They’re cute, I must admit. Charmingly wholesome.
As if to complete the picture, Olivia tips her head back and laughs.
“Look at that,” Demyan says with a wry smirk. “Your wife and your father are getting along. It’s enough to make a guy tear up.”
“Where the fuck is Mark?”
“You mean Mike? That handsome devil is probably hitting on Melissa.”
“Come again?” I growl.
Demyan cackles. “You really don’t pay attention to your staff, do you?”
“That’s what I pay you for.”
“Apparently, he and Melissa are having a little… thing.”
“Jesus,” I grimace. “That is not what I pay him for.”
“So then fire the horny devil.”
“I would love to. Except he’s the only one that gets along with my father,” I say. “So he’s staying.”
“Fire Melissa, then?”
I throw my hands up in the air. “It’s not worth the breath it would take to do it. What they do is their business, anyway. I don’t give a shit—as long as their drama doesn’t bleed into the work. Which it is right now.”
“Technically, your father’s being taken care of at the moment.”
“I don’t need the two of them talking.”
“Why not?” Demyan asks, genuinely curious.
I glare at him. “It’s too close. She doesn’t need to ingratiate herself into my household. She’s not really my wife, after all.”
“Not until you fuck her within the sanctity of your marriage vows, she’s not.”
“Vows?” I snort. “Those vows are worthless. My vows are written in fucking blood.”
“Oh, how romantic!” Demyan claps his hands with sarcastic fake glee like a schoolgirl. “Tell Olivia that—she’ll love it.”
I shove him away from me and start down the stone steps towards the lake edge. I’ve had more than my dose of Demyan for the day.
“Hey, what are you gonna do?” he shouts out after me.
I don’t bother to answer. I just keep going until I reach the lake.
Neither one of them notices me until I’m right on top of them. Of course, Father doesn’t move, but his eyes land on me instantly.
Olivia tenses, but she stays in her spot.
“Where the fuck is Mike?” I snarl.
“He… he went to the bathroom,” she stammers. “But, um… that was a while ago now.”
“Go get him,” I order her. “Now.”
Her eyes narrow immediately as she slowly gets to her feet. “I’m busy, actually. And also, you don’t have the right to boss me around. I’m not your servant.”
I’ve learned to read my father’s expressions over the years since his stroke. I’ve learned to read his body language, too. It may be subtle—practically nonexistent to the untrained eye—but when you spend enough time with someone, you start to develop other languages.
And right now, he’s amused.
“You’re right about that. You’re not my servant. You’re my property.”
“Excuse me?” she spits. Her eyes are aflame, fists clenched, cheeks scarlet with anger.
“You will—”
Before I can finish my sentence, I hear Mike running down the path towards us. He’s nervous, but he’s trying to be casual about it, slowing to a walk and sticking his hands in his pocket as he approaches.
“Hey, everyone—wow, it turned into a party out here! Sorry, I—”
“Where were you?” I demand.
He comes to a stop, but he refuses to meet me in the eyes. “I… I was just… using the restroom.”
“Here’s a tip: next time, try doing it without shoving your cock in a maid first. It might go a little faster.”
His eyes go wide with guilt and he drops his gaze immediately. “I’m sorry, sir. I… it won’t happen again.”
“Get out of my sight,” I snap. “And take him with you. It’s cold out and he needs another blanket.”
Mike jumps into action, leaving little time for Father to say his goodbyes. He mumbles something that Mike doesn’t bother translating. The nurse just gives Olivia an awkward nod and embarks back up the path.
“Was that necessary?” she explodes the minute they’re out of earshot.
“I’d say so.”
“What even was that about?” she demands. “We were enjoying a peaceful chat by the lake and—”
“There’s no need for ‘peaceful chats’ about anything with my father, Olivia,” I say. “I expect you to keep to yourself and not involve yourself in my affairs.”
“You’re kidding. I know you’re kidding. Tell me you’re kidding.”
I don’t answer immediately. She takes a step towards me and pushes her finger into my chest. “It’s because I’m getting too close to your life, isn’t it? You’re scared that I’ll find out things you don’t want me to know. You’re terrified that I’ll learn what’s behind that big, scary mask you wear all the time.”
I scowl down at her. “The last man who poked me in the chest lost his finger. Then his head.”
She doesn’t back off, though she trembles from head to toe. She just stands her ground and stares up at me. “Go ahead then. Take my finger, take my head, I don’t give a shit. You’ve taken everything else already.”
I can tell by the way her chest is rising and falling that she’s not used to this kind of anger. No one has ever pushed her this far.
But now that she’s unlocked this part of herself, she’s having trouble reining it in.
“Is that what you want, little lamb?” I murmur. “You want me to start taking body parts?”
She nods fiercely. “Like I said, go right ahead.”
I’ve seen that expression before. It’s false bravado. And it’s going to start wearing off soon. She’s high on adrenaline right now and the anger is clouding her judgment. But the moment it starts to fade, so will all her courage.
I take another step forward. Despite her best efforts, she finds herself caught between me and the trunk of the ash. I put one hand on the tree and lean in.
“Don’t you see, Olivia? I’ve already taken what I need from you. I took your body the first time I ever saw you. Actually, that’s not quite true. You gave it to me before I ever even needed to ask.”
Her hand lashes out in a slap aiming for my face, but I stop her before she has a chance to strike me. I twist her hand back just as lightning zig-zags through the sky. A storm rolled in when I wasn’t paying attention. An ugly, violent storm.
How fitting.
“Nothing to say now?” I press. “Have you run out of arguments, Olivia?”
She grits her teeth and tries to rip free from my grip, but I’m not about to let her go anytime soon.
Resisting her has been more difficult than I anticipated. Every time I’ve ever wanted a woman, I’ve had her. Then the desire fades.
But with Olivia, it’s different. My craving for her has only increased with proximity. There’s something about those soft brown eyes and the innocence that still clings to her.