I stood staring out the window as I listened to the ticket agent. It was a beautiful place, but I was glad to be returning home. “I have two seats available on the eleven o’clock flight. Would it be suitable?”
I responded without hesitation. “Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you.” I read out the card number for payment, and he confirmed the booking. Placing my cell phone back in my pocket, I turned to Zhen.
Staring at her, I let my eyes drift over her, trying to absorb as much of her as I could. I noticed a small hickey I had seemingly left on the side of her breast. A visible sign of what had transpired between us.
I felt a cocky smile crossing my lips. I loved that I was her first and was the reason for her peaceful smile. Shaking my head, I poured a cup of tea and walked to her side of the bed.
“Zhen,” I said softly, caressing her arm.
She stirred, blinked, and glanced at me. “Is it time to go?” she asked in a groggy tone.
Smiling at her, I shook my head lightly as I replied. “No, not yet, but it’s time to get up. I brought you some tea.”
I stepped back and waited for her to sit up before handing her the cup. “Thank you,” she said, taking it from me.
“You want me to fill the tub for you?” I asked, heading towards the bathroom.
“Yes, thanks,” she replied.
I opened the taps and added some bubble bath so she could soak and relax for a bit. Once the tub was full, I returned to the room. “Okay,” I said, watching her collect some clothes from her bags. “You want anything specific for breakfast?”
She walked to the bathroom door. Stopping, she glanced back at me, smiling. “Pan-fried dumpling, I think,” she said, raising her shoulders.
Grinning, I just nodded as she went in and closed the door. I placed a call to room service and ordered her dumplings and a piece of steak for me.
While she soaked and I waited for room service, I ensured everything was packed and at the door. I wanted to be ready to leave once we were done. The doorbell rang as Zhen came out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around her hair.
I looked through the peephole to make sure there was room service before opening the door. We sat in silence as we ate. I watched her trying to figure out how she felt after everything that happened.
She appeared to be fine, but it was hard to tell as she was like a closed book. I was also distracted. I hoped the drive to the airport would be smooth. But I feared we might have another run-in.
As we left the hotel, I kept my eyes open for any sign of danger. The drive went quicker than I thought, and turned out to be quiet. We were about an hour early and went for a drink in the lounge.
After we boarded the plane, I could relax slightly. She lowered her seat and lay staring out the window. Watching her, I realized that having sex with her might not have been one of my best ideas. I had hoped to quiet the intense desire for her, to ease my obsession with her.
But it seemed I had made it worse. My desire to protect her had increased tenfold. Closing my eyes, I sighed softly. I had to find a way to keep her safe and out of harm’s way.
Once we landed, I drove her home. The entire drive to her place, she stared out the window. After carrying her bags inside, I just had to ask before leaving. “Are you sure you’re fine?”
She rose to her toes and kissed my cheek. “All good,’ she replied. But I couldn’t shake this feeling that something was wrong. “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you in the morning then,” I said as I left.
Heading home, I dialed Alexandr. The phone rang for a while. I knew he could be busy and was about to hang up when his commanding voice came blaring through. “Akim, is everything okay? There’s been some chatter.” I could hear a hint of concern coming through.
“I’m fine, but yes, something happened. I need your help to get to the bottom of it, though,” I replied. There was a pause of silence as I waited for his response.
“Okay, you have my full attention. Let’s hear it,” he said calmly.
“There was an attempted ambush, but I managed to get out. We need to look into it, though. We must find out who is gunning for us,” I said briefly. I purposely left Zhen’s name out as I didn’t want to drag her further into it.
I heard him take a deep breath before speaking. “I will have Tasha do a deep dive and put Anton on it as well. You want me to send some guards to the agency or your home?”
Laughing, I responded lightly. “No, I’ve got my end, and the Chernykh men are protecting the estate. We just have to get to the bottom of this soon.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know what we find. Please stay safe,” Alexandr added before hanging up.
Pulling into my driveway, I surveyed the surroundings. I couldn’t see anything out of place and went inside. I dropped my bag on the floor beside my bed and collapsed onto it. Sleep came quicker than I had anticipated.
I felt refreshed after a good night’s sleep without worrying about being attacked. But I forced myself to get up. I wanted to sleep longer, but it was back to work. There was no time to waste if I intended to catch the enemies.
Walking into the office, I couldn’t wait to see Zhen. She was on the phone as I came in, so I just nodded and went to my desk. Once I was done with my emails, I glanced up, hoping to have a moment to talk to Zhen, but she wasn’t at her desk.
Shaking my head, I tried to clear the images of her from my mind. I had to focus. I soon realized that it was an impossible task. My mind kept drifting to our time together. I had really hoped that having sex with her would have cleared the obsession and cobwebs. But it was like she was now imprinted on my mind.
Over the next two days, I realized my obsession had grown to a concerning level as I couldn’t help but notice everything she did. I found myself watching her like a hawk. Hanging on her every word and interaction.
I had also started to notice her interaction with the men in the building. I felt like a wolf stalking its prey. I watched as the men flirted with her, and my jealousy slowly climbed up the never-ending mountain.
By the fourth day since our return, I struggled to keep my anger in check. Even though she kept things very professional with all of them, it didn’t help that she was seemingly avoiding me. It felt like everyone in the office with a penis was after her. It wasn’t only the Chernykh men, but now also the Morozov men.
My day went by slowly. I walked around brooding and didn’t get much of anything done. Every time I sat down to work, my mind flew out the window.
After work, I tried to catch up with her to offer her a ride home. But as I pulled up to the front of the building, I saw her getting into a cab. Since we returned, she hasn’t been coming in her own car.
All I could think was that she was still shaken from the ambush. I wanted to talk to her about it, but couldn’t do it at work. Heading home, I decided to talk to her early in the morning.
I awoke with fierce anger this morning. I was losing my mind. Heading into the office, I knew something had to be done about this silence between us. I was in before anyone else and hoped she would be early as well.
Making a fresh pot of coffee, my mind drifted back to our day spent in bed. I was pulled from my thoughts as the staff started arriving. Walking through the office, I didn’t see Zhen.
After the morning briefing, I spotted her talking to a client in reception. The day is still young, I told myself as I went back to my office. I will find a time to talk to her.
It’s day five since we returned, and I’ve had about as much as I could take of being ignored. I felt frustrated and annoyed that she had been avoiding me. Yesterday, she only brought me one coffee, and today, I haven’t even had one.
Everywhere I went, she seemed to leave as soon as I entered. We have been communicating via email and messages. She wouldn’t even sit with me for a morning meeting. Deep down, I knew the reason for it. This was exactly the reason I never got involved with my staff. It always ended up making things harder.
Needing to speak with her and clear the air between us, I went looking. She wasn’t in the front part of the office, and I had barely seen her all day. This wasn’t working. Stopping at the front desk, I spoke as the receptionist looked up. “You see my PA?”
“I think she’s getting something from the panty,” she replied, smiling.
“She’s getting what from where?” I huffed. I could feel the smoke coming out of my ears.
“Oh no,” the receptionist said, getting up. “I’m so sorry, that wasn’t what I meant.” I could see the shock even on her face at her own words. “I meant the pantry, sir.”
Nodding my thanks, I walked to the kitchen. The pantry door was open. I could see Zhen. The picture before me instantly lit a fire inside. One of the Chernykh men was chatting her up. He was smiling and gesturing with his hands.
As he lightly leaned forward and seemingly accidentally touched her hand, I knew I had to move in. Taking a slow, deep breath, I tried staying calm as I entered the pantry.
“Didn’t I assign you enough work?” I asked him calmly. He nodded but didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave. Stepping closer, I spoke more softly so Zhen wouldn’t hear me. “The work I sent needs to be done by morning, do you understand?”
He nodded, and I could see he understood me. “Excuse me,” he said, glancing at Zhen. “I forgot about something I had to get done. Have a nice day.”
She was reaching for something from one of the higher shelves. Glancing back, she replied spontaneously. “Okay, see you later.”
Turning my attention back to Zhen, I stepped closer, cornering her. I spoke in a seductive tone as she turned to face me. “So, tell me why you have been avoiding me?”
She turned her head to the side. I could see her swallowing hard as her throat tightened and released. Walking closer, I tried getting her attention, but she was avoiding my gaze.
Taking hold of her chin, I forced her to look at me as I continued. “Are you going to give me an answer?”
“I have nothing to say,” she replied blandly.
Stepping closer, I held onto her chin and leaned in. Our lips were inches apart as I spoke. “There is always something to be said. So don’t tell me you have nothing to say.”
Looking into her eyes, I could see the desire in her growing. I knew she wanted to kiss me. But she wouldn’t say it. Letting go of her chin, I moved in more. She stepped back until she was up against the back wall.
There was no more room and nowhere to go. Placing my hands on the wall beside her head, I studied her. Her chest was moving rapidly as her breathing became heavier.
“So, are you going to say something? Or are you going to be a scared little puppy tucking its tail between its legs before running off?” I asked in a low tone.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I stopped her by placing my finger over her lips. Leaning in, I whispered in her ear. “Shhh…, I do not think you have enough backbone to talk to me, little girl.”
Stepping back, I turned and started walking away. I had barely taken three steps when she spoke behind me. “You’re right, but I don’t have to tell a goody two-shoes what to do, do I?”
I smiled, hearing her tone rising. Turning slowly, I looked at her for a bit. “Me, a goody two-shoes? You clearly know nothing about me,” I said, walking back to her.
Zhen stepped back again, retreating to the wall. Stopping before her, I straightened myself out to tower over her. “Now,” I said, breathing in hard. “Tell me again, but do it to my face.”
She straightened out as well, pushing her chest against mine as she replied. “I have to say, you’ve done a nice job of building your body, considering that everything you consume is fed to you on a silver spoon.”
I had to bite back the laughter. I had no idea where she was coming up with this stuff. Smiling, I shook my head. “That’s quite a mouthful coming from a pedestal princess,” I shot back at her.
She lifted her finger to my mouth. I felt a tingling sensation run through me as she proceeded to move lightly over my lips. She kept her eyes locked on mine as she moved down my neck. Once she got to the middle of my chest, I felt her nails lightly digging in.
Swallowing hard, I tried to calm my throbbing dick, but there was no hope as she started dragging her nails down my body. She stopped just above the top of my pants. As she grabbed hold of the top, I gasped.
Zhen gently pushed me back against one of the shelves. My mind was running at the speed of light as wild thoughts came and went. It felt like she had me by the balls, and I would follow any command she gave. I had lost all control, and she had become my master.
“This pedestal princess knows how to take care of herself,” she breathed out over my lips. Her sassiness could clearly be heard in her tone. Letting go of my pants, she lightly tapped my nose before walking past me. Turning, I watched as her hips swayed.
“Stop,” I managed to get out before she left.
Zhen turned, glaring at me.
“Come with me to an estate party, most of our clients will be there. But before you say no, just think about it, as you were the brains behind most of our latest projects,” I said in a begging tone.
“I don’t know about that,” Zhen breathed out. “I don’t think I’ll be any good at such events.”
Her answer wasn’t the one I wanted or expected. I wanted to get to know her better. I had to. Sighing, I shook my head as I decided to guilt her into going.
“Nope,” I said, stepping closer. “That won’t work. I want to show off the brilliant mind behind the latest projects. So, you kind of have to be present. Besides, you worked so hard. You deserve a break.”
Zhen groaned lightly before nodding in agreement. “Great,” I said, heading past her to the door. I’ll send a driver to pick you up around seven.”
Stopping at the door, I turned back. She was almost standing on top of me. “Oh, and wear something red. It brings out your eyes,” I added before leaving.
I was still smiling as I got to my truck. I had a good feeling about tonight. The drive home wasn’t long, as my mind was occupied with thoughts of Zhen. I analyzed my emotions, realizing I cared about her. But more than that, I wanted her.
Thinking back to all our interactions, I could see it more clearly. But the fear of pulling her into my life, the bratva life, was holding me back. It was the thing that kept me from pushing or actively pursuing her, even though I felt the attraction from the moment I laid eyes on her.
Parking my truck, I raced inside and took a quick shower. Standing in front of my closet, I scanned my array of suits. I couldn’t decide which color would be best to enhance her magical look. I had to compliment her beauty, and I knew a red dress would contrast perfectly with her skin.
Deciding on a light grey suit, I got dressed. Looking in the mirror, I was satisfied. This would surely make her appearance stand out more. I wanted her to look at me with that intense hunger in her eyes once more. Grey wasn’t my color, but I knew she liked the subtle colors.
I had coffee and waited for the time to pass. I could barely contain my eagerness to see her and introduce her to the world. Staring out the window, I realized my feelings for her were growing. I wondered how far I could go with it.
Glancing at my watch, I saw it was time to go. I had to ensure the caterers were on time and the venue was ready for the first guests.
