by Khloe Wren
****
Over his life Daniil had striven to strike fear into many people. Julietta was not one of them. He hated that she was cowering in his bathroom naked and afraid of what he was planning to do with her. He moved to stand in front of her before he reached for her. He heard her breath hitch and her body stiffened as he cupped her cheek in his palm.
"Solnyshka moto, I vow to you that you need not fear me. Anyone who hurts you, is a different matter. But for you, I will always be your protector."
He sighed as emotions flitted over her face. He could tell she didn't believe him.
"I need to get to work."
He doubted that, but he nodded anyway. "It's still early. What time do you need to be at work?"
She hadn't asked how he knew her name yet, and he didn't want her to know he'd been through her purse and had seen that she was spending her afternoon at the hairdressers today. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his hand for a moment before, with a deep breath, she pulled away from his touch.
"Thank you for saving me last night, and for everything else. I had fun with you, but I need to go now."
A strange tightness filled his chest. Julietta was blowing him off? After the night they shared? Was she insane? Although, she had been attacked last night. Honestly, he’d been surprised at how calm she was at waking to find herself in his bed. Maybe this was simply some kind of delayed reaction to her nearly being assaulted.
He couldn’t believe what he was about to say. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to stick with his “only fuck them once” rule.
"I want to see you again."
Her eyes filled with moisture, but she didn't let any tears fall, just shook her head.
"I'm not looking for a boyfriend, Daniil. I just got free, and I don't want to get trapped again."
He couldn't hold back the wince. Would she feel trapped under his protection? It wouldn't be his intention, but he wasn't sure how she'd see it. She wasn't from his world, didn't understand she'd need to be guarded like the jewel she was. Of course, after what he'd done for her last night, she'd find herself with protection now regardless of what she thought. Daniil would just have to make sure they knew to be careful not to let her see them as they kept her safe.
"This chemistry we have? I've never felt anything like it before, Julietta. I don't want to throw it away without seeing where it could go. What did your ex do to you, that has you trying so hard to remain an island?"
She shuddered and sucked in a breath.
"I really wish you wouldn't ask so many questions. My ex hurt me. I trusted him, and he hurt me. He wasn't the first person in my life to do that, but I think it's time I try to limit who I let close enough to me to be able to cause me more pain."
What had his poor Julietta suffered through in her life to give her such an outlook? He didn’t think she was simply scared of letting him close and him breaking her heart. At least she wasn’t only afraid for her heart. She didn’t need to be, as that's not how men in his family worked. Some might say they barely knew each other, but the way they fit together, the off the charts chemistry? That all told Daniil that she was his special one, and he had no intention of letting get away from him. He could hardly believe how much his mindset had changed since he’d first met this little purple haired surfing photographer. Despite never wanting to settle down, he now couldn’t wait to do just that. With her.
"Okay, how about you take a shower while I'll get some breakfast sorted out? Then, I'll drive you home."
She gave him a sad smile and nodded. Yeah, she didn't really want him to walk away, any more than he wanted to leave. He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her deeply, letting her feel his desire for her.
"I'll grab you one of my shirts to wear with your shorts, and then I'll head downstairs. Come find me when you're ready."
Despite it being the last thing he wanted to do, he forced himself to leave her. He grabbed one of his plain black t-shirts and brought it to her, along with her panties and shorts.
"Thank you."
With a smile he didn't feel, he left her alone in his bathroom. What he really wanted to do was to help wash her sexy little body and take her again in the shower. She'd been sexy as fuck last night all wet and slippery against him. He sighed as he quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Not only did he need to put together breakfast, but he needed to arrange for a bodyguard for her before she finished in the shower.
His day was already busy with work, so as much as he hated Julietta forcing him to release her, it was for the best. He couldn't afford to take the day off to spend it in bed fucking his girl. At least, not today. Although, he'd be making sure he could, and would, do exactly that very soon. He was looking forward to testing out which of them had more stamina. After last night, he wasn't sure who'd win.
Chapter Six
Nearly a week later, Juli was busy setting up her stall at the Bondi Markets.
"You really not gonna keep turning him down?"
Jess had come to help her set up and, apparently, grill her about her Russian.
"After Rodger I don't want another man. He was great between the sheets, but I'm not interested in getting tangled up with a man. I need to focus on getting my life back in order."
Thanks to Rodger, all her savings were now gone. She hadn't realized until after she walked out exactly how much that man had spent. Never should she have agreed to give him a second card to her accounts. She mentally shook her head. She didn't want to think about him and his shit anymore. What she needed to do was knuckle down, start saving her money again, and get back on top of things.
"You know, with a guy like that Russian, you wouldn't have to worry about money ever again, babe. You get that, right?"
Juli raised an eyebrow at her friend. They’d known each other since eighth grade, so Jess really should know her better than to suggest she’d be happy with some kind of sugar-daddy.
"I'm not built that way. I can't just be some … pampered pet to a rich man. No way. I'm my own person."
Jess was silent as she helped her set up the final stand.
"Some advice? Don't kick this guy to the curb for another man's crimes. He's sent you flowers. Lots of really nice flowers. And all he wants is to take you out to dinner. You know he's good for it, so why not have some fun with this guy?"
Juli couldn't stop the grin that tugged at her mouth as she remembered what he’d done. On Wednesday afternoon, just after she'd arrived home from work, a delivery man rocked up with the biggest arrangement of flowers she'd ever seen. Naturally, it arrived in a freaking crystal vase. That vase was officially her most expensive possession.
Four days later, her room still smelled sweet, and with every breath she took of the smell, she thought of Daniil. Of his request for dinner. He'd wanted to take her out last night, but she'd turned him down. She was serious about getting herself back on her feet under her own steam. Full Miss Independent style was her new mantra. She’d made a mistake falling for Rodger and his shit, one she should have known better than to make. Had she learned nothing from her mother?
That soured her mood. Her mother hadn't had the best luck with men. Juli didn't know who her biological father was. If her mother had known, she’d never shared the information with her. And none of the string of men her mother latched onto during her childhood had exactly been stepfather material. Nope, right up until the day she ended her life, she was chasing the BBD (bigger, better deal) but never found it. A snort escaped Juli’s throat. Her mother would have loved Daniil. Probably would have moved in with the guy already. But she wasn’t her mother. No way. Juli had her pride and refused to become her mother. Rodger had been a harsh reminder of how easily a man could worm his way into her life and cause her pain.
"Men like Daniil, they don't do ‘fun’. He's intense. So fucking intense. I know if I give him an inch, he'll take a mile."
Jess pulled her in for a hug. "Well, just think about it. Rodger is an asshole, but not all men are. Ha
te to see you throw away a good one now just because you had bad luck with your ex."
Her friend walked away, leaving Juli with a headache forming from all the thoughts tripping over each other inside her head. She should risk giving him a chance? Was she being too stubborn for her own good? Even though she still wasn't sure exactly what Daniil did to "deal with" her attackers, it had been nice to have him step up for her. When she'd woken up in his bed in his freaking huge mansion, she'd felt safe. Like somewhere deep inside, her inner cavewoman knew Daniil was capable of keeping her protected.
"Hey, babe."
An icy shiver ran down her spine at the sound of that voice. Rodger was the last thing she felt like dealing with today. Shoring up her courage with a deep breath, she turned to face her ex with a glare.
"What the hell do you want?"
"What do you think? I miss you. I want to know when you are coming home."
She shook her head. He was delusional.
"We broke up, Rodger, remember? It's over. Move on already."
He frowned at her, a flash of anger sparkling in his gaze, reminding her why she'd never go back to this man. Not that she needed the reminder.
"One little fight doesn't change the fact you agreed to be my wife, Juli. You need to stop mucking around and come home where you belong."
She crossed her arms over her chest as her own anger rose.
"Little fight? You backhanded me hard enough to send me to the floor! And in that moment, you destroyed any chance you ever had of me being your wife."
Looking at him now, after being away from him for the past few months, she couldn't work out what she'd ever seen in him. He was pretty enough, with his dark, slicked back hair and casually stylish clothes, but he also had a sleazy edge she'd not noticed before. How had she missed that?
He reached forward to grab her wrist, using it to pull her toward him.
"What are you doing? Let me go."
She tried to twist free of his grip, but he held firm, tugging her around the table until she stood nearly touching him. She kept her body sideways, so it was her shoulder and arm that made contact. The last thing she wanted was to have her breasts pressed against him. She needed to stop wearing bikinis all the time, because no matter how cool and comfortable they were on a hot summer's day, she was beginning to hate the way so many men thought they could touch her however they pleased when she wore one.
"I know you've been slutting around with that Russian bastard, but enough games. You. Are. Mine. Always will be. So, cut the bullshit and come home."
If she was a violent person, she'd sock him in the face for that comment. She sighed. Pity she wasn't a fighter. If she was, she would have put him on his ass way before now. Maybe she should take some lessons. It seemed like a good thing to know, how to knock an asshole on his ass.
"Have you lost your damn mind? I'm not yours, and I will never be yours. Not ever again.”
With a sharp, fast movement he twisted her hand up behind her, forcing her to lift on her toes with a gasp. Tears pricked her eyes at the pain that shot through her system. Yeah, maybe mouthing off and poking the crazy wasn’t the best idea.
"See that big bastard coming this way? He works for the man you let use your body. He's had men following you all week. Did you know that? When he gets here, you need to tell him that you're fine, that this is just a little lovers’ spat and you don't need his help."
Like hell she would. At this point, she'd take anyone in this marketplace over her stupid ex. Her gaze stayed riveted to the man coming toward her. As he got closer, she recognized him as the man who'd driven the car when Daniil took her home after their night together. What was his name? Viktor something?
"I suggest you take your hands off Julietta. Mr. Mikhailov will not be happy to hear you've hurt her."
Holy shit. Daniil's last name was Mikhailov? As in the Mikhailov Corp. that owned more real estate and businesses in and around Sydney than she could count? Everyone in Sydney knew that name. Hell, you'd have to have been living under a rock for the past ten years to not have.
"Juli is my fiancée, and we're just having a little lovers' spat. Isn't that right, babe?"
He'd lowered her arm down so she wasn't forced to stand on her tiptoes, but he'd tightened his grip on her wrist to the point she wondered if he was going to break it. She gave Viktor a pleading look as she shook her head slightly.
"Please."
She hoped Rodger thought she was agreeing with him, while she prayed Viktor could see she wasn't okay with this situation at all and would interfere. Hell, if Daniil’s man got her away from Rodger safely, she’d agree to go on as many dates as the man wanted. He would have more than earned it.
****
After Julietta had refused his dinner invitation last night, Daniil had planned to surprise her as she finished up at the markets today. He was determined to take her out for dinner, and he'd hoped that if he caught her in person, she wouldn't be able to turn him down to his face.
That plan changed when he received a text from Viktor letting him know her bastard of an ex had approached her at her stall. He'd been at home, preparing things for her arrival later, but dropped it all to rush to the market. Since their night together, he'd finally done a little digging into her past. She’d grown up tough, even before her mother committed suicide when she’d been only eighteen. Rodger was one of only two serious boyfriends she’d ever had. He'd also confirmed that she'd walked out on her ex after he'd hit her. She was a strong woman, but he wasn’t sure if Rodger had something that would make her go back to him. No way would Daniil lose his girl to a womanizing piece of shit who liked to hit those weaker than himself.
Both Viktor and his cousin, Yury, worked for Daniil and lived in the guest house on his property. Yury was home, so Daniil grabbed him on his way to the market. He wanted to put a little show on to warn Rodger to not mess with his girl ever again. The place was too populated to do him any damage, unfortunately.
Within minutes they were parked and rushing toward where he knew Julietta had her stall. They came up behind Rodger, who held his Julietta in what looked like a painful grip if the tense set of her shoulders were any indication. Viktor spotted them, and with a quick hand signal told him he needed to move in fast.
"I’ll handle this myself."
Normally he would be fine to allow Yury to take care of any troublemakers of Rodger’s level, but he wanted this bastard to know he was not a man afraid of getting his hands dirty to protect what, or who, was his.
Daniil stalked up behind Rodger, and before the other man realized he was in trouble, Daniil reached up and wrapped his palm over the top of his shoulder, digging his fingers in hard above the man's collar bone. With a curse, Rodger released Julietta and his shoulder slumped down with the pain Daniil was inflicting with his hold. Viktor quickly pulled her away from Rodger, gently guiding her over to the seat she had at the rear of her small stall. Daniil knew his friend would be assessing any injuries she might have.
"Consider this your final warning, Mr. Dirk. Touch what is mine again, and it will not end well for you. Do we understand each other?"
The little bastard tried to twist out of his hold, but Daniil kept his grip firm. This wasn’t Daniil’s first time doing something like this, as Rodger should well know. He gave him a shake when he stayed silent.
"Juli is not yours. She's mine. My fiancée!"
Daniil leaned down so his lips were close to Rodger's ear.
"You raised your fist to her, so that erased any claim you may have had. She no longer wears your ring, no longer wishes to have anything to do with you. Show some dignity and leave her alone. She will not be funding any of your endeavors ever again."
Daniil wasn't sure if Rodger realized he controlled most of the illegal gambling in the entire area, but the bastard should know with how much he gambled. But if he didn't, he was about to find out because after this little stunt, Daniil would be making some phone calls. Because the reason his Julietta
was currently living in a bloody share house with three other women was because this piece of shit had spent all her money gambling on things he clearly knew nothing about.
Using his grip on his shoulder, Daniil turned him to face Yury.
"Yury, please make sure Mr. Dirk gets home safely."
The grin on his friend's face was not pleasant. Daniil quietly chuckled at the shudder that ran through Rodger's body as he handed over his custody to Yury.
"Yes, sir. I'll escort him to his home and make sure he's settled in."
With that nod Daniil dismissed them and turned to focus on his girl. Viktor was still checking her wrist, which looked red and a little swollen. With three long strides, Daniil was at her side.
"Julietta, solnyshka moto, I swear trouble follows you."
He leaned in to press a kiss to her temple, loving how she tilted her head up to give him better access. He stroked his knuckles down her cheek.
"Viktor, does she need a doctor?"
His friend shook his head. "I don't believe so. Some ice would help reduce the swelling, but I don't believe he broke her wrist."
Daniil nodded before he pressed a finger gently under her chin to tilt her face up. She looked so fragile in that moment, and he wanted nothing more than to whisk her away, take her to his home where he could keep her locked away and safe from the evils of the world. "Are you all right, solnyshka moto?"
She licked her lips, drawing his attention to them. "Yeah. Thanks to Viktor. About that, what was he doing here?"
He looked deep into her gaze and knew he couldn't lie his way out of this. She’d already worked it out.
"How about you join me for dinner tonight and I'll explain to you why you now have a bodyguard?"
She looked torn for a moment. He knew she was trying hard to be all I'm-an-island, but he also knew she was naturally curious and she would want to know why he'd put guards on her. She was also feisty enough, she would want to rip into him about taking control of her life without her permission. He hoped being in a public restaurant would limit her reaction.
