Page 19 of Poisoned Roses

“You appear to know a lot about that.” She breathes out sharply. “I can’t face him again.”

“You won’t have to.”

“But–” She turns her head and the frightened expression in her eyes unnerves me. I don’t react well to fear, uncertainty, or doubt. I view them as a weakness and I will not tolerate that around me. To be successful, you must hold no fear and have strength and if Tatiana Pavlov is going to be my bride, I demand the same of her.

Now is not the time to reinforce that and once again I surprise myself by taking her hand in mine and whispering gently, “You are safe here.”

“Am I?”

Her eyes sparkle, the tears like diamonds and as I run my thumb across her hand, I subconsciously note that a very large one is missing.

“Where is your ring?”

I note the blood drain from her face as she peers down and gasps, “Nadia has it.”

“Nadia?” I arch my brow and she nods. “My assistant. She was wearing it to keep it safe while I was on stage. Rodion demanded I remove it as it wasn’t part of the costume.”

She appears panicked and I say smoothly, “It’s not important. We will retrieve it tomorrow.”

“But–”

I place my finger against her lips and speak as if I’m calming a frightened animal.

“Nothing matters but you right now. I will instruct my chef to prepare a light supper that you can take in your room.”

“My room?” Her eyes widen.

“Yes, Tia. I will not leave you alone tonight. There are many guest rooms here that are never used. One of them will be yours. Take a bath and relax knowing you are safe here because tomorrow will be a busy day.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?”

“The circus is in town.”

I wink, which confuses her more than my words, and as she blushes and looks away, her breathing is heightened, causing me to smile.

I affect her. I’m good with that because I always affect people either in a good way or a bad way.

I wonder how it will affect her when she realizes our fake engagement will lead to a fake marriage. I wonder what she will think when she lies in my bed and I wonder what I’ll think when I take my virgin bride because one thing is definite, the more time I spend with her I realize that fate has done me a huge favor and gifted me a woman I am proud to call mine.

CHAPTER 10

TATIANA

My mind is all over the place. How did I get here? The room Titus showed me to is bigger than my entire apartment, if not two of them. It’s a suite of rooms I definitely wasn’t expecting and I gaze around me in stunned awe. Do people really live like this?

True to his word, he left me alone and while I took possibly the most pleasurable, relaxing, intoxicating bath of my life, hischef delivered a light supper to my room that I discovered on my return.

I could stay here forever because why leave? The world is a frightening place out there and yet here I’m in my own little bubble and I do indeed feel safe.

There is a lock on the door that I turn with a sigh of relief, noting that there are no other doors into this apartment. Then I make my way inside a connecting bathroom that is possibly the most luxurious one I have ever seen. It has marbled floors, full-length mirrors and several chandeliers. The tub is free standing and made of burnished copper and the shower is big enough for the entire ballet company.

Everything is here that I could ever want or need, from lotions, moisturizers, bath products and oils for the skin. Tooth care items and haircare, not to mention the most luxurious towels I have ever had the pleasure of using.

Next to that is a massive walk-in closet, big enough for a whole department store’s clothing department. Its white shelves and rails are empty and I can only imagine how magnificent it would be if it was full of expensive designer gowns and handmade shoes.

It’s every woman’s dream and I note the huge vanity unit that contains spaces for make-up and the drawers in a center console that open out to house jewelry, gloves and accessories.

The bedroom itself is warm, inviting and yet understated glamor, from the silk sheets and the fur throw to the sumptuous feather pillows that appear brand new. The white carpet that curls between my toes is luxury on a huge scale and I note the remote on the bedside table that, when pressed, reveals a hidden television that pops up at the end of the bed.

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