My Russian Master (Service & Submission Book 3) (20 page)

He leaned over, slapping her bottom — hard.

“That hurt!” she said, pouting at him.

“Good! Get up, or you’ll get more. We don’t want you running late and getting yourself in trouble.”

Caroline climbed off the bed, rubbing her stinging backside. Making her way to the bathroom, she climbed into the shower, sighing as the hot water sluiced over her skin.

She was going to be weighed tomorrow! She’d been taking laxatives and diet pills all week, and her clothes
were
looser. She knew that when it came time, Maxim would be amazed at the amount she’d lost.

Now, if she could just start feeling well again. She’d been dizzy and nauseous for days. In the end, it had been worth the risks — and the short-term effects on her body. Her goal was to show Maxim how hard she’d been trying, and to demonstrate to Derek how successful her fitness trainer had been. She had a stash of pills here, but on the mornings that she couldn’t get away from Maxim, she kept some in her desk at work too. That way, she didn’t have to worry about any trouble.

A part of Caroline worried about Maxim discovering what she’d been doing. He’d said that he’d “blister her ass” if he determined that she’d been struggling with anorexia or bulimia again. She should have said something and confessed, but part of her didn’t want him to “fix it.” She
wanted
to continue with what she’d been doing — even though she knew it was wrong and unhealthy.

She understood the psychological factors, knew that it was about control. Only she could control her body — although she’d given Maxim consent to control her body in practically every way. But, she knew that dieting would cause a relapse of her illnesses. Still, she actually
enjoyed
it on some level. Most people hated the sensation of their stomach growling, yet she found an odd comfort in it. She stopped telling people; it wasn’t something that most people could understand anyway. So, she kept it to herself.

She didn’t want to hurt herself, or become sick. That had never been her goal. Even in college, once Avery figured out what Caroline was dealing with, her stubborn best friend hovered over her, making sure she was okay. Part of her had been glad that Avery cared about her so much. Caroline had responded to Avery’s care, love, and persistent diligence — all of which were required to keep her from being consumed by her self-destructive behaviors.

Is that what I’m doing this time? Am I waiting for him to find out, and then hope he exhibits the same love and care that Avery did?

She hadn’t thought about it that way before. Maybe that was it?

Now was not the time to think about that though. She needed to ingest her pills before he came searching for her. Caroline’s only concern today was to stick to her diet, take her pills, and eat as little as possible.

* * *

M
axim dropped some dehydrated berries into the oatmeal before putting it on simmer. He placed the bowl of fresh fruit in front of her spot at the counter, sitting down with his laptop, opening it up to
The Gazette
to read the news. After reading the world news, he scrolled to the business section.

What he saw, made him inhale loudly.

Caroline Turner Hires Illegal Immigrants.

His first reaction was fear, then the anger boiled up within him. How dare they?
Lies.
He had his legal documents, and he’d lived in New York City before. Thankfully, he had made sure all his paperwork was in order
before
he ever signed them with Caroline.

He had a more pressing concern though: how to break this to Caroline, and how to keep her emotionally stable during the process that would inevitably follow. The press would be hounding her, if they weren’t already standing outside her penthouse. Jason would certainly know.

Maxim would just have to keep her safe. But, she needed to get past the reporters and paparazzi to get to work and calm the Board and her staff — but first, she needed to get there safely.

“Hey sexy, thanks for the wake-up call this morning.” Caroline ran her hand over his shoulders, her kiss slow and languid, before she sat at her spot at the counter. “This fruit looks amazing.”

“You’re welcome, Caro.” He stood to get her a cup of coffee, noticing her eyes scanning his open laptop.

“What. The. Fu—”

“Caroleena! Keep yourself calm.” He sat down next to her, grabbing her hand. “Look at me.”

When she finally pulled herself away from the laptop, looking at him, sparks practically flew from her eyes, her nostrils flared, teeth gritted.

He talked to her calmly and slowly, as one might a fractious animal. “It’s all lies. We know it’s lies. We will contact your attorney — and the Board. I have all my paperwork in order.”

“How could this happen?
How?
I did all the right things.” Her eyes darted to the laptop then she looked at him once more, eyebrows drawn together, her confusion plain as she stared at him.

“I know you did. Do you know someone who would want to destroy you with lies? Someone who is hoping it will ruin you?” Maxim would tear him apart with his bare hands. She didn’t deserve this.

“Oh, I definitely know who did this. Derek Miller. He’s been my nemesis since the beginning of my career. We both vied for this business. The board selected me over him, due to his underhanded tactics and his vindictiveness. He’s been trying to find a way to destroy me ever since.” She leapt up, her stocking feet pacing on the shiny white tile. “I swear to God, I’ll go over there this morning and confront him. He can’t just get away with making up lies about me! Everyone is going to see this, and believe it. He knows that.”

Jason stormed into the room. “You will
not
confront him, or even go over to Miller & Sons. It’s not safe. Your attorney will handle it and advise you on what needs to be done. However, nothing stops
me
from going over there. I swear, I’ve wanted to get my hands on this asshole for years.” He snatched a K-cup from the stand, making himself a cup of coffee.

Maxim cautioned, “Jason, I understand where you’re coming from. I feel the same, but that won’t help this situation — and might make it worse. We need to keep cool, and think about this. Good morning by the way.”

The tic in Jason’s jaw gave Maxim an idea of how seriously the man took his job of protecting, Caroline. “Damn! I know you’re right, but Christ, I just want to slam my fist into his face. He’s been an ass to her for years, making her cry on a regular basis.”

Maxim turned to address Caroline, placing his hands on his hips. “How come I’m just hearing about this… ass? Why did you not tell me about him before now? I need to know too.”

“Let’s keep in mind that I’m in charge around here, gentlemen. And I can’t remember to tell each of you everything that happens in my day. You will each be told things
when
I decide you need to know.”

Jason opened his mouth to reply, but Maxim put his hand up, stopping him. In two long strides, Maxim stood toe-to-toe with the sassy, upset woman. He’d remind her — again — that he cared little what emotional state she was in at that moment. She
would
treat him with the respect he demanded.

“First, little girl, you will
not
speak to me as if I am a child. You do
not
take that tone with either of us. Second, if you forget, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it, your bottom will be bared and paddled. Am I clear?”

He watched her throat work as she swallowed, her large green eyes unblinking as she nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Better. Now, Jason feel free to add to this if you want.” He raised an eyebrow at Caroline, an unspoken warning to her to stay quiet.

Jason drew close to her, keeping her between the two hulking men. “I need to know
any
dealings you have with that asshole, from this point on. I don’t care if all he does is walk into a store at the same time you do. You’ll tell me. And you
will
tell me immediately.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Jason, do you think she should go into work today to talk to staff and the Board, or would it be better for her to stay here? Maybe she should talk to her attorney and send emails to the rest?” Maxim sat at the counter, motioning Lena to come to him.

Her eyes grew bright with tears as she walked to him, and Maxim drew her into his embrace, sitting her upon his left thigh. She rested her head against his shoulder, melting into his protective arms. He knew she needed him to take care of these details for her today; simply keeping her emotions under control would be hard enough for her as it was.

“I think it would be best to stay in the penthouse today, Caroline.” Jason waved his hand toward the window.” There are probably reporters and creeps all over the sidewalk in front of the building. You can communicate just as easily from your house.”

“Yeah, I think being at home might be the best thing for you to do today.” Maxim wrapped his arms even tighter around her body. He’d pamper her, helping her to organize a plan of action would be their first task, then he’d distract her with a good movie, a work out, and sex.

Jason grabbed the keys from the counter. “I’m going to do some sniffing around and see what I come up with. I’ll keep you all posted.”

“Definitely. And, Jason, thank you. From both of us.”

Maxim shook his hand, before Jason strode out the door.

* * *

W
ith Maxim sitting next to her, Caroline took a deep breath and listened by speaker phone to Dan Forrester, the president of the board of directors for Turner Marketing, as he asked questions about Maxim’s legal paper and if he’d filled out the Immigration papers before being hired.

“Sir, I assure you, we have all the appropriate paperwork right in front of us. Maxim Volkov has been employed in America before, right here in New York City in the
Russian Room
as a chef. I requested— and received — copies of all his legal documents before I even hired him. Everything is above board.”

“You do know that this could seriously damage business, right? Even if this is ultimately found to be libel… this mess has the possibility of destroying Turner Marketing.” Dan sighed loudly through the phone.

“Yes, Sir. I’m well aware. But as we speak, my attorney, Russell Kisker, is contacting Miller & Sons today as well as
The Gazette
. They’re going to be informed that they have to produce the documents they used as proof. In addition, papers are being filed with the judge this afternoon to assure that this is getting a quick court date. Once I’ve been informed, I’ll then notify all the media outlets of the court date and our case against Miller & Sons for libel.” Maxim grabbed her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She wasn’t sure how she would’ve gotten through this day without him.

Dan inquired, “Do you have any plans for how you can boost your business in the interim?”

“Yes, I do, Sir. I’ve contacted my media personnel, and they’ve already been given double this month’s budget to purchase television, radio, and mobile ads. They’ve been told that we are to push our business — hard. We will make sure our company is visible and that the press reports are clear that we have the required Immigration Department documents. I plan on making them available to the press.” Her voice shook with both her anger and her fear. She’d worked way too hard to lose this business. It had taken every bit of energy she had to keep it afloat.

At that moment though, she didn’t have much energy; not eating well had depleted her of the nutrients she needed to cope with this level of stress.

Her stomach started to growl, her stomach roiling. Immediately, Maxim’s eyebrows rose, and he jumped up to get her some yogurt and a small block of Colby jack cheese. She’d told him before the phone call that it was nerves. The last thing she needed was for him to know that laxatives and her seriously restricted caloric intake were making things much worse.

Dan’s voice jolted her out of her reverie. “Well, it sounds like you have it all under control, Caroline. I’ll inform the other board members, but I want you to know we’re here to support you on this.” Dan cleared his throat. “If you need any further funds to keep the business afloat, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m sorry about all this — I know it must be very upsetting. You’ve worked hard to not only maintain a strong presence, but to excel in this field.”

“Thank you, Dan. I’ll be in touch.” She clicked the phone off, and exhaled long and slow, getting her nerves under control. Maxim nodded to the yogurt and cheese, silently urging her to eat it.

“I’m not sure I’m hungry,” she lied, looking up at him through her lashes.

His finger tilted her chin up. “Caroleena, your belly doesn’t make a sound like that unless it is hungry. You will eat. No arguments.”

She threw him a pout, but picked up her spoon — and ravenously devoured the yogurt. As she expected, he’d given her the high protein, richer one.

She could only hope that working out and purging would negate those extra — and delicious — calories.