Boxed Set: Seduced For Revenge (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (10 page)

Part Three

Koltan did not return that night and it gave Victoria a chance to think about her next move. It was definitely the right time to confront Harmon. His response to her would determine whether or not to take this further. Would he be remorseful or arrogant about it? She was almost certain that the man would snub her again.

She put all the files together, along with the tape she got from Eli and the recording sessions she did with Marcy. It would have been nice to hear from Thomas as well, but the man was dead, so there was nothing she could do about it.

She smiled, looking at the package
.“
This is it Harmon. Tomorrow we meet again
.”
It was going to be tricky getting to Harmo
n’
s mansion after work and before Koltan got home. She wondered if perhaps she should take some time during the day and meet the man. All she knew was that she wanted to wait no longer. After placing the files in her bag with some excitement, her mood started to change when Koltan entered her thoughts.

He had
n’
t called and she began to worry. Worrying had become a habit of hers as far as he was concerned and it seemed there was
n’
t a darn thing she could do about it. At around midnight she called his number, but it rang without answer.

“
Wha
t’
s going on
?”
She questioned the empty room.

It was eight minutes after two in the morning when she climbed beneath the covers and fell asleep after much tossing and turning. It was a fitful sleep that yielded little rest. All too soon, the alarm was going off.

Her hand reached out and hit the snooze, but the thing kept buzzing until she opened one eye and peered at it. It was not the alarm, but her cell phone ringing. It took her a while to pick it up and slide the green symbol across the touch screen

“
Hello
?”
She answered, in a croaky voice.

“I’
m sorry to have woken you
,”
it was Koltan on the other end.

She looked over at the time and it was close to six
o’
clock
.“
It was time to get up anyway. Wha
t’
s the matter
?”
She asked.

“
I wanted to come back, but I could
n’
t
,”
he replied.

“
Koltan, wha
t’
s the matter? Tell me
,”
she insisted.

There was some silence on his end for a few seconds, then he said
,“
I
t’
s my father. H
e’
s been admitted to hospital
.
”

The first thing that went through Victori
a’
s mind was
,“
No! I need to see him today. I need to confront him today
!”
But instead she said to Koltan
,“I’
m sorry. Is it serious
?
”

“
H
e’
s got Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
,”
he told her.

“
Cruze-what
?
”

“
I
t’
s a degenerative disease that eats away at the nervous system. H
e’
s slowly fading, his mind, everything is going and there is nothing anyone can do
.
”

This was not good for Victoria. How could she exact her revenge on a dying man? What should she do now? A tightness could be felt in the middle of her chest and a heavy feeling came over her. It was more than disappointment, more like despair. Sh
e’
d promised her mother to clear her fathe
r’
s name, now how was she to do that?

“I’
m sorry Koltan, is there anything I can do
?”
She heard herself asking the son of the man she hated most in the world.

She also found herself wondering, how in the world could she care so deeply for the son of the man she hated? The phone almost slipped through her fingers at the thought. It never once occurred to her that she cared about Koltan, so why did the thought pop into her head?

“
I just want to hold you, can I do that today? Just hold you
?”
He asked.

“
Sure? Bu
t…,”
she answered and then he cut in.

“
’I’
ll be at your door in five minutes
,”
he replied and then hung up.

He was as good as his word and was knocking at her door in the five minutes he told her. Sh
e’
d taken one minute of that time to brush her teeth and another thirty seconds to run a brush through her hair. Sh
e’
d also managed to pull on a pair of shorts under the T-shirt she slept in.

He engulfed her in his arms as soon as she opened the door. She could feel the tension in his body as she embraced him. They stood like that for a while in the doorway, under the scrutiny of a few neighbors.

“
Koltan
,”
she said, his name quietly.

“
Hmm
?”
He murmured.

“
Le
t’
s not stand in the doorway. The neighbors are watching
,”
she whispered against his neck.

He loosened his grip briefly to allow them to enter the apartment and close the door behind them, then he pulled her into his arms once more. Like a loving mother, she ran her hand gently up and down along his spine in a soothing manner.

“
That feels good, do
n’
t stop
,”
Koltan urged
.“
I love it when you feel me up
.
”

Victoria pushed him away and saw that he was smiling
.“
You pervert
,”
she teased
.“
Feeling better
?
”

“
Hmmm
,”
he nodded
.“
Do I smell coffee
?
”

“
You have a nice way of asking for something.
I’
ll get the coffee on, but be warned,
I’
m going to be late for work
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re not going in today
,”
he announced while following her to the kitchen.

“
Wha
t…
why
?
”

He walked up behind her while she poured water into the maker, hugging her from behind
,“
Because I need my girlfriend today
.
”

Her heart skipped a beat at the wor
d‘
girlfrien
d’
. A few weeks ago sh
e’
d cringed at the thought of being his girlfriend, now it did
n’
t sound so bad to her. What are you thinking, Victoria? H
e’
s still the enem
y’
s son.

She wriggled out of his arms and reached for the bag of Blue Mountain Peak coffee. She could feed his eyes following her, resulting in a rush of heat climbing up her neck and onto her cheeks. With a little tremor in her hand she poured the grounds in the filter, snapped the lid shut and flicked the switch.

She kept her back to him while the coffee brewed, pretending to organize the items on the counter. His eyes were still on her and it annoyed her that her nipples had hardened thinking about him watching her.

“
So, what do you think
?”
She heard Koltan ask.

“
Huh
?”
she snapped her head around, not realizing he had been talking to her.

“
Were you even listening
?”
He asked, his eyes resting on her nipples which were standing at attention under her shirt.

She blushed
,“I’
m sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying
?
”

He moved and stood before her, then he reached around her with both hands as if to embrace her, however, he flicked the switch on the percolator and exclaimed
,“
Coffe
e’
s ready
!
”

Disappointment washed over her because she thought he was going to hug her and even kiss her. She turned her back to him once more and poured coffee in two mugs, a little miffed with herself for her lax in emotional control just then.

He took the mug offered to him and headed to the couch in the tiny living room
.“
Why are you holding back
?”
He said before taking a sip of the hot liquid.

“
What do you mean
?”
She asked, innocently.

“
Us, you hold yourself back. You do
n’
t say what you feel. You do
n’
t do what you feel like doing
,”
he told her, his eyes lingering on her lips.

“
Tha
t’
s not true
!”
She protested, hotly.

“
Okay, you wanted me to kiss you in the kitchen, but you held back
,”
as he said it, he slid closer to her on the couch and placed his coffee on the center table
.“
Like now, you are pretending that you do
n’
t want me to nibble your ear, or touch your breasts. You want me to do
n’
t you
?
”

“
No
,”
she mumbled.

“
See, I can see that you do, but your lips say something else
,”
he said, dipping his head and pressing his lips to her neck.

Victoria jumped at the contact. A bolt of electricity shot through her as his lips touched her skin. His lips continued to trail a hot path along her neck and up to her temple. She tried to ignore the sensations being evoked within her, but they were too intense. She was about to turn towards his lips when he suddenly stood and picked up his coffee.

“
So what are we going to do all day
?”
he asked, taking a sip and looking down at her, before walking to a painting on the wall
.“
Rembrandt
?”
he nodded towards the piece.

“
No, some local artist. Are
n’
t you supposed to be going to the hospital? And what was it you were asking earlier
?”
Her irritation showed in her voice.

“I’
ll go to the hospital later and I was asking you if you think I should find out why that guy killed himself
?
”

“
Who
?”
She asked, not comprehending.