Page 34 of Lust and Honor

He pulls back, his eyes blazing with that strange fire again. Breathing gets harder, his grip tightening around me. Whatever this thing between us is, it’s swallowing me whole, growing stronger, binding our bodies together.

When I don’t answer, his jaw clenches with anger. He grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking hard, and growls, “Answer me.”

My head throbs, but I don’t back down. “It’s none of your—”

Before I can finish, he yanks harder, jerking my head back and drawing a yelp from me. “Fucking answer me.”

I glare at him for a while but finally shake my head slowly.

His grip loosens. The corner of his mouth twitches, and a low, satisfied breath escapes his throat. He lowers his face to kiss me, but I whip my head to the side. “Don’t. I don’t want this.”

He halts his advance but stays looming over me, breathing heavily. A small voice makes us both go still.

“Mama!”

He recovers faster than I do, jumping off me like he’s been electrocuted. Aurora stands a few steps away, clutching her new teddy bear, almost as big as she is. Maxim runs a hand through his hair and mutters a curse under his breath. I sit up quickly, trying to fix my torn shirt. Aurora drags the oversized bear toward me, her steps cautious as she passes Maxim, stealing a sideways glance at him. Broken glass litters part of the floor a few feet away, but at least she’s still wearing her adorable bear-shaped slippers.

I open my arms and hug her. “Why are you awake, sweetie?”

She buries her face in my chest. “I want milk.”

I stand to head for the kitchen, but Aurora squirms in my arms. “My bear, Mama.”

I reach for the bear, but Maxim bends down first, grabbing it with a scowl. “I’m gonna shove this bear up Enrico’s ass.”

Aurora turns her head in my chest, peeking at Maxim, and asks softly, “Where’s Enrico?”

Maxim squeezes the poor bear so hard his knuckles turn white. He tosses it to the corner and turns to me. “Go get her another toy. I’ll make her some warm milk.”

As stunned as I am, I head upstairs. I lay Aurora down in her bed and tuck a blonde Barbie doll beside her. A few minutes later, her breathing deepens, and she’s fast asleep. I pull off my torn shirt, about to slip on a new one, when Maxim walks in with a glass of milk. I freeze like an idiot, shirt in hand, as his hungry gaze roams over my breasts and bra. Snapping out of it, I shoot him a glare and yank the new shirt on.

He looks at Aurora. “Wasn’t she hungry?”

I keep my voice low. “No, sometimes she wakes up and just needs comforting.”

He nods, staring at her for a long moment. “I gave you my card for exactly what I said. To help,” he says without breaking his gaze. Then, without so much as a glance at me, he walks out. A few minutes later, I hear the sound of him smashing the stage downstairs again.

***

As I head downstairs, I expect to see Maxim, but instead, a few burly men are cleaning up the mess he made last night. Both stages are smashed to pieces, and the stripper poles are gone.

I go to the kitchen, spread a blanket in the corner, and sit Aurora down. The high dining chairs aren’t safe for her. I hand her the Barbie doll and a few banana slices, asking her to “feed” her doll while I prepare breakfast. I heat up milk and fry some pancakes, then set the table. I scoop her into my lap, but as usual, she fusses and squirms, making a scene about eating.

I’m chewing a bite of pancake when Maxim walks in, carrying a child’s high chair. He pauses for a split second when he sees us, then, moving with that same quiet confidence, strides over, pulls out a dining chair, and sets the baby chair in its place. I swallow my bite, staring in disbelief.

The chair’s backrest is shaped like a bear, complete with cute little ears. Aurora clings to me shyly, but then her eyes light up and she reaches out excitedly. “Mama, bear!”

Maxim cracks a faint smile at her enthusiasm, pulls out another chair, and sits at the table. Without hesitation, he drags the pancake plate toward himself and starts eating. Aurora tugs herself toward the blue high chair, chirping, “Mr. Bear!”

“Put her in it,” Maxim says, cool as ever.

I settle Aurora in the high chair and place a pancake plate on its little tray before returning to my seat.

“There’s an album on the foyer table,” he says. “Flip through it and mark whatever designs you like.”

“What album?”

“Some designs for a kid’s room. You can have any room upstairs, except mine.”