I'm dedicating this part to MoonAndStarsAreMe - thank you for reading so far and leaving a vote :D it's great to know you're enjoying TM!
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My stomach grumbles as the scent of bacon wafts over to me. Gavrilo mixes the meat with the scrambled eggs, and it sizzles in the frying pan. I wouldn't have expected him to cook for himself, so the sight is quite surprising, though I'm more occupied with my growing hunger. While Gavrilo knows that I need my morning routine, he never said there wouldn't be any exceptions. Besides, I feel unusually calm. There's no trace of the edge that has me running for miles at times, but I could definitely use some food.
My stomach growls more forcefully, catching Gavrilo's attention. He hums thoughtfully, then fishes a crisp piece of bacon out of the pan. My mouth waters instantly, and I suck at my gum, already anticipating the strong flavour.
"Oh, completely forgot. You're one for early breakfast. Want a treat?" He dangles the meat in front of my face, and I bite down on my lower lip to fight off the urge to snap at him. He's teasing me, and he's having a blast. My eyes are glued to the bacon. He lifts it to his grinning lips, only to nibble at it.
Asshole. I avert my eyes sulkily, feeling stupid at the same time. I want to eat something, and I also want him to feed me. I imagine him pushing the food into my mouth, his fingers brushing past my lips and then lingering so I can suck them clean.
He pets my head with the hand that had been holding the bacon only a moment ago, and I curse him inwardly for depriving me of food. Still, his soft caress is appreciated. My eyes drop shut as I lean into the touch, and Gavrilo turns his eggs one-handedly so he can stay with me. He has to step away when a quiet, bright "ping!" reminds him that his bread rolls are ready, though.
He takes them out of the oven and they smell heavenly. There are four in total, which are definitely too many for him alone, but I think him capable of cooking too much simply to get my hopes up. I catch myself pouting and relax my lips. My stomach rumbles unsettled, almost drowning out the clicking of heels. I flinch, clawing at my own thighs as I become aware of the cum that has formed white crusts on my face and body. My eyes dart around, but since I'm sitting behind the counter, I can't see the room. Gavrilo looks up from his eggs, a smile forming on his lips.
"Didn't you say you were going to treat me to breakfast?" a familiar female voice purs, rich as the reddest wine. My eyes widen in shock, and my pride screams at me to run off. I edge closer to the counter - as if the furniture could hide me.
"As a way of apologizing, yes." Gavrilo laughs lightly, and it's quite charming in a boyish way. "Now you have me as your personal cook, who can say that?"
"You're giving yourself too much credit." She laughs as well, though. The clicking of her heels moving around on the parquet floor is driving me mad, and my ears are burning hot. "Where's your boy toy? Don't tell me you're just going to hide him like the others."
I frown at her words but don't have time to think about them because Gavrilo calls out to me.
"Dog, corner." I glance up to see him wave a hand to the far side of the room, and close my eyes while taking a shaky breath. Whatever. I'm his submissive, and if she thinks I can't still give her a good fuck, well, she's wrong. Just that there is no way I can prove that to her. I grit my teeth as I get onto all fours and crawl into the corner Gavrilo pointed to.
Her sharp intake of breath tells me that she's seen me. I keep my eyes and head down, though the tremble running through my body betrays my heart. I bite down on the insides of my cheeks.
"See? I'm not hiding anything."
"Oh, definitely not. You're not even cleaning him up afterwards?"
They're talking as if I wasn't here, or at least unable to understand them - and I have to act as if that were true. I take my position, facing the room.
"I think he looks perfectly fine like that."
The clicking of her heels follows me to the edge of the room and brings her endless legs into my field of vision. I can see the hem of her tight black and white dress that stops a finger's width below her pussy. I blink, refusing to look up further. She huffs disapprovingly.
"He's such a stud, and all you can think of is reducing him to something like this."
Her words sting.
"Maybe you just don't understand what this is," Gavrilo argues lightly, accompanied by the sounds of dishes being put on a table. It's comforting that he's defending me like this, or maybe he's just defending himself. "Ever thought about that?"
"Gav, I know what this about, so I can safely say that I'm an idependent woman, so I'm not just going to let some guy that I'm fucking put a collar around my neck."
He heaves a sigh and walks over to us, then briefly pets my head before slipping his hand around her waist. Their bodies are so close that when he leans in towards her, my insides clench nauseatingly. My empty stomach worsens the feeling.
"But you didn't come here to discuss sexual preferences with me, so let's eat," he says softly and guides her to the table. I allow the tension to show on my face when their backs are to me. It sucks that he just lets the topic drop like that - and I'd somehow thought he was going to kiss her, though that really shouldn't matter.
"I came here because I thought you'd invite me to some fancy brunch."
He pulls the chair back for her before taking the opposite seat.
"Dog, here," he orders and I crawl over to take my place at his right side. Again, his fingers find my hair to glide through the short strands, and I relax with a soft sigh. "So, how's the warehouse coming along?"
The term makes me perk my ears up. Her reluctance to answer peaks my interest further. Maybe my work is going to start paying off sooner than expected.
"I didn't come here to discuss business, either."
"I'm just asking."
"You're never just asking. How do you know about that, anyway?" When Gavrilo doesn't answer, she huffs angrily. "Well, then don't expect me to talk to you. You're not talking to me either."
"Miller told me."
"Will? The fucking snitch."
"He's my man. You go around asking about my business partners, of course, he's telling me. That's what I put him in your group for."
She laughs out loud, and I hear the cutlery clink as it drops back onto the plate. Her voice is dangerously low when she purrs, "That man is not your business partner."
"Oh, he very much is. We're doing everything we can to stay out of each other's way, that's what I'd call a partnership. Not the healthiest one, but-"
"He wants you dead," she interrupts flatly, and I frown at the conflicting emotions rising inside of me. I'm curious as to who they're talking about and strangely bothered by the prospect of someone hurting my master. Something that's to be expected given our relationship, yet quite troublesome. My therapist is going to love our sessions once I'm done here.
Gavrilo's words catch my attention. "Which is why you can tell your husband that he better stay miles away from Anders if he doesn't want to go down the same road as his father."
She jumps to her feet, pushing the chair back forcefully. Its legs scrape across the parquet floor, the sound as shrill as her voice. "You're threatening me?"
He heaves a sigh, getting up as well. His hand slips off my head, and a sense of loss grips my heart. I feel left alone. The tense atmosphere only makes it worse.
"Anne, don't think he can sabotage my business and get away unscathed. I wouldn't be here today if I just let something like that slip. You can be happy I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here, otherwise, you could look for a new husband," he says casually, almost bored as if he was talking about a painfully uneventful day at work. His cold attitude startles me. She slams her hand down on the table.
"He's my husband."
"I know. My father arranged the marriage, remember? So please, for the sake of our friendship, don't make me doubt your loyalties as well."
He is already doubting them, though, and I realize this might be the start of the road that would end at her grave. A calm dread settles on me, reining my heartbeat in again.
"You wouldn't dare kill me," she whispers apprehensively and Gavrilo lets out a dry chuckle.
"You know better than to think I'd be holding the gun."