Chapter 5 Iwake up alone in the luxurious hotel room, the sun shining through the gigantic wall of windows. My body is sore, but in a good way. Both my skin and my heart feel sensitive. The smell of him lingers on the pillows, and I have to force myself to leave the soft bed. A piece of paper on the nightstand flutters. Perl, had to deal with something for work. Stay as long as you like. Will call you. -Rik. He doesn't have my phone number, but someone as resourceful as him will figure out a way around that minor obstacle. I run my thumb over the letters. The handwriting is uneven, almost rushed, as if he wrote it half-awake. I wish I could have seen him before he left, but apparently, I slept through a phone call and his getting dressed. I guess I was tired after losing my virginity several times. Well, I lost it only once, but then had more follow-up orgasms after. I blush, even though I'm not a stranger to orgasms. My vibrating silicon boyfriend and I play regularly in my bedroom. In the bathroom, my reflection in the mirror feels new. I examine my flushed skin, heavy-lidded eyes, and soft mouth. Tracing the line of my collarbone with an idle finger, I remember his mouth there, hard, demanding, claiming me in ways I'd never imagined. The connection between us seems unreal, but I felt it even when he watched me in the ballroom. And when we were together in bed, part of the shield he wore while with my aunt and uncle dropped. Something about the way he touched me after that first incredible fuck, tentative, reverent, made me think he understood how much last night meant. I'm happy I chose him, even if this is the only moment we'll share. For once, I trusted my own instincts, my own pleasure, and it feels important, like a beginning and an ending that no one can take from me. I explore the amazing hotel shower with its four shower heads and top-of-the line products and then head home to put on exercise clothes. Heading out the door again, I grab my yoga math and laptop bag. In the cool hush of the gym lobby, I swipe my card and move past the clatter of the turnstile. I greet the front desk attendant with a nod, the routine comforting. Weights clang, treadmills whir, and I let the noise swallow my thoughts as I slip my hair into a ponytail. The familiar yoga poses stretch my muscles, making me feel content and alive. I only wince ones when the soreness between my legs makes itself known as I widen a leg stance. I work through the routines until sweat slicks my forehead and the ache in my arms threatens my composure. When the class ends, I nod at familiar gym acquaintances as we collect our mats and leave the studio. I toss my towel into a bin and slide my headphones around my neck as I head to the exit, steps light. The door swings open, and I step into the sunlight and the city noise. That's when I see Rik, leaning against a black SUV, arms folded. The sight of him is a jolt. He's wearing jeans, a navy t-shirt, and a breeze ruffles his dark hair. His expression is unreadable, but his green eyes find me instantly. For a moment, I stop breathing. 'Hey,' he says, voice gruff. 'You didn't wait for me.' I roll my shoulders, shifting my yoga mat. 'I didn't know when you'd be back. You said you had work.' He glances away, jaw tight. 'I would've come back. You could have stayed.' There's something dark at the edges of his voice, as if I did something wrong. The joy I felt when I first saw him fades, and I can't decide if I want to lean into him or keep my distance. How did he know I'd be here? Is he stalking me? Yesterday, his gaze following me around the ballroom felt exciting. Made me feel special. But now I feel hunted and scared. I know nothing about this man. 'I thought I'd get some air. I'm meeting someone for coffee,' I lie, pushing the words out fast. His eyebrows lift. 'Who?' "Just... a friend," I hedge, glancing up the block toward the café I know is nearby. What does he expect from me? Suddenly, his presence overwhelms me. I need a moment to process what happened last night and am not ready to be with him again. In or out of bed. Frustration flickers across his face. 'Let me walk you there.' He gestures down the street, already falling in step beside me. For a block, we don't speak. My chest tightens with every step. We reach the café, a small place with mismatched chairs and the tang of roasted beans snaking through the air. Rik holds the door for me, and I step inside, scanning the scattering of customers hunched over laptops and half-eaten croissants. He checks his phone as we reach the counter, thumbs scrolling fast, a strange tension building in his shoulders. "Order whatever you want. I'll get it." His tone grates me the wrong way. Saturday morning is the only time I have to myself. The only time I'm not at the beck and call of my aunt and uncle. And I don't need this man ordering me around, encroaching on my time. I shake my head, smiling, but it feels fake. "I'm good. Just going to find a table." His phone buzzes, screen lighting up. He swears under his breath and then leans toward me. "I have to take this. Stay here, okay?" Before I can answer, another man steps forward from behind Rik. Where did he come from? He has a similar build to Rik's, but he's a little shorter. The hair is the same color as Rik's, but his eyes are blue. Dressed in a gray shirt and dark jeans, he slides between Rik and me with the easy confidence of someone used to getting what he wants. "Perl, this is my cousin Danyl," Rik says, voice distracted, eyes already flicking back to his phone. "Danyl works for me. He'll keep you company while I deal with this." Danyl gives me a crooked smile, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you." He speaks with a Slavic accent. I pause, trying to catch my breath, and shake his hand. "You too. But I don't need anyone to be with me. I have plans already." Rik squeezes my shoulder, gaze lingering as if he wants to say more. But the phone call beckons, and he steps outside, phone pressed to his ear. Danyl leads the way to a corner table by the window. He doesn't hover, but I know he's watching me as I fumble with my laptop bag. I open my computer, angling it away from him, and pull up the document I need to edit. The cursor blinks, waiting. I try to lose myself in the screen, but my mind keeps spinning back, rewinding. I think of the way the hotel bedsheets tangled around my legs, the way Rik whispered my name in the dark. He took charge while he fucked me and I loved it, but I don't want him dominating my regular life. Danyl watches me. An emotion flickers in his eyes, but it's gone before I can identify it. "So, Perl. How long have you known Rik?" he asks, voice low. I sit back, shrugging, careful not to reveal too much. "We just met." "How did you meet?" Danyl's gaze is inquisitive but not unfriendly. "At a political fundraiser," I hedge. I'm not sure how much to reveal. Not sure how much I can trust these men. They're not threatening exactly, but I'm also not sure they'd let me leave on my own without following me. He nods, silent for a moment, then glances outside where Rik paces, phone glued to his ear, shoulders tense. "Rik's a good boss," Danyl says, voice soft. "Not always easy. Always loyal, though." I watch Rik through the window, half his face lit with sunlight, half-shadowed, and something in my chest clenches. How can I be both scared of and drawn to this man? My fingers hover above the keyboard, but words refuse to come. I watch Danyl watch me, a silent guard, and then concentrate on the document I need to edit. "You don't really have a coffee date, do you?" Danyl's words cut through my thoughts, and I glance up, startled. "How did you know I was meeting someone for coffee?" He wasn't there when I told Rik, was he? "I heard you tell Rik." I bite my lip. "I didn't see you." "Good. You weren't supposed to." I'm not sure how to respond, so I lower my eyes to the screen again, but I can't focus. Danyl just sits there. He's not exactly watching me, but his presence takes up a lot of space, and I'm hyperaware that he's guarding me. I'm just not sure if it's from other people, or to keep me from bolting. Maybe both. Rik returns after what feels like an eternity. He speaks to Danyl in what I assume is Russian, rapid angry words. Danyl nods and retrieves his phone from his pocket. He starts tapping buttons. Rik finally looks at me. "I'm sorry about leaving you alone this morning. And now I have to leave again." "That's fine. I have a lot of work to do." He watches me for several beats. "Stand up," he finally says in a low voice. Frowning, I do as he says. As soon as I've cleared the chair, he hauls me closer. His lips crash against mine, and he thrusts his tongue into my mouth. The kiss is possessive, demanding. My knees go weak, and I grab onto his shirt to keep upright. Someone clears their throat, and Rik releases me. I sway and then sink back into the chair. "Danyl will drive you home," Rik says. "No," I protest. "I'm fine." But he's already out the door, phone to his ear again. I look at Danyl. "I can make my own way home," I insist. He smirks and shrugs. "Doesn't matter. Rik told me to drive you home, so that's what we're doing." I roll my eyes and then focus back on the screen, but the words are blurry. Touching my swollen lips, I realize I'm in way over my head. The joy and independence I felt this morning are now replaced with apprehension. And a bit of fear. After years of devotedly caring for her family, she was met with relentless ingratitude from her husband and son—who even brazenly vowed to form a "real family" with a glamorous actress. Heartbroken b...