My Sweet Punishment by Amelia Brooks (best book club books of all time .TXT) 📕

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” Henry said, his blue eyes burning through my face. And then he asked softly, “Don’t you want to explain to me something, probably?”

For some reason, I was in no hurry to answer. Either the sudden appearance of the man hit me like a ton of bricks or his behavior.

His voice seems to be too calm. It’s too out of keeping with the grim expression on his face that’s giving me the creeps right now. It seemed that one more second and he’ll lose his patience.

And by the way, my patient will run dry soon, too... Why did he come?! Doesn’t he like that he lost his toy? It seems to have hurt his precious ego. He’s probably not used to being rejected so quickly.

I hurriedly slammed the front door behind me and stepped out onto the landing. I don’t want my family to witness the upcoming conversation. It would be obviously not the most pleasant one.

“I don’t think I have to explain anything to you,” I finally broke the tense silence. “I guess I made it clear in the message.”

“Oh, really?!” the man growled, advancing on me. Well, apparently, he lost his patience, after all.

“Take it easy, Mr. Collins,” I said, slowly backing away and trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. I was like an inexperienced trainer, calming an angry lion. But the trembling in my knees was harder to stop. Anyway, I still went on with my thought. “You said yourself that you need to be able always to control your emotions. Right? Or am I confusing something?”

“Mia,” Collins whispered hoarsely, his lips almost touching the tip of my ear. His velvety voice vibrated powerfully through my entire body.

I didn’t notice the moment when my back hit the cold windowsill. Well, that’s it… There is nowhere else to retreat. The lighting on the landing was very dim and too... intimate or sort of.

I tried to push the man who was already leaning over me away from me, but it was obviously difficult. And to all my pathetic attempts, Henry didn’t seem to pay any attention at all.

“What happened?” he asked softly, slowly running the back of his hand over my cheek. And without waiting for my answer, he said firmly, “I don’t know what you’ve already gotten into your head, sweetie, but I won’t let you go so easily.”

At first, I was really taken aback by his abrupt change of mood and, I admit that I even began to melt with his languishing tenderness. But I pulled myself together in time and, abruptly removing his broad palm away from my face, hissed angrily:

“You probably tell such wonderful tales to your bride too?”

I was definitely able to surprise the man, judging by how quickly he pulled away from me.

“So you did find out,” he said matter-of-factly, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting one. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t going to tell you about it, but now…”

“Of course, you weren’t going!” I said, interrupting him. “There were definitely more other interesting things to do with me rather than talking!”

“Mia, I spend three hours trudging to this dullsville not to listen to some bullshit. And I can’t stand drama queen behavior...” he warned, rubbing his temples wearily.

“Yeah?! And I can’t stand YOU!” I seethed with anger, and I was on tilt. Taking a deep breath, I quickly blurted out. “Anyway, everything that happened between us was wrong and I didn’t want it…”

And a second later, I realized with horror what I had just said. I just literally called the man a rapist! There was an oppressive silence, and then I heard a low baritone voice, in which I distinctly caught a steely note:

“Oh, so you didn’t want it” he clenched his jaw so tightly that I could see the muscles in his cheekbones twitching.

Suddenly, the front door of my apartment opened, and Liam came out on the landing.

“Mia, are you all right?” the friend asked anxiously, time and again glancing in Collins’s direction.

Henry, too, looked coldly at the unexpected witness to our conversation, and for a moment, even frowned. I wanted to groan out loud in frustration. What a bad time Liam appeared. The last thing I need here right now was a showdown.

But Henry calmly put out his cigarette on a makeshift ashtray in the form of an empty tin can which was standing on the windowsill and then said something that completely stunned me.

“Well, Ms. Brown, I’ll be waiting for you then at the workplace on Monday,” he said in a businesslike tone and, after a cold goodbye, turned to the stairs.

It was only when Collins was completely out of sight that I allowed myself a sigh of relief. All the time she’d been talking to Henry, I’d been as taut as a string. I can’t show him how much he hurt my feelings. And seeing him on my doorstep today, I suddenly realized that I’m an idiot even missed him...

I quickly turned to the window so that Liam wouldn’t see the treacherous tears watering my eyes.

“Mia?” I was startled by a slight touch on my shoulder. “Who was that? And what did he want from you?”

“My boss… Apparently, I was too late with the report,” I smiled sadly, trying to laugh it off. “It’s all right, Liam. Let’s go. My relatives have probably been waiting for us.”