“Oh my god.” Tatyana nearly sprinted toward it. “Are you kidding me?”
“The ladder is necessary for the librarian to?—”
“You have a palace librarian?”
Oleg frowned. “I have two.”
“Are youkiddingme?” She was nearly shouting when she reached the ladder and gently pushed it to the side.
It rolled down the parquet floor like it was floating on air.
“Yes.” She stepped onto the bottom rung of the ladder and pushed with her foot, just a little bit. “Oh my god. Yes.”
It rolled again.
“Tatyana, you’re supposed to?—”
“Shhhhh, shh, shh, shh.” She put her finger to her lips for a second, then placed her hands on the side of the ladder and pushed off with a great kick, lifting her foot to ride along the ladder rail…
And completely forgetting that she had vampire strength now.
Tatyana let out an audible “Whoop!” as the ladder zipped down the front of the bookcases, coming to a stop when Oleg’s hand reached out and grabbed it.
“You’re going to break it and possibly yourself if you let it reach the end of the rail at that speed.”
“Worth it,” she murmured. “And I’m not going to break myself. I am going to need a very large yellow dress and…” She gestured to him. “Clearly I already have a beast glaring at me, so?—”
“What are you talking about?”
Her jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me you don’t know.”
He looked vaguely angry. “Clearly not.”
“It’s okay, we can watch the movie.” She waved a hand at him, then fisted her hands on her hips and looked up, letting out a great sigh at his stern expression. “What?”
“I don’t want you to break the ladder.”
“No, that’s bullshit.” She frowned. “You’ve been irritated since I arrived. What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you happy?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “I’m happy.”
“Clearly so happy.” She matched his stance. “Now that you have everything you want, are you losing interest?”
The thought was an old, twisted fear that had curled in the pit of her stomach and festered all night.
Their relationship was no longer a secret. Yes, they would have to appear indifferent in public, but now Oleg had complete access to her. He could come and go in her life as he pleased, and no one would question it.
There was no challenge anymore. No danger.
“Bored already?” she whispered. “I noticed that our day chambers upstairs were separated by twoverylarge dressing rooms. Even now that we’re married in the eyes of the whole world and you know I’m more vulnerable during the day than you are, you still?—”
“Shut up,” he snapped. “You know nothing.”
Tatyana took a step back and lifted her chin. “No.” She shook her head. “You don’t speak to me like that. Not now and not ever.”
Her heart was in her stomach and her chest was physically aching as she turned and walked away from him. His blood in her veins roared in anger and yearning pain, and she nearly turned around, but she refused. She’d probably get lost trying to find her way back to?—
“Stop.” Oleg was in front of her before she could blink. “I should not have said that.” He took her hand and put it on his chest. “What punishment do you desire?”
