Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
After the fire, we just seemed to get closer, and every time I so much as suggested going back to my place, he wouldn’t hear of it. He would make some excuse why we should just stay here, and I went along with it, because I wanted to be with him and ultimately, I didn’t care if it was here, at my place, or anywhere else in the world really.
We dropped into my place one afternoon after I put my foot down and told Viktor I had to go home because I was sick of wearing the same thing over and over again or hanging around the house in one of his shirts. He agreed to drive me and said we could stay long enough for me to collect some of my stuff, but for some strange reason I could tell Viktor was on edge. That’s when I really knew there must be more to why I had to be at his place than he was letting on.
He hasn’t come out and said it, but I think he’s secretly worried that whoever started the fire will come after me next as a way to get to him. Maybe I should be a little more worried about that happening, but the truth is, I’m not. Of course, the idea of someone coming after me or someone coming after Viktor is truly frightening if I sit down and think about it, but I’m not doing that.
I’m floating around on the sweet cloud of love and romance, and I dig the idea that he cares enough about me to think that someone could use me against him. And I love to see the lengths he will go to keep me safe and stop that from happening. It tells me he feels for me like I feel for him.
That this is real.
I turn my focus back to my wardrobe, debating what to wear. I’m not planning on going anywhere, but I’ve got a good few hours before I have to start work. Viktor has made it clear that I don’t need to work for him anymore, that I can just study, but I haven’t started my course yet and I also don’t like the idea of being a kept woman.
It would make me feel too much like I was taking advantage of him, and I would feel like I was dependent on him. He won’t hear of me paying for anything, but at least I have the knowledge that I have my own money and the independence that gives me. After the way things turned out with my mom, I don’t want to be financially dependent on anyone ever again. Not even someone as sweet as Viktor who I know would never throw it back in my face the way my mom allowed Dan to do.
I settle on wearing a pair of denim shorts and a yellow tank top. I might go and sit outside by the pool for a bit and read my book. I have to do something to occupy myself, otherwise, I’ll just end up starting work earlier than I’m scheduled to do, and Viktor has caught me doing that once before. He sat me down and explained to me that if I kept doing that, he would have to let the maids go. I was horrified to think I could cost my friends their jobs. In the end, he laughed and told me he was joking, but he also reminded me that he pays the maids, so it was bad practice to buy a dog and bark yourself.
I don’t see the big deal myself. I’m just here rattling around this big house waiting for him to come home and I figured I might as well make myself useful, but I’ll respect his wishes. It’s the least I can do when he has respected mine and not made a big fuss about me wanting to keep working. I have noticed that I’m only ever scheduled to work on his estate now though which makes me think I was right about my theory that Viktor is worried about my safety.
I’m sure he won’t have to worry much longer. He’ll find the bastard who torched the restaurant, and he’ll deal with him. He won’t talk to me about that much though. All I’ve managed to get out of him is he suspects it’s a man called Igor. An old enemy. He showed me a photo, but I think he only did so I’ll be on my guard if I happen to see him around anywhere. Not that that’s likely at the minute. I’m practically on house arrest. Other than that one little snippet of information he shared with me, he just tells me it’s all under control and I don’t need to worry about it.