you anytime!"
Sacha was obviously very wound up. I sat straight up in the bed. His angry voice hit me like a cold shower.
"What, is this some kind of a joke?" I yelled into the phone. "Why is my phone on voice mail? And why did you leave without saying anything?"
"Aha, so that's what this is all about..." He seemed to be gloating on the other end of the line. "Are you angry? Do you understand now?"
"Do I understand? No, I don't actually..."
"Well, you should ... I just showed you what can happen when you behave like a little girl, Miss Lanvin ... And unlike you, I called you last night ... but you didn't answer!"
"I don't need you to lecture me, Sasha. I apologized for last time, what more do you want? I feel as if I'm back in the school playground..."
"That's true! But I'll take care of this... You need to get a few lessons in manners, young lady ... and I intend to give you a few private lessons ... um ... very private ... I want to tame you, wild child!"
His voice took on a very different tone ... it was hot and very sensual. He was winning me over! I gave up any desire to fight, to take over, to make him pay ... I was just relieved that he'd called and our story was not over. I didn't need anything else for now. The certainty that at some point I was going to be able to curl up in his arms was enough to make me let my guard down completely. I was wrong, no doubt about that.
"I don't need any lessons, I said in a tone full of hidden meanings ... I could give you a few by the way, watch out ..."
"Um ... I think that could please me ... you as the schoolmistress ... but later! For now, you need to hurry and pack your bags. Your plane leaves for Hong Kong in two hours!"
"What? Uh, I mean, sorry? Hong Kong? Two hours? Impossible, I'm still in bed..."
"If you had answered the phone yesterday, you would have been able to organize yourself accordingly!"
Unbelievable, he always manages to shut me up.
"But, uh, no ... wait ... I can't..."
"Come on, hurry up," he said. "You are expected in Hong Kong. We are meeting potential clients. You don't want to be reprimanded when you have just taken on a new position, do you?"
"My new job? But I haven't said that I've accepted it yet..."
"Are you refusing it?" he cut in dryly.
"No, of course not..." (So much for me making an impact.)
"In that case, you have a plane to catch in two hours."
The minute he hung up, there was a knock at the door. Oh boy, everything felt completely muddled. In my head, in my life and in this suite ... Everything, absolutely everything, was just surprises, back pedaling and questions. My head was spinning and I couldn't think clearly.
Steven asked me if I was ready as we had to leave immediately for the airport.
Ready? No, of course I wasn't ready! I was still in my pajamas. There was no time to take a shower, and I quickly grabbed whatever clothes I could lay my hands on and shoved what I could into the bag. Fortunately, I hadn't unpacked yet.
I dashed into the bathroom, turbo-brushed my teeth, grabbed whatever I could and followed Steven. No question of missing the plane.
The airport, the flight and the landing passed in a flash. And even better, I slept the whole way, which stopped me going over and over the same questions about Sacha. Why doesn't he just let me go? Who is that blonde? What exactly is the nature of his relationship with Natalia? Is he really married? No, surely not ... But most of all: where did I fit in to all this? I felt I couldn't compete with all these women (and obviously there were many of them!) who had been a part of his life. I think this is what hurt me the most. Whenever I thought about it, it felt like a blade being rammed into my stomach. Would I just be his mistress? A maid-servant that is hidden away ... I didn't expect him to officialize our "relationship" (if it could be called a relationship?). That was not what I wanted or needed. But the idea that I would only be some fifth wheel, no matter what
Sacha was obviously very wound up. I sat straight up in the bed. His angry voice hit me like a cold shower.
"What, is this some kind of a joke?" I yelled into the phone. "Why is my phone on voice mail? And why did you leave without saying anything?"
"Aha, so that's what this is all about..." He seemed to be gloating on the other end of the line. "Are you angry? Do you understand now?"
"Do I understand? No, I don't actually..."
"Well, you should ... I just showed you what can happen when you behave like a little girl, Miss Lanvin ... And unlike you, I called you last night ... but you didn't answer!"
"I don't need you to lecture me, Sasha. I apologized for last time, what more do you want? I feel as if I'm back in the school playground..."
"That's true! But I'll take care of this... You need to get a few lessons in manners, young lady ... and I intend to give you a few private lessons ... um ... very private ... I want to tame you, wild child!"
His voice took on a very different tone ... it was hot and very sensual. He was winning me over! I gave up any desire to fight, to take over, to make him pay ... I was just relieved that he'd called and our story was not over. I didn't need anything else for now. The certainty that at some point I was going to be able to curl up in his arms was enough to make me let my guard down completely. I was wrong, no doubt about that.
"I don't need any lessons, I said in a tone full of hidden meanings ... I could give you a few by the way, watch out ..."
"Um ... I think that could please me ... you as the schoolmistress ... but later! For now, you need to hurry and pack your bags. Your plane leaves for Hong Kong in two hours!"
"What? Uh, I mean, sorry? Hong Kong? Two hours? Impossible, I'm still in bed..."
"If you had answered the phone yesterday, you would have been able to organize yourself accordingly!"
Unbelievable, he always manages to shut me up.
"But, uh, no ... wait ... I can't..."
"Come on, hurry up," he said. "You are expected in Hong Kong. We are meeting potential clients. You don't want to be reprimanded when you have just taken on a new position, do you?"
"My new job? But I haven't said that I've accepted it yet..."
"Are you refusing it?" he cut in dryly.
"No, of course not..." (So much for me making an impact.)
"In that case, you have a plane to catch in two hours."
The minute he hung up, there was a knock at the door. Oh boy, everything felt completely muddled. In my head, in my life and in this suite ... Everything, absolutely everything, was just surprises, back pedaling and questions. My head was spinning and I couldn't think clearly.
Steven asked me if I was ready as we had to leave immediately for the airport.
Ready? No, of course I wasn't ready! I was still in my pajamas. There was no time to take a shower, and I quickly grabbed whatever clothes I could lay my hands on and shoved what I could into the bag. Fortunately, I hadn't unpacked yet.
I dashed into the bathroom, turbo-brushed my teeth, grabbed whatever I could and followed Steven. No question of missing the plane.
The airport, the flight and the landing passed in a flash. And even better, I slept the whole way, which stopped me going over and over the same questions about Sacha. Why doesn't he just let me go? Who is that blonde? What exactly is the nature of his relationship with Natalia? Is he really married? No, surely not ... But most of all: where did I fit in to all this? I felt I couldn't compete with all these women (and obviously there were many of them!) who had been a part of his life. I think this is what hurt me the most. Whenever I thought about it, it felt like a blade being rammed into my stomach. Would I just be his mistress? A maid-servant that is hidden away ... I didn't expect him to officialize our "relationship" (if it could be called a relationship?). That was not what I wanted or needed. But the idea that I would only be some fifth wheel, no matter what
Similar Books
