Blood And Roses

by Lylah James

  But I needed to earn that right. I needed to be worthy enough for her to kneel for me.

  I was going to be what she needed.

  I was going to be her salvation.

  And she was going to be my redemption.

  Chapter 11

  Maria

  I was elsewhere as Lena talked mindlessly. My gaze focused on Lyov’s back, and I found myself biting on my lips at the sight of him. I couldn’t see his whole body, only his profile as he stood by the partially opened door.

  He was talking with Isaak. His voice hushed, but I saw the frustration in their expressions. It told me it was something serious…something bad that Lyov didn’t like. His back was straight and tensed, with his clenched fists at this sides.

  The fury vibrating off him was new to me. Lyov was always sweet and gentle…with me, at least. But right now, the vicious aura coming off him was something entirely different. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. About him.

  I wasn’t foolish or as naïve as they thought. I knew Lyov was a dangerous man. He was there, at the Royalist. He bought me. He was just as bad as those men. Lyov was a wealthy man, and his money was most likely dirty.

  His life was a black hole. Dirty. Filthy. Rich. And deadly.

  He was everything I shouldn’t want, yet the fiery need for him inside of me surpassed all my morals. He had wrapped me in the cocoon of his sweetened words, his embrace so warm and safe that I had forgotten who he really was.

  A touch on my arm brought me back to the present. My thoughts came to a screeching halt, and I looked at Lena.

  “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” she asked, her voice both sweet and firm. There was a slight accent in her voice. It was small but definitely there. It told me she was Russian, but years of living in America had taken away her native accent.

  Lena stared at me with a raised eyebrow, the corner of her lips turned up in a knowing smile.

  When I didn’t reply, she let out a small laugh. “We were walking and then you stopped suddenly. We’ve been standing in this spot for about ten minutes, and all your attention was on that hot piece of man in there.”

  At her words, I felt myself straightening up. The way she spoke of Lyov, it seemed like they were both very close and familiar with each other. My chest burned and my stomach twisted in a way I didn’t like.

  Lena must have noticed the change because her eyebrows furrowed and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Oh no. I know what you’re thinking, and that answer is a big no. I don’t see Lyov like that. He is my boss and a very close friend of mine. Family almost. I respect him.” She paused and lifted her chin with a small smirk.

  “It doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate all that hotness, though. But then again, Isaak is mouth-watering too. But love, I’m not interested in either of them. If you look closely, you will find someone else standing with them. He has my attention. All of it.”

  I leaned in closer to the door, still staying hidden for their sight and peered inside. She was right. There was another man standing there, listening attentively to every word Lyov spoke.

  He was big, bulky, with a mean face. The man towered a little bit over Isaak and Lyov. His lips were pressed in a firm line, and his eyes were pits of darkness. He also wore a very similar suit. The guns attached to his holsters were the only difference.

  He was a guard. But the way Lyov listened to him intently told me he was important.

  “That’s my man there. Boris Ivanshov. Lyov’s most trusted bodyguard. He’s the chief of security and handles this estate and every other place owned by Lyov.”

  Oh.

  “You are married?” I asked incredulously. She didn’t mention anything like that.

  Lena laughed and shook her head. Her smile was bright, and I could see the love glowing on her face. “Not yet. He still hasn’t properly asked. A few weeks ago, he said, Buy a dress. We’re getting married. I will speak to Boss and make sure it’s official. My response? I kicked him out of our room and he wasn’t allowed back for three days. We are not getting married until he asks me properly. All that alpha male, macho thing doesn’t always work, you know.”

  She huffed in frustration, but there was nothing bitter in her words or the way she said them. Lena was very much swooning and irrevocably in love with that man. It was endearing to see her like this.

  She was a small woman, yet her presence was anything but small. The thought of sweet Lena being with a man like the one behind those doors made me respect her even more.

  Warmth caressed my skin. The pit of my stomach fluttered, and my body tingled in awareness. Our gazes met, and his grey eyes were intensely focused on mine. So deep that I could easily fall and drown in them. I wanted so badly to reach the depth of those eyes and sink into the marrow of Lyov’s soul.

  His eyes pierced mine without any veil to cover his unadulterated lust for me, and I found myself breathless for him.

  For the briefest moment, everyone else disappeared and it was just us.

  Only me. Only him. Only this beautiful moment. Right here and now. The rest was forgotten as we drowned in each other. I craved this. I craved him with such intense need that it had me wanting to get on my knees for him and beg. Just a simple touch. Just a simple feel of Lyov’s soul making love to mine.

  When they noticed their boss’s focus no longer with them, their attention quickly diverted to me too. I looked away from Lyov to find both Isaak and Boris staring at me with keen interest.

  “I see we have a little stalker of our own, Lyov,” Isaak pointed out with a raised eyebrow. He crossed his arms across his chest, as if waiting for me to explain why I was intruding.

  A slice of fear slithered its way into my body. They didn’t look threatening, but I was still caught, watching them behind the doors.

  I took a step back, bumping into Lena. She held on to my shoulders, and I watched as Lyov stepped in front of the men. His huge body protectively blocked the path between us.

  He growled something incorrigible under his breath, and both men snapped their gazes away from me and stood up straighter.

  “You have him wrapped around your little finger,” Lena whispered as she pulled me away from the door.

  “I do?” I breathed in both astonishment and confusion. My heart was in knots, and my palms were suddenly sweaty. I clenched Lena’s hand in mine, and she grinned in response.

  “You do. It’s about time,” she said simply. “I have been waiting for this day.”

  More confused than ever now, I just followed Lena wherever she was taking me. But I couldn’t stop the question from slipping past my lips. “You have been waiting…for me?”

  Lena winked in response, and we continued our way down the stairs. “Lyov said you like gardening,” she muttered absently.

  My steps halted, and my breath was suddenly stuck in my throat. “He did?”

  Lyov and I spent last night and most of today in bed. He made me talk. He wanted my voice and my words. He said he wanted to know me. Not Rose. Or the slave.

  He wanted to know Maria. The girl from the abbey, before she was taken away from the home she had come to love as she watched it burn to the ground.

  For months, I was forbidden from talking. Only my screams of pain were demanded, but with Lyov—he wanted to learn the depths of me.

  It was a dream come true. Stolen kisses here and there. Lyov’s smile and laughter, that I was quickly finding out were only reserved for me.

  It was the first time I had been in bed with a man—a man like Lyov Ivanshov—and he didn’t make a move to demand more.

  He didn’t demand my body.

  His desires for me were kept under wraps as he showed me the gentle side of the monster hidden underneath the layer of harshness and evil.

  And in return, he stole my heart. He now held it in the palms of his hand, bleeding and raw for him to study.

  He didn’t want me to call him Master—but he had become the owner of my heart and soul. If that wasn’t the m
eaning of Lyov Ivanshov owning me, then I didn’t know what was.

  No collars were needed. His firm presence, his gentle kisses, his full lips kissing me with a touch of possessiveness—they made me his.

  “He learned a lot about me this morning. I wish I could say the same about him. He was rather…silent,” I finally shared with a mournful whisper.

  She smiled and then shrugged. “That’s Lyov for you. Just observing. I’m sure when the time comes, you will know everything about him.”

  “I want that,” I admitted, my heart thumping about the idea of discovering all the hidden layers of Lyov Ivanshov.

  I was sure to find dark things—but maybe I could turn them into roses. Maybe I could make his life…beautiful.

  Blood and roses. I would make us fit in the most perfect way.

  He called me his Angel. If that was truly the case, I would wrap my wings around him and show him a piece of heaven in the midst of hell.

  “So Lyov told me to take you to our gardens and let you have fun,” Lena continued, breaking through my thoughts. “Do you want that?” she pushed when I didn’t answer fast enough.

  When I nodded, her smile widened, and she clapped her hands. “Perfect.”

  We stopped by the door, and I noticed that we were at the back of the mansion, where the kitchen was situated. I had paid careful attention when Lyov and Lena had showed me around. It was a big house, and it was hauntingly beautiful.

  Lyov said it was where I would live from now on…and I could make it my home.

  Lena opened the large door, and we walked into the back garden. It was enormous, breathtaking, and a dream. I could spend hours outside here.

  Free. Not trapped in a cage.

  “We usually have someone come in once a week to take care of the garden. But if you want―”

  “I will do it!” I quickly cut in before she could continue.

  Lena smiled, her eyes flashing with delight. “I’ll help if you need me. There’s nothing much to do. You could pick flowers you want. I’ll have them ordered, and you can plant them.”

  “Lilies. Back at the abbey, we had them. I was the one in charge of the garden, and I always paid careful attention to the flowers. I made sure they bloomed perfectly,” I shared with a smile. The memories were bittersweet, and tears pricked my eyes.

  I missed the sisters and the friends I made there, and now they were all…gone.

  “I’ll get them for you.”

  I watched as Lena walked away. Before going inside, she turned around. Her brown hair was shining in the sunlight, and her eyes were so clear with love.

  “I’m happy you’re here. If Lyov brought you home, then you’re here to stay forever. I think we’re going to be good friends, Maria.”

  She gave me a soft smile and left me with a clenching heart.

  I liked that idea. Me and her…friends. I liked it even more that Lena was so accepting. Sometimes it was hard to tell whose soul was pure or not. Sometimes, deceit was veiled behind a pretty smile.

  But I liked to believe that Lena was a pure soul. I had found a friend.

  Walking into the sunlight and further into the gardens, I enjoyed all the beautiful flowers surrounding me. Their scent touched my nose, and I smiled. I loved it here. It was everything I had ever dreamed of.

  My own little fantasy.

  My knight in shining armor on his white horse. Our little castle. And we would live happily ever after.

  Although, Lyov was no knight in shining armor. He saved me, but in this fairy tale—he was the beast.

  After all, I didn’t want a knight, for their armor would eventually grow rusty. No, I preferred the beast. For he would always protect me with his sharp claws.

  “You’re smiling.” A voice snapped me out of my happy thoughts, and my stomach fluttered when I recognized who it belonged to. I was elbow deep into planting the seeds and lilies that Lena brought me. A few hours must have passed.

  I didn’t want to move…never wanted to leave this paradise.

  But Lyov’s voice was almost like a siren call. It was impossible to fight the effect it had on me. With his attention, warmth spread through me. I could feel his piercing gaze on my back, scorching my skin and making the butterflies in the pit of my stomach wild.

  Standing up, I turned around to face him. I buried my dirty hands in my dress, as if I were caught doing something wrong.

  Lyov’s eyes traveled up my body, and I noticed I had dirt all over me. When his smoldering gaze landed on mine, I tried to breathe. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. He knew he had me caught in his webs.

  I only wished I had the same effect on him. Did I make him breathless? Was his need for me the same as mine for him?

  The feeling of wanting to please him…did he feel the same for me?

  Lyov moved closer. His height was impressive, and I was forced to look up. He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing the skin over my cheekbone.

  “You had dirt here,” he explained, yet he didn’t stop caressing me.

  My lips twitched with another smile, and he caught it. “You’re happy,” he remarked with confidence. It wasn’t a question, more like a statement.

  I nodded because he had the power to make me speechless. In his presence, my mind scrambled, trying to find coherent thoughts.

  “Your words, sweet Angel. Give me your words.” He pushed the slightest bit but never too much.

  The firmness in his voice, with a touch of dominance, had a way of making my knees weak. I wanted to burrow into his embrace.

  His other arm curled around my waist, and he pulled us closer, until our chests were touching. My eyes fluttered closed, and I leaned more into his palm, never wanting him to stop touching me.

  “I am happy,” I finally admitted, giving him the words he wanted.

  “Does the garden make you happy…or is it something else?” The roughness in his voice caused a shiver to run through my body. There were raw emotions in his words.

  My eyes opened, and I held his gaze. “You make me happy, Master.”

  His grip tightened around my hips. His eyes turned molten lava, and his chest vibrated with a low growl.

  “Maria.” He said my name like a whispered prayer—filled with warning and unsaid needs. “I don’t think you understand what you do to me.”

  I was quick to reply this time. “Then tell me. I want to know.”

  He leaned down, until his lips feathered over mine. His voice was barely above a whisper now. “Oh, Angel. The things I want to do to you. So innocent yet so ready to be corrupted.”

  My lips parted with a little gasp, and he took the opportunity to kiss me, slipping his tongue past my lips and stealing my breath away.

  My body trembled against his, and I gripped his arms for support, scared that my knees would buckle under the force of his needy kiss.

  The reaction was instant. My body shuddered, and I sunk into his kiss. My back arched, and I leaned on my toes, silently demanding more. Our pull was magnetic.

  I didn’t know that souls had lips. For right now, just like his lips were kissing mine—our souls met, and they kissed so beautifully.

  “If we don’t stop now,” he said, tearing his lips from mine for us to catch our breath, “I’m going to fuck you right here.”

  He kissed a line down, sucking my plump lips before continuing a path over my chin and then my neck. His teeth grazed my skin, and I threw my head back, soaking it all in and still wanting more.

  His words barely registered in my mind…I was lost in him.

  Lyov pressed his forehead against my shoulder, and his body shuddered with each deep, rough breath he took. I put my arms around him and gripped his shoulders. I caressed the back of his neck, the way I noticed he liked.

  The tension left his body, and we both finally breathed normally. My lips still tingled from his kisses, and I licked them, wanting to savor his lasting taste.

  He eventually pulled away and grabbed my hands in his. “Let’s go. I wan
t to show you something.”

  I followed Lyov without any question. Our first stop was his bedroom. He waited for me to wash up quickly—standing in the bathroom and watching me with heated grey eyes.

  I felt shy, a little nervous, but it seemed as if he didn’t want to take his gaze off me for even a second. Only the shower doors separated us, and I wondered if he would take a step forward and open the doors.

  I was his to take. He didn’t have to wait…yet…he didn’t touch me more than those kisses.

  When I was done, I got into a clean dress. Lyov’s hand was holding mine again, and we walked down the hall. A few doors away from the room.

  We stopped in front a white double door, very similar to the others. I glanced up at him, waiting. Lyov brought his hand up, and in his palm was a key.

  “Open the door,” he ordered.

  Doing as I was told, I took the key and opened the door. The lights were off, and the thick curtains were drawn together, stopping the sunlight from pouring in.

  Lyov allowed me to walk into the dark room first. He went to the windows, and I watched speechlessly as he opened the curtains, letting some light in.

  Finally, my eyes found his surprise.

  My lips parted with a silent, trembling exhale. My heart skittered, and my chest tightened. Those crazy butterflies were back again.

  Lyov stayed by the windows, gauging my reaction.

  “A piano,” I whispered.

  I remembered telling him that a piano was what I dreamed of—something I wanted but couldn’t have. But this man…this man who had everyone dancing to his tunes, had given me something so precious.

  “It’s yours,” he whispered.

  Walking closer, I finally laid a palm over the piano keys. “Thank you,” I cried softly.

  And then he asked me something. With those words, he stole my heart forever.

  “Will you play for me, Angel?”