Page 59 of Sacred Vow

“I’m still really sore,” I complain again, looking for an ounce of sympathy since he’s the reason the ache is there.

“It was a punishment, Isolde. You’ll be sore, and maybe next time you’ll think about what happens when you’re naughty before you do something reckless.”

My cheeks flame at his verbiage. It’s ridiculous how this man can fiddle with my emotions so easily.

“You don’t need to say it like that,” I mutter.

He looks back at me, arrogant grin and all. “Keep blushing like that, and I might bend you over the sink and start all over again.” He winks.

I roll over, reaching across the bed to pull Izzy closer to me only to find the bed empty.

My eyelids fly open, and I jolt up to search for her. After I shove on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt from my dresser, I throw open the bedroom door.

It’s barely six o’clock. Why is she out of bed? Did she have a nightmare? Is she not feeling well?

Maybe I’d gone too hard on her yesterday, and she is still in pain.

Shit.

This woman has only been back in my life a week, and she’s consuming every thought. And when I have my way, she’ll be consuming it every moment for the rest of my life.

I pad my way down the hallway, then jog down the stairs in search of her.

She’s going to have to learn to stay in bed until I say she can get up. I wanted to hold her this morning.

And then fuck her until she screams so loud, she loses her voice.

I’m a simple man.

The living room is empty, so I head to the kitchen. It’s early, but she barely touched her dinner last night. She must be hungry.

“Good morning.” Mrs. Kuzman looks up from the bread she’s kneading on the counter. “I can have something whipped up in a few minutes.” She wipes her hands on the apron she has tied around her middle.

“No need.” I put a hand up. “Have you seen Isolde? She’s not where I put her.”

Mrs. Kuzman smiles.

“I have. She took a cup of coffee about ten minutes ago and headed to your office with a notebook and pen.” She returns to the kneading.

“Just the coffee?” She needs more than that in the morning. Coffee on an empty stomach isn’t good for her.

“Should I make something and bring it to her?”

I frown, looking around the kitchen for something quick. She can’t just be pouring down coffee on an empty stomach.

“I’ll take this to her.” I grab a banana from a bowl of fruit and storm out of the kitchen.

It’s not that I mind her in my office. It’s that she’s there when she should be sleeping.

“Andrei—” Igor tries to stop me as he enters the penthouse, but one look from me and he backs up. “We’ll talk later.”

“Wait.” I stop and turn back to him. “I’m taking Isolde to the club tonight. Make sure there’s enough men with us. We’re leaving at eight.”

“Got it.” He nods, already pulling his phone out as he wanders toward the kitchen.

I stalk down the hallway toward my office. When I approach the open door, I hear her soft mutterings.

“The zoo? Is that where we were?”

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