Page 31 of Bred To Be Owned

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? If he graduates, he’ll be a better asset than a bodyguard.” My Russian shrugged. “You’ve earned some fans today, malenkaya lisichka. The men don’t normally manage each other, but they made it clear they’ll handle him.” He laid his head back on the cushion, turning his face toward me.

“I met expectations, not exceeded them. There’s no reason to fanboy over that. It was just some eggs and bacon.” A yawn escaped. “I helped with cleanup, but the kitchen staff told me there wasn’t anything else until dinner. I’ll be there if they would like another chance to gawk.”

“Tired?” he asked me, rubbing his thumb underneath my eye.

“You?” I retorted, my hand reaching up to wrap around his wrist.

“I asked you first.” He smiled at me.

“The adrenaline is wearing off, and I haven’t been sleeping well. It didn’t feel right, roaming around on my own.”

He made a non-committal noise.“I have to head out in a bit, but I wanted to get you settled before I go. The staff is right, if you want to take a nap. There won’t be anything going on here until dinner, and that’s assuming any of the soldiers appear. They all have their assignments until the raid is no longer a threat.” He stood from the sofa and pivoted towards me. “One day, you’ll feel safe enough to sleep soundly here.”

I thought he’d hold out his hand, but he reached underneath me. Lifting me into his arms, he carried me bridal-style out of the room. The heels fell off my lap, and I heard them hit the floor, one-by-one. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding tight, not caring about anything else. Laying my head against his shoulder, I didn’t bother memorizing where we were heading. I’d get a tour later. Sleep sounded too good to pass up.

I tightened my hold on him when he walked up a flight of stairs.

“You have free rein to roam around this place. The only thing I’ll caution you about is that my office is on the first floor. Most of the traffic congregates in the hallway. It can get crowded, depending on what’s happening.” He turned the corner at the top of the stairs. “When you’re ready for your own office, I have a spot in mind. For now, the library is ready for you.”

“You have a library?” I asked, not bothering to move in his arms.

“Yes, but I didn’t always. I had one installed right after the dowry dinner, when I found you curled up in the chair.” My Russian stopped and kissed the center of my forehead. “Like I told you, my men have homes in the community. They can all be here within three minutes, if there’s a need. Adrik is the only one who will stay when he feels like it. Otherwise, it’s just me, and now, you in the house.”

He walked to the door at the very end of the hallway and opened it. It was a large bedroom, decorated in mahogany and cream. My Russian sat me on the edge of the bed. “Stay here.”

I was too tired to move, and my limbs felt like rubber. I watched as he strolled over and opened the door to a walk-in closet. His back disappeared, and I imagined neat rows of suits hung by color with a dresser full of shirts and ties to match. My Russian always dressed impeccably, but I was too tired to inspect his closet. He wasn’t gone long, coming back with a red shirt in his hand.

Throwing it onto the bed next to me, he leaned over my shoulder and pulled the zipper down on the back of my dress.

“This is the third time we’ve been in this situation. I’m thinking you’re not a sure thing, Russian,” I joked.

“When I take you, you’ll be fully awake. For now, I’ll have to settle for knowing you’re in my bed.” He laid me back on the bed and wiggled the dress over my hips until it fell into his hands at the bottom of my feet. Setting it next to me, he asked if the hose were important.I shook my head, and instead of rolling them down my legs, he ripped the waistband, letting them fall in shreds onto the floor. I sat on the edge of the bed, as he grabbed the red shirt.

“Arms up.” He waited, scrunching the shirt in his hands.

I stuck my head through the opening and pushed my arms through the sleeves. “This is your superhero shirt.” It was the one he’d worn in at school.

“I don’t have any clothes for you, so this will have to do.” He took a step back and admired me. “That’s hot.”

“What if it was one of your dress shirts?” I watched as the planes of his face shifted while he considered the image I’d created.

“No. That’s a negative.” He walked around the side of the bed and turned down the covers. “Come here,” he said, lifting me back into his arms as he rounded the edge of the footboard. “When you wear my dress shirt, I want the full experience. The shirt, and nothing underneath.”

“What do I get?” He laid me in the middle of the bed and waited until I was situated.

“My undying gratitude?” He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, and finally, my lips.

“You cook dinner.” My hand came up to caress his cheek as he adjusted the surrounding covers.

“Get some sleep, malenkaya lisichka. You’re going to need it when this is all over.” He sat on the edge of the bed, running his hand lightly over my hip as he waited for me to fall. As my eyelids drooped for the last time, I heard him whisper, “Finally.”

***

The streets were quiet. No one was talking about the raid on the Italians.

It had been a few days, but I was finding my rhythm in a new normal. I helped the kitchen staff with breakfast in the mornings before I worked on my homework. I’d emailed my professors and told them I had had a family emergency. It wasn’t a stretch, and most of them had just given me the assignments to complete on my own. After lunch, I worked on my club, but I had given the management team a heads up that I wouldn’t be present for the week. Truthfully, they didn’t need me. I could monitor them from afar if I chose to.

I had taken a break from reading one afternoon, deciding to make dolmades for dinner before the staff came into the kitchen. As the days had progressed after the initial panic, most of the men had gone back to their regular schedules. There were still a few that visited for every meal, but it was more about meeting the new wife, rather than the actual food.

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