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.
I was fairly lonely growing up. Vik was always off with her friends, and Mila had our father. I had our mother, but even she would get busy with hosting functions and volunteer work.
The sad reality is hitting me now—I’m lonely still. And now, even more so, because I don’t even have Mila to talk to. Any friends I had during school have probably forgotten me now. I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. I have no one.
I’m getting desperate for … I’m not exactly sure what. Just something. Anything.
I’m scared to spend the night in bed alone again, knowing Mikhail is with Irina. He may not be sleeping with her, but he is sharing intimate time with her. Intimate time I think I want.
Not the whipping, of course. Just his time and attention.
So, that’s why I decide to stay up late. I hide on the stairs in the dark as I wait to see what Mikhail will do. So far, he hasn’t left his office yet.
When the doorbell rings, I tense. It’s almost midnight. I can just barely make out the time on the clock in the dark. Mary is still here, and she answers the door.
A woman walks inside.
It’s Irina.
The sight of her fills me with an anger I’ve never felt before. She’s providing Mikhail with something I can’t, and I hate her for that.
