I wiped the flour from my cheek with the back of my hand. I didn’t want him to see me like this, but then again, baking with him sounded fun, especially considering I had chocolate frosting, whipped cream and sprinkles. “It’s my first try, so no promises. They’ll probably look more like bagels and taste like croissants with my luck.” I took the dough and started making a small circle like the instructions stated.

  “Hmmm…this gives me an idea. Are you up for role playing?”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “I can get a police officer’s uniform and you can be the diner waitress.”

  “You think that’s sexy? I was imagining whips and chains.”

  “Damn, you’re making me hard. Don’t worry, I’ll have the perfect prop.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Handcuffs.”

  A shiver coursed through me as I imagined myself handcuffed and blindfolded while he had his way with me. I let out a screech, but not because of Victor’s salacious words. The hot oil in the doughnut maker had splattered onto my arm. Then another hit me in the chest. I threw the dough toward the ceiling where it stuck. The whole mechanism was boiling and sputtering hot liquid, scalding my skin as if it was aiming for me. “Hold on a minute.”

  “Julianne?”

  I tried to unplug it, but the oil splashed across the outlet, causing acrid smoke and a small flame to appear. I screamed, dropping the phone. I grabbed an oven mitt and managed to take the plug out, but then every light in my apartment shut off at once, leaving me in the darkness. Another shot of oil hit me on the neck and I realized the machine was still hot enough the oil was continuing to boil. Even when I touched the oven mitt against it, it felt too dangerously hot to move.

  Rusty came in just then, whining like a baby, and jumped on my back. I knocked down the glass bowl of sprinkles. It crashed on the floor, breaking into pieces. I grabbed Rusty, threw him to the floor and lay on top of him. It was the only thing I could do—the kitchen was a landmine of danger with no lights, scalding oil and broken glass. My dog was scared to death, and I knew he’d only get hurt if I let him roam free. I sat there wondering what I’d done wrong. Why did I get myself into these crazy situations? Then a blob of dough fell on my head. Damn…was this really happening? I clung to Rusty trying to calm him, but my hands were shaking. I felt the pinch of a new burn as the oil spurted out like volcanic lava over the countertop and onto my back

  I heard the click of the door then the banging of a fist being pounded on it. “Julianne?”

  “Victor, hang on, I can’t get to the—”

  He was inside the apartment, his shoulder having easily splintered through the wooden frame. “Where are you?”

  “In the kitchen. Be careful, glass and hot oil.” I wasn’t making much sense, but he didn’t hesitate to find me.

  It took barely a second, then he was kneeling next to me, rubbing my back. “Are you hurt?” he asked, looking around the kitchen.

  I was too embarrassed to thank him when he removed the blob of dough from my face. This was too ridiculous to be happening.

  “Just a small burn,” I croaked, feeling utterly stupid.

  “Are you laughing or crying, because I can’t tell.”

  “Maybe both,” I replied.

  “There’s no need for either, my beautiful American girl.” Victor helped me up, but I held onto Rusty so he wouldn’t start freaking out again.

  “It’s okay, Julianne. Let go, I’ve got him.”

  I relinquished my hold.

  “Robbins!”

  Robbins appeared out of nowhere with a flashlight then took hold of Rusty’s collar.

  “Take him for a walk, please.”

  I was sure from the look on his face that it was the strangest request the old chauffeur had ever gotten, but he wasn’t immune to Rusty’s charms. He smiled and petted my dog’s head before leading him toward the door.

  “The leash,” I said, walking toward him.

  “Don’t move,” Victor said, halting my forward progress “You’re not wearing shoes and there’s glass everywhere. I’ll take care of it.”

  Victor walked over to the door. He unhooked leash for Robbins, petting Rusty in a way I could never manage that always made him calm down.

  Robbins handed Victor the flashlight. I stood in the same spot while he walked around the kitchen, shaking his head and cursing.

  He came back over to me. “Hold this, baby,” he said, handing me the flashlight. I took it then yelped in surprise when he picked me up and walked me out of the door.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To the limo. Your apartment is off limits.”

  I was completely at ease in his arms. He didn’t strain against my weight even when carrying me down the stairs. He walked me straight to the limo, where he set me inside. “Where are you burned?”

  I showed him my forearm then pointed to the space on my back and the one at my neck. He scooted in beside me, taking a first aid kit out of an overhead compartment. He was quiet while he got out the salve and applied it to every area.

  “Stay here, I’ll be right back,” he said when he was done.

  I nodded. He looked at me for a while then crushed his lips against mine. It wasn’t a gesture of passion, but one of need and relief.

  “I don’t have any shoes on.” I said, holding up my naked feet.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he said, before pressing another kiss to my forehead. He turned my face so it met his. “I’ll take care of you, Julianne.” There was something strange in the way he was acting. What happened was so dumb it was funny, but Victor was as pale and upset as if he’d seen a ghost.

  I sat in the limo watching him and Robbins exchange Rusty’s leash while each man went up to the apartment separately. I could hear Victor yelling at someone on the phone—he sounded so enraged I shivered. Once he’d hung up, he opened the limo door to let Rusty inside. The dog jumped on my lap right away and licked my face. I petted him, noticing the other lights in the building were still on. At least I hadn’t caused a major power outage.

  “Rusty’s going to sit up front with Robbins. You don’t mind do you, Robbins?” Victor was already taking Rusty’s leash though.

  “No, sir, Master Rusty and I have become fast friends,” Robbins replied. “As long as I can drive the speed limit this time.”

  “Yes, Robbins, the emergency is over.” Victor slid in next to me then took my hand and kissed every finger. He pressed a button on his side, closing the window between Robbins and Rusty and us.

  “Are we going to the hotel?” I asked as he clasped my waist and placed me on his lap.

  “No, we’re going to my house in Connecticut.”

  “I can’t. I have to work tomorrow.”

  He brought his face close to mine so our mouths were hovering over each other. “I went to Libby’s apartment and explained what happened. She’s going to open the store for you. You and Rusty are coming home with me. No arguments.”

  I couldn’t believe he had thought of that. “Who were you yelling at?”

  He gave me a puzzled stare.

  “I heard you yelling.”

  “Your landlord. Your apartment’s electrical wiring is not up to code. I let him know I will not stand for it. He put you in danger, and he’s lucky that I’m using my financial resources and not my physical ones to make him see the error of his ways. He’s sending out some workmen in the morning, and I’ve already contacted the fire marshal, who will be doing an inspection tomorrow afternoon.”

  My mouth gaped open. “Victor, you didn’t have to go all that trouble.”

  He arched his eyebrows as his face tightened with anger. “Trouble? You think taking care of you is trouble for me? I was going fucking crazy driving to your house.”

  I winced at his response, and he immediately looked contrite, brushing my hair back.

  “Julianne, you have to look at this from my perspective. We were having a normal conversation and then you screamed and the phone went dead. I was imagining every possible scenario and none of them were good. I love Rusty but we both know he’s more lap dog than a protector.”

  That was true. The bloodhound loved me, but he was scared of his own shadow.

  “It was just a silly accident.”

  Victor took a deep breath, and his body started to loosen as his arms tightened around me. “That’s true, but it could have been much worse, although I have to admit the idea that the damn doughnut maker was attacking you never crossed my mind.”

  I laughed, nuzzling his neck, then pulled back. I held his face in my hands, staring at him. “I’m fine, Victor.”

  “Yes, you are,” he said in that flirty tone I loved so much. His eyes lowered and he sucked in a deep breath. “If something had happened to you, I don’t know what I would have done.”

  Then, as if he couldn’t stand any space between us, he pressed his lips to mine with a frantic need. He unsnapped, unhooked and untied every garment on me so fast that I didn’t even grasp I was naked until his hands roamed my bare flesh. I clutched his tie, trying to loosen it while he kissed my neck, but my hands were clumsy. He picked me up to lay me across the fine leather seat. Victor sat up, watching me as he removed his tie and shirt then he leaned toward me bare-chested. Instead of kissing me, he picked a piece of dough out my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment, but when I opened them, he had an amused smirk.

  I sat up, unbuttoning his pants then lowered his zipper, until I found his long, hard shaft and I stroked it. He sucked in a deep breath, managing to shrug off his pants and briefs in one swift move. He took out his wallet, but I clasped his hand, knowing what he was getting.

  “No.”

  “No?” he asked in surprise.

  “The pill is in effect now,” I replied. “We don’t need a condom.”

  His licked his lips then let out a low growl that made my insides feel like they were on fire. He took my hands and pulled me onto his lap so I was straddling him

  “I want you to know that the limo is soundproof. Robbins and the people in the street can’t hear us.”

  “Why are you telling me that?”

  “Because I plan to make you scream.”

  He inserted his fingers in my sex, rubbing in slow circles. “You’re always ready for me.” He removed his fingers then brought them up to his lips, licking my arousal slowly, as if it was a delicacy… I loved that. “Who needs doughnuts? There is nothing as sweet as this.”

  It was so erotic and seductive, it made my head spin and my loins ache.

  “Sliding my cock inside you without any barrier is going to make me come harder than I ever have.”

  I swallowed in nervous trepidation, because this beautiful man desired me so much, and I wanted to give all of myself to him.

  He spun us around so I my back was against the seat, lifting me up and angling me. He positioned himself and I squeezed my eyes closed, expecting a hard thrust, but instead he inched in slowly, until his full length was inside me.

  “You’re like heaven,” he whispered against my ear. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He moved at a steady speed, brushing his lips across my mouth and neck as I clung to him.

  There was something needy and tender in each kiss. We weren’t having sex…we were symbolically proclaiming something in that moment. My legs shook and my heart palpated with each measured thrust.

  “Victor,” I moaned, leaning my head back.

  He put his forehead against mine. Even in the darkness, his blue eyes shined. “I love you, Julianne.”

  “I love you, too.”

  * * * *

  I had never been to Victor’s house in Connecticut, not that he hadn’t invited me on a daily basis. Between our work schedules and Rusty’s needs, we usually stayed at my apartment or his suite at the hotel. Staring at it now, I felt like a gawker. It wasn’t just a mansion…it was an estate, with turrets, massive wooden doors and white rose bushes that were so bright against the night sky they almost acted like lights on the limestone path.

  Victor opened the limo door and stretched his hand out to me. I looked down at my bare feet, wiggling them at him. “No worries,” he said, reaching in to pick me up.

  He carried me inside while Robbins got Rusty. The arched ceilings, fine artwork and marbles floors made me gasp, then I was embarrassed because the sound echoed. “It’s amazing.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Wait until you see the library.”

  “I think you can put me down now,” I said, realizing he was still carrying me.

  He set me down but grasped my waist and leaned me back against his chest. That was when Robbins came in with Rusty and my suitcase. I had just been wondering how I was going to stay here with no clothes and shoes. “You had Robbins pack my suitcase?” I asked.

  He brushed his lips next to my ear, “I did it. I didn’t want Robbins to see your under things. Those are only for my eyes to feast on and my hands to rip.”

  I shuddered against him. He must have mistaken me for being cold because he started rubbing my arms.

  “I packed you two pairs of shoes, too.”

  “Why didn’t you just give them to me so I could walk?”

  “Why would I ever pass up an opportunity to have you in my arms?”

  An older gray-haired woman with a kind smile approached us then, and I shifted away from him, but he firmed his grip around me. “This is Miss White, the other woman in my life. Miss White, this is my girlfriend, Julie.”

  I shook her hand, taking an immediate liking to her.

  “I’ve heard so much about you, Julie. I’m so glad he’s finally brought you here.”

  “I invited her a million times, but she refuses to leave the city.”

  “Is there anything I can get the two of you, sir?” she asked Victor.

  “A bottle of wine and two orders of your tasty lobster bisque would be perfect. Is that okay with Julianne?”

  “Yes, it sounds lovely.”

  She nodded before walking away.

  “Why did you introduce me as Julie? You always call me Julianne.”

  “Because you told me everyone calls you Julie, so I thought you would prefer it. Besides, I’m the only one that gets to call you Julianne. That is my name for you and mine alone.”

  His possessiveness was sexy and sweet at the same time. I smiled, leaning against his chest. “Did I tell you I love you?”

  “I could hear it a million more times and it wouldn’t be enough.”

  * * * *

  After a delicious dinner, he took me upstairs and showed me the library. I swear I had another orgasm, staring at all the preserved volumes ranging from Camus to Yates.

  “I shouldn’t be in here. This is dangerous for me.”

  “Just pick a book and meet me at the last door on the left.”

  “I need to take a shower. I think I still have dough in my hair.”

  He chuckled. “I’m going to take care of it. Just explore for a minute.”

  It took me a while to find something, not because there wasn’t anything I liked. On the contrary, everything was calling to me. I settled on a book of poems by Keats, wanting to be wooed by his romantic words as I was by the man who waited for me.

  I opened the double doors to his bedroom, letting my gaze roam the decadence of it. I saw my suitcase open and empty on the sumptuous bed, which was draped in exotic silk fabrics. The whole room screamed opulence and luxury, but it also had an understated old-world charm that I loved. “Victor?”

  “In here, Julianne.”

  “Where are my clothes?”

  “In my drawers where they belong.”

  I walked into the bathroom and my eyes widened. The black and white marble tiles, impressive chandelier and pale-blue walls were breathtaking, but the tub completely blew me away. It was huge, cast iron, claw foot, and centered in the middle of the room as it deserved, instead of relegated to some remote corner. It was filled with sweet scented bubbling water, and candles surrounded the entire room. Victor stood next to the bath in a black silk robe.

  “I was thinking a bath instead of a shower. I hope you don’t mind.”

  I swallowed. “Mind? I think this is the epitome of every woman’s fantasy.”

  He removed each of my garments for a second time, but much slower. Victor dropped his robe, and I once again was mesmerized by his muscular form and the tribal tattoo that seemed the perfect complement to his fine physique. He helped me step into the large tub then positioned himself behind me so I could lie back on his firm chest.

  He took a sponge and ran it across my neck and back. “Do you like it here?” he asked.

  “I love it. It’s like a fairy tale castle.”

  “Then move in with me.”

  “What?”

  He sighed, leaning his head against the crook of my shoulder. “I am a man who says what he means and my fantasy is to have you with me always. The bloodhound is welcome too, but I want to be the alpha male you live with.”

  “Victor, I have a business to run, too.”

  “I know, Julianne, and we can figure out those logistics, but this isn’t a fling for me.” He tilted my chin so I was facing him. “I’m glad you’re on birth control right now, but I want you off it.”

  I blinked, wondering if I’d gotten soap in my ear and couldn’t hear him.

  “I want children with you.”

  A child was something I’d stopped dreaming of long ago, but as soon as he said it, I realized it was exactly what I wanted…with him.

  “It might not happen. I’m not exactly young,” I said, feeling my heartbeat pound in my ears.

  “It will happen one way or another. We’ll get married first, of course. No child of mine’s going to be a bastard.” He ran his finger down my face. “I want you to be mine in every way a woman can belong to a man.”

  I opened my mouth, but he put his thumb over my lips. “Not today, not tomorrow, but soon. My only question is, do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” I said with complete honesty.

  “I trust you, too. I need to know if you want those things with me.”

  I turned myself around, being careful not to spill any water, and straddled his hips. “I’ll move in with you and those other things…well, I’m on board with the path you’ve laid out. I am already yours in every way.”

 

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