Page 34 of His to Own

“No. I like being in my shell.” It’s safer this way.

“We can have a lot of fun together, Elena. I promise you that. You don’t have to be controlled by your stuffy father. We’re married now. The worst happened. Let’s enjoy our lives.”

I’m just not sure how to do that with a man like Maxim.

When I don’t give him an answer, he lets go of my hand and heads to the door. There’s an iciness to the air that wasn’t there before. “Let’s go get your clothes.”

My father opens the front door and takes one look at me and Maxim before he slams the door in our faces. After a beat, the door reopens and my mother motions us inside.

“We came for Elena’s clothes,” Maxim explains.

I’m shocked to see Lana in the living room. She runs to me and grips my arms. “Are you ok? Nikolai told me everything. I came over here. I wanted to come to Maxim’s house but I thought it would be better to talk to our parents first.”

“I’m fine,” I whisper.

Lana gives me a dubious look. “Are you really?”

“She was fine enough to marry him,” Father spits out. “You made me into a fool. I never want to see you around here again.”

Maxim raises his hands in surrender. “We’re just here for Elena’s clothes and then we’ll be out.”

Father waves a dismissive hand. “Then get it over with. I don’t want to see either of you two ever again.”

I flinch.

“None of this was Elena’s fault,” Lana objects. “Don’t punish her for Maxim’s actions. Or my husband’s.”

“You’re on thin ice with me too,” he warns. “Don’t think you’re not.”

Lana huffs. “Stop being so stubborn. It’s going to ruin everything.”

“I need to get my clothes,” I whisper, pulling away from Lana. Being back in this house, surrounded by my family and the tension in the air is too much to handle. I hurry upstairs with Maxim following.

I hesitate outside my bedroom.

“Are we going to go inside?” he asks. “Is there something in there you don’t me to see?” The gleeful eagerness in his eyes returns. “What are you hiding from me, Elena?”

“I’m not hiding anything. It’s just… this is my bedroom. It feels too personal for you to see it all.”

“Well, we’re married now. I think we’re past too personal.” He marches into my room and looks around, taking in my desk covered in books and my lavender colored walls and my closet full of clothes. He starts opening drawers and pulling my clothes out.

I blush when he picks up a pair of underwear. “What are you doing?”

He waves the underwear at me. “You like clean, simple things. Nothing lacy. I shouldn’t be surprised but I guess I hoped you’d have a darker side to you.”

“Can you stop… touching that?”

He sets my underwear back in the drawer. “We’re married now, Elena. At some point, I’ll probably touch your panties again. When I take them off you.”

I gasp.

His smirk is dangerous as he walks back to me and tilts my chin up. I can’t escape. “Does that make you excited? The thought of me touching you?”

“I don’t know how to feel about it.”

“Has anybody touched your panties before?”

“That’s personal.”