Chapter 205: The feelings for him

The curtain was pulled back suddenly and my eyes snapped open instinctively to look in that direction. Andrey Volkov immediately froze when he looked down on me and caught me staring up at him. That second stretched on like an eternity and I didn't know how I felt as I looked at him and those dark eyes. He probably realized that I heard their conversation.

God! I was happy to see him. But my heart was hurting at the same time.

“Elena,” The spell broke and Andrey rushed to the side of the bed. He curled his hand around mine and the feeling of his warm skin sent tears over the edge. A hard sob wrenched itself from my lips and I felt like a fool crying for him.

“Shit! Baby, I'm here. I have got you,” He leaned down and scooped me into his arms, holding me tight and allowing me to release everything without a question. “I have got you baby, you’re now safe,” He whispered again.

His warmth felt unnatural almost too hot for human skin—and I could feel the faint tremor of something wild beneath it. The steady rhythm of his heart against my cheek was thunderous, almost… I couldn’t explain it.

I silently listened to him but after the shock of my memories hitting me, I managed to pull myself together. I took several deep breaths and built up the courage to push Andrey away. His dark eyes with their brilliant blue flecks stared at me, brows raised up as he silently questioned me.

But I couldn’t look at him without seeing the face of that woman between his legs.

“What happened?” I wrapped up my arms around my chest, hugging myself under his burning gaze.

“You were pushed. I was leaving the ballroom to come find you when I saw it happen. You have a mild concussion and a strained ankle, on top of some bruising,” I listened to him as he spoke but when he reached out for my hand, I instantly pulled back.

There was something in the way he said it, that made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up.

“Who was she?” I looked out of the window as I asked. I was unable to look him in the eyes. I heard him sigh and the bed dipped as he sat at my side.

“She was my assistant but we will never see her again,” He growled.

That sound, it wasn’t a normal growl. It was low, but rumbling deep from his chest. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes, totally unbelieving him.

“Harriet will never hurt you again. I promise, baby,”

“Baby!!!” The pet name was like a knife twisting in my heart.

“She told me things. Before she pushed me.” Clenching my eyes, I took a deep steadying breath. I needed to end things with Andrey Volkov. Even with the contract. I would pay it all back if I had to. Five hundred thousand dollars was a lot but I could work it out if I had to.

“Elena, what's wrong?” His brow furrowed and I felt his hand on my thighs. His hand was still comforting through the layers of the hospital blankets.

“She told me that she was with you. Like with you.” Another stray tear slipped down my cheek. “And I guess I just thought... we were exclusive during the contract.”

After I forced those words out, the utter silence in the cold room was harsh. Andrey didn’t say a word for a moment and I found myself angling my face to look at him again.

“Shit! Elena.” He sighed then removed his hand from my thigh. He rubbed it over his face then looked around the room.

“We are exclusive,” He spoke in a low voice.

“Yes we are. But she hated me enough to push me down a flight of stairs. Andrey, please, just tell me the truth,” I whimpered and swallowed another sob before it could get free.

Andrey pushed off the bed and stood with his back to me. His hands were on his hips and it looked like there was a weight on his shoulders. His back muscles tensed beneath his shirt, a ripple of restrained strength that made something inside me flinch. There was a wildness to him then—like he was barely containing something beneath his skin.

He later spun around and there was something in his eyes that made me flinch.

“Dammit,” He cursed and pressed his balled fist into his forehead.

“She pushed you down the flight of fucking stairs and you’re thinking about me,” He all of the sudden fell to his knees beside the bed and grabbed my hand in a blink of an eye, causing me to gasp. His movement was too fast, too precise.

“Fucking hell, Elena. I thought you would wake up worried about the ballet and your dancing. For fuck’s sake not me. You're worried about what that bitch told you that much?”

“Yes,” I whined, my lip trembling.

He lowered his head and buried his face against my thigh. Even through the blanket, I felt the warmth of his breath, hot, heavy, and trembling. His scent filled the air, sharp and earthy, something primal that made my pulse skip.

Yes, I was worried. Even now I wanted to run my fingers through his hair but his hand was holding mine against his lips. I felt his gentle kisses against my knuckles and that made something twirl in my belly.

“I have always been honest with you, Elena.” He lifted up his head but kept my hand pressed against his cheek. “There were a few times when Harriet sucked me off in my office but it never went beyond that!”

“Alright,” I curtly replied.

“And I never touched her after signing the contract, Elena,” He spoke then climbed up on the bed, still holding my hand, then pressed it against his chest.

I felt his pounding heart under his skin, it wasn’t beating like a normal heart. It was faster, stronger, vibrating through my palm like a drum of power that made my breath hitch. Those dark eyes trapped me.

“Believe me, baby. When I had you, there was no one else. Never,” He spoke in a low voice.

Why did it matter to me so much?! But I knew why... I had feelings for him regardless of the truth, I wanted to know about him.

“Promise,” My voice was barely above more than a whisper. But Andrey heard me loud and clear. He kept moving closer, the gap between us growing smaller.

“Of course. Goddamn, I'm wrapped up around your little finger, baby.” He released a shaky exhale, the scent of his breath warm against my face.

“When I saw you fall, I was so worried about you,” He gently cupped my face and I gasped at how tender my lip felt. With the dark bruises on my arm, I worried my face might be black and blue.

Yet Andrey Volkov still looked at me as if I was the only thing in this world worth looking at. With everything between us and his constant honesty, I did believe him.

And even though I didn’t understand why his touch seemed to hum with power, or why I sometimes heard a faint growl behind his words, I couldn’t help but lean into him drawn to the man who felt almost too human to be real.