Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
"Say that again." I wonder what his expectations are. "How long have you been your siblings' guardian? Eleven years?”
“Yes.”
Yikes. I always thought it was kind of sweet, even poignant, when a brother stepped up to guard his siblings in the role of father figure. Maybe my primal instincts tell me he’d do well as a father to my own children. Maybe it shows he’s dependable and trustworthy.
But I don’t know anything about him, not really. Perhaps he's incredibly permissive, letting them get away with murder. I give him a second look. No, that definitely wouldn't be his downfall. He’s probably the opposite—overbearing and authoritarian.
God. Maybe I should just wait and see and not make any rash judgments. I should probably stop trying to figure it all out right this minute.
"I have an uncle and aunt who live nearby," he says, "but they don't live here. I have staff as well. You did, too, Anissa."
That triggers a faint memory. I can't give him names or places, but I remember someone cooking in the kitchen, mopping the floors, folding laundry.
"Mmm. Yes. So what will you expect of me?" I ask, suddenly unsure. Am I supposed to be cooking? Cleaning? Taking care of the younger ones? Would that be strange? No, they're probably old enough not to need anyone like a mother.
"I’ve told you," he says, his voice soft but firm. "You’re expected to do what you're told."
Right. I blow out a breath, unimpressed with the platitude or threat. "For someone who's trying to improve his first impression on me, you could do a lot better, you know." I roll my eyes. "I just meant, do you expect me to cook? Clean? Things like that. Do I even know what I'm doing in the kitchen?"
"If you want to." He shrugs like it's no big deal. "Of course, for now, you're going to have to get better. Heal from your injuries. And you haven’t been in the kitchen yet, so time will tell.” He raises a brow to underscore his words. “After your leg is better.”
Great. I’m handicapped in more ways than one. I frown. "What exactly was my prognosis?"
"You’ll have the cast for a minimum of eight weeks. I’m watching you for signs of a concussion. You have no internal bleeding or bleeding on your brain, but I'm insisting you get a second scan in two days. You have lacerations on your back and arms and a sprained elbow."
"My god!" I gasp.
"You're lucky you're alive," he says, his voice low. "They said if you had been standing still and not running at the speed you were, you wouldn’t have made it."
I need to know the answers to the questions that haunt me. Why was I running? Why was I running from him?
"No running for a while, Anissa." It’s far from the first concern on my mind.
He stands in the doorway of a bedroom. The open door reveals a large primary suite. The room is grand, with high ceilings and soft, elegant lighting. A plush, deep indigo-colored rug covers the hardwood floor, and tall windows flood the space with light. The furniture is dark wood, rich and commanding, and there's a fireplace in the corner, unlit and cold. But what I notice most, of course, is the imposing bed in the center of the room. It dominates the space, draped in luxurious fabrics and surrounded by tall, intricately carved posts.
Again, this room looks somewhat familiar—and I wonder if I've seen it before. Or is it just that I've been in a place like this before?
No, no… he said that we were married. Not for long, but I have definitely been in this room before. Then why does it all look so new? I close my eyes because a headache is forming behind my temples, throbbing. I try to take in the details, but it's overwhelming. It feels as if someone's holding a metal pot in front of me and clanging it with a wooden spoon, the noise reverberating in my skull.
"Remember what I told you," Rafail says.
"You told me a lot of things," I say, trying to hide the petulant tone of my voice and failing. I’m tired. Overwhelmed.
"The doctor said too many questions or pushing too hard will impede your recovery. No more questions, Anissa. The doctor's coming in to check on you. I want you to rest. Are you hungry?"
I shake my head and resist the urge to lay it on his chest. It feels nice being carried like this, as if I'm weightless, by a strong man like him. I'd have to be immune to every female instinct in my body to not enjoy the way he holds me, nestled in his arms. I can feel the strength of his muscles and how he's not even struggling to carry me.
There's a couch in the bedroom with an array of pillows on it. Beside it is a small table and a few books. I look around the room, but there's not much to see. It's well-appointed but simple, not unlike a luxury hotel room. I half expect to see small bottles of body lotion and shampoo in the bathroom when I go, maybe white hand towels twisted into the shape of a dove.