Chapter 13 - Katie

I finished up my shopping, trying not to balk at the staggering total I'd racked up. Aleks had seemed adamant about me having everything I needed to move into his house immediately. I didn't understand why he had not so subtly let me know I wasn't going to be going anywhere without him, not even back to my house to get my own things. I only knew I wouldn't argue with the man who promised to pay my sister's tuition for the next three years, along with my aunt's medical bills.

I didn't want to argue with him. In all honesty, I was floating on a cloud. The fact that this whirlwind adventure had an expiration date that was going to be so awful that I didn't know how I'd live through it, was far from my mind.

In the big ensuite bathroom, I warred with myself over a long soak in the tub or an invigorating shower. This was the kind of tough decision I could get used to, and as I filled up the tub, I sent a text to Jenna saying she could definitely go on the DC trip with her class.

The five rows of smiley faces and heart emojis she sent back had me soaring. I mean, this was all for her and Aunt Marjorie, right?

I giggled to myself as I climbed into the steaming hot suds. Sinking into the decadent fragrance of roses and jasmine, I had never felt so relaxed. At least not in many long years. Who was I kidding? I could pretend I was going along with Aleks's marriage scheme for unselfish reasons, but most of my giddiness was because I couldn't wait to get my hands on him again. That man would be mine for as long as I could drag out the wedding plans, and I would savor every moment with him.

After putting on a thick, velvety robe hanging in the guest bathroom, I wandered around the apartment. The living area and entry hall were decorated in a stark, modern fashion, and Aleks's bedroom, from the one quick peek I took, was sleek and modern, too. Grays, black and silver, and shades of deep blue. But the three guest bedrooms were explosions of eighteenth-century decadence, with spindly wooden furniture and gilding everywhere, lace and satin, and pale, creamy pastels. I liked both and wouldn't have minded living here. It had a great view and was close to the office buildings where I delivered my lunches to. Much more convenient than being way out in the hills, especially with my erratic old beater.

And the kitchen was a showpiece. I could only stop and stare in awe for several long seconds. Vast and airy, tons of counter space, and big, butcher block island in the middle. I definitely could whip up some amazing meals with all that space and all that state-of-the-art equipment.

An hour after Aleks left, a stern-looking man delivered a package to me and told me to be ready to go in twenty minutes. I assumed he was the guy who was taking me to the house. The slight Russian accent was a dead giveaway if the scowl hadn't been enough.

The package was a pair of jeans, a buttery soft summer sweater, some very sexy undies, socks, and stylish sneakers. The kind that was cute but would never hold up to a day on your feet, and was probably nightmarishly expensive.

I was happy not to have to put my grubby work clothes back on and beamed as I got dressed. Aleks had thought of my comfort even when he had to rush away to an important business meeting. As I got dressed in the new clothes, I let my mind wander to how devastatingly handsome he looked in that sleek black suit, with his gray and red tie loose at his throat.

I had never been interested in guys my own age, so it was easy to turn any suitors down by claiming the truth, that I was too busy and preoccupied for a relationship. Maybe my early crush on Aleks had spoiled me, because there really was no comparison to him, but I was glad he didn't have any hangups about our age difference. It didn't bother me at all. In fact, his maturity and strength of character, which only age could bring, were part of his endless charm.

The driver knocked on the door, shaking me out of my thoughts. I gathered up my restaurant clothes in a bag and bid farewell to the apartment where I'd already had some of the best experiences of my life, all in less than a week, and with plenty more to come.

The ride was mostly silent, with the driver only asking me if I wanted music. I told him whatever he wanted was fine, and he gave me an odd look in the rearview mirror before setting off. It made me wonder how many women he'd driven for Aleks in the past.

Well, that was in the past, wasn't it? No use teeming with jealousy over all his past romances. I was the one he wanted to marry for whatever reason. It only gave me a tiny stab of guilt, knowing I was planning on running out on him.

After what seemed like an eternity in city traffic, we made our way up the winding roads, passing fewer and fewer mansions as the estates grew larger. At the final turn onto the old familiar drive, I took in all the dense foliage that lined the way up to the house.

And when it finally appeared at the end, it really all came rushing back. It was funny how I could so easily call places like this a house back when I lived in similar surroundings. But it was a mansion, no doubt about it. It was a huge, old, stately Spanish style with a central building with a sweeping balcony going across its entire width. Airy breezeways connected a wing on either side, and beyond that, the white pebbled drive led to a garage that housed at least a dozen cars back in the day.

My driver let me off in front before heading that way, and before I was at the top stair of the wide front entrance, one of the twenty-foot-tall double doors swung open. A young man ushered me inside without introducing himself and told me to make myself at home before disappearing.

If I'd never been in this palatial wonderland before, I might have been a bit dizzy from the choices. Long hallways led in every direction. From the front hall, I faced a wide open seating area, with all-new white and gold furniture from the last time I'd been here. Of course, mega-rich people like Aleks let their designers go crazy every few years, so it might have changed several times since I last hung out with Nat.

I wandered down toward the back, where a wall of sliding glass doors opened up to the fantasy garden and the pool that would have put a five-star hotel in Hawaii to shame. A smile wreathed my face as I made my way under the low-hanging banana trees and potted flowers and ferns. There were so many good memories here, of a simpler time. Just a couple of young girls swimming and dancing to their favorite songs, sometimes struggling over homework or worried about the faraway future, but always ending with laughter.

It was a testament to Nataliye's friendship that she didn't let me slip away after we were ruined. So many others simply pretended Jenna and I never existed after our father's criminal activity came to light. She truly cared for me as a person, not what I had or what my parents did.

And look how I was repaying her. Guilt nearly knocked me over as I pictured a teen Nat and Katie sunning while we gossiped and planned together. I had to leave the pool before I became so overwhelmed that I bolted. I had already told Jenna she could take the trip, and it was only going to be a few more hours until everything was settled with Aunt Marjorie.

I trusted Aleks completely that he'd uphold his end of the bargain, and knowing what my endgame was only increased my guilt.

It's okay; it will all be okay.

By the time the wedding date rolled around, it was highly likely that Aleks would be ready to kick me out anyway, and I'd take this interlude to my grave. Nat would never know and never be hurt. I still felt pretty awful until I found my way into the kitchen.

As a pampered princess back in the day, I'd never once been in there. Like Cinderella, after the pumpkin turns to a carriage, I could only run back and forth, touching and inspecting everything. It was beautiful, for one thing. Cool beige and white with dark wood cabinets and stainless steel everything else made me feel like I'd walked into a zen spa. There was even a fountain burbling away in the corner near the doors leading out into the side garden. It was at least four times bigger than the kitchen at Aleks's apartment, and the state-of-the-art stove made me have to wipe away drool.

Throwing open cabinet doors and then standing in the pantry that was roughly the size of my entire kitchen at home, I marveled at all the ingredients. Everything I could ever wish for was there. Anything I dreamed up off the top of my head, I could have made it. I pulled out flour, sugar, butter, and eggs from the fridge, and started whipping up a cake to surprise Aleks when he got home.

After it was done and I set it to cool before making the frosting and slicing strawberries for decoration, I went to seek out the library. I remembered having ceiling-high stacks of books and big, cushy leather armchairs set in cozy alcoves.

The same guy who let me in earlier popped out from the front hall on my way past, laden down with packages. He nodded for me to follow him up the wide, curving main stairs, so I did.

I struggled to remember how to say hello in Russian, giving it a try even though I probably butchered the attempt. He winced and kept walking silently. Was he not allowed to talk to me? He attempted to open one of the doors upstairs with the packages in his arms, and I hurried to help out. He somehow managed before I could reach the handle, but the pile of boxes shifted in his arms, causing his stiff black jacket to shift and reveal a gun strapped to his side in one of those shoulder holsters that undercover cops wore in movies.

A ripple of apprehension went down my spine, but then I remembered where I was. This place was chock full of treasures. Of course, there'd be some kind of security, and since Aleks had told me he wasn't there all the time, it seemed obvious to have someone watching over the place in the absence of the owner and any other staff.

The guy put the packages on the bed in what was obviously a guest room and, with another curt nod, left me alone with them. I was so disappointed not to be in Aleks's room that I barely noticed the beautiful decor. No eighteenth-century elegance here, but mid-century Hollywood glamor with a sleek and simple dresser and vanity, and carved jade lamps with tasseled shades sat on each bedside table. On the far side of the room, a pair of ceramic panthers guarded a pile of photography books on a glass coffee table in front of a pink velvet couch.

No, definitely not Aleks's room, so why was I there? He wasn't going to suddenly get old fashioned and traditional on me and make me wait until the wedding until the next time he let me in his bed?

I snickered at myself for being so distraught about that. After just one night, he'd awakened a beast within me that wouldn't be tamed. I strode to the floor-length curtains and swept them open to reveal a balcony overlooking the pool. The entire balcony reached across the length of the central wing I was in, with more doors leading into the other rooms. The ones on either side of my room were locked, and since I wasn't in the mood for breaking and entering, I went back to check out the packages.

The first one I opened was the dress Aleks had cajoled me into buying after I only ordered the necessary toiletries, a t-shirt, and leggings. I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper surrounding it, sighing at how much prettier the jewel-toned blue was in person. The silk fabric slid through my fingers like the most finely sifted flour, and when I held it up, I actually got a lump in my throat.

While it was mostly simple, with very subtle beading that would easily allow it to go into a nighttime cocktail party, it was superbly constructed, with every little detail hand-sewn. I'd had some nice things when my family had money, but this was next-level quality. The price had made me nearly lose my breakfast, but now that it was in my hands, I could see why it had been so expensive. And Aleks hadn't flinched. Not even a blink.

I tried it on, and it fit perfectly as if it had been made for me. I moved my hips back and forth and twirled to see it from all angles in the triple full-length mirrors I found in the walk-in closet. I never wanted to take it off, but I also didn't want to risk getting it stained since I still had to frost my cake.

The other packages had the more practical things I ordered, along with some more casual, but still very cute outfits he'd urged me to get. I put on a comfortable short romper with lace around the edge of the legs, fighting the blush that rose up my chest as I looked at my reflection. Normally, I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with my lunch box logo on it, or my highly unflattering but easy to move around in chef gear when I was at the restaurant. Depending on the weather, I slept in the t-shirts I deemed too ratty to wear out in public anymore, along with sweatpants or my undies.

I rarely looked cute or sexy, but now… It kind of seemed like I was both in the outfit that Aleks had been super enthusiastic about. I patted my burning cheeks and looked around for my phone to send a selfie to Jenna so she could see I did have a life outside of work.

But then I'd have to explain where I was and why I had suddenly chosen such an uncharacteristic and outlandish outfit, so I abandoned my urge to show off.

Back downstairs, my cake was cool enough to frost, and while I did that, I wondered how things would work in this new situation I'd somehow landed in. I mean, I had a shift that night, supposedly. Was I supposed to ask Aleks's driver for a ride? And what about my lunch box business? How was that going to work now? If I went too long without making deliveries, my regulars might find different lunch options and forget all about me. There was no way I could give that up if I meant to carry out my plan of bailing on him before the wedding took place.

Most of all, I wanted to get to the bottom of where I'd be sleeping. There was a lot I was dying to hammer out with him if he ever got home, and once my cake was frosted, I paced anxiously from the kitchen to the open living area across the hall.

I had to stay strong and stick to my guns while I hammered out more details about our arrangement, or else risk ending up worse than when I started. By the time I heard the front door open, I had never felt stronger or more sure about the stance I was prepared to take, and I squared my shoulders to go out and meet him head-on.

But as soon as I saw him come through the door, with his tie hanging loose, his shirt unbuttoned and open at the collar, and his dark hair slightly mussed as if he'd been dragging his fingers through it, every last thought tumbled out of my head. He looked slightly weary, with lines of worry etched across his handsome face that made me want to kiss every last care away. My plans faded, unimportant all of a sudden. There was only Aleks now.

He seemed to sense my presence at the far end of the hall, and he waved the silent, sullen butler, guard, or whoever he was away, so it was only Aleks and me. The way I wanted it. When he saw me, his mouth twitched in a crooked smile, and even from the distance I stood, I saw his eyes darken with the same longing that was trying to get my feet to move. But I was frozen in his gaze.

Until he held out his arms. Like metal filings, helpless in the range of a strong magnet, I flew toward him.