“No. It will just be us.”
“Good he is mean.” I feel bad for her. We make it to the car and get in. I don’t know what to expect or how he will interact with her, but he catches me by surprise.
“Hello Katya. A beautiful name for a beautiful princess. My name is Viktor. How are you?” she tucks herself in my shirt, not sure what to make of him.
“He is nice, Kat. I promise. It’s ok to talk to him.” she peeks at him and smiles.
“I am good.” is all she says before she hides her face again.
“Please excuse her. She is not used to men other than my father and Rod from the diner where I work.”
“There is nothing to excuse. I am a stranger..for now.” he mumbles, but smiles. Out of his pocket he pulls a sucker. Her face lights up since I hardly let her have sugar. She is like a never ending hurricane once it settles and she can’t stop giggling. Hence the reason I call her giggles. I quirk my eyebrow at him, letting him know I disapprove, but he simply smirks at me and looks down at Kat. She reaches for and smiles at him.
“Thank you, Mr. Viktor.” she says. I squeeze her like I do every time she sweet.
“You are most welcome. Please, just call me Viktor. Ok?”
“Ok.” she mumbles, mouth full of sugar. “What is your house like? Do you have kids? Is there a playroom?” she rattles off questions, not taking a second to breathe. “Do you have blueberry pancakes? Waffles? Orange Juice? Muffins? Mac and cheese?”
“Slow down, Katya.” I say appalled at her questions and behavior. I look at Viktor and notice he on his phone texting. I instantly feel a little disappointed, but then I feel relieved. Maybe he wasn’t paying attention to all her questions.
I am not sure how long the ride is. I don’t really pay attention to where we are. My mind is on what is going to happen, tonight. Nothing is how I imagined my life to go, but we must make sacrifices. We finally slow down, and I watch as a gate opens. Looking through the front window, I see not a house but a mansion. It is stunning from the outside. Five families could fit in there and never see each other.
Looking down, I see Katya is asleep. She is laying on my chest without a care in the world and this what I want for her. Viktor opens my side of the car and opens his arms. “Here. Let me take her.” he offers. I hesitate. He frowns for a moment, then his eyes soften. “I promise she will be in excellent hands I just don’t want you lifting her, angel.” I get out and nod my head. He picks her up from my arms and carries her like precious cargo. I walk through the house with him until my jaw drops. It looks nothing like I thought it would. It is all mahogany, wood and marble. Some god accents make it so dark and uninviting. A real contrast from the outside of the house.
We walk upstairs and I use the time to really look at him. I have heard his name whispered on the street, scoffed into the wind, often recited in fear like the boogie man. I see, walking behind him, why others are afraid of him. He is the size of a giant and a linebacker. His shoulders broad. His gait composed of strength and authority. His face shows signs of battle, nothing short of what a soldier would have after being in a war. It adds to his…mystery. Actually, it makes him sexy as hell. Think Twilight Kellan Lutz meets Wladimir Klitschko. Yea. See why I lost it in the car?
He stops at a door and opens it. He motions for me to walk in, and I swear it’s like my own childhood dream. It is a room decorated for a princess. I have the fleeting thought that he must have kids of his own. Only fleeting. The next moment, he looks at me and reads my face. “I am ashamed to admit I knew about your sister right before the auction. I spent the time after the auction before I came to get you, putting this all in place. I had this decorated for her.” Whoa. Why would he do this for one night? “I can imagine you have lots of questions and we will talk my angel. But right now, I want what I paid for.” My face must look like a beet. I can feel the heat as it covers my entire body.
He leads me up the stairs and I feel like my whole life is coming down to this moment. I feel nervous. What if I am no good at this? What if I can’t satisfy him? I mean, he can’t get a refund..right?