeared around the corner of the house. The day was surprisingly warm for October, enough that I was glad to only be wearing the thin material of the doctor’s uniform. When I reached behind me to ensure the gun remained lodged against my back, pain tore through my shoulder. I gritted my teeth, hissing until it passed.
Vivian was right in that the area around the injury was sore to the touch, a deep ache providing more pain than I would have believed.
I was surprised at the backyard, the grounds as manicured as they were in the front. With a massive garden area including a fountain as well as a pool and outbuilding, the appearance was even more luxurious than the house. With a stone patio and outdoor kitchen, the area was perfect for entertaining.
Completely different than the house I owed in Moscow. I could almost see myself relaxing here, especially since the entire backyard was surrounded by dense foliage.
She wasn’t visible from where I stood on the patio. Was it possible she’d tried to escape? Absolutely. I’d already learned the hard way, including a sore jaw, not to put anything past her.
Yet I felt her presence. In admitting something that would ordinarily seem ridiculous to me, I’d come to understand in a few short days that there were people you met in your life that you were destined to feel connected to. Even if hundreds or thousands of miles apart. Vivian was one of those people and whether she liked it or not, we had an intense connection.
Which was why I had a sense I’d find her in the tiki bar. I was right. The partially open complex also housed an outdoor kitchen complete with a full-size refrigerator and bathroom. There was a seating and eating area, everything nestled under a roof with huge salt-treated pillars.
She stood staring out at the pool, which remained open. Another surprise.
When she noticed my approach, she glanced at me flatly, as if my appearance was that of a gardener or pool boy. With heractions methodical, she turned, opening the refrigerator. When she pulled out two beers, I was surprised, trying to keep from smiling. I was certain that wouldn’t win me any points.
She searched the drawers, becoming aggravated when she couldn’t find what she was looking for. When she did, she snatched the bottle opener into her hand, her mouth twisted in a crooked line. As she slid the open bottle across the granite island toward me, she shook her head.
“No vodka. I already checked.”
Laughing, I took the bottle. She made certain to snatch her hand away, worried a single touch would provide the same jolt of current we’d experienced before. I could tell in her eyes. There was such contempt and if I had to guess, I’d say with herself more than anything.
She was upset she’d gone with me. More than that, she’d encouraged the roughness, a dark passion that had threatened to consume us both. In truth, I’d been shocked at her reaction, her needs rivaling my own.
I’d risked both our safety because of an uncontrollable need.
“I don’t mind slumming it from time to time.”
She peered at me, the look completely clinical. “For a Russian, you’re well versed in American colloquialisms. You’re also highly educated.”
“You say that as if I’m supposed to be a barbarian.” In studying her facial features, with every move she made, I was reminded of the very reason I was so attracted to the woman. Her fine curves. She’d refused to change, remaining in her bloody scrubs for theride to the house. Perhaps she believed the baggy outfit would keep me from finding her blissfully attractive. She was wrong.
The lovely woman could wear a feed sack and I’d find her stunning. When she moved from around the edge of the bar, keeping her distance, I was given a delicious look at her rounded bottom. My dick ached from the thought of fucking her in the ass all over again.
She noticed my fallen gaze and her glare become venomous. “You are. That’s obvious in every action you take.”
“You didn’t seem to mind my savagery only an hour ago.”
“That’s what I mean. You’re a callous asshole with no respect for women.”
“I adore women.”
“To fuck them. Not to treat them with dignity or as your equal.”
Her tart demeanor should infuriate me but as hard as she’d tried, it wasn’t working. “Is that what you want, Vivian? To become my equal?”
