Only after I slip on my dress and heels does Mikhail finally leave.

And he does so without a backward glance.

I’m confused as I head down for breakfast. Mikhail wants me. He’s made that very clear. And yet, sometimes, he acts like he doesn’t want anything to do with me. Is this his way of pushing me? Of testing my limits?

I sit down at the kitchen table, all by myself again, as Mikhail heads for his office, telling Mary to send his breakfast in to him.

“Yes, Mr. Ivanov,” Mary replies. The respect in her voice is obvious. Too bad she doesn’t have any respect for me.

“Can I use the phone now, Mary?” I ask once I’m finished eating.

“Have you gotten permission from Mr. Ivanov?” she asks, keeping her eyes glued to the dishes she’s washing.

“No,” I admit. “But surely, he’ll let me use the phone.”

“You’ll have to ask him. Until then, no.” She shoos me out of her way. “Unlike some people, missy, others have to work. Get out of my kitchen.”

“I can help,” I offer.

Mary gives me a horrified look as she clutches her hand to her chest. If she wore pearls, I’m sure she’d be clutching them, too. “You are Mr. Ivanov’s wife. You do not do household work.”

“But you just judged me for not working. So, I’m offering to work.”

“You will do no such thing. Just get out of my kitchen. Now!” she barks, making me jump.

I practically run from the kitchen and end up bumping into someone in the hallway.

“Woah, there.”

I look up at the person I ran into and see it’s Andrei, Mikhail’s second in command.

“Be careful where you’re going,” he says. There’s a darkness in his eyes that startles me.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize anyone else was over.”

“Mikhail invited me over. We have work to discuss.”

“Ok, then.” All I can see when I look at Andrei is the other night when I saw him spanking another woman in the same room as Mikhail and Irina.

I try to step around him, but he doesn’t move. “You had work?” I ask.

“Yes, I do.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. He’s a little younger than Mikhail—probably in his thirties. There’s a handsomeness to him, but he’s not as striking as Mikhail.

I wait for him to move, but he remains standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling down at me. It’s unnerving.

“So, you saw us the other night,” Andrei says, startling me.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate to talk about.”

“But you were the one spying. You don’t get to lecture me about manners.”

My mouth drops open, and I quickly shut it. “I wasn’t lecturing.”

“So.” When he steps toward me, I take a step back. But there’s not much room for me to go with the wall to my back and Andrei to my front. “Did you like what you saw?”

“Did I …” I shake my head. “I don’t think you should be asking me this. Mikhail and I talked about it. That’s between him and me.”

“But I asked”—he places his hands on either side of my head, trapping me— “did you like what you saw?”

“No,” I whisper. “It scared me.”

Andrei eyes me over in a way that revolts me. It’s not the hungry, sexy way Mikhail does it. “You know, Mikhail and I like to share women.”

“I know.”

“So, you know that once you become his sub, you’ll become mine as well?” He presses his body against mine. Not even Mikhail has been this close to me.

“No. No. Mikhail said he’ll be the only one to touch me.”

“Well, Mikhail was just telling you that to make you feel safe. But the truth is, he shares all his women with me. I’ll get a taste of you soon enough.” He quirks his eyebrow. “Has Mikhail had a taste himself yet?”

I shake my head. Words. I can’t even process them right now.

“Shame. Someone needs to taste you. I’ll gladly offer up my services.” He bends his head down, and I realize he’s trying to kiss me. I move my head out of the way, and his lips skim my cheek.

“Stop.” I push him away from me, and he takes a step back. “I’m Mikhail’s wife. Not yours. You can’t touch me like that.”

Andrei’s eyes narrow, and his nostrils flare. “Trust me. I can touch you however I want. This is between you and me, Sofiya. If you tell Mikhail, I’ll know.”

“But if you share women, then why do I need to keep it a secret?”

His smile is vicious. “Don’t tell him. You wouldn’t want to get into trouble now, would you? Mikhail isn’t exactly known for his kindness.”

“I’m going upstairs. Don’t you have a meeting with Mikhail?” I hurry past Andrei, heading for the steps. I can feel Andrei’s eyes on me until I get upstairs and round the corner.

Breathing heavily, I think about what Andrei just told me. He truly thinks Mikhail will share me with him, but Mikhail made it very clear he will be the only one to touch me.

So, which is it? Which man do I believe? Neither is exactly trustworthy. Mikhail could just be telling me that to get me to trust him. How do I know Mikhail won’t whip me like he did Irina even though he said he wouldn’t? Mikhail is a man who takes what he wants. He doesn’t care for what others think.

Maybe he doesn’t care what I think. Or what I want.

As for Andrei, I trust him even less than Mikhail. But maybe he was speaking the truth. I have no way of knowing. Only time will tell.

And that terrifies me.

I don’t see Mikhail for the rest of the day again. He’s busy with work. It reminds me of my father. He rarely had time for us as a family. The only person he ever made time for was Mila—his little angel.