Page 52 of Doubts & Fears

“I’m going to give you a final warning.”

I lowered my gaze. The way he was standing in front of me, I could see his arousal in his pants. I tried not to think about it. It seemed impossible that he was hard all the freaking time.

“I don’t want to hear you put yourself down like that again. You’re no whore. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” I kept my head bowed as my voice shook. He gently caressed my face, then tipped my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look up.

“Such a beautifully obedient baby girl. You make Daddy quite hard, even when I’m upset with you. That’s not a good combination.”

Hearing I upset him crushed me, and I swallowed back tears. He held out his hand, and I grasped it. After he paid for lunch, he took me to The Shops At The Bravern.

The minute we walked into Neiman Marcus, a lady rushed over. Apparently, she was expecting us and escorted us both to a secluded area in the back.

Nikolai settled onto the plush couch, silently acknowledging the attendant with a nod. She guided me toward the dressing room. Stepping inside, I gasped at the carefully curated collection of dresses, thoughtfully arranged. I was torn at the sight of them; there were so many. I’d be here all day if he wanted to see me in each of them.

“Mr. King was right. You’re so petite. I’ll need to take your measurements. Clothes off, please. You can leave your bra and panties on.”

She waited patiently for me to undress and then took my measurements. “You can get started with those. We’ll have to hem them, for sure, but Mr. King would like to see you in them first.”

She wrote my measurements down on a piece of paper. Confusion washed over me as I stood among the exquisite array of dresses, unsure of where to begin. The day’s emotional turmoil intensified, and my eyes involuntarily drifted downward. They grew large, and my mouth fell open at the staggering price on the tag.

Eight hundred dollars for a single gown? The extravagance of it all felt excessive, particularly for a dinner that Aleksandr didn’t even want to bring me to, which was confusing. He didn’t have a problem introducing me to his parents at the gala event.

That would be because men don’t take whores home to meet their parents, stupid.

It didn’t matter what Nik said. Normal girls didn’t want to be kissed, touched, and more by three brothers. I pulled the first dress on, resigning myself to this process. It fit me perfectly except for the length. I walked tentatively out to show Nik. He sucked in his breath, and his eyes raked over my body. The lady had returned; he nodded and flicked his wrist.

The next hour would pass without a word exchanged between us. He would either approve of the outfit or shake his head. His focus was completely glued tome as I walked out and showed him the next one. With each passing minute, my emotions grew. The lump in my throat wouldn’t go away.

Upsetting him at lunch hit hard. I had never found myself in a position where I had upset anyone other than the Mask, and that only ever made me afraid. This was so different; it was such a foreign feeling. I needed to learn to keep my big mouth shut. More watching, less talking. It had always been my biggest downfall.

“Dear, there’s no need to cry. You look beautiful in this one,” the woman said kindly. I nodded, wiped away the tears, and went out to show him.

He hooked his finger and called me over. I rushed to stand before him with my head down and my arms clasped behind my back. Down to my core, I wanted to please this man, to show him I could be obedient and to see him smile again.

“I like this one a lot,” he remarked, looking at a sophisticated cream-colored evening dress. The front was low cut, so I wasn’t wearing a bra, and my nipples hardened under his scrutiny.

“Yes, Sir,” I said, keeping my gaze down.

My heart slammed inside my chest. He pulled me close and ran one of his long fingers up my arm, then caressed my collarbones, causing me to suck in my breath. I moaned loudly when his fingers trailed down the open back.

“Look at me, malyshka.”

My eyes flew to his, and he studied me. My lips parted to say how sorry I was, but before I could begin, his lips crashed down on mine. And with a deep growl, he pushed his tongue into my half-opened mouth and pulled me onto his lap.

I yelped as he bit down on my bottom lip, hard, before sucking it into his mouth and fisting my hair. His kiss deepened, turning demanding, savage, and a little frightening. It was reminiscent of the first time he’d kissed me.

My skin was on fire from his touch. Yet the kiss went on and on, no end in sight for the uncontrollable flames we seemed to ignite in one another. I momentarily forgot where we were. My lips were swollen, and I trembled as he leaned my head back and nibbled on my collarbone, tightening his grip on my hips.

His lips moved to my ear. “Milaya, ya ne znayu, chto eto takoye no ty svodish’ menya s uma.”Baby, I don’t know what it is, but you drive me crazy.

I sobbed against his chest. He rubbed my back gently before moving me off his lap. “Get dressed. We have one more place we need to go before we head back.”

I hastened to obey him, and soon we were in the car, driving once more. Twenty minutes later, Marcus opened the door, and Nikolai helped me out. He pulled me close and hugged me tightly.

“I won’t make you try these on for me, but I’ve specific instructions from Alek about what he wants for you.”

I was confused until he led me to Bellefleur Lingerie Boutique. I backed away, feeling embarrassed. Again, he was greeted warmly, and a sales associate came over and spoke with him.

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