Forbidden Desires

Chapter Four

A fitful sleep was broken by the dawn light coming through Amelia's bedroom windows. She blinked slowly as her surroundings—the beautiful furniture, the artwork, and the Nick Nolte films—came into focus from her calculating, lavish prison.

Amelia tensed up when she heard a quiet puff of breath beside her. She turned to see the vast majority of the emperor-sized bed occupied by Vladimir's broad, sleeping bulk. He threw his broad forearms over what was clearly "his" side of the mattress in a possessive manner.

So as not to disturb him, Amelia carefully untangled herself from the tangled bedsheets, then quietly took her robe and left the room. She let go of the breath she did not realise she was holding in the quiet hallway.

Following the severe humiliation on their wedding night, Amelia assumed It shouldn't come as a surprise to her that Vladimir had similar bad sleeping patterns. Still, a dumb part of her had foolishly believed that beneath that tough exterior of his, the man may harbour even a tiny bit of tenderness.

Twisting her silk robe tighter, Amelia pushed such childish ideas from her thoughts and stepped further inside the enormous estate's private wing. It felt better to take care of her everyday responsibilities than contemplate over disappointments now that the harsh reality of her one-sided marriage had fully set in.

She walked into a light-filled sitting area with big bay windows letting in early sunlight. The room was filled with beautiful antiques, enormous furnishings, and a rich floral scent

from the fresh bouquets scattered about.

"Mrs. Romanov," a clipped voice made Amelia turn to find one of the household staff members regarding her coolly. It was the same severe Russian woman who had fetched her on her wedding day. "I am Agata, Mr. Romanov's personal attendant, and I will be overseeing your activities here."

Agata's severe expression gave Amelia a pretty contemptuous look before she curtly nodded her grey head.

"Right this way for your morning refreshment."

The elder woman led Amelia under a well carved archway and into a sunny dining area. The table in the middle of the small, sunlit room was elegantly decorated with a variety of porcelain place settings and a thin vase filled with fresh calla lilies.

But it was the striking figure standing beside the tray of food that made Amelia catch her breath. There lounging with trademark casualness was Ryder Romanov himself, Vladimir's younger brother. And he seemed to bathe the entire room in charm just by his presence.

Vladimir's younger brother Ryder Romanov was there, lounging with his signature carefree demeanour. And just by being there, he seemed to add appeal to the whole space.

"Mrs. Romanov," he said, coming forward as Amelia came in and grinning easily. At close range, his stature matched her memory of the wedding, although with a little more casual appearance due to the fact that he was wearing a white linen shirt with rolled sleeves.

Amelia's heart raced as Ryder took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, giving her knuckles a long, passionate kiss. "Pardon my interruption. I'm afraid I was left to handle the hospitality upon your arrival while Vladimir was attending conference calls."

Amelia timidly lowered her eyes, but she could already begin to feel her cheeks growing flushed. "Not at all, Mr. Romanov. I should be thanking you for taking the time."

"Please, call me Ryder," he corrected in that deep, slightly husky tone. "We're family now, after all." With a roguish wink, he unexpectedly sent another shiver down her spine.

Feeling agitated, Amelia turned to face the no-nonsense Agata, seeking guidance on how to respond. The gloomy attendant's face froze in a bland, disapproving expression.

"Some fresh fruit and Kyiv cake for the new bride," Ryder went on smoothly, gesturing toward the silver tray of treats. His hazel eyes sparkled impishly as he added, "I thought you'd appreciate a little taste of Eastern European hospitality to start your day off properly."

"Oh, you simply shouldn't have..." With Ryder's easygoing demeanor, Amelia felt anxious and uncomfortable more often than she would like to admit. As it was, the man's dreamy aura made the the breakfast nook's vibrant feminity feel oddly diminished.

Pouring her a small cup of fragrant black tea from an ornate samovar, Ryder shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Come now, I'm sure you've already had your fill of enough boring formalities this week. We may be newly conjoined by marriage, but that doesn't stop us from being friends too, right?"

Once more, his lush gaze found hers and held it steadily. Amelia felt something hitch in her chest, like a bird trapped within her rib cage hoping to take wing. It was unnerving, this strange electricity charging the air between them.

She noticed Agata hovering close but with her face turned away, as if to grant them privacy she disapproved of. But Ryder appeared unaffected by the servant's presence.

"Ryder..." Amelia heard herself begin tentatively, wanting to steer their interaction back to solid ground. She cleared her throat before continuing.

"I suppose I should thank you again, properly this time, for being so welcoming to me here at your family's estate. It's been a rather overwhelming transition into married life these past few days, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Ryder's visage changed slightly at her words, a barely noticeable sadness passing across those sharp features and then disappearing. He reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her cheek, murmuring, "My dear, sweet girl..." "You've no notion of the half."

At his gentle touch, Amelia paused, listening breathlessly for his next words. However, the meaty clearing of someone's throat broke the silence before Ryder could say anything more.

They turned and saw Vladimir Romanov himself, standing like a human monolith at the dining nook's threshold, his face wearing a somewhat dubious expression as he took in the sight.

"I thought I might find my bride down here," he growled quietly. His eyes slowly roamed up and down Amelia in her silk robe before flicking over to Ryder.

Almost immediately, Ryder straightened up, as if suddenly remembering his place. Amelia saw his demeanor cool to a polite, neutral chilliness in the presence of his elder brother.

"Forgive me, Vladimir, I didn't wish to intrude," he said easily, giving a slow dip of his head. "I was simply welcoming Amelia over some morning tea before her day got underway."

Vladimir's thick eyebrows bunched together as he grunted wordlessly for a long moment. The air in the dining nook grew heavy with tension, as though all the lightness that had previously graced the space with Ryder's presence had disappeared in an instant.

Stepping forward, Vladimir fixed his muscular arm possessively around Amelia's waist in a non-negotiable gesture. His grip was like a vice, pressing down on her abdomen with weight.

"See that you don't overstep your boundaries in future, brother," Vladimir warned, every consonant rasping from his mouth dripping with undisguised condemnation. "This woman is my wife now, with all the privileges and deference owed to my household that portends. Do try to remember your place."

In a sly show of power, Vladimir led Amelia towards him, causing her skin to flush with ashamed heat. Too ashamed to be treated like some random spoils of victory, she avoided looking at Ryder.

For his part, Ryder's face remained an unreadable mask as he inclined his head deferentially to the rebuked. "Of course, Vladimir. My familiarity was untoward."

The words sounded hollow, unconvincing, but Amelia didn't dare linger long enough in his presence to weigh their sincerity. Instead she meekly followed as Vladimir marched them from the dining area without so much as a dismissive word toward his chastised brother or staff.

They rounded the corner in step and almost immediately, Vladimir brutishly backed Amelia up against the corridor's plaster wall, pinning her in place like quarry in his powerful clutches.

"How I loathe being made a fool of in my own house..." he seethed, his eyes narrowing to furious slits studying her. "Give me cause to believe you are not fooling with me."

"I am fooling with you."

"Liar. Liar!" He yelled, raising a hand on her which stopped mid way in the air.

His eyes were full of fury and powerful rage. He managed to control himself but in doing so ended up punching the wall instead of her. He left her all alone in anger, stomping off the scene.