I settle on the couch, then pace over to the kitchen. I’ve never been good at sitting still. Dinner is already marinating in the fridge. Chicken marbella, Natalia’s favorite. Who would’ve fucking thought I could be so domestic? Natalia makes my ability to perform everyday chores feel like magic.
Now I feel like an idiot for coming home early. There’s nothing to do except wait for her to come home. What did I even do before she was here all the time? Can’t remember.
Some might say that’s a bad sign, an unhealthy obsession. Maybe those people just haven’t had what we have.
I walk upstairs to change out of my work clothes and hear a scratching noise coming from Natalia’s room.
Dasha is probably playing with a rat. We’ve made ourpeace with each other since I started bribing her with treats, but I don’t want Natalia to find a dead rat in her room.
She ignores me when I enter. Her wide yellow eyes are laser-focused on a black piece of plastic which she’s flicking between her paws.
Natalia has taken over half of the loft with elaborate cat toys and playpens, yet the cat prefers to play with a random piece of plastic. It could be a hazard if she swallowed it. Natalia is always worried about her choking, which is ridiculous given the amount of rats she eats. Dasha freezes when she sees me, then pushes the black piece of plastic further under the bed.
Fucking cat.
“You’re really gonna make this hard for me?”
Dasha hisses as I flatten myself under the bed and reach for the plastic. Just when my hand closes around it, she swipes at my hand to scratch me.
“Ungrateful cat.”
The plastic looks like some kind of miniature electronic device. I’ve seen one somewhere before. I pocket it.
The cat hisses at me as if I’ve taken away her favorite toy and struts out of the room.
I can’t place why the plastic device looks familiar.
I’m almost about to give up and head back to work, in part because it will be satisfying to see Yuri handing the cash back to his unlucky employees, when I hear the clink of Natalia’s heels on the metal stairs.
Thank God.
I push open the door and watch her walk up the stairs. Today she’s wearing an off-the-shoulder floral dress,her curls loose down her back. She’s impeccably dressed, always is, but all I can think right now is that her outfit would look good on the floor.
“Thought you were spending the whole day catching up on work with Yuri?”
“Changed my mind.”
She gives a musical laugh, her eyes sparkling playfully.
As soon as she reaches the top of the stairs, I pull her against me.
“I thought I was going to have to come and get you from the vault,” I murmur against the hollow of her jaw before kissing my way to her mouth.
“Neither of us are ever going to get any work done again, are we?”
“There are more important things. Like this.”
I bring my mouth back to hers and she wraps her legs around my waist. I carry her inside, slamming the door shut behind us. She gives such sweet little moans just from kissing.
It was madness to think I’d be able to focus on anything other than Natalia for an eight-hour period of time. I don’t know how I used to do it.
I slide her dress down so that she’s half naked for me. Her full breasts spill over the neckline and I cup each one in my hands. Natalia arches her back, her breasts pressing into me.
God, she’s perfect.
“I’d rather look at this every day than those boring paintings in the vault,zolotse.”
“They’re not boring,” Natalia pulls back, her green eyes serious. “If you let me teach you, I think you could really develop an appreciation?—”
